Oxidative Stress in the Symbiotic Sea Anemone Aiptasia pulchella (Carlgren, 1943): Contribution of the Animal to Superoxide Ion Production at Elevated Temperature.

Production of superoxide ions within tissues of the symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella was detected using SOD-inhibitable cytochrome c reduction and quantified by SOD-inhibitable reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT). Intact aposymbiotic and symbiotic specimens of A. pulchella produced superoxide in response to acute, sublethal thermal stress. Neither light nor inhibition of symbiont photosynthesis by (3,4-di-chlorophenyl) -1, 1-dimethylurea (DCMU) affected superoxide production. The time course of superoxide ion production strongly resembled the time course of increased dark respiration by intact anemones, suggesting that the effect of elevated temperature on host mitochondria may account for increased superoxide production. Interestingly, freshly isolated algae (FIZ) did not release superoxide ions in response to elevated temperature, and net oxygen production decreased greatly in both intact symbiotic anemones and in FIZ within 20 minutes after temperature elevation. These results show that oxidative stress in A. pulchella is primarily an animal response, and suggest that the presence of symbiotic algae, although sufficient to cause hyperoxia, is not necessary for the appearance of oxidative stress in these anemones at elevated temperature.

Prevalence of HCV-antibodies and HCV-RNA in donor blood in Tokushima Prefecture.

The incidence of C100-3 among the blood specimens qualified for transfusion according to the conventional criteria was 1.1%. The incidence of C100-3 in donor blood in Tokushima Prefecture is not significantly different from that reported for all Japan. Of the donors positive for the conventional screening test and C100-3, 73.6% showed high ALT levels. For all antibodies, the incidence of HCV-RNA was very low in the donors positive for a single antibody, but was high in those positive for multiple antibodies. All of the donors showing the 3 antibodies were positive for HCV-RNA. While a test for multiple antibodies is thought to be effective for the screening of HCV, more blood needs to be discarded, having a serious cost-performance problem. The O.D. value for C100-3 and the 2nd antibody seem to be useful reference value for antibody titers.

Incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and HCV-RNA in blood donors and patients with liver diseases in the inshore area of the Yangtze River.

The Nantong area is a high risk region for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) in the inshore area of the Yangtze River. However, no detailed data are available about hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in this area. We examined the incidences of anti-HCV and HCV-RNA in blood donors with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)- and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-negative and patients with chronic liver diseases in the Nantong area at Nantong Medical College, Jiangsu Province, the People's Republic of China. The incidences of HBV markers (HBsAg and/or HBcAb), anti-HCV (C100-3), second generation anti-HCV, HCV-RNA and any marker of HCV in the Nantong area were found to be: 0.0, 0.7, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.7% in donor bloods; 16.9, 0.0, 3.4, 15.7 and 16.9% in patients with acute hepatitis; 82.8, 2.7, 4.8, 7.5 and 10.2% in those with chronic hepatitis; 86.4, 4.5, 9.1, 4.5 and 11.4% in those with liver cirrhosis; 87.5, 6.3, 0.0, 0.0 and 6.3% in those with PHC; and 21.8, 1.3, 1.3, 0.0 and 1.3% in patients without liver diseases, respectively. Although the Nantong area is a high risk region for PHC, these data suggest that HCV infection is not an important aetiological factor for PHC in this area.

Unusual palatal root canal morphology in maxillary molars.

Three clinical cases are presented in which the palatal root(s) of human maxillary molars exhibited root canal morphology characterized by multiple canals/roots.

HCV infection and its clinical features in recipients of blood screened for HCV (C100-3) antibody.

After adoption of the anti-hepatitis C virus (C100-3) test, the incidences of definite and suspected cases of post-transfusional hepatitis (PTH) were 3.3% (7/209) and 7.2% (15/209), respectively. Four patients with definite PTH and seven patients with suspected PTH became positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related antibodies or HCV-RNA after transfusion. These cases that became positive for anti-HCV or HCV-RNA showed a peak of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) more than 4 weeks after operation. Only rare cases that showed ALT peaks within 4 weeks after operation became positive for HCV-related antibodies or HCV-RNA. The peak ALT levels in cases showing positive conversion tended to be higher than those in cases showing no conversion. Judging from these results, cases of suspected PTH include those of transient liver disease attributable to surgery as well as clear cases of HCV infection. Thus new diagnostic criteria are required including data on HCV antibodies or HCV-RNA.

Epidemiological characteristics of the incidence of hepatitis C virus (C100-3) antibodies in patients with liver diseases in the inshore area of the Yangtze River.

The Nantong area is an endemic region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the inshore area of the Yangtze River. However, no detailed data are available about hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in this area. In this study recent reports are reviewed about the incidence of viral hepatitis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) in China, and it is shown that the Nantong area is a high risk region for PHC. This study reports on the incidence of antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) in patients with chronic liver diseases in the Nantong area; investigated in collaboration with members of the Nantong Medical College, Jiangsu Province, the People's Republic of China. The incidence of anti-HCV (C100-3) in the Nantong area was: 0.67% (three of 451) in donor blood; 0.0% (none of 89) in patients with acute hepatitis; 2.7% (five of 186) in those with chronic hepatitis, 4.5% (two of 44) in those with liver cirrhosis; 6.3% (one of 16) in those with PHC; and 1.3% (one of 78) in patients without liver disease. The incidence of hepatitis B surface antigen in the Nantong area was: 15.7% (14 of 89) in patients with acute hepatitis; 81.2% (151 of 186) in those with chronic hepatitis; 81.8% (36 of 44) in those with liver cirrhosis; 87.5% (14 of 16) in those with PHC; and 20.5% (16 of 78) in patients without liver disease. Although the Nantong area is a high risk region for PHC, these data suggest that HCV infection is not an important aetiological factor for PHC in this area.