Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lung.

Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the lung is very rare. To date, only 32 reports of 63 cases of primary MFH of the lung have appeared in English, excluding tumors arising from the pulmonary arteries and pleura. We describe a patient with primary MFH of the lung who developed brain metastasis and involvement of pulmonary great vessels. In addition, we reviewed previously reported cases to establish the clinical characteristics and most appropriate management of primary pulmonary MFH. When disease is sufficiently limited, complete resection remains the mainstay of treatment.

[Rifampicin-induced severe thrombocytopenia in a patient with miliary tuberculosis].

A 74-year-old female visited a local clinic complaining of fever on January 21, 2002. A chest X-ray and a chest computed tomography (CT) showed diffuse micronodules in all lung fields, which strongly suggested miliary tuberculosis. On January 23, she was referred to our hospital for further examinations. Though sputum was negative on smear, culture, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for M. tuberculosis, bone marrow aspirate examined on admission revealed epithelioid granuloma. Therefore we diagnosed her as a miliary tuberculosis, and she was treated with 300 mg of Isoniazid (INH), 450 mg of Rifampicin, and 750 mg of Streptomycin (SM) daily. Five days later, severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count 0.3 x 10(4)/microliter) was observed. We immediately discontinued all antituberculous drugs and administered concentrated platelets and immune globulin. Platelet-associated IgG was detected, and megakaryocytes were slightly increased in moderately hypocellular marrow on the bone marrow aspirate examined again after the appearance of thrombocytopenia. Eleven days after discontinuing all antituberculous drugs, platelet count recovered to 10.2 x 10(4)/microliter. INH, SM, Levofloxacin (LV) were administered afterward, and these drugs did not induce thrombocytopenia. Though challenge administration of RFP was not performed, we concluded that the thrombocytopenia was immunologically induced by RFP. We should keep in mind that RFP-induced thromobocytopenia could appear in the first week after the initiation of therapy.

Relative abundance and patterns of correlation among six cytokines in pleural fluid measured by cytometric bead array.

Several cytokines play significant roles in the development and pathogenesis of pleural effusion. Little is known, however, about possible interactions between individual cytokines in terms of regulation of their relative abundance in the effusion. We studied 93 patients presenting with pleural effusion to the National Sanyo Hospital (68 men and 25 women; mean age, 64 years). Twenty-two patients had tuberculous pleurisy, 40 had malignant pleuritis, and 31 had effusions due to an etiology other than tuberculosis or cancer (miscellaneous). Pleural fluid concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, TNF-alpha, and INF-gamma were simultaneously measured by cytometric bead array (CBA). The ratios of IL-4/IL-5, IL-4/TNF-alpha, IL-2/TNF-alpha, and IL-10/TNF-alpha were lower in patients with tuberculosis pleurisy compared with other patients. In all three groups of patients significant correlation was seen between abundance of IL-2 vs. IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, or TNF-alpha, between IL-4 vs. IL-10, and between TNF-alpha vs. INF-gamma. In malignant pleural fluid patients, the significant correlation was between IL-2 vs. IL-4, TNF-alpha, or INF-gamma, between IL-4 vs. INF-gamma, and between TNF-alpha vs. INF-gamma. In tuberculosis pleural fluid patients, the significant correlation was between IL-2 vs. TNF-alpha, between IL-4 vs. IL-10, and between TNF-alpha vs. INF-gamma. In miscellaneous pleural fluid patients, the significant correlation was between IL-2 vs. IL-4, IL-10, or TNF-alpha, between IL-4 vs. IL-10, TNF-alpha, and between IL-10 vs. TNF-alpha. No significant correlation was observed between other pairs of cytokines. Strong correlation in abundance between particular cytokines in pleural fluids suggests cross-talk between them, in terms that an altered level of one of them provides a feedback mechanism regulating synthesis and/or secretion of another one. Such interactions may play important roles in pathogenesis and severity of the effusion. The CBA methodology provides a convenient tool to investigate these interactions.