Y-chromosomal STR haplotype in the Japanese population.

Allele and haplotype frequencies of seven Y-chromosome STR loci from samples of 108 unrelated Japanese males living in Aichi Prefecture.

[A case of identification of two persons from heavily burned teeth by age estimation].

A man murdered his two daughters, one five years and two months old and one seven months old. He placed them into a 750 degrees C aluminum liquefying furnace. Teeth and many fragments of the severely burned bones were recovered. However, at first, the bone fragments did not offer proof that two children were put into the furnace. The age estimation of the teeth burned in liquefied aluminum was carried out based on the maturity of the teeth and the degree of absorption of deciduous teeth roots. As a result from the admixture of permanent teeth and deciduous teeth, we presumed them to be derived from more than one person.

[Biochemical and morphological studies on soft tissues in hip osteoarthrosis].

To investigate the pathogenesis of osteoarthrosis, we have performed biochemical and morphological studies, other than roentgenological examination, on the soft tissues. Biochemical analyses of collagen were performed on muscles (gluteus medius) in normal and in pathological cases. In the terminal stage of osteoarthrosis, we observed more immature collagen fibers in muscles, than in normal cases. In the preosteoarthrosis stage, immature collagen formation was inconsistent with various degrees of immaturity observed. Morphologically, irregularity in the muscle fibers and interfascicular-fibrosis was observed in the gluteus medius only at the terminal stage but not at the preosteoarthrosis stage. In some cases, we observed a predominance and/or grouping of type 1 fibers. Among the 20 cases with preosteoarthrosis, 3 cases (15%) showed marked biochemical changes in both quantity and quality of collagen fibers in the gluteus medius, as compared with cases at the terminal stage. These findings may be valuable in studying the onset and development of the pathophysiology of osteoarthrosis.

Induction of differentiation and growth suppression of myeloid leukemia cells by sera of patients with hematological disorders.

In severe infection, the host responds to foreign agents and produces cytokines to activate lymphocytes and macrophages. Some of these cytokines can modulate growth and differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells. We examined differentiation-inducing activities in the sera from 9 patients with leukemia or lymphoma. These results indicate that some sera from infected patients, even with acute leukemia, have significant differentiation-inducing activities on both mouse and human leukemia cells, and that cytokines having differentiation-inducing activities varied for different specimens.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of clear cell sarcoma. Report of a case with immunocytochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies.

Cytologic findings of clear cell sarcoma obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) of a tumor are described. The tumor probably originated in the retroperitoneal tissue, and the diagnosis was confirmed histologically by open biopsy. Percutaneous needle aspirates of the intraabdominal tumor and touch preparations obtained from the open biopsy specimen revealed numerous atypical cells with an extremely hyperchromatic nucleus, prominent nucleoli and clear cytoplasm. The cytoplasm was rich in glycogen. The immunocytochemical technique demonstrated S-100 protein and neuron-specific enolase in the cytoplasm, both of which were exhibited also in the histologic specimen. Clear cell sarcoma is a rare tumor of soft tissue, and to our knowledge, detailed cytologic appearances of this tumor obtained by FNA have not been reported. In addition, the present tumor was unique in location. It is possible to diagnose clear cell sarcoma accurately on an FNA cytologic specimen if the periodic acid-Schiff stain and immunocytochemical technique are utilized in addition to the routine Papanicolaou method.

[Malignant lymphoma occurring subsequent to autoimmune disease].

The authors report six cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (3B-cell type, one T-cell type, one non-T non-B cell type, one unclassified type) occurring subsequently to autoimmune diseases. The patients were females aged 43 to 70 (median 61). Rheumatoid arthritis was most frequent as the preceding autoimmune disease, and the intervals from the onset of an autoimmune disease to that of NHL were 10 to 36 years (median 20). Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia was seen in 4 cases, lymphocytopenia in 3 cases, and conversion to negative PPD reaction in 2 cases. Only one patient had been given corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive agents may not contribute much to the development of lymphoma in patients with autoimmune diseases.

[An 8; 21 chromosome translocation associated leukemia presenting with large intestinal granulocytic sarcoma: a report of two cases].

Two patients of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) presented with a large intestinal tumor and related symptoms. They had a tumor in the rectum or the ascending colon. Bone marrow cells obtained from both patients showed a karyotype with t(8;21). Chromosomal findings in the former patient has already been reported in detail (Am J Hematol 4, 273, 1978). These findings and reports in the literature indicate that large intestinal tumor may not be rare in AML with an 8;21 translocation. Complete remission was achieved after chemotherapy, when their intestinal tumors disappeared.

Posttransfusion fulminant hepatitis B associated with precore-defective HBV mutants.

Fulminant hepatitis B developed in 8 recipients of blood units without detectable hepatitis B surface antigen on routine screening. All 124 hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA clones propagated from their sera possessed defects in the precore region. A point mutation from guanine to adenine at nucleotide 83, converting codon 28 for tryptophan (TGG) to a stop codon (TAG), was the commonest, and it was found in all 113 clones from 7 cases. The remaining case displayed 1 clone with this point mutation and 10 clones with an insertion of 2 base pairs after nucleotide 26. Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was detected in a high titer in 1 of 10 pilot plasma samples of blood units transfused to this case. HBV DNA clones propagated from it exhibited the same precore-region defects as those from the recipient. On the basis of these results HBV mutants, defective in the precore region, would appear to be responsible for posttransfusion fulminant hepatitis B, and the exclusion of blood units with high-titered anti-HBc would be efficacious in preventing it.

Pheochromocytoma with renal artery stenosis and high plasma renin activity.

An unusual case of pheochromocytoma is described in this communication. Besides a chain of typical clinical pictures and laboratory findings which suggested a catecholamine-producing tumor, the left renal artery stenosis was demonstrated by an aortography and the plasma renin activity was consistently elevated. Surgery revealed the left renal artery was embedded in the tumor mass, originated from the left adrenal gland, resulting in a high degree of constricture of the vessel. Following the removal of the tumor, blood pressure immediately returned to normal, however, plasma renin activity remained elevated as long as 9 months of the follow-up study. The second aortography performed 14 months after the operation failed to demonstrate the left renal artery stenosis and subsequent studies revealed that plasma renin activity was gradually declining to upper normal levels. It is suggested that an excess of catecholamines secreted by the tumor was responsible for hypertension in this case, and that another factor, probably renal artery stenosis, was involved in the elevation of plasma renin activity, although this high renin activity was maintained for more than 9 months following the tumor extirpation.