Does hyperuricemia affect mortality? A prospective cohort study of Japanese male workers.

A positive association between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease has been reported, but no study has evidenced yet the precise role of serum uric acid in the development of cardiovascular disease. In addition, no epidemiological studies have so far documented a decreased risk of cancer among people with hyperuricemia, even though the antioxidant action of uric acid has recently been stressed to inhibit DNA damage. The present prospective cohort study investigates the relationship between hyperuricemia and health hazards in a Japanese working population. The subjects were 49,413 Japanese male railroad workers, aged 25-60 years at enrollment. Serum uric acid and other baseline data were provided by annual health-survey records from 1975 to 1982. The vital status of the subjects was traced until the end of 1985 for those who remained alive. During an average 5.4-year study period, 984 deaths were recorded. Those with serum uric acid over 8.5 mg/dl showed elevated relative risks (RRs) of death in all causes (RR 1.62, p<0.01), coronary heart disease ( RR 1.52), stroke (RR 2.33, p<0.01), hepatic disease (RR 3.58, p<0.01), and renal failure ( RR 8.52, p<0.01), as compared with those with serum uric acid levels of 5.0-6.4mg/dl. The RR of death in all causes still remains statistically significant when adjusted by age and serum total cholesterol (2.00, p<0.01), age and alcohol intake (1.85, p<0.001), age and smoking (1.69, p<0.001), age and gout treatment (1.61, p<0.05), and also age and BMI (1.50, p< 0.05). On the other hand, the RR of all causes decreased but was still above 1.0 when adjusted by age and blood glucose (1.62), age and systolic blood pressure (1.32), age and GOT (1.23), and also age and history of cardiovascular disease (1.17). These results showed that hyperuricemia has a strong association with the RRs of death in all causes, coronary heart disease, stroke, hepatic disease and renal failure, and indicated that serum uric acid seems to be a considerable risk factor for reduced life expectancy.

Direct identification of lung cancer cells producing granulocyte colony stimulating factor with monoclonal anti-G-CSF antibodies.

This is a case report of an 82-year-old man with squamous cell lung cancer which produced G-CSF. The leukocyte cell count was elevated to 94,400/mm3. The serum G-CSF concentration was also elevated to 351 pg/ml. This is the first report to demonstrate, by application of immunohistochemical staining techniques directly to tumor tissue obtained at autopsy, squamous carcinoma cells which produce G-CSF. The tumor cells were stained with monoclonal anti-G-CSF antibodies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: MR appearance mimicking cavernous hemangioma.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma is reported in which a calculated T2 value of the tumor was exceptionally long and differentiation from cavernous hemangioma based on T2 signal intensity was difficult. Pathologically, the mass consisted of dense, homogeneous acinar formation (pseudoglandular type). The T2 prolongation of the mass was probably due to abundant fluid in the acini.

[A case of hepatoma treated successfully with a percutaneous intratumoral injection of CDDP-PC-lipiodol suspension].

Reported is a case that was treated successfully with a percutaneous intratumoral injection of a CDDP-PC-Lipiodol Suspension (CPLS) of the viable tumor cells of a hepatoma after arterial injection therapy. Although the size of the viable tumor cells remained almost unchanged, a marked reduction in the level of the plasma AFP (484 ng/ml-35 ng/ml) was obtained after the percutaneous injection. No major complication was encountered except for minimal vomiting and mild transient abnormalities of the liver functions.