Entrapment of the median nerve between sublimis tendons after distal forearm fracture: an unusual case report.

We present a rare case of entrapment of the median nerve between sublimis tendons after fractures of the distal radius and ulna in an 80-year-old woman. The entrapped median nerve was elongated redundantly with two regions of constriction. To our knowledge, no case of median nerve palsy caused by such a factor has been previously reported.

Increase in cell surface wheat germ agglutinin binding in a rat hepatoma cell line dRLa 74 treated with concanavalin A.

Wheat germ agglutinin binding to a rat hepatoma cell line dRLa 74 treated with concanavalin A was studied. It increased depending on the concanavalin A concentration in the culture medium. The cells exhibited about twofold increase in wheat germ agglutinin-binding when pretreated with 50 micrograms/ml of concanavalin A for 48 h. The wheat germ agglutinin binding sites were shown to be localized at the cell surface by lectin-histochemistry. Wheat germ agglutinin blotting of microsomal membrane proteins showed a broad wheat germ agglutinin-reactive band with an apparent molecular weight of 90 to 100 kDa. Loss of wheat germ agglutinin binding to dRLa 74 cells and the glycoprotein after neuraminidase treatment suggested that wheat germ agglutinin reacted with cell surface sialyl residues of dRLa 74 cells. The induced change was reversible. Increased wheat germ agglutinin binding returned to the pretreatment level when the concanavalin A-treated cells were subcultured in the absence of concanavalin A. These observations suggest that environmental factors interacting with tumor cell surface sugar moieties may induce reversible epigenetic changes on cell surface carbohydrate structures.

The hepatocellular expression of a carbohydrate antigen 'sialyl Lewis X' in chronic hepatitis. A novel histological marker for active hepatic necroinflammation.

The hepatocellular expression of the carbohydrate antigen sialyl monomeric Lewis X (SMLex) and sialyl oligomeric Lewis X(SOLex) in chronic hepatitis was examined using specific monoclonal antibodies. Both of these sialyl Lewis X (SLex) antigens were membranously expressed in chronic hepatitis in spite of their absence in normal liver. Although SMLex was detected in mild hepatic inflammation, the expression of SOLex was associated only with moderate to severe necroinflammation. Hepatocellular expression of these antigens increased significantly as histological diagnosis advanced. Chronological observation also showed the change of SLex expression according to the histological change. The present observations suggest that hepatocellular SLex is a novel histological marker with a close correlation to the severity of necroinflammation in chronic hepatitis.

Blood group antigens in the intrahepatic biliary tree. I. Distribution in the normal liver.

The distribution of six blood group-related antigens, A, B, H, Lea, Leb and sialylated Lea antigens, in the intrahepatic biliary tree was studied. These carbohydrate antigens in fixed normal liver tissues were immunostained with the use of highly specific monoclonal antibodies in an avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Bile ducts expressed both ABH and Lewis blood group antigens. However, only Lewis blood group antigens could be detected in the bile ductules. Canaliculo-ductular junctions could be clearly delineated with the anti-Lewis blood group antibodies, especially with anti-Lea antibody. Small Lewis antigen-positive cells were scattered intralobularly. They were adjacent to parenchymal liver cells, mainly in Rappaport zone 1, and apparently in continuity with the portal biliary tree. Sialylated Lea antigen was found in some septal bile ducts. No blood group antigen could be detected in the bile canaliculi. These results indicate that (1) biliary tract of a given size has its own pattern of blood group antigen expression, and (2) biliary epithelial cells are not identical with regard to the phenotypic expression of their structural carbohydrates. In future, it will be possible to classify biliary epithelial cells by their blood group antigen expression.

Hepatocellular expression of a novel glycoprotein with sialylated difucosyl Lex activity in the active inflammatory lesions of chronic liver disease.

Hepatic expression of sialylated difucosyl Lex antigen (SDLex, NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4(Fuc alpha 1-3)GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4(Fuc alpha 1-3)GlcNAc beta 1-) was studied with monoclonal antibody FH6, which defines this structure. Hepatocytes in the severe form of chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis strongly expressed SDLex. The antigen was only weakly and focally detected in chronic persistent hepatitis. The mild form of chronic active hepatitis showed intermediate expression. SDLex expressed along the liver cell membranes displayed a honeycomb pattern when extensively expressed in the severe form of chronic active hepatitis or in liver cirrhosis. Cytoplasmic expression was faint and focal. Preferential tissue distribution was at the periphery of the hepatic lobules where the distruction of the limiting plate was present. The antigen was also expressed in sinusoidal lining cells and polymorphonuclear cells but not in the biliary epithelia. Hepatocytes expressing SDLex did not express related carbohydrate antigens, ie, Type 2 chain N-acetyllactosamine, Lex, and sialylated Lea. On subcellular fractionation, the microsome fraction contained the majority of the antigen activity. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis revealed one major SDLex-active glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 110 kilodaltons. This glycoprotein was different from SDLex-active glycoproteins found in the sera of cancer patients. No ganglioside showed FH6 reactivity. These results indicate that liver cells in active inflammatory lesion expressed a novel glycoprotein carrying SDLex antigen in honeycomblike membrane-associated pattern.

[Clinical significance of the measurement of serum neuron-specific enolase levels in patients with lung cancer].

Subjects were comprised of 100 healthy adults, 85 patients with primary lung cancer, 20 with benign lung disease and 4 with metastatic lung cancer. Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels were estimated by means of an NSE RIA kit produced by Eiken Radiopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The normal range of serum NSE level was between 4.5 and 10.30 (mean: 6.81) ng/ml in the 100 healthy adults. The serum NSE level in patients with small cell carcinoma was significantly higher than the mean in patients with other histological types. Positive rates of serum NSE levels were 80% in patients with small cell carcinoma, 54% in patients with adenocarcinoma, 52% in patients with squamous cell carcinoma and 1% in healthy adults, respectively. According to the progress of staging in lung cancer patients, serum NSE levels became increased. Serum NSE level seems to be specific marker in patients with small cell lung cancer and to be useful for diagnosis and the monitoring of cancer treatment.