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Notes: Background Bullous pemphigoid (BP) often provokes blood and tissue eosinophilia, which suggests that some chemoattractants modulate the eosinophil infiltration in BP. Eotaxin, a CC chemokine, strongly attracts eosinophils, and interleukin (IL)-5 induces eosinophil differentiation, proliferation and colony formation in vitro. Objectives To examine the correlation between levels of eotaxin and IL-5 and the number of lesional eosinophils, and the expression of eotaxin in BP lesions. Patients/methods In this study we measured eotaxin and IL-5 levels in blister fluid of BP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also examined the expression of eotaxin in BP lesions by immunohistochemistry. Results Both eotaxin and IL-5 were detected at high levels in BP blister fluid. Blister fluid eotaxin, but not IL-5 levels, correlated significantly with the number of dermal infiltrating eosinophils. By immunohistochemistry, eotaxin was strongly expressed in epidermal keratinocytes around BP blisters. Conclusions These findings suggest that eotaxin and IL-5 are strongly associated with the tissue eosinophilia of BP. Therapies which aim to inhibit production of eotaxin and IL-5 may improve the inflammation and blister formation in BP.

Notes: In this study the photolightening behavior of blond hair was investigated. The results demonstrated that visible (VIS) and ultraviolet (UV) light lighten blond hair through different mechanisms. VIS light was found to contribute much more to the lightening of blond hair than UV light, and acted directly, while UV light only lightened blond hair that had been washed following irradiation. VIS and UV light both, however, lightened to a similar degree isolated melanin granules and decomposed melanin granules that were exposed on a cross section of blond hair. These results indicate that melanin granules are equally sensitive to both forms of light while blond hair is most sensitive to VIS light. The results also indicate that hair tissues, excluding melanin granules, are damaged by UV light but not by VIS light. Based on these facts, the hypothetical lightening mechanism of UV light is assumed to be that UV light preferentially attacks and damages hair tissues rather than melanin granules. This occurs only after the hair is washed, as the washing process removes the melanin granules that effuse from loose hair fibers. In contrast, VIS light preferentially attacks and decomposes the melanin granules rather than other tissues, and also results in the lightening of blond hair but without the need for subsequent washing. We also found that while VIS light destroys the structure of isolated melanin granules, UV light does not act in a similar manner. Consequently, it is proven that VIS and UV light attack different sites of the melanin granule, even though the lightening rates from both light sources are similar.

Notes: Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide, was recently isolated from the rat stomach as an endogenous ligand to growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Ghrelin specifically stimulates the release of GH from the rat anterior pituitary gland, but the regulational effect of ghrelin on GH secretion has not yet been clarified. We used a perifusion system to examine the single effect and combined effects of ghrelin with growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin on GH secretion from rat anterior pituitary cells. The increase in GH concentration due to ghrelin stimulation showed a transitory peak that was almost the same as that previously reported for GHS, but apparently distinct from that of GHRH. Ghrelin (10−10 M to 10−8 M) stimulated GH secretion from the rat anterior pituitary cells in a dose-dependent manner. Serial ghrelin stimulation of the dispersed cells at 1-h intervals decreased the GH response, but the response recovered with stimulation at 3-h intervals, indicating that ghrelin strongly desensitized cells. Costimulation with ghrelin and GHRH elicited neither a synergistic nor an additive GH response from the rat pituitary cells. Furthermore, pretreatment to anterior pituitary cells with somatostatin strongly abolished ghrelin- and/or GHRH-stimulated GH secretion. In this study, we demonstrated that ghrelin caused weaker GH secretion than that caused by GHRH, and we also showed that costimulation with GHRH had no additive or synergistic effect on GH secretion, suggesting that ghrelin indirectly affects coordinated GH release from pituitary gland, as found in vivo.

Notes: Some metabolic end-products in tissues and physiological parameters of haemolymph of the Japanese clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams & Reeve) were investigated under aerial exposure at 15 °C with low relative humidity (RH) (22%) or high RH (91%). Acclimated clams in water at 15 °C were used as a control and to supply the low or high RH experiment. The low RH experiment was conducted at air exposure for 50 h (LH50), and the high RH experiment for 50 h (HH50) and 100 h (HH100). Accumulation of succinate and alanine in the tissues proved that the clam shifted its metabolism to anaerobiosis. Lactate accumulation did not occur. Glucose concentrations in tissues increased slightly during exposure except for HH50. The total free amino acid contents (363–410 μmol g−1) were higher than those of glucose (530–804 μmol 100 g−1), suggesting that the free amino acids might play a more dominant role in the metabolism. Increase in the haemolymph pco2 did not influence the acid–base balance in the haemolymph during exposure at both humidity conditions. Increase in the haemolymph ammonia from 48.2 to 57.1 μmol 100 g−1 and to 131.0 μmol 100 g−1 at LH50 and HH100, respectively, suggested that ammonia might function as an important buffering factor during aerial exposure. Retention values of the haemolymph po2 even at the longest exposure time (16.30 mmHg at LH50 and 14.69 mmHg at HH100) indicated that the clams depend partially on some aerobic manner.

Notes: Locomotion behaviour of the abalone, Nordotis discus (Reeve), N. gigantea (Gmelin) and Sulculus aquatilis (Reeve), was observed for 5- to 10-day periods during the early summer and autumn from 1997 to 1999. Before sunset, the animals were individually put beneath each shelter situated on the flat concrete floor of indoor and outdoor tanks. For tracing of the locomotion path, a luminous rod was fixed on the animal's shell. Except for non-appearance, the locomotion behaviour showed leaving or homing; these ratios against each total observation according to each species were 70.0% and 16.7% in N. discus, 47.1 and 23.5% in N. gigantea and 57.6 and 24.2% in S. aquatilis respectively. Irrespective of species, recurrences to the home were frequently recognized during the locomotion. For the homing behaviour, its critical distance was approximately 1 m from the home. Moonlight did not completely restrain the abalone appearance from the home, though the appearance frequency during the period around the full moon was lowered and in some cases the time of initial appearance was retarded.

Notes: summary  The prevalences of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in Bangladeshi adolescents and their associations with intake of various hard food items were investigated. A group of 1200 randomly selected high school students aged 12–17 years from three communities (rural, semi-urban and urban) completed a questionnaire on dietary habits and presence of TMD symptoms and were examined clinically. In bivariate analysis, no significant relationship was observed between TMD symptoms and eating of hard foods. However, in logistic regression analysis, clicking showed a significant correlation with consumption of hard vegetable and fruits more than three times per week (P 〈 0·05). A statistically significant correlation was also observed between consumption of all hard food items (at least one item in each of the four categories of hard food) more than 12 times per week and pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) (P 〈 0·05). A positive association was found between pain in the TMJ and older age (15–17 years) (P 〈 0·001). The prevalence of pain in the TMJ was significantly higher in males (P 〈 0·01). Prevalences of clicking and pain in the TMJ were significantly higher in subjects living in a rural area than in subjects living in an urban area (P 〈 0·01 and P 〈 0·01, respectively). Subjects having one or more decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) showed significantly higher prevalences of clicking (P 〈 0·01) and restricted mouth opening (P 〈 0·01). The results suggest that prevalence of TMD symptoms are related to prolonged consumption of hard food items.

Notes: The spectrum of micronodular thymic epithelial tumours with lymphoid B-cell hyperplasia Aims: A rare type of thymoma, micronodular thymoma with lymphoid B-cell hyperplasia, was recently reported by Suster and Moran. Thymic epithelial tumours with a similar pattern but with varied cytological features of the tumour cells are analysed. Methods and results: A total of 11 cases of thymic epithelial tumours characterized by micronodular proliferation of tumour cells separated by abundant lymphoid stroma with prominent germinal centres were reviewed clinicopathologically and examined immunohistochemically. The presence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) genome was also examined by in-situ hybridization. Based on the morphology of tumour epithelial cells, cases were subdivided into four groups: group 1 (two cases) having spindle epithelial cells; group 2 (two cases) showing an admixture of spindle and polygonal epithelial cells; group 3 (five cases) having polygonal epithelial cells, with mild to moderate cytological atypia in four cases, and group 4 (two cases) representing lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma. The degree of cytological atypia and the number of tumour cells positive for MIB-1 and p53 gradually increased towards group 4. The abundant lymphoid stroma in all cases contained many CD20-positive B-cells and CD3 and CD45RO-positive T-cells. CD99-positive immature T-cells were present in all cases of groups 1 and 2 and in most cases of group 3, but not in both cases of group 4 tumours. IgG, IgM and IgD-positive plasma cells and lymphocytes were also present in all cases, more prominent in those of groups 3 and 4. The EBV genome was detected in only a few lymphocytes in five cases. Conclusions: The tumours in this series belong to a distinct category of thymic epithelial tumours and each of the above groups may constitute a spectrum in the continuum of cytological atypia. The aetiological relationship of EBV with these tumours could not be proved. The lymphoid B-cell hyperplasia may result from a host immune response and may suggest a favourable clinical course of this type of tumour.

Notes: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is a distinct entity, characterized by fatty change, lobular inflammation and fibrosis of the liver. Some cases of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis progress to cirrhosis, but it is not easy to distinguish this disease from non-alcoholic fatty liver by non-invasive examinations. No proven therapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis exists. Transforming growth factor-β1 is implicated in the development of liver fibrosis, and is inhibited by α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in the liver. Therefore, in this study, the significance of the measurement of the level of plasma transforming growth factor-β1 and the effect of α-tocopherol on the clinical course of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were investigated.〈section xml:id="abs1-2"〉〈title type="main"〉Methods:Twelve patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and 10 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver, with a diagnosis confirmed by liver biopsy, were studied. None of the patients had a history of alcohol abuse, habitual medicine or malignant or inflammatory diseases. All patients were negative for hepatitis B, C and G virus. Patients were given dietary instruction for 6 months, and then α-tocopherol (300 mg/day) was given for 1 year. Blood chemistries, measurement of plasma transforming growth factor-β1 level and liver biopsies were undertaken before and after the 1-year α-tocopherol treatment.〈section xml:id="abs1-3"〉〈title type="main"〉Results:The serum alanine transaminase level decreased in non-alcoholic fatty liver patients, but not in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients, after 6 months of dietary therapy. Although the serum alanine transaminase level in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients was reduced during the 1-year α-tocopherol treatment, α-tocopherol had no effect on the serum alanine transaminase level in non-alcoholic fatty liver patients. The histological findings, such as steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis, of the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients were improved after α-tocopherol treatment. The plasma transforming growth factor-β1 level in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients was significantly elevated compared with that in non-alcoholic fatty liver patients and healthy controls, and decreased, accompanied by an improvement in serum alanine transaminase level, with α-tocopherol treatment.〈section xml:id="abs1-4"〉〈title type="main"〉Conclusions:lOur data suggest that the measurement of the level of plasma transforming growth factor-β1 represents a possible method of distinguishing between non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Long-term α-tocopherol treatment may be safe and effective for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial is needed to confirm the full potential of α-tocopherol in the management of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.