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There is no established method for measuring human hepatic triglyceride (TG) lipase (HTGL) concentration in serum. In this study, we developed new monoclonal Abs (MoAbs) (9A1 mouse MoAb and 141A1 rat MoAb) that react with HTGL both in serum and in postheparin plasma (PHP) and established a novel ELISA system for measuring serum HTGL and PHP-HTGL concentrations. To confirm the specificity of MoAbs, we performed immunoprecipitation-immunoblotting analysis. Both 9A1 mouse MoAb and 141A1 rat MoAb were able to immunoprecipitate not only recombinant HTGL and PHP-HTGL but also serum HTGL, demonstrating that HTGL exists in serum obtained without heparin injection. This method yielded intra- and interassay coefficients of variation of <6% and showed no cross-reactivity with LPL or endothelial lipase. In clinical analysis on 42 male subjects with coronary artery disease, there were strong positive correlations of serum HTGL concentration to PHP-HTGL concentration (r= 0.727, P< 0.01). Serum HTGL concentrations showed positive correlations to serum TGs (r= 0.314, P< 0.05) and alanine aminotransferase (r= 0.406, P< 0.01), and tendencies toward positive correlations to LDL cholesterol, small dense LDL, and γGTP. These results suggest that this new ELISA method for measuring serum HTGL is applicable in daily clinical practice.

Abstract: Background. There may be uncertainty as to whether enlarged abdominal lymph nodes (LNs) in children are normal or abnormal. Objective. To compare, by ultrasonography (US), enlarged abdominal LNs in healthy children with those in children with acute abdominal pain or acute gastroenteritis. Materials and methods. One hundred and twenty-two asymptomatic children were selected by questionnaire and compared with 44 children with acute abdominal pain of unknown origin and 27 children with acute gastroenteritis. The number of LNs, their location, their shape and the presence of tenderness as detected by finger compression of each LN were evaluated. The children were divided into four groups according to age: 0–2, 3–6, 7–10, and 11–15 years. Results. LNs were detected in the ileo-caecal and/or para-aortic areas in almost all of the asymptomatic children. The number of large LNs ( > 10 mm) in the para-aortic areas was higher in the older children (≥ 7 years of age) than in the younger children ( ≤ 6 years of age) (P < 0.05). The number of spindle-shaped LNs (ratio of long- to short-axis diameter ≥ 2.0) was increased in the older children. The number of LNs was not increased in the children with acute abdominal pain. The size of the LNs was largest in the children with acute gastroenteritis, followed by the children with acute abdominal pain and the asymptomatic children (P < 0.001). Although the shape of the LNs was no different among the three groups of children, the frequency of round-shaped LNs (ratio of long- to short-axis diameter < 2.0) was greater in the older children with acute abdominal pain or acute gastroenteritis than in the asymptomatic children (P < 0.01). The number of LNs with tenderness detected by finger compression was significantly greater in the children with acute abdominal pain and acute gastroenteritis than in the asymptomatic children (P < 0.0001). Conclusion. The number of large and round-shaped LNs with tenderness tended to be increased in the children with acute gastroenteritis and acute abdominal pain. There is no clear specificity of LN enlargement in the children with acute abdominal pain, and the main challenge is to diagnose or estimate the organic pathology by US, regardless of the presence of lymphadenopathy.

To investigate the mechanisms of the hypolipidemic effect ofmonatepil, a new class of calcium antagonists withα1-adrenergic blocking activity, we examined theeffects of the drug on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity andthe level of LDL receptor mRNA present in cultured human skin fibroblasts.At concentrations of 2 × 10−5M, monatepilincreased the binding (248 ± 43% mean ± SD),internalization (374 ± 18%), and degradation (145 ±2%) of 125I-LDL in human skin fibroblasts (n =3, p<0.05). Treatment of human skin fibroblasts with 2 × 10−5M of monatepil for 6 hours resulted in an increasein LDL receptor mRNA to 163% of the control level (n = 2), asshown by Northern blot analysis. Our results suggest that the hypolipidemicclinical effects of monatepil may be due to increased LDL receptoractivity.

We treated a patient in whom a hepatocellular carcinoma and a hyperplastic nodule of the liver concomitantly grew in association with long term phosphate diethylstilbestrol therapy for a carcinoma of the prostate. A 72-year-old Japanese man was admitted for investigation of hepatic masses. A diagnosis of prostate carcinoma had been made seven years ago and phosphate diethylstilbestrol 200mg daily had been prescribed. A small mass was first detected in the liver four years later and another mass appeared three years after the appearance of the first mass. Histology of the excised tissue showed the former mass to be a hyperplastic nodule and the latter one hepatocellular carcinoma. Findings of cirrhosis, hepatitis or fibrosis were nil but fatty metamorphosis of the hepatocytes was apparent. These histological changes were considered to be associated with long-term phosphate diethylstilbestrol therapy therefore careful follow-up using imazing diagnosis is recommended for patients on phosphate diethylstilbestrol therapy.