Search

As the structures has been enlarged and the construction works have been carried out in the deeper sea areas, the loads due to constructions has become close or larger than the consolidation yield stress of the Pleistocene clay layer at the large depth. In this report, the settlement problem of aged Pleistocene clay layer was reviewed with related to the cases in coastal projects. A reason of the large compressibility of Pleistocene clay is the structure due to the aging effect, which can be evaluated by the concept of the standard compression curve. The use of lightweight soil is a hopeful measure for the settlement. The newly developed LWTS method and the cases in the airport project are introduced.

Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor characterized by hypervascularity. Neuropilins (NRPs), which is expressed by human tumor cells, is known to be a potent receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We examined NRPs mRNA expression in 30 osteosarcomas. The osteosarcomas with NRP2 expression (n=24) showed a significantly increased vascularity (P

This article outlines the role of 16α-[18F]fluoro-17β-oestradiol (18F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET) combined with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) in patients with oestrogen-related tumours for evaluating tumour phenotype. 18F-FES-PET combined with 18F-FDG is helpful in characterising the distinct phenotypic features of oestrogen-related tumours; that is, inter- and intrapatient tumour heterogeneity, which indicates its great potential as a determinant of individualised treatment and a prognostic predictor for patients with oestrogen-related tumours.

Radial and longitudinal strain assessment in the carotid artery wall using speckle tracking

The correlation between compression conditions at temperatures in the range of 573–773 K with the strain rate range of 0.002–2 s −1 and grain size after solution heat treatment of 7075 alloy was investigated, as contrasted with 6061 alloy. The grain coarsening occurred under specific Zener-Hollomon ( Z ) parameters of 5 × 10 10 –10 12 s −1 for 7075 alloy, 10 8 –2 × 10 12 s −1 for 6061 alloy, respectively. These phenomena could be explained by crystalline orientation analysis and stored deformation strain evaluation. The site of subgrains with less than 15° misorientation and stored strain after compression increased, but the site of recrystallized grains after solution heat treatment increased with Z parameter. Small Z parameter condition could get low stored strain with fine grain which is stable during SHT. Effect of Cr and Zr on the grain structure of 7075 alloy was also investigated. Cr or Zr addition could inhibit the grain coarsening. The role of Zr addition was confirmed to pinning effect of Al 3 Zr dispersoids to subgrain boundaries.

A phase transition occurring at 320 K in DCrO 2 but not in HCrO 2 has been investigated by infrared spectroscopy. The hydrogen bond bending vibration is sensitive to the phase transition, the peak frequency changing sharply with temperature at the transition temperature. The Cr-O vibration region is also sensitive to temperature. The absorption peak occurring at 434 cm− 1 for DCrO 2 .below 320 K has been examined closely with respect to the intensity and band width. Dispersion-like anomalies in the spectra (the Evans-Fano effect) have been studied by analysis of the spectral shape function.

We have investigated an origin of the superconductivity discovered in boron (B)-doped diamonds by means of 11B-NMR on heteroepitaxially grown (111) and (100) films and polycrystalline film. The characteristic difference of B-NMR spectral shape for the (111Þ and (100) thin films is demonstrated as arising from the difference in the concentration (nB(1)) of boron substituted for carbon. It is revealed from a scaling between a superconducting transition temperature Tc and nB(1) that the holes doped into diamond via the substitution of boron for carbon ar responsible for the onset of superconductivity. The result suggests that the superconductivity in boron-doped diamond is mediated by the electron–phonon interaction brought about a high Debye temperature ˜ 1860 K characteristic for the diamond structure.

Decomposition of diethyl phthalate (DEP) exposed to a coal fly ash has been investigated in water by measuring UV-VIS spectra and GC-MS. Alkaline constituents eluted from the fly ash in the liquid phase gradually hydrolyzed DEP to produce monoethyl phthalate and/or phthalic acid. These products were adsorbed on the fly ash and decarboxylated into ethyl benzoate and benzoic acid, respectively, followed by decomposition into benzenes and/or the other compounds of lower molecular weight. The fly ash acts as not only an adsorbent but also a decomposer.

Mutation of c-K-ras oncogene is an important step in progression of colon cancer. We used a hammerhead ribozyme (KrasRz) against mutated K-ras gene transcripts (codon 12, GTT) to inactivate mutant K-ras function in the colon cancer cell line SW480, harbouring a mutant K-ras gene. The β-actin promoter-driven KrasRz sequence (pHβ/KrasRz) was introduced into these cells (SW480/KrasRz), and we evaluated its effects on growth of the colon cancer. The gene expression of angiogenesis-related molecules (vascular endothelial growth factor and thrombospondin) was also estimated in SW480/KrasRz. KrasRz specifically and efficiently cleaved the mutant K-ras mRNA but not wild-type mRNA in vitro. SW480/KrasRz showed decreased growth rate under tissue culture conditions (P< 0.01, Dunnett’s test). The xenotransplantability of SW480/KrasRz (XeSW480/KrasRz) was significantly decreased in nude mice (P< 0.05, Fisher’s exact test). Tumour volume of the xenografts XeSW480/KrasRz was significantly smaller than that of XeSW480/DisKrasRz (P< 0.01, Dunnett’s test). Gene expression of VEGF was suppressed in SW480/KrasRz, while TSP1 gene expression was enhanced. The SW480/KrasRz cells showed apoptosis-related features including nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation. These results suggested that the hammerhead ribozyme-mediated inactivation of the mutated K-ras mRNA induced growth suppression, apoptosis and alteration of angiogenic factor expression. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

An unusual case of malignant pancreatic composite tumor with both components of acinar cell tumor (ACT) and islet cell tumor (ICT) was investigated histologically, immunohistochemically, and ultrastructurally. The pancreatic tumor with central cyst formation was found on computerized tomographic examination of a 72-year-old man reporting appetite and weight loss. The ACT component was present in the original pancreatic region and the ICT region was adjacent to the ACT. ACT was immunohistochemically positive for pancreatic amylase, whereas ICT had argyrophil tumor cells immunohistochemically positive for chromogranin A. There were several tumor cell nests positive for both pancreatic amylase (acinar differentiation) and chromogranin A (islet differentiation). We speculated that ICT may have arisen from the de-differentiated tumor cells in the ACT after the occurrence of ACT.

Human pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy, and the lesions show a very high incidence of point mutations of the K-ras oncogene. These alterations can be used as potential targets for specific ribozyme (Rz)-mediated growth suppression of the cancer cells. We designed an anti-K-ras Rz against mutant K-ras gene transcripts (codon 12, GGT to GTT) and generated a recombinant adenovirus (rAd) to express the Rz (rAd/anti-K-ras Rz). More than 95% of Capan-1 human pancreatic cells were infected with rAd/anti-K-ras Rz when treated with the virus at 200 plaque-forming units/cell. The virus, rAd/anti-K-ras Rz, significantly suppressed mutant K-ras gene expression and inhibited the growth of Capan-1 cells. At 3 days postinfection, we observed maximum growth suppression of the cells, characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis such as nuclear condensation and oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and suppression of bcl-2 oncoprotein. These changes were not found in control virus-infected cells. Our results indicated that the virus rAd/anti-K-ras Rz specifically down-regulated the K-ras/bcl-2 pathway and induced apoptotic changes in Capan-1 pancreatic carcinoma cells. High-efficiency adenovirus-mediated delivery of anti-K-ras Rz could become a significant gene therapy strategy against human pancreatic cancer.

A framework for the quality assessment of cement-treated ground, based on considerations of reliability, the regionalized variable theory and the observational method, is presented. From the results of laboratory and preconstruction field tests, the reliability-based quality index is defined on the basis of a function representing the actual strength of the stabilized ground normalized by the design strength. Quality control during construction is carried out by adopting a threshold quality index satisfying the designated probability of failure. Taking advantage of the regionalized variable theory, the technique employs the results of cone penetration tests for semivariogram analysis and applies the kriging technique for optimal interpolation and development of isostrength contours within the stabilized ground for quality assurance. The applicability of the proposed technique is examined by means of a field pilot study presented in the previous phase of this study.

Erythrocyte orientation and deformation cause differences in impedance between flowing and resting blood. Through theoretical calculation and experimental measurements, we studied the effects of these factors on blood impedance. The size and shape of the erythrocyte and the conductivity of the interior medium of the erythrocyte change when the osmotic pressure of plasma is changed. From experimental results, we obtained the following: when the size of the erythrocyte becomes larger than the normal size due to the osmotic pressure change, the beta dispersion frequency decreases and the intra- and extracellular fluid resistance increase. These experimental results corroborate that the change of tissue impedance like muscle impedance during hemodialysis is caused by the change of the fluid distribution and the change of ionic concentration of the electrolyte in tissues during hemodialysis. Also, we could estimate the relative change value of the intra- and extracellular fluid volume by the impedance method, if there were no ionic concentration change in the electrolyte. It would be very difficult to estimate the absolute change value of them because a shadow effect due to the cells depends greatly upon the shape and size of the cells and the cell concentration.

A hundred or more techniques are used for urban environment improvement projects in Japan. The planner must therefore choose the most suitable one for the specific area to be improved. Our system is constructed to support planners who work on complicated problems. It integrates four software programs -- Delphi, ArcView, KBMS-3 (an expert system), and Paradox -- and utilizes a user-friendly unified interface.

Two subtypes of thrombospondin (TSP-1 and TSP-2) have inhibitory roles in angiogenesis in vitro, although the biological significance of these TSP isoforms has not been determined in vivo. We examined TSP-1 and TSP-2 gene expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in 61 colon cancers. Thirty-eight of these 61 colon cancers were positive for TSP-2 expression and showed hepatic metastasis at a significantly lower incidence than those without TSP-2 expression (P = 0.02). TSP-2 expression was significantly associated with M0 stage in these colon cancers (P = 0.03), whereas TSP-1 expression showed no apparent correlation with these factors. The colon cancer patients with TSP-2 expression showed a significantly low frequency of liver metastasis correlated with the cell-associated isoform of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-189) (P = 0.0006). Vascularity was estimated by CD34 staining, and TSP-2(–)/VEGF-189(+) colon cancers showed significantly increased vessel counts and density in the stroma (P < 0.0001). TSP-2(–)/VEGF-189(+) colon cancer patients also showed significantly poorer prognosis compared with those with TSP-2(+) / VEGF-189(–) (P = 0.0014). These results suggest that colon cancer metastasis is critically determined by angiogenesis resulting from the balance between the angioinhibitory factor TSP-2 and angiogenic factor VEGF-189. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign

gamma-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) is a key enzyme in glutathione synthesis and is thought to play a significant role in intracellular detoxification systems. To specifically suppress gamma-GCS gene expression, we constructed two different hammerhead ribozymes against gamma-GCS mRNA transcripts. Two cleavage sites were targeted as follows: site 1 for anti-gamma-GCS ribozyme (H), a GUU triplet located from +348 to +350 of the gamma-GCS heavy chain, and site 2 for anti-gamma-GCS ribozyme (L), a GUU triplet located from +235 to +237 of the gamma-GCS light chain. The anti-gamma-GCS ribozymes effectively cleaved gamma-GCS mRNA in a cell-free system. When transfected into a Min-6 mouse islet cell line, these anti-gamma-GCS ribozymes not only suppressed gamma-GCS gene expression, but also reduced intracellular glutathione concentration. These results suggest that the ribozyme-mediated down-regulation of gamma-GCS gene expression may be useful for analyzing the glutathione-associated cellular defense systems of pancreatic islet cells.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a well known factor that induces angiogenesis. Four isoforms, i.e. VEGF206, 189, 165, and 121, have been identified. We examined the isoform patterns of VEGF mRNA using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in 61 colon cancers. All the colon cancers examined expressed VEGF121. The isoform patterns were classified into three groups: type 1, VEGF121; type 2, VEGF121 + VEGF165; type 3, VEGF121 + VEGF165 + VEGF189. Three of the 61 colon cancers examined showed type 1 expression, 26 showed type 2 expression and 32 showed the type 3 pattern. The patients with liver metastases showed the type 3 isoform expression pattern at a significantly higher incidence (12 of 16, 75%) than those without liver metastasis (20 of 45, 44%) (P=0.036). The type 3 isoform pattern was significantly associated with M1 stage (P=0.019). The patients with colon cancer and the type 3 isoform pattern showed significantly poor prognosis (P < 0.01, Cox-Mantel). The colon cancers with the type 3 pattern showed a significantly higher involvement of veins (P=0.006). These observations suggest that the aberrant type 3 expression pattern of VEGF189 mRNA isoforms is correlated with liver metastasis, M stage, and poor prognosis in colon cancer. Images Figure 2 Figure 3

Intense submillimeter wavelength radiation (f=354 GHz, P=110 W) from Gyrotron FU II is converted into a well-collimated, linearly-polarized beam by a quasi-optical transmission line consisting of a quasi-optical antenna and several mirrors. The observed focusing of the beam agrees with calculations based on the Huygens equation. We have used this intense beam to study low frequency density fluctuations by plasma scattering in Compact Helical System (CHS) plasmas at the National Institute for Fusion Science.

A high-dose bolus regimen for interleukin(IL)-2 administration to cancer patients frequently causes serious side-effects in which various organs are involved. In order to reveal the mechanism of toxicities associated with this regimen, we compared the augmenting effect of high-dose IL-2 on murine organ-associated lymphocytes between neoplastic and non-neoplastic states. Intraperitoneal administration of IL-2 at a dose of 10(5) JRU (Japanese Reference Units) twice daily for 3 days led to the death of all the syngeneic MH134-hepatoma- or X5563-myeloma-bearing mice, whereas it had no lethal effect on non-tumor-bearing mice. Histological and morphometric analyses demonstrated that tumor-bearing mice displayed more extensive infiltration of large granular lymphocytes and agranular lymphocytes in the liver and lungs than did the non-tumor-bearing mice. Large granular lymphocytes had the ultrastructural characteristics of lymphokine-activated killer cells. Lymphocytes often underwent extravasation into the interstitial space and exhibited local proliferation without causing any direct injury to apposed parenchymal cells. Flow-cytometric analysis of hepatic mononuclear cells demonstrated that IL-2-receptor-beta (IL-2R beta)-bearing lymphocytes, i.e., natural killer cells and intermediate CD3 cells, were increased in number in the neoplastic state before the IL-2 injection. The present study indicates that the tumor-bearing state increases the number of organ-associated IL-2R beta + lymphocytes, which are then greatly amplified by the challenge of high-dose IL-2, leading to the functional disturbance of organs. We have further demonstrated here that an intermittent low-dose IL-2 regimen has a potential therapeutic effect on tumor regression without causing lethal side-effects.

Protein engineering and site-directed mutagenesis is becoming immensely important in both fundamental studies and commercial applications involving proteins and enzymes in biocatalysis. Protein engineering has become a powerful tool to help biochemists and molecular enzymologists elucidate structure-function relationships in enzymic active sites, to understand the intricacies of protein folding and denaturation, and to alter the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis. Commercial applications of engineered enzymes are being developed to increase protein stability, widen or narrow substrate specificity, and to develop novel approaches for use of enzymes in organic synthesis, drug design, and clinical applications. In addition to protein engineering, novel expression systems have been designed to prepare large quantities of genetically engineered proteins. Recent US patents and scientific literature on protein engineering, site-directed mutagenesis, and protein expression systems related to protein engineering are surveyed. Patent abstracts are summarized individually and a list of literature references are given.

This paper describes a novel solid phase peptide synthesis method for the systematic C-terminal modification of cysteine-containing peptides. In this method, cysteine is linked to chloromethylated polystyrene resin by its thiol functionality, followed by protection of the N-terminus and derivatization of the carboxylic acid to esters or amides. We report here on examples of the methodology and its application to the synthesis of Ac-Asp-cyclo(Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys)-NHBzl, a cyclic peptide amide. The method has been applied to the synthesis of complex esters as well as amides.

Dopamine D2 receptor imaging was performed with 123I labeled 2'-iodospiperone (2'-ISP) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 9 patients: 4 with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, 2 with parkinsonism, 1 with Wilson's disease and 2 with pituitary tumor, and the results were compared with the data for 9 normal subjects. Following an intravenous injection of 123I-2'-ISP, early (within 30 min) and late (between 2 and 4 hr) SPECT images were obtained by means of a multi-detector SPECT scanner or a rotating gamma camera. In normal subjects, early SPECT images demonstrated uniform distribution of radioactivity in the cerebral gray matter and cerebellum reflecting regional cerebral blood flow, whereas late SPECT images showed high radioactivity only in the basal ganglia. All the patients with Parkinson's disease also demonstrated symmetrical basal ganglia uptake in the late SPECT images, but it was diminished in parkinsonism and Wilson's disease. One patient with a growth hormone-producing pituitary tumor had a positive uptake in the tumor. These preliminary clinical data demonstrated that 2'-ISP can be used for SPECT imaging of D2 dopamine receptors and may be of clinical value for the diagnosis and planning of the treatment of neurological diseases.

Background A published study demonstrating that listening to Rakugo (a comic story) alleviated the pain experienced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), accompanied by reduction in serum IL-6 and cortisol levels [1]. Overall physical condition improvement and pain alleviation with music therapy have also been reported [2]. However, only few studies have assessed the efficacy of occupational therapy (particularly handcraft work) in outpatients with RA. Objectives The present study evaluated the usefulness of handcraft work (particularly ceramic art) for both physical and mental rehabilitation for outpatients with RA. Methods The study involved 10 outpatients with RA managed at our hospital (all females, all right-handed persons, mean age 63.1 years, the average duration of disease was 10.7 years). For physical and mental evaluation, grip, pinching power, VAS score for systemic pain, 20-level FACE scale score, self-rating depression scale (SDS) score were measured before and after participation in ceramic art craft and compared. In addition, a questionnaire survey was administered to assess patient perception of ceramic art. Results The range of annual changes among the participants was 0.4±0.3 for Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (m-HAQ) and 0.9±1.6 for C-reactive protein (CRP). Right hand grip was 14.3±7.2 kgw before participation and 14.8 ±7.1 after participation in ceramic art craft. Left hand grip was 12.1±7.1 and 13.4±7.1 before and after participation, respectively. Right pinching power was 8.2±4.1 and 10.8±4.0 and left pinching power was 8.7±4.0 and 10.8±3.8 before and after participation, respectively. VAS score for systemic pain was 38.0±29.2 and 22.4±21.5, and FACE scale scores was 4.7±3.6 and 2.9±3.3 before and after participation, respectively. SDS score was 41.2±11.8 and 37.1±9.4 before and after participation, respectively. Thus, all parameters except right hand grip and left pinching power differed significantly between the pre-participation and post-participation periods. In the questionnaire survey, many patients answered “having pleasure/joy in creation and use of ceramic products.” This indicates that ceramic art can serve as a continued activity for patients with RA, useful not only during treatment but also during daily living. In addition, ceramic art was shown to be useful in functional training, e.g., in “maintaining and reinforcing grip and finger function” and “maintaining and checking skilled movements.” These results suggest that ceramic art is an activity effective as a means of rehabilitation, with both physical and mental effects perceptible to the patients. Conclusions Ceramic art is an activity capable of improving the physical condition and mental state (alleviation of depression, etc.) of patients with RA and improving physical functions such as grip of opposite hand and dominant pinching power. It is useful in the treatment of RA, similar to listening to Rakugo and music therapy. References Influence of laugh on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine 1996;36:559–64. Music therapy for rheumatism – making use of patient learning course. Rheumatol 2012;48:669–75. Disclosure of Interest None declared

Background: Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a multi-organ-system disease, the characteristics of which are reflected in the 1982 American Rheumatism Association (ARA) criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). From a dermatological point of view, only the presence of LE-specific histopathology is necessary and sufficient for the diagnosis of LE. The association between the type of LE-specific skin lesion and the severity of extracutaneous manifestations of LE has not yet been investigated systematically. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate, according to the type of LE skin lesions, the prevalence of the 1982 criteria for SLE. Methods: We selected 191 patients whose skin lesions were histologically diagnosed as LE specific. Patients were classified on the basis of skin disease, and their clinical and laboratory data were analyzed. Results: Of 191 patients, 130 (68%) exhibited only one type of LE-specific skin lesion (monomorphic), 55 (29%) had two types (bimorphic) and the remaining 6 (3%) displayed three types (trimorphic). Nineteen of 22 (86%) patients who presented discoid lupus skin lesions above the neck without other eruptions were classified in the cutaneous-limited LE spectrum. Of 116 patients with acute lupus skin lesions (malar rash), 83 (72%) clearly fulfilled the 1982 ARA criteria for SLE. In skin lesions of LE profundus, chilblain lupus, subacute lupus (annular-polycyclic erythema and the papulosquamous variant), there were no significant correlations between the type of eruption and the severity of extracutaneous manifestations. Conclusion: Patients with acute lupus skin lesions could usually be classified as suffering from SLE, whereas monomorphic patients with localized discoid lesions rarely exhibited extracutaneous manifestations. This tendency was less distinct in bimorphic patients. Almost all patients with subacute skin lesions were bimorphic or trimorphic, which might be due to genetic or racial differences between Japanese and other populations.

This article outlines the role of 16α-[(18)F]fluoro-17β-oestradiol ((18)F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET) combined with 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) in patients with oestrogen-related tumours for evaluating tumour phenotype. (18)F-FES-PET combined with (18)F-FDG is helpful in characterising the distinct phenotypic features of oestrogen-related tumours; that is, inter- and intrapatient tumour heterogeneity, which indicates its great potential as a determinant of individualised treatment and a prognostic predictor for patients with oestrogen-related tumours.

In activation studies with the bolus method for O-15 water and PET, the radiotracer concentration may reach the limits of the system in terms of dead time correction and accidental coincidence. To obtain the optimal injection dose of O-15 water, we performed a normal volunteer study to evaluate the relationship between the injected dose and the radioactivity concentration in the brain and a phantom study to evaluate the performance of the PET scanner (PCT3600W) under high count rate conditions and the effect of averaging on the signal to noise ratio for the PET images. A linear relationship was noted between the injected dose (normalized for each body weight: x) and the mean radiotracer concentration in the brain measured by PET (y) (y = 2.52 + 30.1 x, n = 64, r = 0.87, p0.001). The percent error in the measurement of radioactivity with PET was within +/- 5% in the 100 to 2000 nCi/ml (3.7-74 KBq/ml) range. Below 100 nCi/ml (3.7 KBq/ml), the percent error increased due to the rapid increase in noise in the reconstructed images. Over 1000 nCi/ml (37 KBq/ml), on the other hand, the noise was almost unchanged. With our PET scanner, the optimal range of the radiotracer concentration in the brain is below 1000 nCi/ml (37 KBq/ml), corresponding to an injection dose of 33 mCi (1.22 GBq)/60 kg body weight. With the same total dose, the increment of number of repeated measurements for averaging provided the better signal to noise ratio. In designing a paradigm for an activation PET study, the injection dose and the number of repeated measurements for averaging should be considered.

Although sex chromosomal aberrations in astrocytomas have been frequently reported by cytogeneticists, their biologic significance is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate sex chromosomal aberrations of astrocytomas by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and to determine whether there is a relationship between these aberrations and abnormalities of chromosomes 7 and 10. The astrocytoma specimens were obtained from 14 male and 11 female patients. The centromeric probes DYZ1, DXZ1, D7Z1 and D10Z1 were used to determine the numerical changes in chromosomes Y, X, 7, and 10 by FISH. The hybridization spots were counted by fluorescence microscopy. Three cases showed chromosome X aberrations, including two cases with loss of chromosome X and one case with a complex chromosome X aberration among 11 female astrocytomas. Eight cases with loss of chromosome Y were seen among 14 male astrocytomas; one was grade II, three grade III, and four grade IV tumors. One case of disomy X was observed among male grade II tumors. Seven of the eight tumors with loss of chromosome Y had additional complex chromosome aberrations. Our results suggest that sex chromosome aberrations in malignant astrocytomas are non-random and frequent. These changes suggest an association with aberrations of chromosomes 7 and 10. These sex chromosome aberrations seem to be a part of a complex chromosome pattern of aberrations in astrocytomas. The observed abnormalities may not necessarily be a part of the neoplastic progression in malignant astrocytomas, but they may be of biologic significance.

A case of solitary papilloma of the bronchus is described, and 15 other cases occurring in Japan are reviewed. A 57 year old asymptomatic male was referred to our hospital because many squamous metaplastic cells with moderate atypia were observed in sputum cytology, twice in 3 months. The chest X-ray showed no abnormal findings. Endoscopic examination revealed a polypoid tumour at the bifurcation of the right B6a and B6b. The tumour was removed completely by endoscopic biopsy, and histological findings showed squamous papilloma. There has been no evidence of recurrence for 3 yrs. We are not aware of a previously reported case of bronchial papilloma without symptoms or abnormal shadow on chest X-ray. Considering the fact that malignant change was reported in only one case in Japan, and that there is a possibility of cancer subsequently developing at another location in the lung which might also require resection, lobectomy should be avoided if the tumour can be removed completely through endoscopy. If the lesion is limited to a small area in the bronchus, conservative treatment such as photodynamic therapy and/or yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) laser vaporization might be sufficient to obtain a complete cure.