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Introduction: Recently, uncoupled bone remodeling in the subchondral bone (SB) has been considered an important process to promote knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, it is unclear how SB metabolism in the early stage of KOA affects the initiation and progression of the disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the early changes in SB and the disease process, using wild-type (WT) mice and Tsukuba hypertensive mice (THM) with high-turnover bone metabolism. Methods Destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) or sham surgery was performed on the left knee of male 40-week-old THM and WT mice (n = 7 in each group). Bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV), bone mineral density (BMD), and mean height (Hm, µm) in the medial tibial SB were longitudinally measured in vivo using micro-computed tomography (µCT) at 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively. Tibial cartilage degeneration was evaluated histologically using the OARSI score at 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively (n = 7 in each group). Results Significant decreases in BV/TV in both WT + DMM and THM + DMM groups were evident at 1 and 4 weeks postoperatively, respectively. Notably, significant decreases in the BMD (at 2 and 8 weeks postoperatively) and Hm (at 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively), and significant increases in the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) score (at 2 and 8 weeks postoperatively) in the THM + DMM and WT + DMM groups were observed, respectively. A strong correlation was noted between the Hm and the BMD. These time-dependent changes in the BV/TV, BMD, Hm in the SB, and OARSI score were significantly enhanced in the THM + DMM group compared to the WT + DMM group. Conclusions These results indicate that SB loss at the early stage and the subsequent uncoupled bone remodeling, which can be enhanced by high-turnover osteoporosis, play an important role in the initiation and progression of KOA in the mouse DMM model. SB loss in the early stage could be a key target for preventing the initiation and progression of the disease.

The surface tension of the aqueous solutions of sodium halides (NaF, NaBr, and NaI), sodium salts with polyatomic anions (Na2CO3 and Na2SO4), mixtures (NaCl+NaI and NaCl+Na2SO4), and seawater have been determined using a drop volume method, in a concentration range of 0 to about 1 mol kg−1 and at temperatures ranging from 15° to 35°C. The surface tension data have been analyzed in view of K. Motomura's thermodynamic treatment (J. Colloid Interface Sci., 64, 348 (1978)), and the thermodynamic quantities relevant to surface have been shown systematically.

Automating robot laser welding requires that laser irradiation direction and laser focus positioning influencing welding strength be controlled precisely along the seam line. Since the edge of the welded object can be transformed in processing by such as cutting, bending and grinding, direct measurement is necessary to detect the seam line. A robust image detection method of seam lines is proposed for hand-eye laser welding system equipped with an optical microscope, a CMOS camera and two slit lasers for measurement. The seam line is detected indirectly to utilize the difference between local and global distribution of image of measurement lasers. Results of experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposal.

症例は21歳女性.皮疹が1ヵ月持続後,全身倦怠感・食欲不振・嘔気・黄疸のため,某医に入院した.トランスアミナーゼのピークから2週間後,発熱・赤色尿が出現し,ヘモグロビン2.0g/dlと著明な貧血を認めたため当科へ転じた.IgM-HA抗体陰性,HBs抗原・IgM-HBc抗体陰性,および他のウイルスマーカーはいずれも陰性であった.また,網状赤血球の著増,LDH高値(LDH1:37.3%),ハプトグロビンの著減,骨髄での赤芽球過形成などの点から,急性肝障害に溶血性貧血を合併したものと診断した.しかし,クームステストは陰性で,脾腫は軽度であった.ステロイド療法は行なわず,保存的療法のみで,貧血・肝障害ともに順調に改善した.急性肝障害と溶血性貧血の合併例の報告はほとんどなく,両者の因果関係や溶血の機序などについて若干の文献的考察を加えて報告した.

Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin [DCP], a protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II and also abbreviated PIVKA-II, was evaluated as a serologic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its plasma levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (E-1023) using an anti-DCP monoclonal antibody in 514 patients with various diseases. Of 120 patients with HCC, 76 (63%) had abnormal DCP levels greater than 0.1 arbitrary unit (AU)/ml and 58 (48%) showed levels greater than 0.3 AU/ml. When a diagnostic minimum level of 0.3 AU/ml was applied for DCP, false-positive cases of HCC were virtually eliminated. In some patients with HCC, plasma DCP levels normalized after surgical resection of the tumor. However, they rose again later with recurrence of the disease. The sensitivity of DCP in the diagnosis and monitoring of HCC was increased by serial and simultaneous determinations of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), because high DCP levels were observed more often in low AFP-producing HCC patients. Elevated plasma DCP levels were not related to low vitamin K concentration in the serum. In fact, in many patients vitamin K administration resulted in only a moderate reduction of DCP levels. These results suggested strongly that DCP was synthesized by the hepatoma cells.

市販鎮痛剤の乱用によると考えられる劇症肝炎の39歳女性の1救命例を報告した.20歳頃より生理痛・頭痛のため,ブロム剤を20錠/日服用していた.36歳時,突然頭痛,全身痙攣を来たし,近医にて頭部CT上脳萎縮を指摘された.以後,セデスAを多い時で40錠/日服用するようになった.1週間来の全身倦怠感,頭痛,下痢に気付き,肝障害・prothrombin時間の延長あり,劇症肝炎を疑われ昭和60年8月18日当院に入院した.血漿交換,glucagon・insulin療法により救命し,第26病日の腹腔鏡下肝生検では急性肝炎再生像であった.しかし,第12病日よりJackson型の痙攣が出現し,第80病日の頭部CTで前頭葉の萎縮を認めた.劇症肝炎の成因として,IgM-HBc抗体およびIgM-HA抗体は共に陰性であることより,乱用していた鎮痛薬に含まれるacetaminophenの関与が推測された.脳萎縮はすでに3年前にみられており,稀であるがブロム剤によるものと思われた.