Volume 108  ·   Issue 05  ·  1995

Cellular morphology and nuclear DNA content were measured with point-counting technique and flow cytometry (FCM) respectively in normal nasopharyngeal epithelium (NE), tissue adjacent to carcinoma (ATC) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The results showed that all 20 patients with NE showed diploid, whereas 38 (38%) of 101 patients with NPC, 7 (58%) of 12 patients with recurrent NPC, 6 (30%) of 20 patients with ATC and 2 (33%) of 6 patients with NE positive to EBVCA-IgA test showed nondiploid. A total of 19 morphometric parameters of the cell were measured and calculated. The results showed that with malignant transformation of NE, most of the cellular morphometric parameters gradually increased in numerical values while no marked difference was shown between normal NE and simple hyperplasia or metaplasia in terms of cytomorphometric characteristics. Most of the parameters in dysplasia changed significantly as compared with those normal NE, simple hyperplasia or metaplasia and NPC groups. Cytomorphometric analysis seems to give strong support to the concept that dysplasia is among the transitional stages of disease process between normal NE and NPC. Our results show that morphometric analysis and FCM may offer valuable and objective criteria in the early diagnosis of NPC and premalignant disease.

The result of intravesical instillation with interleukin-2 (IL-2) for preventing the recurrence of bladder cancer and discussion of its mechanism was reported. 20 patients with histologically confirmed bladder transitional cell carcinoma were investigated. 2,000 u IL-2 was intravesically instillated every day for six days after resection of the neoplasm. The serum level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was significantly increased in 17 patients after IL-2 therapy. Recurrence occurred in 4 patients during the follow-up period of 10-18 months. The basic level of serum TNF was low and was not increased or even decreased after IL-2 in these patients. On the contrary, recurrence did not occur in another 5 patients with low basic level of TNF, but it was significantly increased after treatment of IL-2. TNF played a key role in preventing the recurrence of bladder cancer. The patients who had low basic level of TNF, which did not markedly increase or even decrease after IL-2 therapy were at high risk of recurrence.

The model was established in male rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis, which was induced by diet cholesterol (0.5 g per day for 8 weeks), by means of intravenous injection of one unit of pituitrin (P.P.). To evaluate the effects of aspirin, heparin and viper venom (VV) on this model, 26 male rabbits were divided randomly into four groups: group A (GA) as control, group B (GB) treated with heparin (10mg, i.v.), group C (GC) with VV (0.08 arginine esterase activity units), group D (GD) with both heparin and VV. Aspirin (30 mg) was given orally before experiment. The results showed that the rate of coronary thrombosis was 11.26% in GA, 8.10% in GB, 9.17% in GC, and 7.56% in GD respectively. The difference between each of three treated groups and the control one was significant (P<0.005, 0.05, 0.001, respectively). Such a difference can also be found between GA and that without oral aspirin (11.26% vs 16.39%, P<0.001). The beneficial effects of heparin and VV may be due to their inhibitory effects on different steps of thrombosis, i.e., heparin can prolong the coagulation time, and VV can inhibit platelet aggregation and decrease the concentration of plasma fibrinogen. It is concluded that heparin, viper venom, and especially their combination would be useful in the treatment of human acute coronary syndromes.

In 31 patients with intracranial germinoma who received radiotherapy, 15 were operated on, and 13 were treated with CSF shunt (7) and external ventricular drainage (6). After radiotherapy, clinical symptoms were improved in 93.5% of the patients. Follow-up of 16 patients for 2 to 14 years showed better results. We consider that initial treatment with radiotherapy may be appropriate for germinomas because of its high radiosensitivity. If hydrocephalus developed, external ventricular drainage combined with radiotherapy was performed, but shunting operation might be avoided because of potential peritoneal seedings of germinomas. In addition to chemotherapy, re-irradiation is an effective method for recurrent germinoma.

A comparative study of the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of myocardial mitochondria was conducted in 16-weeks-old male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRsp) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto control rats (WKY) (n=6-12). Cardiac and ventricular weights of SHRsp were significantly higher than those of the WKY group. The average amounts of mitochondria (Mit) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) proteins isolated from the ventricle of SHRsp were 37% and 25% greater, respectively, when compared with those of WKY. Mit cytochrome c oxidase activities (μmol/min/mg) were 4.63±0.71 for SHRsp and 5.55±0.50 for WKY myocardium (mean±s), so that the activity of the former was significantly reduced by 17% (P<0.01). Mit Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase activity (μmol/min/mg) of SHRsp was 24% lower than that of WKY myocardium (P<0.01). The fluorescence polarization of myocardial Mit membrane labelled with DPH (1, 6-diphenyl-1, 3, 5-hexatriene) in hypertensive rats was not different from that in control rats. The spectra of intrinsic protein fluorescence in 300-380 nm at an excitation wavelength of 290 nm were also identical in the Mit or SR between SHRsp and WKY myocardium. An ultrastructural analysis showed that there were more new-born Mit with smaller volumes and an increased number of isolated Mit in vitro from SHRsp myocardium, while there were larger Mit volumes isolated from WKY myocardium. These results demonstrated the disorder of mitochondrial energy metabolism in hypertrophied myocardium from SHRsp, which may be involved in the abnormality of myocardial calcium metabolism.

42 cases of dilatation (7-15 mm) of extrahepatic bile duct after ceosunin injection (cholagogic method) were observed ultrasonographically. Among the 18 cases of testified obstructive lesions of the bile duct, 13 (72%) showed widening of the bile duct with an increase of calibre from 9.8 mm to 11.7 mm, 3 (16%) had no obvious change, and 2 (12%) shrank. Among the 24 cases of non-obstruction 22 (92%) shrank with a decrease calibre from 9.6 mm to 6.3 mm, and 2 (8%) showed no obvious change. After receiving cholagogue, 9 cases of periampullary carcinoma in the obstructive group were confronted with widening of the bile duct calibre. After longitudinal and transverse rotation scanning method was used, 8 of the 9 cases had their tumor mass visualized. Combined cholagogic and rotation scanning methods raised the lesion manifestation rate of lower bile duct from 41% to 88%. A dilated bile duct unable to show shrinkage of calibre after cholagogue injection is believed to be a criterion for judging the presence of a suspicious case of bile duct obstruction. This criterion has a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 92%, and accuracy of 90%.

The morphometric analysis of the spinous cell in 16 specimens of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) was made by using interactive image analysis system (IBAS-II). 19 parameters of the size and shape were chosen, and compared with normal mucosa, leukoplakia, dysplasia and carcinoma. The results indicated that the cell dimensions (area, perimeter, all kinds of diameter) and nuclear cytoplasmic ratio in OSF were between normal mucosa and dysplasia as well as carcinoma. The former showed a progressive decrease (P<0.01), and the latter showed a progressive increase (P<0.01). The dimensions of the nuclei did not show considerable differences among the groups (P<0.05). A series of discriminant functions had been developed with stepwise discriminant analysis, the agreement ratio for OSF was 93.75%. The decrease of cell area and the increase of nuclear cytoplasmic ratio could reflect a malignant progress. The cell morphometric model could discriminate OSF well from other groups, suggesting that the change of the epithelium in OSF appearing in the spinous cell is specific itself.

A case-control study of laryngeal cancer was conducted in Liaoning Province between January 1991 and April 1992 among 100 subjects with newly diagnosed cancer and 100 controls. The results of one factor analysis, odd ratio (OR), and conditional logistic regression indicated that smoking was the first significant risk factor for laryngeal cancer with an OR value of 16.8. Tobacco smoking ranked the first with an OR value of 30.4. Other factors such as alcoholic indulgence, insufficient intake of vegetable and fruits in winter and spring, air pollution in room and working environment, and fatigue of vocal cords were closely associated with the occurrence of laryngeal cancer.

A meiotic study of human semen specimens was carried out in 60 cases. Among them, 20 were normal controls, 20 suffered from infertility, and 20 had a history of recurrent spontaneous abortions. Of the cases of infertility and abortion, 50% were found to have numerical and/or structural chromosomal aberrations in spite of the normal blood karyotype. It is suggested that chromosomal aberrations may be the cause of sterility and abortion. The success rate of semen chromosome G-banding in the infertility, abortion and control groups was 70%, 55% and 25% respectively. The semen samples of three cases of heterozygous carriers with reciprocal chromosomal translocation were also studied. The ring quadrivalents were identified in all cases. The results may explain the recurrent abortions in these patients.

From 1984 to 1990, six patients with histologically and endocrinologically proven ectopic ACTH syndrome were treated in our department. The lesion in five patients was clinically evident, but in the other was occult. All lesions were located within the chest. Four were thymic carcinoid and the other two were bronchial carcinoids. Most of the patients had typical clinical manifestations of Cushing's syndrome. Laboratory tests including histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ectopic ACTH syndrome. The treatment consisted of surgical removal of the mass supplemented by radiotherapy. The results showed that after treatment all patients had satisfactory remission. Two bronchial carcinoid patients have been living for 40 and 88 months respectively without recurrence. Among 4 thymic carcinoid patients, only one has been living with no tumor for 34 months. One patient had recurrence and the other 2 died 32 and 50 months after the treatment respectively. However, the symptoms of two thymic carcinoid patients had not been relieved at all until radiotherapy was given. This paper discusses the method, dose and indications of radiotherapy. It should be pointed out that the prognosis of bronchial carcinoids is good while that of thymic carcinoids is relatively poor.

A 7-year-old girl with an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery restored connection of the left coronary artery to the ascending aorta by aortocoronary bypass graft. Aortocoronary bypass grafting was performed with a vascular prosthesis. Postoperative angiography showed a patent left coronary artery without narrowing or kinking. Clinical improvement was rapid and the left ventricular function recovered completely.