Although most authors regard contralateral pedicular fracture with unilateral spondylolysis as an unstable condition and recommend surgical management when immobilization fails in promoting bony healing of the fracture, few researchers have investigated the natural history of pedicle fracture or the causal relationship between symptoms and the fracture. In addition, there are no detailed guidelines that address the management of this disease. We report a rare case of contralateral pedicular fracture associated with unilateral spondylolysis at the L5 level which was successfully treated by rehabilitation with activity modification.
Fractures, Stress ; Immobilization ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Natural History ; Spondylolysis

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

We describe a newly-made murine monoclonal antibody to the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA), named SHB-10. The antigen detected by SHB-10 has a molecular weight of about 105 kDa. This antibody is very similar to that of conventional anti-CD10 Ab on indirect flowcytometric analysis using lymphoid malignant cell lines and peripheral lymphocytes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. The binding of anti-CD10 to Daudi cell and peripheral lymphocytes of ALL patients is blocked by SHB-10. Thus this monoclonal antibody is thought to detect the CALLA. The distribution of antigen detected by SHB-10 on several cell lines of neuroectodermal tumor and lymphoid malignancy was analysed and a slight difference in their cell surface expression is observed when compared with that by conventional anti-CD10. Further biochemical analysis is now under way for a better characterization of this antigen.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology ; Antigens, Differentiation/*analysis/immunology ; Antigens, Neoplasm/*analysis/immunology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Isotypes/analysis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasms/*immunology ; Neprilysin ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Tumor Markers, Biological/*analysis

Since it is difficult to study human thymocyte maturation in vitro, we have developed an in vitro thymocyte culture system which has allowed us to select the optimal growth conditions for thymocyte subpopulations. Three thymocyte subpopulations (CD3-CD1-, CD1+CD3-, and CD3+CD1-) were isolated by a single step percoll density gradient centrifugation and indirect panning procedure using anti-CD1 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies, and their purity was checked by flow cytometry. The combination of concanavalin A (Con A), tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA), and IL-2 was shown to be the most reliable stimulus for the proliferation of CD3-CD1- thymocytes for up to 15 days in a culture system in vitro. Flow cytometric analysis for the phenotypic change of CD3-CD1- thymocytes revealed a steady increase of CD3 antigen after a 3-day cultivation, whereas there was no change in CD1 antigen intensity. A combination of Con A and IL-2 was both sufficient and necessary to induce growth of CD3+CD1- thymocytes. The major population of immature cortical thymocytes (CD3-CD1+ or CD3+CD1+), which are considered to be the most unresponsive dead-end cells, could not be maintained or stimulated with any combination used in this experiment, even in the presence of thymic accessory cells.
Antigens, CD ; Antigens, CD1 ; Antigens, CD3 ; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Division/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Ionophores/pharmacology ; *Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; T-Lymphocytes/*cytology/drug effects/immunology ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Brachytherapy is a promising method in the prevention and treatment of coronary stent restenosis. We sought to observe the therapeutic effects of a radioactive balloon loaded with Holmium-166 (166Ho) in a porcine coronary stent restenosis model. Materials and Methods: A radioisotope of (166Ho) was coated on the balloon surface using a polyurethane coating (20 Gy in 0.5 mm depth). Stent overdilation injuries were performed in two coronary arteries in 8 pigs. Four weeks after the stent overdilation injury, radiation therapies were performed using a control balloon dilation in one coronary artery (Group I:n = 8) and a 166Ho-coated balloon in the other coronary artery in each pig (Group II:n = 8). Follow-up coronary angiogram and histopathologic assessment were performed at 4 weeks after the therepy was administered. RESULTS: Laboratory findings did not differ significantly between the pre-treatment baseline and the measurements taken after radiation. On quantitative coronary angiogram, the coronary artery diameters were not significantly different between the two groups before stenting or at 4 and 8 weeks after stenting. On histopathologic analysis, injury score, internal elastic lamina area and lumen area did not differ significantly between the two groups. The neointimal area was 1.78 +/- 0.11 mm2 in group I and 1.36 +/- 0.12 mm2 in group II (p=0.017), and the histopathologic area of stenosis was 35.1 +/- 1.6% in Group I, 27.6 +/- 1.9% in Group II (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: A treatment of beta-radiation in a stented porcine coronary artery using radioactive Ho-166 coated balloon inhibits stent restenosis without any side effects.
Brachytherapy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Restenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hyperplasia* ; Polyurethanes ; Radiation Injuries ; Radioisotopes ; Stents* ; Swine

PURPOSE: We evaluated the clinical significance of the tumor growth factor, midkine (MK), in paired gastric cancer and normal tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty paired normal and cancer tissues were tested for MK mRNA expression by Northern blot analysis. Vessel staining was done by immunohistochemical staining using CD-31 monoclonal antibody (Dako). RESULTS: MK mRNA was mainly expressed in cancer tissues (11 versus 1). Lymph node metastasis, pathological stage and tumor differentiation did not correlate with MK expression. However, MK expression rate increased with increment in tumor size (p=0.05). Microvascular density did not correlate with tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, and pathological stages. However, there was a tendency of vascular density increment with MK expression in T1-T2 stage. CONCLUSION: MK was mainly expressed in larger gastric cancer tissues suggesting its role in cancer growth in vivo. But no definite correlation between MK expression and tumor microvascular density was found.
Blotting, Northern ; Gene Expression* ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger ; Stomach Neoplasms*