Radial artery running beneath the biceps tendon and its interrelation between the radial recurrent arteries

A radial artery running beneath the biceps tendon was found in the cadaver of a Japanese woman during a student dissection course at Kumamoto University School of Medicine in 2006. The brachial artery bifurcated into the radial artery and the ulnar artery in the cubital fossa, and the radial artery twisted laterally running beneath the biceps tendon, and when it was situated laterally to the tendon, twisted distally at the level of the radial tuberosity, and then twisted medially again. After the radial artery passed over the biceps tendon, it turned distally and continued as a normal radial artery. The superficial brachial artery, which coexisted with the brachial artery, was given off from the axillary artery and it continued to the final twist of the radial artery. The course of this radial artery is similar to the arterial rings surrounding the biceps tendon, found during the same dissection course. The arterial rings were formed between the brachial artery and the radial artery, and their proximal origins ran beneath the biceps tendon, while the distal origins were superficial. The present arterial variation is thought to have occurred when the normal part of the radial artery in the cubital fossa was substituted by the arterial ring, coexisting with the superficial brachial artery, which usually disappears during normal development. Furthermore, it is suggested that a part of the arterial ring always remains as a radial recurrent artery.     

A middle meningeal artery which arises from the internal carotid artery in which the first branchial artery participates.

A middle meningeal artery arising from the internal carotid artery was found in the right half of the head of an 85-year-old male cadaver during student dissection practice. It arose from the lateral aspect of the internal carotid artery in the carotid canal, arrived at the foramen lacerum after running forward. It then ran backward under the trigeminal ganglion and took the usual course after passing its posterior margin. On one hand, the maxillary artery did not issue the middle meningeal artery, gave off only a small twig supplying the lateral pterygoid muscle at the corresponding position. It was corroborated by the fact that the foramen spinosum was absent in this example. During usual development, the middle meningeal artery primarily springs from the supraorbital branch of the stapedial artery that arises from the dorsal part of the second branchial artery. Later, by the formation of the external carotid artery connecting with the common trunk of the infraorbital and mandibular branches (maxillomandibular division) of the stapedial artery and by the atrophy of the proximal part of it, the middle meningeal artery is finally supplied by the external carotid artery. But in this example, it is supposed that the middle meningeal artery arose from a more distal position of the internal carotid artery owing to the persistence of the anastomosis between the dorsal part of the first branchial artery and the supraorbital branch and the interruption of the connection between the supraorbital branch and maxillomandibular division of the stapedial artery.     

Measurement of plasma von Willebrand factor cleaving protease in patients with varied thrombotic microangiopathy

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura(TTP) is a multisystem disorders characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia associated with red cell fragmentation, and neurological and renal symptoms. Plasma of patients with TTP has been shown to contain unusually large von Willebrand factor(vWF) multimers that may cause platelet agglutination in vivo. Recently, a metalloprotease responsible for cleavage of vWF multimers has been isolated from normal human plasma and was found to be deficient in some patients with TTP. We examined the activity of the vWF-cleaving protease(vWF-CP), by modified Furlan's method, in plasma from patients with a familial TTP, 3 acquired TTP, 4 thrombotic microangiopathy(TMA) and 2 veno-occlusive disease(VOD) associated after allo-BMT. Diluted plasma samples of patients were incubated with protease-free vWF purified from normal human plasma, in the presence of urea and barium ions. The extent of vWF degradation was assayed by electrophoresis in SDS-agarose gels and immunoblotting. Activity of vWF-CP from 12 normal plasma have been shown as 77-180%(average 115%), whereas, no vWF-CP(below 5%) was observed in plasma from familial TTP, before and after plasma exchange, although FFP infusion therapy has been effective for this patient to recover thrombocytopenia. In 3 acquired TTP, 2 patients showed lack of vWF-CP activity in plasma, and inhibitors against vWF-CP have been elucidated by plasma cross-mixing test. After extensive plasma exchange and FFP infusion followed by corticosteroid therapy, normal vWF-CP was recovered in plasma from 2 acquired TTP patients. Among BMT patients, plasma from 4 BMT-TMA showed normal vWF-CP activities as 55-111%, whereas plasma from 2 BMT-VOD revealed low vWF-CP activity, as 24% and 37%, respectively. Thus, measurement of vWF-CP is crucial to predict differentiation of primary forms of TMA to establish the pathogenesis in varied endothelial dysfunction.     

Role of the gene 17 protein of bacteriophage T4

Head-related particles of bacteriophage T4 were examined by using heat leakage scanning calorimetry. The 17- particles showed two endothermic peaks on thermograms during their thermal transition process, while 49- particles gave only a single sharp endothermic peak. Thermograms of 17- particles treated with 23- defective lysate were different from those of nontreated 17- particles, and closely resembled thermograms of 49- particles. The 31- defective lysate was also capable of converting thermal properties of 17- particles. These results suggest that there is a structural difference between 17- particles and 49- particles, and that the product gene 17 of bacteriophage T4 is involved in the structural conversion of prohead to a more completed structure.     

Immunopathological correlation between mesangial C3d-deposition and C3d-fixing circulating immune complexes in lupus nephritis

By a direct immunofluorescent technique, glomerular C3d deposition was examined in a total of 50 renal biopsy specimens from patients with lupus nephritis. C3d deposition was then compared with disease activity, glomerular IgG and C3c deposition, and the levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) measured by a solid-phase anti-C3d assay. There was a good correlation between disease activity and the positivity of glomerular C3d deposits (P less than 0.001), as well as C3c deposits (P less than 0.001). Even in clinically inactive patients, a relatively high percentage (59%) of C3d deposits were positive compared with C3c deposits (17%). Mesangial C3d deposition correlated with clinical disease activity more significantly (P less than 0.005) than capillary wall C3d deposition (P less than 0.025). C3d deposits were detected in all of the 30 cases with positive C3c deposits, and moreover, in 15 of the 20 (75%) cases with negative C3c deposits. Glomerular IgG deposits were almost always associated with C3d deposits, both in mesangial areas and along capillary walls, with statistical significance (P less than 0.005, P less than 0.001, respectively). The serum levels of C3d-fixing immune complexes (IC) were significantly correlated with the positivity and intensity of mesangial C3d deposits. This study demonstrates glomerular deposition of C3d in patients with lupus nephritis and reveals a significant correlation between mesangial C3d deposition and disease activity.     

Interaction between poly(L-lysine) and sulfated poly(vinyl alcohol)

Ionic polymer-polymer interaction was studied in aqueous solution for poly(L -lysine) (PLL) and sulfated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVS) as functions of pH, the degree of sulfation, the functional unit mole ratio of the two polymers and temperature by means of circular dichroism and viscosity measurements. In all the cases studied, strong inter-polymer complexes were formed at the functional unit mole ratio (VS)/(LL) higher than 1. Although PLL itself is well known to take the α-helical conformation at such a high pH as 11, the PLL conformation in the PLL/PVS complexes did not depend on pH but on the degree of sulfation: at room temperature, PLL took random coil conformation in PLL/PVS-25 (25: degree of sulfation in mole-%) and PLL/PVS-30, and the α-helical conformation (helicity of 70%) in PLL/PVS-46 and PLL/PVS-95. Models for the complex structures are postulated. Methanesulfonic acid did not influence the conformational transition of PLL, supporting that a polymer effect took place in the complex formation between PLL and PVS. Thermal effect on the PLL conformation in the complex is also discussed.     

A practical approach to the clinical diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour and other small round cell tumours sharing EWS rearrangement using new fluorescence in situ hybridisation probes for EWSR1 on formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissue

BACKGROUND: Over 90% of Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour (ES/PNET) cases have the t(11;22) chromosomal rearrangement, which is also found in other small round cell tumours, including desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT) and clear cell sarcoma (CCS). Although this rearrangement can be analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using routinely formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded (FFPE) tissues when fresh or frozen tissues are not available, a sensitive and convenient detection method is needed for routine clinical diagnosis. AIMS: To investigate the usefulness of newly developed probes for detecting EWS rearrangement resulting from chromosomal translocations using FISH and FFPE tissue in the clinical diagnosis of ES/PNET, DSRCT, and CCS. METHODS: Sixteen ES/PNETs, six DSRCTs, and six CCSs were studied. Three poorly differentiated synovial sarcomas, three alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas, and three neuroblastomas served as negative controls. Interphase FISH analysis was performed on FFPE tissue sections with a commercially available EWSR1 (22q12) dual colour, breakapart rearrangement probe. RESULTS: One fused signal and one split signal of orange and green, demonstrating rearrangement of the EWS gene, was detected in 14 of 16 ES/PNETs, all six DRSCTs, and five of six CCSs, but not in the negative controls. CONCLUSIONS: Interphase FISH using this newly developed probe is sensitive and specific for detecting the EWS gene on FFPE tissues and is of value in the routine clinical diagnosis of ES/PNET, DSRCT, and CCS.