Histamine induces a variety of responses including contraction of airway smooth muscle, vasodilation, plasma exudation and mucus production in acute allergic reactions and is an important proinflammatory mediator in bronchial asthma. It also reduces tracheal tone centrally, through the sympathetic pathway. This study examined whether central histamine can attenuate airway responsiveness to methacholine (MCh) in asthma. C57BL/ 6 male mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) or saline. The enhanced pause (Penh) was determined as an index of airway obstruction 24 h after the last challenge using a barometric whole body plethysmograph. MCh inhalation increased Penh in a dose-dependent manner and was higher in OVA-sensitized and challenged mice (OVA mice) than in control mice. This suggests that OVA mice have airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) . Eosinophils accumulated around bronchioles and serum total IgE was increased in OVA mice. Therefore, our system can be regarded as a model of asthma in mice. Histamine administered into the lateral ventricle (i.c.v.) of asthmatic mice lowered AHR when compared to control animals given artificial cerebrospinal fluid i.c.v. Down-regulation of AHR in response to histamine i.c.v. was not seen in asthmatic mice after injection of the β 2-adrenoceptor antagonist butoxamine. These results suggest that central histamine attenuates AHR in asthmatic model (AM) mice via β2-adrenaline receptors, and possibly via the sympathetic nervous system.

A 71-year-old man who was diagnosed a cancer of the esophagus was admitted to our hospital. Endoscopic examination revealed an elevated lesion covered with normal mucosa with a depressed lesion of the esophagus. The depressed lesion was not dyed by 2% iodine staining and pathological findings showed squamous cell carcinoma. And the elevated lesion was soft and gradual. Therefore, we diagnosed the lesion as a submucosal tumor (SMT) with early cancer of the esophagus. Then we performed endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) . The pathological findings of the specimen showed the lesion size was 20×15mm and it was non-small cell type undifferentiated carcinoma with early moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor was located in submucosal layer covered normal mucosa of esophagus. And the surgical margin was negative. After EMR, no additional therapy was done. He has no recurrence for 16 months.

The immunohistochemical detection of aromatase was performed in breast carcinoma specimens obtained from 55 patients. Thirty-nine carcinomas were from postmenopausal women and 16 from premenopausal women. Aromatase immunoreactivity was observed in 33 of 55 cases (60%) . The positivity for aromatase staining was 64% in the postmenopausal group and 50% in the premenopausal group. The postmenopausal group tended to have a significant positive association between estrogen receptor expression and aromatase positivity (p=0.035) . The immunohistochemical detection of aromatase expression may be useful in the monitoring of postoperative endocrine therapy in women with breast carcinoma.

An asymptomatic tumor in the pelvis was incidentally found by ultrasonography in a 67-year-old woman while being examined after presenting with a common cold. Further examinations revealed a presacral cystic tumor, which measured 10 × 12 cm in size. The cyst was thus removed in the normal manner for such cases. The pathological diagnosis was an epidermoid cyst. An analysis of 15 other cases previously reported in the literature indicated that large epidermoid cysts should normally be excised through an abdominal approach alone, provided that the tumor is benign.

Four patients with colorectal cancer after pelvic irradiation for gynaecological malignancies are reported. The interval between irradiation and the diagnosis of colorectal cancer was 15-28 years. Histological findings of radiation proctocolitis adjacent to the cancer were observed in all specimens. Ki-67 immunohistologic staining showed high cell proliferation activity in the irradiated mucosa of a recently removed specimen. Although irradiation has not been proved to induce colorectal cancer, considerable circumstantial evidence supports this belief. Awareness of this potential long-term complication is important when planing the follow-up of patients subjected to pelvic radiotherapy.

Chronological changes in the morphological features of gastric cancer and associated treatment modalities and their long term results were reviewed in this study. Subiects were 1751 cases of solitary gastric cancer out of 2169 cases of gastric cancer operated on at the department over the past 35 years, and they were divided into four periods for comparison. The notable feature was the percentage increase in early gastric cancer and in fact, the rate was 40.8% of all gastric cancers operated on between 1985 and 1990, versus 9.2% in the early period. The age has shifted to the elderly population. Regarding the location of the cancer, the incidence of the upper part and the greater curvature of the stomach increased. When classified according to macroscopic criteria, type IIa and IIc showed increased in early gastric cancers, while lesions exhibiting type features were less frequent. Among advanced cancers, the incidence of type 5 increased, while type 2 was less frequent. With regard to histological types of the cancers, the incidence of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma increased. Although extent of cancer spread has shifted to earlier stage, a recent increase in stage IV was also noted, resulting that the rate of curative surgery did not increase. Five-year survival rates increased during the past 35 years in patients in stage I, II and III, but in patients in stage IV it still remained under 10%. Chronological changes in the operation were increase in wide resection, systemic lymphatic dissection and associated resection of other organs for cure.

A 64-year-old man wag seen at the hospital because of a rapidly growing perianal tumor. Physical examination showed a 5.0×2.5cm cauliflower-like tumor surrounding the anal orifice. Histology of the biopsy specimen demonstrated condyloma acuminatum (CA). Local excision with sliding skin graft was performed. Histpathology of the surgical specimen also revealed CA with no malignant change. Because the tumor was markedly larger than usual CA, the patient was clinically diagnosed as giant condyloma acuminatum. DNA of the human papillomavirus type 11 was detected by dotblot hybridization analysis of the DNA extracted from the tumor tissue. At the present time, 16 months following surgery, the patient is doing well with no evidence of tumor recurrence. For the primary operation, local excision rather than abdomonoperineal excision should provide a good quality of life, despite a remaining possibility of recurrence or malignant change.