ICAM-1 plays an important role in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, especially tumor invasion and cytotoxicity of lymphocytes. In the present study, the relationship between metastasis of gastric cancer and ICAM-1 expression by cancer cells or the serum level of s-ICAM-1 was (s-ICAM-1) was examined. ICAM-1 was detected by immunohistochemic staining in 49.0% of 108 patients with gastric cancer. The ICAM-1 expression rate was higher at a more advanced stage, based on lymph node metastasis, being 46.9% in node-negative and 56.1% in node-positive cases. In patients with liver metastasis, the rate was 90.9%, while it was 43.3% in patients without liver metastasis (p < 0.05). The serum s-ICAM-1 level was 262.1 ng/ml (median 205.5, range 176.0-271.0) in healthy subjects and 391.5 ng/ml (median 317.5, range 148.7-1,768.0) in gastric cancer patients (p < 0.001). The serum s-ICAM-1 level was significantly higher in patients with liver metastasis than in patients without liver metastasis (p < 0.0001). In addition, positive ICAM-1 expression cases had significantly higher s-ICAM-1 levels than negative ones, 408.9 ؎ 188.4 and 308. Cell adhesion molecules have been examined as substances involved in cell-cell adhesion, adhesion between cells and the extracellular matrix and cellular interactions such as the immune response; and their structure and function have been gradually clarified. ICAM-1 1,2 and ICAM-2 3 are cell adhesion molecules identified as ligands of LFA-1, 4 which is expressed by lymphocytes; they are expressed by various cells such as vascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts and epithelial cells. 5 ICAM-1 is a glycoprotein with an extracellular region that has an immunoglobulinlike structure and it belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. 6,7 Its expression is enhanced by cytokines such as IL-1 and IFN-␥. 5 ICAM-1 has at least 2 integrin receptors 7 as ligands, LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and MAC-1 (CD11b/CD18). 8,9 Migration of granulocytes from blood vessels is mediated by adhesion between ICAM-1 and LFA-1 8,10 and ICAM-1 is also involved in adhesion to target cells before destruction by killer cells (NK cells, LAK cells and CTLs); 11,12 thus, it is important for the local immune response. The activity of LAK and NK cells is suppressed by administration of anti-ICAM-1 antibody. 13-15 s-ICAM-1 has been reported in serum 16 -18 and quantified by ELISA. Like the membrane-bound form of ICAM-1, s-ICAM-1 also has 5 domains, suppresses the adhesion of T cells by binding to LFA-1 16 and inhibits NK and LAK cell activity. 14,18 There are several distinct steps in the process of tumor cell metastasis, including detachment of cancer cells from the primary lesion, penetration through the tissue basement membrane, invasion of blood vessels and migration to the target organ. 19 Cancer cells with a high metastatic potential have properties that facilitate each step of metastasis. Concerning the detachment of cancer cells, an increase in metastatic potential has been reported 20,21 along with reduction of cadheri...

SUMMARYIn¯ammatory response differences between C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice following ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and a single challenge were investigated. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG1 levels were higher in C57BL/6 mice than in BALB/c mice. In contrast, IgG2a levels in C57BL/6 mice were lower than in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, the number of eosinophils in®ltrating into lungs in C57BL/6 mice was signi®cantly higher than in BALB/c mice after OVA challenge. The levels of the T helper 2 (Th2)-type cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, generated in challenged C57BL/6 lung tissue, were also higher than in BALB/c lung tissue. The participation of IL-4 and IL-5 in the induction of eosinophil in®ltration into the lungs was con®rmed in both strains of mice by injection of anti-IL-4 and anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, following OVA stimulation, in vitro IL-4 and IL-5 production in splenocyte cultures from C57BL/6 mice was lower than in splenocyte cultures from BALB/c mice. These results indicate that C57BL/6 mice induce Th2-type responses in the lungs, while BALB/c mice induce T helper 1 (Th1)-type responses in the lungs, despite considerable production of IL-4 and IL-5 from splenocytes. Therefore, local immune responses are more important in the induction of allergic in¯ammation in the lungs and are different from systemic immune responses, which are thought to depend on genetic background.

These findings indicate that IL-5Ralpha plays an important role in the development of antigen-induced airway eosinophilia and BHR in mice.

No abstract

Naturally occurring ellagitannins provide us with inspiration for the development of a chiral π-conjugated polymer bearing glucose-linked biphenyl units in the main chain.

It has been established that a newly developed moderately electron-deficient cyclopentadienyl (Cp)-Rh(III) complex, bearing ester and pendant amide moieties on the Cp ring [Cp A Rh(III)], is able to catalyze the aerobic oxidative olefination of benzamides, bearing nonspecial carbamoyl groups, with styrenes including disubstituted ones at relatively low temperature (60−80 °C). The presence of both the ester and pendant acidic N-phenylcarbamoyl moieties on the Cp A ligand play important roles in facilitation of the catalysis without sacrificing thermal stability of the complex.

It has been established that a cyclopentadienyl Rh complex with two phenyl groups and a pendant amide moiety catalyzes the formal Lossen rearrangement/[3+2] annulation cascade of N-pivaloyl benzamides and acrylamides with alkynes leading to substituted indoles and pyrroles. Mechanistic studies revealed that this cascade reaction proceeds via not the Lossen rearrangement to form anilides or enamides but C-H bond cleavage, alkyne insertion, and the formal Lossen rearrangement.

The creep behavior at an ambient temperature of typical h.c.p., b.c.c. and f.c.c. metals and alloys of annealed states were surveyed. Cubic metals and alloys demonstrated negligible creep strain under all stress ranges. In contrast, h.c.p. metals and alloys demonstrated significant creep behavior. In particular, Ti-6Al-4V alloy and CP-Ti metal showed accumulated large creep strains. The difference among metals and alloys were negligible, for Mg and Zr. After being cold rolled, Ti-6Al-4V alloy and CP-Ti metal showed less significant creep behavior.