The prevalent strain of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in EBVrelated malignancies and in healthy adults in Southern Japan was examined by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. In EBV-related gastric cancers, 51/73 cases were subtype A, 4 were subtype B and the EBNA-2 region was not amplified in 18 cases. Sixty-three were wild-type F, and only one was variant ''f''. Sixty-one cases had type C and 2 type D. EBNA-2 subtype A was found in 10/12 EBV-related T/NK-cell lymphomas, and 11 samples harbored the wild-type F. Neither subtype B nor the ''f'' variant was detected. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a B-lymphotropic human herpesvirus that is acquired during early childhood (after 3 months of age) and persists for the rest of life, with intermittent shedding from mucosal surfaces (Huang et al., 1993). EBV causes infectious mononucleosis (IM) after primary infection in young adults and is closely associated with the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) in equatorial Africa, nasopharygeal carcinoma (NPC) in Southeast Asia and other malignancies (Liebowitz and Kieff, 1993).There are 2 subtypes of EBV, A and B, that differ in their capacity to transform B lymphocytes into a state of continuous proliferation (immortalization) (Liebowitz and Kieff, 1993). Subtype A virus is predominant in developed societies, and subtype B is found in 40% of BL cases and 20% of healthy adults in Africa (Zimber et al., 1986;Young et al., 1987). However, Sixbey et al. (1989) identified subtype B in 40% of healthy individuals in the United States. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis distinguishes between wild-type F and the ''f '' variant in the Bam HI F region, and between type C and D in the Bam HI I region. The ''f'' variant, having an extra Bam HI restriction site in the Bam HI F region, is considered to be associated with development and/or maintenance of NPC in Southern China, because it is found in nearly 60% of NPC patients and 19% of healthy adults in that region (Lung et al., 1988;. The type C virus lacks a Bam HI restriction site in the Bam HI I region and is prevalent in Southern China (84.6% of healthy adults) (Lung et al., 1988).The association of EBV with malignant diseases has been extended to nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma (Harabuchi et al., 1990;Tao et al., 1995;Tomita et al., 1995;Peh et al., 1995;Kanavaros et al., 1996) and approximately 7-18% of gastric cancers (Tokunaga et al., 1993;Fukayama et al., 1994;Ott et al., 1994;Yuen et al., 1994;Harn et al., 1995). However, the prevalent strain(s) in these malignancies has not been fully evaluated. In this report, we describe the prevalent strain in EBV-related malignancies and in healthy adults in Southern Japan. MATERIAL AND METHODS SpecimensThroat washings were collected from a total of 153 healthy students by gargling with 15 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Seropositivity to EBV antibodies was not screened. Seventythree EBV-related (EBER-1-positive) gastric cancers were collected at the...

Drug concentrations were high in otorrhea, very low or not detected in serum, and highly variable in middle ear mucosa. Nonbiologic loss of the drug with the ear drainage through the external auditory canal and eustachian tube was probably related to the high concentration in otorrhea samples. Drug concentrations in middle ear mucosa suggest that the drug reaches the infection site.

One-hundred-two patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas in Northeast China were examined for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with Southern blot hybridization, and for p53 over-expression by immunohistochemical staining. HPV DNAs were found in 60 cases (58.8%). HPV-16, -18, -6, -11, and -33 DNAs were detected in 30 cases, 22 cases, 25 cases, two cases, and one case, respectively. In addition, coinfection either with HPV-6 and -16 or with HPV-6 and -18 was detected in 20 cases (33.3% of HPV DNA-positive cases). p53 over-expression was observed in 60 patients (58.8%). p53 was over-expressed significantly in the poorly-differentiated SCC and in patients with metastasis to lymph nodes (P < 0.05, respectively). Both HPV DNA and p53-expression were positive in 35 patients, and negative in 17 patients. Either HPV DNA or p53-expression were positive in 50 patients (25 cases each). Although p53 was detected in 35 (58.3%) of HPV-positive patients, there was no significant correlation between HPV infection and p53 over-expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas of Northeast China.

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Contact Nd:YAG laser surgery is assuming a greater importance in endoscopic and open surgery, allowing coagulation, cutting, and vaporization with greater precision and safety. A new contact probe allows a wider angle of irradiation and diffusion of low-power laser energy (less than 5 watts), using the interstitial technique for producing local hyperthermia. Temperature sensors that monitor continuously can be placed directly into the surrounding tissue or tumor. Using a computer program interfaced with the laser and sensors, a controlled and stable temperature (e.g., 42 degrees C) can be produced in a known volume of tissue over a prolonged period of time (e.g., 20-40 min). This new laserthermia system, using a single low-power Nd:YAG laser for interstitial local hyperthermia, may offer many new advantages in the experimental treatment and clinical management of carcinoma. A multiple system is now being developed.