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Biomedical subjects

A Higuchi

Publications and source records attributed to A Higuchi.

138 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Changes of pancreatic exocrine function after major resection of the pancreas in dogs.

Changes of an exocrine function after major resection of the canine pancreas were observed by pancreozymin-secretin test and the results were compared with an endocrine function examined by glucose tolerance test. The exocrine function of the remnant pancreas revealed characteristic changes according to the resection rate of the pancreas: 1) After removal of 50 to 70 per cent of the entire pancreas, diabetes did not develop and the exocrine function of the remnant pancreas was well maintained. 2) After 70 to 90 per cent pancreatectomy, diabetes developed six weeks or more later and the exocrine function of the remnant pancreas per body weight decreased slightly. The degree of disturbance of the exocrine function in the diabetic dogs was greater than that in the non-diabetic group, but the exocrine function per the remnant pancreas weight increased and it was greater than normal level even in the diabetic dogs. The hypersecretory state of the exocrine pancreas after surgery was verified. 3) After 90 per cent or greater resection of the pancreas, diabetes occurred immediately and disturbance of the exocrine function was remarkable. Hypersecretory state did not appear. 4) Both the endocrine and exocrine functions after major pancreatic resection were found to be related to the resection rate, but there were significant differences in the reserve capacity of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas.

Amylases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Infective endocarditis caused by an unusual gram-negative rod, Rahnella aquatilis.

An 11-month-old girl with congenital heart disease developed infective endocarditis. Blood cultures revealed an unusual gram-negative rod, Rahnella aquatilis. The patient was successfully treated with a combination of netilmicin and ceftazidime. This is the first case report of infective endocarditis caused by this organism. R. aquatilis should be recognized as a clinical pathogen capable of causing life-threatening infection in children and adults.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of prolonged corticosteroid therapy on the outcome of steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome.

Eighty-six patients (59 males and 27 females) diagnosed with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome during childhood were identified. The patients were 20-40 years of age (mean 27.0 +/- 5.0) with a mean follow-up period of 19.5 +/- 5.9 years. All patients had been treated with a long-term tapering corticosteroid therapy. Thirty patients had also received a course of cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks). Sixty-six had achieved sustained remission off corticosteroids, while 20 were still receiving corticosteroids to maintain remission. None of the 86 patients had proteinuria or renal insufficiency at the time of the study. Mean final heights in males and females were similar (-0.51 +/- 1.21 and -0.23 +/- 1.16 standard deviation score). Mean final height of 20 steroid-dependent patients was significantly less than that of 66 in remission off corticosteroids (p < 0.005). Ten cyclophosphamide-treated patients got married and 9 had at least 1 healthy child. In children with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome, the need for corticosteroid therapy to maintain remission may be associated with decreased adult height. Patients who received a 12-week course of cyclophosphamide are likely to be normally fertile as adults.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thymidylate synthase levels as a therapeutic and prognostic predictor in breast cancer.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a commonly used adjuvant therapeutic drug in treating breast cancer. 5-FU is metabolically converted to 5-fluorouracil-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate-(FdUMP) which is believed to inhibit DNA synthesis in neoplastic cells by forming a tightly bound ternary complex with thymidylate synthase (TS). In the present study, we examined the possible relationship between TS levels and clinico-pathologic and prognostic features in breast disease. Mean TS levels of 2.9 pmol/g, 6.1 pmol/g, and 23.1 pmol/g were obtained in cases of benign breast disease (3 cases), primary breast cancer (115 cases), and recurrent tumors (4 cases), respectively. In breast cancer, mean TS levels significantly correlated with S-phase fraction (SPF), DNA polymerase a and lymphatic invasion. Thus, TS levels in breast cancer significantly reflected cell proliferation and malignancy. Regarding the survival rate, patients with TS values above 10 pmol/g showed an unfavorable prognosis. The effectiveness of adjuvant 5-FU derivatives chemotherapy was reflected in a higher disease-free survival rate in node (+) cases showing TS levels between 5 and 10 pmol/g (p < 0.1), but not in node (-) cases. In conclusion, TS levels in neoplastic tissues of the breast were highest in recurrent tumors, followed by those in primary cancer, benign breast disease and in breast cancer which reflected proliferative activity. Breast cancers with extremely high TS levels were accompanied by an unfavorable prognosis; however, those with moderately high TS levels tended to respond to adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-FU derivatives.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical usefulness of cellulose acetate electrophoresis as a screening of proteinuria in childhood.

Urine samples from 110 patients with different proteinuric diseases in childhood were analysed by Cellulose Acetate Electrophoresis (CAE) and several samples were also analysed by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). CAE allowed the classification of proteinurias into 4 patterns; Tubular, Glomerular I, Glomerular II and Glomerular III, by albumin/globulin ratio, value of % gamma globulin fraction (% gamma) and alpha 1/alpha 2 globulin ratio. Proteinurias of the Tubular pattern included various diseases with tubular proteinuria, while proteinurias of the Glomerular I, II and III patterns included mainly postural proteinuria, proteinuria of nephrotic syndrome and proteinuria of various nephropathies, respectively. SDS-PAGE confirmed the tubular and the glomerular origins of the proteins. In the present study we described the clinical usefulness of CAE in the screening of proteinuric children for the following reasons. This method could be performed easily and immediately. This is one of the necessities for mass screening of proteinuric children. CAE can be helpful as one of indications of renal biopsy, since patients with the Glomerular III pattern often showed glomerular alterations and should be diagnosed histologically. Good correlation between % gamma and clinical data was found in follow-up study, so CAE is also helpful in understanding the disease course. Thus. CAE is recommended as a routine screening method of proteinuria as well as SDS-PAGE.

Child↗