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Biomedical subjects

A Horikoshi

Publications and source records attributed to A Horikoshi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Pulmonary function at the early stage after bone marrow transplantation].

Twenty-one patients, aged 16-41 years, were prospectively followed for pulmonary function prior to and up to nine months after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). All patients had normal radiographs and no clinical signs of pulmonary disease. The FEV1.0%, V25, and of V50/V25 were within the normal ranges for all patients. Percent vital capacity (%VC) and percent diffusing capacity of lung for CO (% DLco) dropped progressively in most of the patients up to 9 months following BMT. Pulmonary function decreased earlier in patients with GVHD as well as patients who received total body irradiation either at a high dose rate (10 cGy/min) or a high lung dose (12 Gy). These asymptomatic declines in pulmonary function were measured by frequent tests of lung function.

Adolescent

Determination of serum des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin levels in patients with small-sized hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of the conventional enzyme immunoassay and two modified methods.

OBJECTIVES: Currently available enzyme immunoassays for des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) are not sensitive enough to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at an early stage. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to enhance the sensitivity of the currently available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for DCP and to assess the diagnostic values of the new methods compared with those of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in patients with small-sized HCC. METHODS: Coded serum samples obtained from a total of 128 patients with chronic liver diseases, including 27 patients with small-sized HCC, were analyzed. DCP levels were determined in three different ways: 1) conventional EIA, 2) the overnight method, similar to the conventional EIA but the first reaction (immunoreaction of DCP with the monoclonal antibody) was proceeded overnight, and 3) the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method. RESULTS: In 27 patients with HCC ( < or = 3 cm in diameter), the rates of abnormal values obtained by the conventional, the overnight, and the ABC methods were 14.8, 25.9, and 29.6%, respectively. The overnight and the ABC methods comparably increased the sensitivity, whereas the ABC method gave the highest false-positive value in patients with chronic liver diseases (cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis) without HCC. The negative predictive value was 84.9% when AFP and the overnight DCP assays were combined, whereas the true positive rate by the combination assay of the ABC method for DCP and AFP (cut-off level at 200 ng/ml) was 33.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Two modifications of the conventional EIA for DCP comparably increased the sensitivity, but the overnight method may be of more practical value in terms of specificity and ease. The rate of detection of small-sized HCC by tumor markers alone, however, is not satisfactory even when the modified DCP and AFP measurements are combined.

Adult

[Determination of PIVKA-II levels in patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma--comparison of new sensitive methods].

Current EIA for PIVKA-II is not sensitive enough to detect small Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). In an attempt to increase the diagnostic threshold, the current EIA was modified in two different ways: 1) immunoreaction of PIVKA-II in the sample with its monoclonal antibody was carried out overnight at 5 degrees C instead of for two hours at room temperature (the overnight method), 2) Avidin-Biotin technique was used for the second reaction(the ABC method);and their diagnostic values were determined as compared with the current EIA(2hr method) in a total of 138 patients including 36 patients with HCC. In 27 patients with HCC(< 3 cm in diameter), the rates of abnormal values obtained by the 2hr-, the overnight- and the ABC method were 14.8, 25.9 and 29.6% respectively. False positive rates of these three methods in 69 patients with liver cirrhosis were 1.4, 8.6 and 22.9% respectively. Thus, these two modifications improved the sensitivity of the current EIA and the overnight method appears to be superior to the ABC method in terms of specificity and simplicity. This conclusion was confirmed by ROC analysis.

Biomarkers

[Swyer-James syndrome with bronchial asthma and recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax].

An 18-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for treatment of the fifth episode of spontaneous pneumothorax. She had a history of repeated pneumonia in childhood and mycoplasma pneumonia at 12 years of age. A chest X-ray film revealed a left-sided pneumothorax, atelectasis of the left upper lobe, and hyperlucency of the left lung. A bronchogram showed poor filling of the peripheral bronchi by contrast medium and mild cylindrical bronchiectasis in the proximal bronchi. Pulmonary arteriography showed small left pulmonary arteries. From these findings, Swyer-James syndrome was diagnosed. This case was complicated by bronchial asthma, with eosinophilia, a high level of IgE, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Atelectasis, multiple bullae, and bronchial asthma had been caused by mycoplasma pneumonia in childhood. Recurrent pneumothorax had been caused by emphysematous changes in the bronchioli and by underdeveloped pulmonary arteries. Surgery to treat the recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax was considered, but was not done because of the risk of relapse and the ventilation-perfusion imbalance due to the Swyer-James syndrome.

Adolescent

[Clinical study on a concomitant therapy with fluconazole and human recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factor in the treatment of systemic fungal infections with hematological disorders].

The clinical efficacy and the safety of concomitant therapy with fluconazole and recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) was compared with fluconazole monotherapy in neutropenic patients with hematological disorders. The clinical efficacy rate was 73.5% (25/34) in the combination therapy and 48.1% (37/77) in monotherapy. The difference between the two is statistically significant. Side effects were not observed in the combination group, but laboratory abnormalities were found in 6 patients with an incident rate of 11%. The combination therapy with fluconazole and rhG-CSF may be selected as empiric therapy for systemic fungal infection associated with hematological disorders, since this combination therapy showed high efficacy and low incident of side effects. Some patients, however, did not show increased neutrophil counts in spite of rhG-CSF administration.

Adolescent

Relationship between responsiveness to colony stimulating factors (CSFs) and surface phenotype of leukemic blasts.

We examined the responsiveness of leukemic cells to colony stimulating factors (CSFs) as determined by 3H-TdR incorporation and surface phenotypes of leukemic blasts. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), CD13 and/or CD33 positive and HLA-DR negative M1 and M3 cases tended to show high response to G-CSF, GM-CSFs and IL-3, however, all HLA-DR positive M1, M2, M4 and M5 cases were unresponsive to CSFs but showed high autonomous growth. In acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), no response was observed to any CSFs but high autonomous growth was found in mixed leukemia cases. Sole T or B lineage cases showed low autonomous growth. These results suggest the varied nature of the proliferative state in leukemia and the existence of a subgroup in M1.

Cell Division

Rectus hematoma secondary to vomiting: a complication of conditioning regimen for bone marrow transplantation.

A 41-year-old woman with chronic myelogenic leukemia was scheduled to undergo transplantation of bone marrow. The patient complained of nausea and vomiting following the initiation of chemotherapy. One day prior to the planned termination of chemotherapy, the patient developed left-sided abdominal pain. Physical examination and imaging examination indicated the possibility of acute abdomen associated with bleeding or herniation. For therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, an emergency operation was performed. A 6 x 5 cm hematoma was detected within the left rectus abdominis muscle. It is suggested that the gastrointestinal symptoms should be carefully controlled in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

Adult

[Surgical treatment of metastatic lung tumor from colorectal cancer].

We have experienced thirty-one operations of metastatic lung tumors from colorectal cancer. Various factors affecting prognosis are studied based on 5-year survival in this report. Overall 5-year survival rate was 32%. Statistical significance was present in the relationship between the prognosis and both maximum diameter of lesions and the disease free intervals (DFI) after surgery for metastatic lesions. Though not significant, sex, stage of primary lesion, nodal involvement, surgical procedure, postoperative serum CEA were likely affecting factors on the prognosis. In contrast, there were no relationship between the prognosis and following factors: age, location of the metastatic lesion, DFI after the operation for primary lesion and chemotherapy. Although pulmonary metastasis is essentially an index of the advanced state of malignant diseases leading to poor prognosis, long-term survivors were encountered in our series of surgical treatments for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancers. It was concluded to be important to make efforts to extend the indication for surgical treatment, since the appropriate selection of patients revealed to give excellent results from our experience of colorectal cancer. In order to improve the prognosis, early detection of pulmonary metastases is quite important, since the incidence of nodal involvement proved to be higher in lesions with larger diameter resulting in inferior survivals from the present study. In addition, low incidence of nodal involvement in small-sized lesion may support possible applicability of thoracoscopic surgery in the excision of metastatic tumors locating at peripheral lesion.

Adult

[Aspergillus lumbar discitis in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia following induction therapy].

A 47-year-old female was admitted in October 1988 because of anemia and lymphoblastic cells in peripheral blood. A bone marrow aspirate was hypercellular with 93.9% lymphoblasts negative for peroxidase staining. The case was diagnosed as ALL (L2), and treated with JALSG ALL-87 regimen. She developed spiky fever and endotoxin shock due to bacteremia caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa, then was treated with several antibiotics. With the recovery of leukocytes, the chest X-ray showed an infiltrative shadow and a cavity forming lung abscess resembling aspergilloma in her left lung. The cavity improved of transbronchial infusion following amphotericin B (AMPH-B). Although she achieved complete remission, she felt severe lumbago accompanied by a marked erosion of the vertebral body with disc space narrowing on her X-ray. Then she underwent surgery to remove a disc abscess, and 1 colony of the aspergillus species was cultured from the specimen. She was treated with intravenous AMPH-B, and post remission therapies were performed under the injection of anti-fungal agents. No remarkable symptoms of complications were recognized during the chemotherapy. AMPH-B is useful and safe for the management of aspergillus discitis.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols

[Natural interferon alpha for chronic myelogenous leukemia in the chronic phase: hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular response].

Twenty one patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive CML were treated with natural interferon alpha. All patients were in the chronic phase, 5 were untreated and 16 had been previously treated with busulfan or hydroxyurea. Eight patients in complete remission (CR) were given IFN subcutaneously at a dose of 5 x 10(6) unit per day as maintenance therapy, whereas 13 non-CR patients were given 2. 5 approximately 10 x 10(6) units for remission induction. Doses and intervals of IFN were adjusted to maintain the WBC count below 5 x 10(9)/l, but additional drugs were given when the WBC count could not be controlled with IFN alone. Six out of 10 evaluable non-CR patients attained CR with IFN only and 4 others achieved with additional drug. Cytogenetic responses were evaluated in 15 patients. CCR, PCR and MCR were attained in 5, 2 and 1 patients respectively. Southern blotting method showed that the BCR gene rearrangement disappeared in 5 out of 13 patients. Cytogenetic response rate was not different between untreated and previously treated patients, however it differed between patients with or without additional drug. The time to first cytogenetic effect was within 12 months in almost all effective cases. Fever and general fatigue were seen in almost all patients. IFN administration was discontinued only patients with severe skin eruption (3 patients) and bone marrow aplasia (1 patient).

Adult

[A case of Evans's syndrome in which thrombocytopenia and hemolysis was improved by Sairei-to].

A 51-year-old male diagnosed as having Evans's syndrome in 1991 was treated with 25 mg of prednisolone, but his anemia and thrombocytopenia progressed. Thus, in November 1993, treatment was begun with Sairei-to, a Chinese herbal medicine consisting of several water-soluble plant extracts. Following administration of 9.0 g/day of Sairei-to granules along with prednisolone, the platelet count increased from 6.1 x 10(4)/microliters to 12.3 x 10(4)/microliters after one week, while hemoglobin levels rose from 9.5 g/dl to 12.0 g/dl after three weeks. The patient maintained a good physical condition after the prednisolone dose was reduced, although Coomb's test and PAIgG levels remained positive. Sairei-to-seems to be a promising therapeutic agent for steroid-resistant ITP and AIHA, and seems to have no side effects.

Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune

Experimental study of lung transplantation from non-heart-beating donor following brain death in canine model of left lung allotransplantation.

Thirty mongrel dogs were divided into 3 groups. Group I was a normal control group (n = 4) without transplantation procedure. Group II was a transplantation control group (n = 5) with left lung allotransplantation from heart-beating donor. Group III consisted of animals (n = 8) which received lung allografts from non-heart-beating donor following brain death. In Group III, brain death was brought about by intracranial hypertension with the inflation of balloon in the subdural space of donor. After 6 hours, the mechanical ventilation was discontinued followed by cardiac arrest. Left lung was excised twenty minutes after the cardiac arrest and was washed out with cold Ep4 solution for subsequent orthotopic allotransplantation. Right pulmonary arterial occlusion test (RPAO) were carried out under right thoracotomy to evaluate graft function immediately and 7 to 14 days after the surgery. PaO2, PAP and CO were measured before and 20 minutes after RPAO. All animals in Group II and 7 of 8 animals in Group III survived more than 7 days after surgery. No significant differences in the value of PaO2, mean PAP and TPVR with RPAO among three groups at each time of assessment, showing the possibility of lung transplantation from non-heart-beating donor followed by brain death.

Anesthesia

[Lung transplantation from non-heart-beating donor following brain death in canine model].

Candidates for pulmonary transplantation have been limited because of extreme susceptibility to lung infections and pulmonary edema in the brain-dead donor. To ameliorate the donor shortage, two possibilities for expanding the donor source have been presented, i.e. xenotransplantation and transplantation from cardiac-dead donors. The present study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of lung transplantation from a non-heart-beating donor following brain death, using a canine model. Six mongrel dogs were put into a state of brain death by elevating intracranial pressure with a balloon catheter. Following the intravenous administration of methylprednisolone and heparin used for 6-hour management following brain death mechanical ventilation was discontinued leading to cardiac arrest with in a few minutes. Excision of the left lung was scheduled for twenty minutes after cardiac arrest, followed by washing out the pulmonary vasculature with cold Ep4 solution, and orthotopic transplantation into the recipient animal. Immunosuppression was achieved with methylprednisolone and azathioprine. A right pulmonary arterial occlusion test (RPAO) was performed to assess graft function immediately and 7 days postoperatively. All but one animal survived and three animals had an uneventful postoperative course, with the transplants alone according to immediate and 7 day postoperative, respectively, RPAO results. These outcomes indicate the possible feasibility of lung transplantation from non-heart-beating donors following brain death.

Animals

[An experience of suprahyoid release for resection and reconstruction of the lower part of trachea].

An experience of suprahyoid release for resection and reconstruction of the lower part of trachea was reported. 51-year-old woman, complaining of continuous stridor, was diagnosed as tracheal tumor at another hospital and was transferred to our hospital for consecutive examination and surgical treatment. The size of the tumor was about 3 cm in longitudinal diameter and the distance between tracheal carina and lower edge of the tumor was estimated about 2 cm by tomography. At operation, following suprahyoid release in supine position, 6 tracheal rings were resected and reconstructed by end-to-end anastomosis through right posterolateral incision. Patients neck was forced to bend for three weeks and intravenous byperalimentation without oral intake was employed for two weeks to avoid misswallowing and dysphagia postoperatively. Oral intake was started at two weeks after operation and parenteral nutrition was no more necessary at 3 weeks after surgery. Misswallowing and dysphagia were not encountered at all. The tumor was diagnosed as adenoid cystic carcinoma pathologically and residual tumor was demonstrated in submucosal space at the oral margin of the resected specimen as well. She discharged from the hospital uneventfully after postoperative radiotherapy. The recurrence of the tumor has not been observed for 3 years postoperatively. It was confirmed that suprahyoid release is an useful technique and should be ready to introduce in the extensive resection of the trachea because of its little influence on laryngeal function.

Anastomosis, Surgical

Intrapleural rupture of a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula occurring just beneath the pleura: report of a case.

We report herein a rare case of a 21-year-old man with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease, otherwise known as hemorrhagic teleangiectasia, in whom a spontaneous hemothorax occurred following the rupture of one of multiple pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae (PAVF). An emergency life-saving operation was performed which revealed the ruptured fistula lying just beneath the visceral pleura. This case demonstrates that patients in whom a pulmonary angiogram shows an arteriovenous fistula lying just beneath the visceral pleura should undergo prophylactic surgery to avoid a life-threatening emergency, whenever possible.

Adult

Selective killing of murine leukemic cells by adenosine triphosphate (ATP): a study of the value of autologous bone marrow transplantation.

To assess the value of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for ex vivo purging of leukemic cells in autologous bone marrow transplantation, its biological effects on the murine leukemic cell lines (WEHI3B and L1210) and normal murine bone marrow hemopoietic stem cells (CFU-C and CFU-S) were studied. After treatment with 4 mM of ATP for 6 h, the number of viable WEHI3B cells decreased to less than 0.1% of that of the control. Furthermore, 3H-thymidine incorporations were also completely inhibited in both WEHI3B cells and L1210 cells. These phenomena were related to the concentration and exposure period of ATP. Treatment of bone marrow mononuclear cells with ATP under the same condition reduced the number of CFU-C, day 9 CFU-S and day 12 CFU-S to only 58.5 +/- 8.7%, 92.6 +/- 8.2% and 83.5 +/- 28.5%, respectively, with no change in the number of marrow nucleated cells. Although the effect of ATP is not entirely specific to leukemic cells, these findings provide evidence that ATP is useful for purging residual tumor cells in autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Adenosine Triphosphate