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Biomedical subjects

A Kawada

Publications and source records attributed to A Kawada.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Risk and preventive factors for skin phototype.

Risk and preventive factors for skin phototype are discussed. Skin phototype was firstly proposed by Fitzpatrick based on skin response of the Caucasian, whereas the Japanese skin type was proposed for Japanese skin by Satoh and Kawada. Since skin phototype is determined by a personal interview of sunburn and suntan experience, it has a limitation in accuracy for personal interview and racial difference. The skin phototype concept is practicable and useful for predicting individual's sensitivity to UV, risk and preventive factors, and choosing sunscreens even with the limitation.

Asian People↗
PubMed2000

Mycological examination of the hair samples of 11 school-going Nepalese children suspected of tinea capitis.

Among 150 students from a semi-urban school in Kathmandu (Nepal), 30 from various age groups and both sexes with symptoms suggestive of scalp ringworm, were examined clinically. Hair samples were collected for mycological examination, using the hair brush method, from 11 of the 30 children (36.7%), aged between 5 and 14 years, who were clinically diagnosed. Four of the cultured samples were positive for isolates of Trichophyton violaceum. This minor study provides evidence that tinea capitis might constitute a substantial infectious dermatological problem in Nepal. The study also indicated T. violaceum as the causative organism of tinea capitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Human peptidylarginine deiminase type III: molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the cDNA, properties of the recombinant enzyme, and immunohistochemical localization in human skin.

Peptidylarginine deiminase catalyzes the post-translational modification of proteins through the conversion of arginine to citrulline in the presence of calcium ions. In rodents, peptidylarginine deiminase has been classified into four isoforms, types I, II, III, and IV, which are distinct in their molecular weights, substrate specificities, and tissue localization. Of these isoforms, only type III was detected in epidermis and hair follicles. Although the role of this enzyme in these tissues is not yet clear, indirect data have shown that several structural proteins such as filaggrin, trichohyalin, and keratin are substrates for peptidylarginine deiminase. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA of human peptidylarginine deiminase type III (3142 bp) from cultured human keratinocytes by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and by rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods. This cDNA contained a 1995 bp open reading frame encoding 664 amino acids (Mr = 74 770). To explore the physicochemical and enzymatic properties of human peptidylarginine deiminase type III, we constructed a plasmid for producing a recombinant human peptidylarginine deiminase type III in bacteria. The enzymatic characteristics of the recombinant enzyme were very similar to those of the rodent peptidylarginine deiminase type III. The recombinant enzyme showed the catalytic activities toward structural proteins of epidermis and hair follicle, filaggrin and trichohyalin, in which the deiminations maxima of about 60% and 13% arginine residues were observed in filaggrin and trichohyalin, respectively. An immunohistochemical study of human scalp skin with a monospecific anti-peptidyl-arginine deiminase type III antibody revealed that the type III enzyme was localized to the inner root sheath and outer root sheath of hair follicles. Peptidylarginine deiminase type III in the inner root sheath was notable between supramatrix and keratogenous zone and was scarcely detected in cornified hair zone. The enzyme was also expressed in the cuticle layer of hair. On the other hand, expression of the enzyme in the epidermis was very low. These data imply that human peptidylarginine deiminase type III is the predominant isoform in hair follicles and may function as a modulator of hair structural proteins, including trichohyalin during hair and hair follicle formation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Hyperthermic treatment of Bowen's disease with disposable chemical pocket warmers: a report of 8 cases.

Bowen's disease is a form of squamous cell carcinoma in situ, in which local hyperthermia may be efficacious. We studied 8 patients with Bowen's disease to ascertain whether hyperthermia can be effective against it. As a heat source, disposable chemical pocket warmers were applied daily with pressure directly to the lesion site while the patient was awake, and the clinical course was observed for 4 to 5 months. The lesion was then excised and examined to determine the histopathologic effects. The results showed efficacy in 6 cases, in which the nodular and invasive lesions and the erythematous patches abated; then the lesions disappeared, leaving deposits of pigment (complete remission). In one case, the signs improved by at least 50% (partial remission); in the other case, there was only slight palliation (no response). As for the posttreatment histopathologic effects, tumor cells were eliminated in 3 cases, isolated tumor cells were seen in 3 cases, and there was no change in 2. Although the treatment did not yield perfect results, it represents a major improvement of hyperthermic therapy and is one effective method of treating Bowen's disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Pyridoxine-induced photosensitivity and hypophosphatasia.

We describe a case of photosensitivity due to pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B(6)) in a heterozygote of hypophosphatasia. Photopatch tests using pyridoxine hydrochloride and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, compounds referred to as vitamin B(6), with ultraviolet light A irradiation were positive. Laboratory examination showed low serum alkaline phosphatase. Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase exon amplification from DNA of the patient's lymphocytes detected deletion 1154-1156 hypophosphatasia mutation, indicating that this patient was diagnosed to be a heterozygote of hypophosphatasia. The seric pyridoxal 5'-phosphate level of this patient with hypophosphatasia was higher than in normals. Furthermore, after oral administration of vitamin B(6) this level increased greatly and long-lastingly, and this might be related to the low level of alkaline phosphatase in this patient. Photosensitivity in this patient may have been caused by abnormal metabolism of vitamin B(6) under the hypophosphatic condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Alginate oligosaccharides stimulate VEGF-mediated growth and migration of human endothelial cells.

Alginate oligosaccharides cleaved from alginic acid polysaccharides of seaweed were tested to determine their ability to enhance proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. A mixture of alginate oligosaccharides (5 microg/ml in culture broth) stimulated endothelial cell growth, [(3)H]thymidine uptake and migration in the presence of recombinant vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF(165)). In contrast, a high concentration mixture of the oligosaccharides ( approximately 100 microg/ml) suppressed cell growth. The stimulatory activity was comparable to that of heparin, with affinity to VEGF(165), and decreased on heparin-induced stimulation. Each effective oligosaccharide had guluronic acid at the reducing end. A mixture of alginate oligosaccharides (5 microg/ml) and the most paragraph signeffective fraction (1 microg/ml) stimulated endothelial cell migration. In the presence of VEGF and heparin, some alginate oligosaccharides with the peripheral guluronic acid demonstrated marked stimulatory effects, and one fraction also showed a migratory effect. These findings indicate novel activities of alginate oligosaccharide(s) in endothelial cell growth and migration and suggest synergistic and/or stabilizing effects on VEGF(165)-dependent stimulation of endothelial cells.

Alginates↗
PubMed1999

Bowen's disease showing spontaneous complete regression associated with apoptosis.

Spontaneous regression is sometimes seen in malignant skin tumours. We report a 68-year-old woman whose Bowen's disease showed spontaneous complete regression. Prominent infiltration of T cells and increased vascularity were found in the upper dermis of the regressed lesion. Strong expression of Fas (APO-1/CD95) antigen, an apoptosis-related tumour necrosis factor receptor family protein, in the primary lesion and faint expression following regression suggest the involvement of Fas-mediated apoptosis in the spontaneous complete regression of our patient's Bowen's disease.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1999

Molecular cloning of cDNAs of mouse peptidylarginine deiminase type I, type III and type IV, and the expression pattern of type I in mouse.

Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs), a group of post-translational enzymes, catalyze the conversion of protein-bound arginine residues to citrulline residues in a calcium ion-dependent manner and are widely distributed in various organs of vertebrates. Although the existence of four isoforms of PAD (types I, II, III, and IV) is reported in rodents, the relative functions of the isoforms with respect to their colocation in the tissues have yet to be explored. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA encoding mouse PAD type I by screening a uterine cDNA library and using the RACE method. This cDNA consists of an open reading frame of 1989 bases encoding 662 amino acids (73,823 Da), a 5'-untranslated region of 127 bases and a 3'-untranslated region of 1639 bases. Comparative reverse transcription-PCR and Northern-blot analyses detected PAD type I mRNA only in the epidermis and uterus. Administration of estrogen to adult ovariectomized mice increased the content of PAD type I mRNA in the uterus, providing evidence that its expression is under the control of the sex steroid hormone. We also cloned the full-length cDNAs of mouse PAD type III and type IV by the reverse transcription-PCR and RACE methods. The primary structure of PAD type III contains 664 amino acids (75,098 Da) deduced from the coding region of 1995 bases, and the primary structure of PAD type IV consists of 666 amino acids (74,475 Da) deduced from the coding region of 2001 bases. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of all four isoforms of PAD showed about 50% identity with each other, the 3' regions being highly homologous compared with the 5' regions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Case report. Sporotrichosis successfully treated with itraconazole in Japan.

A case of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis that had developed from the dorsum nasi to the left buccal region of a 65-year-old woman was treated with itraconazole 100 mg day-1. The lesion healed in 10 weeks after starting treatment leaving crusts, mild erythema and pigmentation, and the treatment was completed 16 weeks after the start of treatment. Neither adverse reactions nor abnormal clinical laboratory values were noted. Until the present time, 1 year and 2 months after the completion of treatment, no recurrence has been observed. In Japan, 43 cases of sporotrichosis have been treated with itraconazole, and 38 cases (88%) have been assessed as effective or better. The mean dose of itraconazole and the mean duration of administration are 100 mg day-1 and 11 weeks, respectively, in these reported Japanese cases. The use of itraconazole is expected to be one of the effective therapies for sporotrichosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Effectiveness of treatment of severe tinea pedis with 1% terbinafine cream in members of the Japanese self-defense forces.

A clinical study was conducted to determine the efficacy of terbinafine cream in severe cases of tinea pedis. The subjects were 21 men, members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces who were judged to have severe symptoms of tinea pedis. The description 'severe' was defined as 'considered to require the concurrent internal administration of antifungals for complete cure', or as meeting criterion 5 or 6 for the severity of tinea pedis. A simple surface application of terbinafine cream was given once daily, the subjects' clinical manifestations, mycological cure rates and safety-related changes were observed, and a final assessment was made in the 12th week. In the final assessment, the improvement rate of the cutaneous symptoms was 95.2%, and the fungal eradication and efficacy rates were 81.0%. As for side-effects, one patient complained of local irritation. These results suggested that terbinafine cream is a beneficial topical antifungal cream for severe tinea pedis.

Administration, Topical↗