Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Noguchi.
Recently abdominal actinomycosis is rare. Its diagnosis is difficult because it resembles malignant diseases. We reported a case of abdominal actinomycosis considered to be of the stomach origin and attempted to correlate the radiological findings with the pathological features referring to the previous reports.
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Six monoclonal antibodies to Japanese monkey leukocytes were developed. These monoclonal antibodies, designated the U series, cover most kinds of leukocytes (pan T cells, CD8+ cells, CD8+ subset and granulocytes, CD16+ cells, monocytes/macrophages), and should be useful in the immunological analysis of primate models, such as tissue transplants and virus-related diseases, in particular, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
To determine whether transmission of hepatitis B virus occurs among mentally retarded patients in six institutions, from 1986 to 1988, 373 patients (males 203, females 170, 18-53 years of age, mean age 29.9) were tested for hepatitis B markers. Seventy five of them had Down's syndrome. Overall prevalences were 9.1% for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 39.7% for antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and 48.0% for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in patients with Down's syndrome than in other mentally retarded patients. Five patients (three males and two females) in four institutions were infected with hepatitis B virus during the two years of observation. Four of these five patients were the other mentally retarded and became both anti-HBs and anti-HBc positive. The remaining one, who was 29 years old and Down's syndrome, became an HBsAg carrier. These observations indicate that hepatitis B virus transmission frequently occurs among mentally retarded patients in institutions and therefore vaccination of susceptible institutionalized patients is necessary. Vaccination to patients with Down's syndrome is particularly warranted, because they are uniquely predisposed to develop chronic hepatitis B infection following exposure.
Results obtained with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine were compared with those obtained with a plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine in separate studies conducted in nursery schools in which at least one child had hepatitis B e antigen associated with surface antigen. Recombinant vaccine (5 micrograms), made in Japan and prepared from antigen expressed in yeast, was given to 118 children (aged 0-5 years of age, mean age 2.9 years). Plasma-derived vaccine (10 micrograms) was given to 243 children. Side-reactions were not observed with either vaccine. Seroconversion rates for the recombinant vaccine group were 8.5% after 1 month, 98.3% after 9 months and 100% after 12 months. For the plasma-derived vaccine group, the rate after 1 month was 26.3% after 9 months 82.3%, and after 12 months 77.9%. Although in the recombinant vaccine group the immune response developed more slowly during the early phase, seroconversion rates were significantly higher than in the plasma-derived vaccine group after 6 months. Titres of antibodies also were significantly higher in the recombinant vaccine group after the third injection. None of the children in either group became infected with hepatitis B virus. These results confirm the high immunogenicity, safety and efficacy of the recombinant vaccine given to these nursery school children.
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To investigate the pattern of intrafamilial spread of hepatitis B virus, the authors conducted a seroepidemiologic survey of nursery school children aged 1-5 years as well as family studies of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive children found in the survey in 1980 and 1985 in the Yaeyama district of Okinawa, Japan. The data from these family studies were compared with data from the studies conducted in 1968-1980 in the same area. Although the prevalence of HBsAg was not different for 1980 (eight of 847 children, 0.9%) and 1985 (13 of 1,355 children, 1.0%), prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen was significantly higher in 1980 (3.3%) than in 1985 (1.7%). Families were divided into four groups by the HBsAg status of the parents. In 1968-1980, families in which both parents were HBsAg-negative were most prevalent (64 of 107 families, 59.8%), followed by families in which only the mother was HBsAg-positive (17 of 107 families, 15.9%). In 1980, families in which only the mother was HBsAg-positive were most prevalent (11 of 25 families, 44.0%) and became more prevalent in 1985 (nine of 12 families, 75%). These data suggest that in the area studied, hepatitis B virus infections among children have declined over a five-year period and that mother-to-child transmission may be a main route of intrafamilial transmission in recent years.
A total of 932 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers and 1,704 HBsAg-negative inhabitants of the Yaeyama District of Okinawa, Japan, over age 20 years were investigated in 1982-1985 in order to elucidate whether an interaction between habitual alcohol intake and hepatitis B virus infection is capable of producing liver disease. All of the subjects were tested for biochemical liver functions and asked about their habitual intake of alcohol. HBsAg carriers were tested for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HBeAg. Subjects were ranked into three categories by alcohol consumption: nondrinkers, light drinkers (1-59 g/day), and heavy drinkers (greater than or equal to 60 g/day). The prevalence of liver abnormalities in HBsAg carriers increased with alcohol consumption. The prevalence differed significantly between nondrinkers and light drinkers in HBsAg carriers (p less than 0.001), but not in HBsAg-negative inhabitants. Prevalence also differed significantly between nondrinkers and heavy drinkers irrespective of HBsAg positivity (p less than 0.001). The highest prevalence of liver abnormalities was observed in HBeAg-positive heavy drinkers (53.8%). In conclusion, this study confirms that alcohol consumption intensifies the development of liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus. Therefore, the authors see a need to educate HBsAg carriers about the risks of consuming alcohol.
A total of 2,584 healthy residents in the Yaeyama District of Okinawa, Japan, were investigated in 1984 to determine the prevalence of gallstone disease and its associated factors. Diagnosis of gallstone disease was assessed by real-time ultrasonography. For participants over 20 years of age, obesity index and serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured. Overall prevalence of gallstone disease was 3.2%. Prevalence increased with age from 0% under 19 years of age to 11.4% over 70 years of age and was higher in females (4.0%) than in males (2.5%). The results of the logistic regression analysis indicated that age and fatty liver were significant predictors of gallstone disease. The results of the automatic interaction detector analysis indicated that age and fatty liver were strong factors associated with gallstone disease and that prevalence was highest in females over age 50 with fatty liver.
We investigated sex- and age-specific prevalences of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) in 1,163 carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Okinawa, Japan, and followed them up for longer than one year in correlation with liver function abnormalities. Elevated serum transaminase levels were found in 160 (13.8%) of them. The prevalence of liver function abnormalities was significantly higher in male carriers (127/690, 18.4%) than in female carriers (33/473, 7.0%) at a P value of 0.001. In asymptomatic carriers, the prevalence of HBeAg was 13.2% and that of anti-HBe 80.0%, significantly different from 41.9% and 54.4%, respectively, in carriers with elevated transaminase levels (P less than 0.001). In asymptomatic carriers, the mean age of HBeAg-positive carriers was 16.7 years which was much lower than the 22.8 years in carriers with liver function abnormalities. The prevalence of elevated transaminase levels was significantly higher in carriers with HBeAg than in those with anti-HBe (33.8% vs. 9.7%, P less than 0.001). Based on these results, the prolonged positivity for serum HBeAg would qualify as a predictor for deteriorating liver function among HBsAg carriers.
To determine when the hemophiliacs in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan, first became positive for antibodies, we tested human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies on serum samples obtained from 1976-1987 stored at -30 C. Fifteen out of 64 hemophilia A patients (23.4%), five out of 11 hemophilia B patients (45.5%), but none of 17 patients with von Willebrand's disease (0%) were positive for HIV antibodies. In this series, two with hemophilia A became positive for HIV antibodies for the first time in 1983, and in 1984 another four with hemophilia A and one with hemophilia B became positive.
A total of 2,283 serum samples were collected from healthy subjects in three islands of the Yaeyama district of Okinawa, Japan. These sera were tested for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), and for antibody to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigen (anti-ATLA). Correlation between hepatitis B virus infection and adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV) infection was determined by using the prevalence rates for three virus markers. Overall prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-ATLA was 6.5%, 57.4%, and 17.9%, respectively. Age-specific prevalence of anti-HBc and anti-ATLA increased with age, but that of HBsAg did not. Sex-specific prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in males than in females, but that of anti-ATLA was significantly higher in females than in males. Statistical analysis revealed that prevalence of anti-ATLA was significantly higher in HBsAg-positive persons and HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive persons than in those negative for HBsAg and anti-HBc. These data suggest that hepatitis B virus-infected persons have a significantly higher chance of adult T-cell leukemia virus infection than those without hepatitis B virus infection in the area studied.
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Ontogenic changes of protein kinase C in the rat liver, heart and cerebrum were examined from 17-day gestation until adult. Cerebral protein kinase C activity was 19 times less at 17-day fetal as compared to 15-day postnatum or older rats. The enzyme activity in the heart was generally higher in the neonatal period than the adult, but was not correlated with the previously reported alpha 1-adrenergic and cholinergic receptor ontogeny. Likewise in the liver, the enzyme activity was not correlated with previously reported alpha 1-adrenergic and vasopressin receptor ontogeny. No correlation between protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activities was found among these tissues. The enzyme distribution expressed by a cytosol/particulate ratio of 0.72, 2.41 and 0.64 in the liver, heart and brain, respectively, in 20-day fetus was similar to adult values. We conclude that there is a discrete ontogenic pattern of protein kinase C in each organ and it does not seem to be correlated with the ontogenic pattern of hormone receptors which relate to phosphatidylinositol breakdown. The precise role of protein kinase C in relationship to growth and differentiation needs to be further investigated.
A cell line (JAMH17+) resistant to 8-azaguanine was established from a human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 related virus (simian T-cell leukemia virus-1) positive Japanese macaque cell line. Lymphoblastic cell lines were established from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of humans, hominoids, and several species of macaques by coculture with JAMH17+ in hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine medium. HTLV-1 specific antigen was detected in some of the established cell lines. Phenotypic analysis showed that several cell lines of crab-eating macaques expressed Leu11a antigen, which is a marker of human natural killer cells.
Monoclonal antibody, A7, produced from a mouse splenocyte immunized against human colon cancer was used as drug carrier for colon cancer. A7 had not ADCC and ADMC activity but had ACD activity. Anticancer drug, mitomycin C (MMC), and neocarzinostatin (NCS), were covalently bound to A7 to form the conjugates, A7-MMC, and, A7-NCS. In vitro cytotoxic effect of the conjugates on SW1116 was much stronger than that of free MMC or free NCS. The conjugates, A7-NCS, administered in nude mice brought about the highest NCS concentration in tumor, while normal IgG-NCS distributed evenly in all the tissues. The conjugates showed strong antitumor effect on colon cancer transplanted in nude mice. Forty one patients with colorectal cancer including 10 patients with postoperative metastasis were given A7-NCS. The immunoperoxidase and drug concentration studies of the resected specimens revealed that NCS was found to be localized specifically in cancer. There was no serious adverse effect in the patients receiving the conjugate. Of eight patients with postoperative liver metastasis, three showed evidence of tumor reduction on CT scan and three claimed pain relief. The conjugate was of no benefit to the patients with multiple lung metastasis and peritoneal metastasis.
A mouse monoclonal antibody (MoAb), S74 against a human scirrhous gastric carcinoma cell line was developed. The radioiodinated antibody bound preferentially in vivo to xenografted tumors rather than to normal tissue, whereas tumor uptake of normal mouse IgG did not occur. Thus this MoAb was able to selectively localize a human tumor in an animal model, and clinically it may enable immunotherapy against scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach.