Biomedical subjects

A Okayama

Publications and source records attributed to A Okayama.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Increased expression of interleukin-2 receptor alpha on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in HTLV-I tax/rex mRNA-positive asymptomatic carriers.

Using the double-nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we assayed human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) tax/rex-encoded mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of asymptomatic carriers as an index of the expression of HTLV-I in vivo in relation to the proviral DNA level. HTLV-I tax/rex mRNA was detected in only 1 (3.3%) of 30 samples with medium or lower proviral DNA levels, but it was detected in 11 (39.3%) of 28 samples with high HTLV-I proviral DNA levels, estimated as equal to or more than the proviral DNA of 10 ng of HUT102 (i.e., HUT102 cells were used as positive controls). The mean number of interleukin-2 receptor alpha (IL-2R alpha)-positive cells as a percentage of the total number of PBMCs was higher (13.2%) in the tax/rex mRNA-positive carriers with high proviral DNA levels than in the carriers who were mRNA negative (8.4%) (p = 0.004, Wilcoxon test). These results suggest that virus activation as indicated by the presence of tax/rex mRNA in asymptomatic carriers with high proviral DNA levels is associated with an elevation of the IL-2R alpha-positive cells in vivo.

Carrier State↗

PubMed1997

Prevalence of genotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi in patients with scrub typhus in Miyazaki Prefecture.

The genotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi in patients with scrub typhus in Miyazaki Prefecture were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Specific patterns for genotypes Irie, Hirano, Tazume and Yoshimura were detected in 26, 6, 5 and 2 of 39 DNA samples obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively. DNA sequences of the PCR products from the Tazume strain were genetically very close to the Hirano strain and the Yoshimura strain was also very close to the Karp strain. Furthermore, the DNA sequences from the Irie and Tazume strains were completely homologous to the reported sequences of the Kawasaki and Kuroki strains, respectively.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Disposition of ampicillin in honeybees and hives.

Disposition profile of ampicillin (ABPC) among honeybees, larvae, honey and royal jelly in a hive after oral dosing to adult bees was studied. Four honeybee colonies were administered the single dose of ABPC at the rate of 30 mg/hive by addition to sugar syrup or pollen substitute (paste) for 1 day intake. The colonies received ABPC in syrup showed high drug residue levels in honey and it lasted over 14 days beyond the detection limit of residual analysis. In the hives given ABPC in paste, relatively low honey residues were found, however, the distributions of the drug in young larvae and jelly which was the food of the larvae were very low. ABPC was considered to be a promising drug for the control of American foulbrood, an important bacterial disease of honeybee larvae, because of its high antibacterial activity to the pathogen, Paenibacillus larvae, and instability of residue in honey as human food. The low distribution in young larvae, the target of the disease, threw a doubt on the efficacy of ABPC for American foulbrood control.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1997

Sporicidal activities of disinfectants on Paenibacillus larvae.

Sporicidal activities of glutaraldehyde, sodium hypochlorite, povidone iodine, ethylene oxide gas, chlorhexidine gluconate, and didecyl dimethylammonium chloride on wet and dry spores of Paenibacillus larvae (basonym: Bacillus larvae) were evaluated for control of honeybee American foulbrood. Glutaraldehyde was found to have a strong and rapid effect on both the wet and the dry spores among the disinfectants tested.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Progressive retinitis-encephalitis due to ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus associated with aplastic anemia.

A 29-year-old woman with aplastic anemia who complained of visual disturbances and pain in the right eyeball was diagnosed as having cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis based upon the characteristic retinal changes and isolation of CMV. She received treatment with ganciclovir (GCV), and the retinitis initially responded for several months. However, the patient was found to have CMV lesions in the left eye followed by neurological symptoms. The CMV isolated just before her death was approximately 20 times more resistant to GCV than that isolated previously, suggesting that the GCV-resistant CMV had developed during the long-term treatment with GCV.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Detection of polyanion-restricted anti-histone antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The nature of the antibodies responsible for lupus erythematosus (LE) cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains obscure. We examined whether polyanion-restricted anti-histone antibodies were present in serum of patients with SLE using Western blotting analysis. Dextran sulfate or alginate was used as a polyanion compound in place of DNA. Antibodies which recognized dextran sulfate-histone complexes were present in serum of patients with SLE (17/34, 50%). These antibodies were detected in most SLE patients positive for LE cells (17/18, 94%) but not in those negative for LE cells or in patients with other collagen diseases. Similar results were obtained using alginate-histone complexes as antigens for Western blotting analysis. The antibodies to dextran sulfate-histone or alginate-histone complexes in serum of SLE patients were completely absorbed by treatment of serum with DNA-histone complexes, while they were unaffected by treatment with DNA only. The presence of antibodies to free histones and dextran sulfate-histone complexes did not seem to be related to the titer of anti-single stranded DNA antibody and anti-double stranded DNA antibody. We demonstrated the presence of polyanion-restricted antibodies in SLE, which may be responsible for the LE factor.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

[Current epidemiology of hypertension in Japan].

In 1960, stroke mortality in Japan was the highest among industrialized countries, while CHD mortality was the lowest. Stroke mortality for men and women aged 30-69 years, however, declined by 80% during the 1965-90 years and CHD mortality also declined during the same period. Among risk factors, trends in blood pressure level and the prevalence of hypertension were very compatible with those in stroke mortality. Serum total cholesterol level has increased remarkably, however, CHD mortality has not increased. This may be explained by the decline in population blood pressure level and the prevalence of hypertension, and decreased smoking rate.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

HCV infection and liver cancer mortality in a Japanese population with HTLV-I.

In a cohort study of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection in Japan, 10 cases of liver cancer death occurred from 1984 through 1993. To analyze the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV), which has been associated with an increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan, a nested case-control study was performed. Five of the 10 liver cancer cases were positive for antibody to HTLV-I (anti-HTLV-I). The possible interaction between HCV and HTLV-I infections in the etiology of HCC was investigated, with each liver cancer case matched to 5 cohort controls by gender, age, serum sample date and anti-HTLV-I status. Using a matched analysis odds ratio (OR) were generated for the relationship between HCV serologic status and death liver cancer. Based on second-generation enzyme immunoassay with confirmation by recombinant immunoblot assay, 8 of 9 cases with adequate serum available (89%) and 9 of 50 (18%) controls were found to be positive for antibody to HCV (anti-HCV). Liver cancer death was highly associated with anti-HCV (matched OR = infinity; p < 0.001). Anti-HTLV-I seroprevalence was some what correlated with HCV infection. However, the high risk of liver cancer death observed for anti-HCV-positive Individuals in this population did not vary with respect to whether or not the subjects were also infected with HTLV-I.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Preferred nucleotide sequence at the integration target site of human T-cell leukemia virus type I from patients with adult T-cell leukemia.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is etiologically associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). We cloned and sequenced host DNA adjacent to the long terminal repeats of HTLV-I from uncultured leukemic cells of 4 ATL patients. The region flanking the provirus was generally A/T-rich (60-64% A/T), and a nucleotide composition bias was noticed when sequences within 25 bp on both sides of the integration target site were analyzed. In the 6-bp direct repeat, both end positions are preferentially occupied by G/C, whereas the middle positions are preferentially occupied by A/T. Furthermore, AA or TT dinucleotides are frequently present on each side adjacent to the center of the direct repeat. Our finding suggests preferential integration target sites of HTLV-I in the host genome. Further study is warranted to determine whether each of the target sequence preference is a general property of HTLV-I integration or may be associated with the leukemogenesis of ATL.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Evaluation of morbidity among human T lymphotropic virus type 1 carriers in Miyazaki, Japan.

Morbidity associated with human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection was investigated in a Japanese population within an area in which HTLV-I infection is endemic. Of 1824 subjects enrolled in the Miyazaki Cohort Study between November 1984 and May 1991, 500 (27.4%) were seropositive for HTLV-I antibodies. As expected from previous studies, HTLV-I positively appeared to be associated with baseline history of anemia (adjusted odds ratio [OR]= 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.99-1.7) and kidney disease (OR=1.6; 95% CI= 0.91-2.9); a positive association also was noted for asthma in men (OR=3.4; 95% CI=1.2-9.8). Unanticipated findings included a relationship between HTLV-I infection and cardiac disease history (OR=1.4; 95% CI=0.94-2.2; HTLV-I carriers also were more likely to have an abnormal electrocardiogram at baseline (OR=1.5; 95% CI=1.2-1.9). Furthermore, an apparent protective effect for ulcers (OR=0.62; 95% CI=0.40-0.95) and diabetes (OR=0.49;95% CI=0.22-1.1) was observed. HTLV-I infection may modify the risk of specific disease outcomes by altering host immune function.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Findings from the Miyazaki Cohort Study.

The purpose of the Miyazaki Cohort Study is to describe and analyze the natural history of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in a highly endemic population in southwestern Japan. As of August 1995, 1,960 individuals have been enrolled, of whom 27% were HTLV-I antibody positive at baseline. Our achievements over the past decade of following this cohort include the identification of several viral markers that characterize high-risk carriers and the documentation that carriers have subclinical evidence of impaired cellular immunity. We have begun to estimate the impact of the infection on the health of carriers and have found that men are at greater risk of HTLV-I-associated diseases than women. We have been able to identify prospectively risk factors associated with sexual transmission. Most important, by identifying subclinical markers of pathogenesis, we hope to provide the foundation for developing interventions to prevent HTLV-I-associated disease.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Enhanced engraftment of HTLV-I-infected human T cells in severe combined immunodeficiency mice by anti-asialo GM-1 antibody treatment.

The effects of anti-asialo GM-1 antibody (AAGM) treatment on the engraftment of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected human T cells in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were studied. The frequency of tumor formation in an HTLV-I-transformed human T-cell line, MT-2 cells, at the site of inoculation was significantly higher in AAGM-treated than untreated mice (P<0.05): 16/18 (89%) and 16/26 (62%), respectively. The promotive effect of AAGM treatment on tumor development was marked in the early stage (less than 3 weeks), suggesting that the immediate reaction of natural killers to the inoculated cells may be important for the prevention of tumor development. The surface phenotypes and clonality of the tumor cells were the same as the MT-2 cells inoculated. Inoculation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from one of the 4 adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) patients resulted in the development of tumors in AAGM-treated SCID mice. However, the surface phenotypes of the cells from these tumors were a mixture of B cells and T cells, suggesting that these tumors consisted of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells and HTLV-I-transformed T cells. In addition, HTLV-I was detected by polymerase chain reaction in various organs of the mice inoculated with PBMC from the ATL patient and the asymptomatic carrier examined. These results suggest that elimination of natural killer function by AAGM treatment is important, although such treatment is not always necessary for the engraftment of HTLV-I-infected cells in SCID mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Biological properties and antibiotic susceptibility of Bacillus larvae originated from American foulbrood of honeybee in Japan.

The biological properties and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of Bacillus larvae were examined. Twenty-nine strains, 28 isolates from each outbreak of American foulbrood in Japan and a B. larvae type strain (ATCC 9545T) were used. our B. larvae isolates had almost the same biological properties as the type strain. The isolates were more susceptible to penicillins, macrolides and lincomycin, a lincosamide, than other antimicrobials. Microsamicin among the macrolides and ampicillin among the penicillins appeared to be the most effective agents.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Genotypic identification of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction.

We combined the nested polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for genotypic identification of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Four primers were selected from the DNA sequence of the gene encoding a 56-kD serotype-specific antigen of the Karp strain. Nested PCR produced rickettsia-specific products of approximately 0.6 kb in the amplification of DNA prepared from three reference strains (Gilliam, Karp, and Kato) and two prototype strains (Irie and Hirano) prevalent in the Miyazaki Prefecture of Japan. When the nested PCR products obtained from these five strains were digested with Hha I, profiles specific to each strain were generated. Fourteen of 17 DNA samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with scrub typhus tested positive in the nested-PCR, providing a rickettsia-specific band. The serotype of infected rickettsia of 10 patients were diagnosed as Irie and those of four patients were diagnosed as Hirano by indirect immunofluorescence methods. The fragment profiles of the PCR products of these 14 patients after digestion with Hha I corresponded closely with those serotypes. However, the PCR products from two of four samples, which were similar to Hirano strain by a serologic method and by the pattern of digestion with Hha I, produced different RFLP profiles upon further digestion with Hinf I and Alu I. These results may suggest that genetic variation exists within serotypes. Genotypic identification of R. tsutsugamushi by means of PCR-RFLP using three restriction enzymes is apparently useful.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a full-length human T-cell leukemia virus type I from adult T-cell leukemia cells: a prematurely terminated PX open reading frame II.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is etiologically associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). The prototypic HTLV-1, ATK, is the only full-length provirus cloned from uncultured leukemic cells and completely sequenced prior to this study. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of another full-length HTLV-1 provirus cloned directly from leukemic cells. A premature termination codon was found in the second open reading frame (orf II) of the pX region. Our finding indicates that open reading frame II of the HTLV-1 pX region is not required for outgrowth of ATL leukemic clones in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Different trends in serum cholesterol levels among rural and urban populations aged 40-59 in Japan from 1960 to 1990.

In Japan, coronary heart disease mortality is low and has been declining since 1970, despite recent increases in serum cholesterol levels which have been reported in nationwide surveys. Longitudinal and cross-sectional surveys of serum cholesterol levels in rural and urban populations from 1960 to 1990 were reviewed. In the surveys in the 1960s, serum cholesterol levels in urban populations were higher than those in rural populations. An increase in serum cholesterol levels for men and women was observed in all longitudinal studies among rural populations; mean increases in serum cholesterol levels per year were 0.034 mmol/l (p < 0.001) and 0.033 mmol/l (p < 0.001), respectively. These trends were still observed after combining the data from the longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in both men and women (0.027 and 0.028 mmol/l per year, respectively), while there was no significant increase among urban populations. The results of National Nutrition Surveys are consistent with these findings and show that meat consumption per day per capita increased from 23.9 to 66.2 g in rural populations and 51.2 to 77.6 g in urban populations in the 1966 and 1990 surveys. It is suggested that different trends in coronary heart disease mortality should also be apparent in rural and urban populations over this period.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The associations between alcohol drinking and dietary habits and blood pressure in Japanese men.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the relationships between blood pressure and alcohol, nutrients and electrolytes intakes in Japanese men. DESIGN AND METHOD: A dietary survey was conducted in a rural population of Japan by the 2-day dietary record method, and blood pressure was measured with a standard sphygmomanometer. Blood pressure levels, nutrients and electrolytes intakes were compared among the non-drinkers and the tertiles of the alcohol-drinking subjects. The relationships between blood pressure and nutrients, electrolytes and alcohol intakes were also determined by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Age and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were positively, and percentage of energy from fat and carbohydrates was negatively, related to the drinking categories. Univariate analysis showed that SBP was significantly related to age, body mass index (BMI) and alcohol intake, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was also significantly related to age, BMI and alcohol intake. Both SBP and DBP had a significant inverse relationship with the percentage of energy from fat (P < 0.01). Both SBP and DBP were significantly related to drinking categories when the effects of age, BMI and percentage energy from fat intake on blood pressure were adjusted for (P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed SBP to be significantly and positively associated with age, BMI and alcohol intake, and negatively associated with potassium intake, whereas DBP was significantly and positively associated with BMI and total energy intake, and was negatively associated with potassium and the percentage of energy intake from fat and carbohydrates. CONCLUSION: The positive association between alcohol drinking and blood pressure persisted even after consideration of the effects of age, BMI and other macronutrient and electrolytes intakes. The reduction of alcohol intake should be an important public health strategy in the primary prevention of hypertension in this population.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Increased prevalence of HTLV-I infection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C virus.

The progression from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported. We evaluated whether co-infection with the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) might be associated with this transition in a cross-sectional analysis of 127 patients with HCV-chronic hepatitis (mean age = 51.7) and 43 patients with HCV-associated HCC (mean age = 62.4); the seroprevalence of anti-HTLV-I was 9.5% and 30.2%, respectively. For subjects 50 years or older, the seroprevalence of anti-HTLV-I in HCC patients was 13/41 (31.7%) which was significantly higher than that in chronic hepatitis patients (6/82, 7.3%) (P = 0.001). The relative risk (RR) of association was 12.8 (P = 0.0004) among the males, however, no association was evident among the females, RR = 1.3 (P = 0.80). The increased prevalence of HTLV-I positivity among the HCC cases could not be attributed to a higher rate of prior transfusion. These data suggest that co-infection with HTLV-I may contribute to the development of HCC among patients with HCV-induced chronic liver diseases in a highly HTLV-I-endemic area.

Adolescent↗