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Biomedical subjects

A Taniguchi

Publications and source records attributed to A Taniguchi.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

[A case of late-onset tethered cord syndrome presenting with spastic paraparesis].

We report a patient with late-onset tethered cord syndrome who presented with slowly progressive spastic paraparesis. Final diagnosis was made with spinal MRI. A 55-year-old man developed disturbance in gait at 52 years. He had severe congenital scoliosis of the thoracic spine and skin anomaly and hypertrichosis in the midline of the sacral region. His feet revealed pes equinovarus and pes cavus. Deep tendon reflexes in the lower extremities were hyperactive with positive Babinski signs. Vibration sense was diminished in the lower extremities. He had sexual impotence but no vesical or rectal disturbances. The plain X-rays revealed scoliosis at the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae, multiple costal fusion from the fourth through the eighth ribs on the left, and spina bifida occulta at the lumbosacral vertebrae. On MRI, the conus was tethered downward at the level between the forth and fifth vertebral bodies, and a thickened filum terminale connected the conus with a coccygeal cyst. Tethered cord syndrome, though rare in adults, should be differentiated from other diseases which produce late-onset spastic paraparesis, and MRI of the lumbo-sacral region is very useful for its diagnosis.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1995

[Neonatal apnea after general anesthesia--effects of intraoperative hyperventilation and serum ionized Ca concentration].

The relationship between neonatal apnea following general anesthesia and serum ionized calcium (Ca2+) concentration was examined in 13 neonates who had received intraoperative hyperventilation. In all cases, preoperative serum Ca2+ concentration was within normal limits. The anesthesia was maintained by nitrous oxide and oxygen. At the end of anesthesia, the incidence of abnormal breathing such as apnea, periodic breathing or subcostal retraction and their activity were investigated. Five minutes after intravenous administration of 2% CaCl2 solution (16 mg.kg-1), the same parameters were compared with the values before CaCl2 administration. As we used only Ca2+ free solution for fluid therapy during operation, serum Ca2+ concentration decreased gradually under general anesthesia, but after CaCl2 administration, it increased and the incidence of abnormal breathing decreased. To determine the relationship between hyperventilation and the incidence of abnormal breathing, the data were analyzed by dividing the patients into two groups based on PaCO2 level, a lower PaCO2 group (intraoperative PaCO2 < 30 mmHg, n = 5) and a higher PaCO2 group (PaCO2 > or = 30 mmHg, n = 8). But there was no significant relationship between them. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the Ca administration has a favorable effect on respiratory system and motor activity, but we cannot relate the incidence of postoperative abnormal breathing to the degree of hyperventilation.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1995

[A case of acute sensory neuropathy].

We report a 50-year-old man who developed sensory neuropathy of acute onset. It affected position and vibration senses very severely, and superficial sensations mildly. There were athetoid movements of the outstretched left arm when the eyes were closed. The upper limbs were more severely affected than the lower limbs. There was no weakness or atrophy in the limb muscles. Nerve conduction study and somato-sensory evoked potential showed normal function of motor nerves and axonopathy of the sensory nerves. Sural nerve biopsy disclosed fibrosis and marked loss of myelinated fibers, especially of large ones, and many fibers with myelin balls in teased preparations, indicating severe axonopathy. Electronmicroscopy confirmed severe degeneration and loss of myelinated axons with abundant myelin figures in schwann cells. There were no malignancy or other diseases that could cause sensory neuropathy, and he was diagnosed as having acute sensory neuropathy (ASN) of Windebank et al. ASN, a distinct syndrome characterized by axonal type neuropathy, should be segregated from acute and chronic inflammatory demyelinaiting neuropathies although the clinical features and CSF findings look alike.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

[Premedication in children: a comparison of oral midazolam and rectal bromazepam].

Seventy-seven children for minor surgery of less than 90 minutes in duration were divided into two groups; one group received midazolam syrup and the other received bromazepam suppository. The sedative effect before or after the induction of the anesthetic, the effect on the circulatory system, and the prolongation of the sedative effect after surgery were studied. Regarding the sedative effect before or during the induction of anesthesia, both medications were effective with no significant difference between the two groups. However, the bromazepam suppository had a significantly better sedative effect 1 or 2 hours after the surgery. In children under 4 years of age, the sedative effect during the induction was obtained by administering midazolam syrup before the surgery. It is indicated that midazolam syrup is superior to the bromazepam suppository in children under 4 years of age.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Competitive RT-PCR ELISA: a rapid, sensitive and non-radioactive method to quantitate cytokine mRNA.

We have developed a non-radioactive method to quantitate precisely levels of gene expression. This method is based on RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) with an RNA competitor, followed by the covalent capture of the amplified DNA onto the wells of microtiter plates, and the quantitation of the PCR product by oligonucleotide hybridization and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The assay can reproducibly detect 1 zeptomole mRNA. The assay was successfully used to quantitate mRNA levels of the T cell derived cytokines interleukin-2, interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma in resting and stimulated human lymphocytes. Because it is performed in a microtiter ELISA format, this rapid, sensitive and non-radioactive method should facilitate measurements of gene expression, particularly in large clinical studies.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and glucose effectiveness in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance: a minimal model analysis.

The aim of the present study was to estimate insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity (SI), and glucose effectiveness (SG) in non-obese Japanese subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Ten IGT subjects (five men, five women) and 15 normal-tolerance subjects (seven men, eight women) without a family history of diabetes were studied. They underwent a modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT); glucose (300 mg/kg body weight) was administered, and insulin (20 mU/kg over 5 minutes) was infused from 20 to 25 minutes after the administration of glucose. SI and SG were estimated by Bergman's minimal model method. No significant difference was observed in body mass index ([BMI] 22.1 +/- 0.8 v 21.1 +/- 0.5 kg/m2), fasting plasma glucose (5.19 +/- 0.18 v 5.07 +/- 0.11 mmol/L), and insulin levels (50.7 +/- 7.3 v 45.2 +/- 4.5 pmol/L) of subjects with IGT and normal controls. The glucose disappearance rate (KG) was significantly lower in subjects with IGT than in normal-tolerance subjects (1.57 +/- 0.20 v 2.09 +/- 0.15%/min, P < .05). Pancreatic insulin secretion expressed as the integrated area of plasma insulin above the basal level during the first 20 minutes was lower in IGT subjects (2,556 +/- 572 pmol/L x min) than in normal-tolerance subjects (4,957 +/- 800 pmol/L x min, P < .05). SI was not statistically different between the two groups (0.84 +/- 0.13 x 10(-4) v 1.14 +/- 0.15 x 10(-4).min-1.pmol/L-1). However, SG was significantly lower in subjects with IGT than in normal controls (0.013 +/- 0.002 v 0.023 +/- 0.002 min-1, P < .01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

An adult case of histiocytosis X with a vulvar ulcer and multiple bone lesions.

A 62-year-old female with histiocytosis X presented with a vulvar ulcer. Multiple osteolytic lesions were later detected. Histological examination of the ulcerated skin showed diffuse proliferation of histiocytic cells with folded nuclei and pale eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry revealed S100 protein and vimentin as well as CD1a, CD4, and HLA-DR antigens in the proliferating cells. Electron microscopy demonstrated Birbeck granules in the cytoplasm of the cells. The patient was successfully treated by complete surgical excision of the ulcer followed by radiotherapy for recurrent vulvar erythema.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Inhomogeneity of cellular activation time and Vmax in normal myocardial tissue under electrical field stimulation.

To clarify the mechanism underlying the ectopic excitation after countershock, the cellular activation processes of cardiac tissue with a low-potential-gradient electric field (LPEF) were investigated in experiments using guinea pig papillary muscles and in computer simulation. Action potential upstrokes in papillary muscles during longitudinal propagation (LP) or transverse propagation (TP) were different from those of nonpropagating ones in single ventricular cells in terms of lower maximum upstroke velocity (Vmax) (LP, 231 V/s; TP, 309 V/s) and the presence of a linear ascending segment in the phase-plane plot. High Vmax (409 V/s) close to the single cell (512 V/s) was obtained in the muscle at the collision of LP (LC). Field stimulation of the muscles with LPEF < 5 V/cm caused inhomogeneous excitation suggesting multiple wave fronts, which collide with each other, and a wide spatial dispersion of Vmax (132-388 V/s). Phase-plane plots of action potential with lower Vmax were similar to LP or TP, whereas those with higher Vmax were similar to LC. In the two-dimensional discrete sheet composed of 51 x 51 elements of modified Beeler-Reuter model, the inhomogeneous excitation induced by LPEF is mimicked by setting a random variation of stimulus onset in each element. LPEF may induce inhomogeneous excitation with multiple wave fronts through a complex electrotonic interaction. This would provide a basis for the genesis of ectopic focal excitation.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1994

Sjögren's syndrome in one of two sisters with idiopathic renal hypouricemia.

Concomitance of idiopathic hypouricemia and Sjögren's syndrome is reported. A 37-year-old Japanese woman with Sjögren's syndrome and her 39-year-old sister without this syndrome both had extremely low levels of serum uric acid. Markedly increased urinary excretion of uric acid and poor response to the pyrazinamide suppression test revealed that the hypouricemia in these sisters was caused by a defect in the pre-secretory reabsorption of uric acid. It is categorized as idiopathic renal hypouricemia than hypouricemia rather secondary to Sjögren's syndrome. Thus, idiopathic renal hypouricemia should be considered even in cases with autoimmune diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Glucose effectiveness in two subtypes within impaired glucose tolerance. A minimal model analysis.

To clarify the event that is involved in the pathogenesis of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), we studied 15 individuals with IGT and 15 subjects with normal tolerance using the minimal model approach. Our IGT subjects were characterized by normal insulin secretory responses to oral glucose and mild impairments in insulin sensitivity (SI) and glucose effectiveness (SG) at basal and zero insulin. Next, we classified our IGT subjects into two subpopulations: one with normal insulin sensitivity (SI: 0.92 +/- 0.11 x 10(-4) min-1.pmol/l-1 and the other with insulin resistance (SI:0.31 +/- 0.06 x 10(-4)min-1.pmol/l-1, P < 0.05). The populations did not differ with respect to body mass index and fasting plasma glucose level. Basal plasma insulin level was higher in the insulin-resistant group (84.8 +/- 23.3 pmol/l) than in the insulin-sensitive group (48.7 +/- 6.8 pmol/l), but the difference was not statistically significant. The absolute insulin secretory responses to oral glucose were significantly higher in the resistant group (83,205 +/- 17,787 pmol/l x min) than in the sensitive group (24,727 +/- 3,591 pmol/l x min, P < 0.01), whose absolute responses were similar to those of normal control subjects (24,576 +/- 2,767 pmol/l x min). No significant difference was observed in SG between the resistant (0.016 +/- 0.002 min-1) and sensitive (0.013 +/- 0.002 min-1, P > 0.05) type of IGT, but SG was significantly type of IGT, but SG was significantly decreased in both groups compared with normal control subjects (0.023 +/- 0.002 min-1, P < 0.05-0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Intermittent treatment with D-penicillamine is effective in lower doses and with fewer adverse effects in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether intermittent rather than daily administration of D-penicillamine (D-Pen) would effectively reduce the incidence of adverse effects without significantly diminishing the clinical benefits. METHODS: We conducted an open prospective trial comparing daily and intermittent schedules. Among 76 Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 37 underwent daily treatment with D-Pen while 39 were given D-Pen intermittently (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). RESULTS: The mean D-Pen dose was 166.8 and 99.4 mg/day for daily and intermittent groups, respectively, the difference being highly significant (p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney's U test). The incidence of adverse effects was significantly lower in the intermittent group. Both schedules significantly reduced the activity of RA, as evaluated by clinical and laboratory variables. No significant differences were observed in the degree of improvement between the 2 schedules. CONCLUSION: Intermittent therapy with D-Pen is an effective treatment for patients with RA and its higher degree of flexibility can lead to maximum efficacy for management of patients with RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[A family of parkinsonism in which the clinical feature of constituents varied with the age of onset].

We report a family of parkinsonism in which the clinical feature of the constituents varied with the age of onset. The propositus was a 49-year-old woman who had developed tremor and akinesia at the age of 26 years. Levodopa markedly relieved her symptoms. The feet showed pes equinovarus with tonic extension of the great toe. The most characteristic feature was marked diural fluctuation of her symptoms; her gait was nearly normal in the morning, while she showed marked tremor and gait disturbance with parkinsonian posture in the evening. Sleep markedly improved her conditions. Her maternal uncle developed parkinsonism at the age of 60 years, and anti-parkinsonian drugs including levodopa were persistently effective. Neurological examination at the age of 75 years revealed parkinsonian features with rigidity, resting tremor, akinesia and loss of postural reflex, together with severe pes equinovarus and tonic extension of the great toe. There was no diural fluctuation in his symptoms. Several types of dystonia-parkinsonism, either familial or sporadic, have been reported in the literature, but none of them showed the same clinical and genetic features as the present family. The present family may be included in a spectrum of dystonia-parkinsonism syndrome of autosomal-dominant inheritance.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1993

Microtiter format gene quantification by covalent capture of competitive PCR products: application to HIV-1 detection.

We have developed a simple gene quantification system using the competitive polymerase chain reaction (CPCR) followed by microtiter format analysis. CPCR is carried out using a mutant competitor with the same size as the target DNA product, and a minimal base exchange to insure the same amplification kinetics. One primer is aminated at the 5' end to produce PCR products that are captured onto carboxylated wells of microtiter plates through peptide bond formation. The non-aminated DNA strands are stripped off from the wells by alkali washing, and the remaining aminated strands are hybridized with either a digoxigenin-labeled wild type-specific oligonucleotide probe or a competitor-specific probe. To standardize the hybridization conditions of the probes, a DNA construct containing wild type and mutant competitor sequences in tandem is captured at different concentrations, hybridized with the probes, and used to generate a standard curve. Bound probes are detected by anti-digoxigenin antibody conjugated with peroxidase and chromogen. Optical densities are recorded with a conventional microtiter plate reader and converted to concentrations according to the standard curves. The ratios of wild type DNA to mutant competitor are used to determine the initial amounts of wild type DNA in the samples. This method was used successfully to quantify human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) env gene in human lymphocytes. It only requires a thermal cycler and a conventional microtiter plate reader, and can be readily done on a large scale. Potential applications include detection of other pathogens, diagnosis of genetic disorders and studies of gene expression.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Divergent T cell receptor gamma repertoires in rheumatoid arthritis monozygotic twins.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the expressed T cell receptor (TCR) gamma repertoire is altered in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Peripheral blood lymphocytes were collected from monozygotic twins who were either concordant or discordant for RA, or from a normal twin pair. TCR gamma-specific complementary DNA libraries were constructed using the anchored polymerase chain reaction. Gene usage was analyzed by plaque hybridization and sequencing. RESULTS: The expressed TCR V gamma repertoires both in RA patients and normal subjects were extremely diverse. Monozygotic twins who were concordant for RA expressed very different frequencies of TCR V gamma genes. CONCLUSION: RA does not lead to a specific clonal expansion or deletion of TCR V gamma genes in peripheral blood.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The expressed T cell receptor V gene repertoire of rheumatoid arthritis monozygotic twins: rapid analysis by anchored polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Because of heterogeneity in the outbred human population, it has been difficult to determine the genetic factors that influence the expressed T cell receptor (TcR) repertoire in autoimmune diseases. To overcome this problem, we have developed a combination of anchored polymerase chain reaction (APCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that can accurately assess TcR V gene frequencies in numerous clinical samples. The results are independent of amplification efficiency, and V gene usage can be readily analyzed with an ELISA plate reader and associated software. Using this method, the TcR V beta gene repertoires in peripheral lymphocytes from nine sets of identical twins, normal, concordant or discordant for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), were studied. The TcR V beta results were compared with TcR V gamma frequencies in the same specimens as determined by APCR-ELISA and cDNA sequence analysis. The results showed a marked similarity in the TcR V beta gene repertoires between identical twins, compared to unrelated subjects (p < 0.05) whether or not they were concordant or discordant for RA. In contrast, the TcR V gamma gene repertoires in the monozygotic twins differed as much as in controls. The data imply that (a) the human TcR V beta gene repertoire in peripheral blood is genetically controlled, whereas (b) the TcR V gamma gene repertoire is primarily influenced by environmental stimuli, and (c) RA causes no consistent change in TcR V beta repertoire of peripheral blood. The APCR-ELISA method, in the context of large-scale family and population studies, should facilitate a more precise delineation of the genetic factors that regulate human TcR V beta expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Selective infiltration of B cells committed to the production of monoreactive rheumatoid factor in synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

B cells were directly cloned using EBV transformation fron the synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the objective being to investigate the B cell repertoire at the site of inflammation. The frequency of clones producing antibodies with rheumatoid factor (RF) activity was approximately 10% in those from the RA synovial tissue. Similar percentages of B cell clones from the peripheral blood of both RA patients and healthy controls also produced RF. However, almost all of these clones from the peripheral blood produced RF reactive not only with rabbit IgG or human IgG Fc but also with several other antigens (polyreactive). Only one of 654 clones (0.15%) from the RA peripheral blood produced RF specific to rabbit IgG or human IgG Fc (monoreactive). On the other hand, the frequency of clones producing monoreactive RF was approximately 30 times higher in RA synovial tissue. Furthermore, these B cells were activated in vivo to produce antibodies, since monoreactive RF was spontaneously produced from synovial tissue cells without the addition of B cell stimulators. No clones producing monoreactive RF were obtained from the synovial tissue of patients with osteoarthritis. These results suggest selective infiltration and/or proliferation of B cells committed to the production of monoreactive RF in RA synovial tissue.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMed1993

A cell-type-specific transcription enhancer of type 16 human papillomavirus (HPV 16)-P97 promoter is defined with HPV-associated cellular events in human epithelial cell lines.

Expression of the early genes of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is known to be highly restricted to epithelial cells. This report describes the molecular basis of HPV16 epitheliotropism at the transcriptional level. A series of 5'-end deletion mutants of the long control region (LCR) located upstream of the HPV16 early genes were tested in a transient expression assay using various human epithelial and fibroblastic cell lines. The specific region termed the cell-type-dependent regulatory element (CTRE) was found to function as an enhancer in some of HPV-associated human epithelial cell lines, but not at all in HPV-free human epithelial cell lines. No LCR-associated enhancer activity was detectable in fibroblastic cell lines. The CTRE was mapped at a distinct region upstream from the previously proposed proximal keratinocyte dependent enhancer (KD). The CTRE augmented transcription initiated from the autologous P97 promoter as well as from a heterologous promoter in a orientation-independent manner. Within the CTRE, there are three copies of the consensus nuclear factor-1 (NF1) binding site. Using CTRE containing mutations in each of the NF1-sites, it was demonstrated that all of these NF1-sites were necessary for a full enhancer activity in the HPV-associated human epithelial cell line. This suggests that the CTRE plays a critical role in the cell-type specific expression of HPV16-early gene at the level of transcriptional regulation.

Animals↗