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A Yoshida

Publications and source records attributed to A Yoshida.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Serum prorenin levels and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes: new method to measure serum level of prorenin using antibody activating direct kinetic assay.

AIM: To investigate the serum levels of prorenin and its correlation with the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: 248 patients with diabetes and 108 control subjects were divided into four groups: no-DR (n = 146), no proliferative diabetic retinopathy (no-PDR) (n = 78), PDR (n = 24), and controls (n = 108). Serum levels of prorenin from all subjects were measured using the new antibody activating direct kinetic (AAD-PR) assay. The serum prorenin levels were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The serum levels of prorenin in the control, no-DR, no-PDR, and PDR groups, respectively, were 109.1 (66.1), 194.6 (160.4), 271.5 (220.3), and 428.4 (358.4) pg/ml (mean (SD)). Prorenin in the PDR group was remarkably high compared with the control and no-DR groups (p<0.0001) and with the no-PDR group (p = 0.002). Serum levels of prorenin increased with increasingly severe retinopathy. No correlation was found between the prorenin level and the duration of disease or HbA(1c). CONCLUSIONS: The serum levels of prorenin in patients with PDR were found to be markedly high using the AAD-PR assay. Increased levels of prorenin in diabetes may have an important role in the pathogenesis of DR.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2005

Immunotactoid glomerulopathy with microtubular deposits, with reference to the characteristics of Japanese cases.

We present the case of a 69-year-old man with nephrotic syndrome and renal insufficiency, who developed lobular glomerulonephritis. An electron microscopy examination of a renal biopsy showed microtubular structures of 24 nm in diameter in the subendothelial space and the paramesangial area. These deposits were PAS-positive and Congo red-negative, and revealed predominantly positive staining for kappa light chain. There was no evidence of diseases with highly organized glomerular deposits, such as amyloidosis, cryoglobulinemia, systemic lupus erythematosus or paraproteinemia. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed to have immunotactoid glomerulopathy (ITG). During a seven-year course he has not developed any disease known to be associated with organized glomerular immune deposits. Hence, we believe ITG occurred as a primary glomerular disease in this case. We also highlight cases of ITG with microtubular deposits that have been reported in Japan, compare these cases to previous reports, and show that the characteristics of the Japanese cases are male predominance; a high incidence of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN); a low incidence of monoclonal gammopathy and hematological malignancies and a higher incidence of hypocomplementemia.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Germline and mosaic mutations of FLN1 in men with periventricular heterotopia.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the phenotypic spectrum and genetics of periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) caused by FLN1 mutations in four men. BACKGROUND: X-linked PNH caused by FLN1 mutations (MIM #300049) implies prenatal or early postnatal lethality in boys and 50% recurrence risk in daughters of affected women. METHODS: Clinical examination, cognitive testing, MRI, and mutation analysis (denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and direct sequencing) on blood lymphocytes and single hair roots were performed for nine affected individuals, including three men. Neuropathologic study of the brain was performed for an affected boy. RESULTS: In two families, missense mutations were transmitted from mother to son (Met102Val) and from father to daughter (Ser149Phe), causing mild phenotypes in both genders, including unilateral PNH. In a third family, a man was mosaic for an A>G substitution (intron 11 acceptor splice site) on leukocyte DNA and hair roots (mutant = 42% and 69%). Single hair root analysis confirmed that the mutation was not present in all ectodermal derivative cells. A healthy daughter had inherited the X chromosome from her father's wild-type germinal cell population. In the fourth family, an eight-base deletion (AGGAGGTG, intron 25 donor splice site) led to early deaths of boys. Postmortem study in a newborn boy revealed PNH and cardiovascular, genitourinary, and gut malformations. CONCLUSIONS: Periventricular nodular heterotopia caused by FLN1 mutations in men has a wide clinical spectrum and is caused by different genetic mechanisms, including somatic mosaicism. Mutation analysis of FLN1 should support genetic counseling in men with periventricular nodular heterotopia.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2004

Relationship of carpal canal contents volume to carpal canal pressure in carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

Forty patients long-term haemodialysis with a second recurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome and concomitant loss of flexor tendon function due to flexor adhesions were treated by excision of the flexor digitorum superficialis tendons. During the procedure the carpal canal pressure was measured using a continuous infusion technique. The preoperative mean carpal canal pressure was 81 (SD, 53)mmHg. After removal of all the flexor digitorum superficialis tendons, the carpal canal pressure decreased to 10 (SD, 8)mmHg. The clinical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome were relieved and hand strength and finger motion were improved in all patients.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome↗
PubMed2004

CD8 T cell of donor splenocyte mixed with bone marrow cells is more effective than CD4 T cell for induction of donor-specific tolerance in sublethally irradiated mice.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that even a low dose of bone marrow cells (BMCs) established donor-specific tolerance if mixed with splenocytes (SPLCs). In this study, T-cell subsets CD4 (CD4SP) and CD8 (CD8SP) of donor SPLCs were investigated for their contribution to the enhancement of BMC engraftment leading to donor-specific tolerance in sublethally irradiated mice. METHODS: Sublethally irradiated C57BL/6 recipient mice were intravenously injected BMCs mixing with CD4SP or CD8SP harvested from BALB/c donor mice. The degree of chimerism in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and in the SPLCs was analyzed using FACS, mixed lymphocyte reaction, and skin graft transplantation 3 months after injection. RESULTS: Recipients injected with 3 x 10(6) donor BMCs admixed with 10 x 10(6) donor CD8SP established chimerism. However, recipients injected with the same dose of BMCs admixed with 5 x 10(6) CD4SP, 10 x 10(6) CD4SP, and 5 x 10(6) CD8SP did not established chimerism. CD8SP contained 44% of Ly6A/E (Stem Cell Antigen-1 (Sca-1))-positive cells based on FACS analysis, whereas only 6% of CD4SP were positive for Ly6A/E. MLR supernates of donor SPLCs chimeric mice using admixture with CD8SP dominated by Th2 cytokines. In contrast, mixting with MLR supernates from failed chimera showed dominant Th1 cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: CD8SP seems to make a major contribution to enhance BMC engraftment and induce donor-specific tolerance. Ly6A/E (Sca-1)-positive cells need to be further investigated for their contribution to the establishment of chimerism.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Intraoperative blood lactate level as an early predictor of initial graft function in human living donor liver transplantation.

UNLABELLED: This study was performed to investigate whether intraoperative changes in blood lactate levels after hepatic allograft reperfusion reflect initial graft function in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1994 to 2003, 15 of LDLT cases were divided into two groups based on the intraoperative blood lactate levels. Group A consisted of seven recipients whose new liver grafts started to consume lactate immediately after portal perfusion. Group B consisted of the remaining eight recipients whose intraoperative blood lactate values showed no change or an elevation for 2 hours after graft revascularization. RESULTS: All Group A patients survived, whereas three out of eight patients in Group B died of infection and portal vein thrombosis within 3 months after LDLT. There was no significant difference in preoperative donor and recipient laboratory data. The recipient age and body size in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A, indicating that Group B consisted of small-for-size liver transplant cases. Serum total bilirubin concentrations in Group B were significantly higher than Group A from postoperative day 5 to 23, whereas postoperative liver enzyme levels and prothrombin time were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The change in intraoperative blood lactate after hepatic allograft reperfusion served as an accurate predictor of initial graft function which was associated with graft size in human LDLT.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Association between patient education and health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Providing patients with disease- and treatment-related information is an important role of medical staff and is now reimbursed in Japan by the national health insurance system under the rubric 'patient education'. Evaluation of the effectiveness of patient education programs is necessary to ensure that limited health care resources are used efficiently. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to determine whether educating patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is related to better health-related quality of life (HRQOL). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted. SETTING: Members of the Japan Association of Patients with Parkinson's disease were randomly selected. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1200 patients with PD were asked to fill in written questionnaires and replies from 762 (63.5%) were analyzed. MEASUREMENTS: The questionnaire inquired about clinical characteristics, comorbidity, symptoms of PD, complications of therapy, HRQOL, and patient education. SF-36 was used to assess HRQOL. The section on patient education comprised one question each on patient-perceived satisfaction with information provided on (1) disease condition and pathophysiology, (2) effectiveness of drug therapy, (3) adverse drug reactions, (4) publicly available financial and social resources, and (5) rehabilitation and daily activities. Patient education score was defined as the sum of the individual scores for these five questions. The relationships between scores on the SF-36 subscales and the patient education score were examined. RESULTS: More satisfaction with patient education was associated with higher scores in all SF-36 subscales except physical functioning and bodily pain. The difference in score between the most satisfied and the least satisfied patients ranged from 8.4 points on the subscales of general health and 16.7 points on the subscale of role limitation due to emotional problems. CONCLUSION: The conclusion that patient education is associated with better HRQOL in patients with PD is drawn.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Development of a phantom compatible for MRI and hyperthermia using carrageenan gel-relationship between T1 and T2 values and NaCl concentration.

The authors developed a phantom, designated as the CAGN phantom, compatible for MRI and hyperthermia that is useful in the fundamental studies of non-invasive MR thermometry. The ingredients of this phantom are carrageenan, GdCl3 as a T1 modifier, agarose as a T2 modifier, NaCl as a conductivity modifier, NaN3 as an antiseptic and distilled water. Another phantom that was developed, the CAG phantom, has relaxation times that are adjustable to those of any human tissue. To use this phantom for electromagnetic heating, NaCl was added to change the conductivity of the phantom and clarified the relationship between the conductivity and NaCl concentration. This study examined the relationship between relaxation times and NaCl concentration of the CAGN phantom. The results showed that both T1 and T2 values were affected by NaCl and the experimental results led to the empirical formulae expressing the relationship between the relaxation rates (1/T1, 1/T2) and the concentrations of GdCl3, agarose and NaCl. The appropriate concentrations of T1 and T2 modifiers were calculated from these empirical formulae when making a specified phantom that has the required relaxation times and NaCl concentration.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

Development of a phantom compatible for MRI and hyperthermia using carrageenan gel--relationship between dielectric properties and NaCl concentration.

A phantom has previously been developed containing carrageenan, agarose and gadolinium chloride (called CAG phantom) for MRI with 1.5 T. T(1) and T(2) relaxation times of this phantom are independently changeable by varying concentrations of relaxation-time modifiers to simulate relaxation times of the various types of human tissues. The CAG phantom has a T(1) value of 202-1904 ms and a T(2) value of 38-423 ms, when the GdCl(3) concentration is varied from 0-140 micromol/kg and the agarose concentration is varied from 0-1.6%. A new phantom has now been developed (called CAGN phantom), made by adding an electric conductive agent, NaCl, to the CAG phantom for use in the areas of MRI and hyperthermia research. Dielectric properties of the CAGN phantom were measured and the results of experiments were expressed by the Cole-Cole equation in the frequency range of 5-130 MHz. The relationship between the conductivity of the CAGN phantom and the concentration of NaCl was expressed by a linear function in the frequency range of 1-130 MHz. The linear function involves a parameter of frequency and, when the frequency is 10 MHz, the conductivity of the CAGN phantom can be changed from 0.27-1.26 Sm(-1) by increasing the NaCl concentration from 0-0.7%. The CAGN phantom developed can be employed in basic experiments for non-invasive temperature measurement using MRI and as a loading phantom for MRI with up to 3 T.

Carrageenan↗
PubMed2004

Peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst, FP15, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, PJ34, inhibit leukocyte entrapment in the retinal microcirculation of diabetic rats.

PURPOSE: Oxidative and nitrosative stress and activation of poly(ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. We evaluated the effectiveness of the peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst, FP15, and the PARP inhibitor, PJ34, in the treatment of leukocyte entrapment in the retinal microcirculation of diabetic rats. METHODS: Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin. Rats were divided into four groups: controls; untreated diabetes; diabetes treated with FP15 (10 mg/kg oral gavage twice daily) and diabetes treated with PJ34 (10 mg/kg oral gavage twice daily). All experiments were performed 4 weeks after initiation of treatment. Leukocyte entrapment in the retinal microcirculation was quantitatively evaluated in vivo with acridine orange digital fluorography. RESULTS: The density of leukocytes trapped in the retinal microcirculation 30 minutes after dye injection was significantly greater in untreated diabetes (32.1 +/- 4.7 cells/mm2) than in controls (11.3 +/- 4.5 cells/mm2) (p < 0.05). Compared with untreated diabetes, the density of trapped leukocytes significantly decreased in diabetes treated with FP15 (14.5 +/- 5.1 cells/mm2) (p < 0.0001) and diabetes treated with PJ34 (24.1 +/- 4.2 cells/mm2) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with FP15 and PJ34 decreased enhanced leukocyte entrapment in the retinal microcirculation during the early diabetic period. The current study suggests a role for peroxynitrite production and for PARP activation in the pathogenesis of retinal microvascular leukostasis in early diabetes.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed2004

TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the correlation of Treponema denticola numbers with the severity of periodontal disease.

Treponema denticola has been implicated in periodontitis, and the presence of this organism in periodontal pockets has been investigated. However, qualitative analysis is insufficient for the clinical evaluation of periodontal treatments, and quantification of T. denticola populations is essential for monitoring therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, we developed a quantitative method for T. denticola that uses the TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Using this system, we evaluated the relative and absolute numbers of this organism in saliva and subgingival plaque. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the numbers of T. denticola and pocket depth, and found a significant positive correlation (P < 0.0001) between these parameters. This report demonstrates the broad potential of real-time polymerase chain reaction applications in periodontology.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis in relation to periodontal status assessed by real-time PCR.

Many studies have examined the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis in periodontal pockets. However, monitoring the number of bacterial cells is difficult. In this study, we performed quantitative analyses of P. gingivalis to clarify the relationship between the numbers of this organism and periodontal status. Using the TaqMan real-time PCR system, we found a significant positive correlation (P < 0.0001) between the number of P. gingivalis and pocket depth. The slope of the regression line indicated that for every 1-mm increase in pocket depth, the number of P. gingivalis increased 10- fold. There was also a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in the numbers of P. gingivalis before and after treatment. These results suggest that the absolute and relative numbers of P. gingivalis are closely associated with periodontal status, and that quantitative analysis of this organism is important for the evaluation of periodontal therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Alteration of choroidal circulation in the foveal region in patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To investigate changes in choroidal blood flow (CBF) in the foveal region in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to determine the CBF in the foveal region in 70 patients with type 2 diabetes and 36 age and sex matched healthy subjects (control group). The patients were classified into three groups: 33 patients (33 eyes) with no diabetic retinopathy (NDR), 20 patients (20 eyes) with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and no macular oedema (NPDR/MO-), and 17 patients (17 eyes) with NPDR and MO (NPDR/MO+). Optical coherence tomography was also used to measure the foveal thickness. RESULTS: The group averaged CBF values were 13.5 (4.9), 9.4 (2.5), 10.8 (4.8), and 5.6 (2.0) (arbitrary units) in the control, NDR, NPDR/MO-, and NPDR/MO+ groups, respectively. The group averaged CBF values in the NDR group decreased (30.2%; p<0.01) compared with the control group. The average CBF value in the NPDR/MO+ group was also significantly lower (48.2%; p<0.01) compared with that in the NPDR/MO- group. CONCLUSION: The CBF in the foveal region significantly decreases in patients with diabetes, especially those with macular oedema.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Effect of haemodialysis on retinal circulation in patients with end stage renal disease.

AIMS: To investigate the effect of haemodialysis on retinal circulation in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). METHOD: Seventeen consecutive patients with ESRD were recruited into the study. The authors simultaneously measured changes in vessel diameter and blood velocity and calculated the retinal blood flow (RBF) in the retinal veins in patients with ESRD before and after haemodialysis using a laser Doppler velocimetry system. In addition, the relations between the changes in systemic and retinal circulatory parameters were examined. RESULTS: There was a group averaged increase in vessel diameter (p = 0.003) after haemodialysis. However, the blood velocity and RBF values obtained after haemodialysis were not significantly different from those before haemodialysis (p = 0.66 and p = 0.63, respectively). The changes in vessel diameter were negatively (r = -0.549, p = 0.02) correlated with the change in MABP, but the changes in blood velocity and RBF were positively correlated with the change in MABP (r = 0.683, p<0.002 and r = 0.589, p<0.01, respectively). The change in RBF was also inversely correlated with the increase in haematocrit (r = -0.693, p<0.002) and the amount of fluid removed (r = -0.597, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that haemodialysis and the associated changes in systemic circulatory parameters may affect the retinal circulation in patients with ESRD.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Comprehensive gene expression profiling of anaplastic thyroid cancers with cDNA microarray of 25 344 genes.

Little is known about the genetic mechanisms of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). This is the most virulent of all human malignancies, and it is believed to result from transformation of differentiated thyroid cancers. To identify a set of genes involved in the development of ATC, we investigated expression profiles of 11 cell lines derived from ATC using a cDNA microarray representing 25 344 genes. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR experiments carried out for some genes that had shown altered expression on the microarray verified frequent over-expression of destrin, HSPA8, stathmin, LDH-A, ATP5A1, PSMB6, B23, HDP-1 and LDH-B, and frequent under-expression of thyroglobulin, PBP and c-FES/FPS genes among the cell lines and also among ten primary ATCs. In addition to mRNA expression studies, up-regulation of GDI2, destrin and stathmin were confirmed with immunohistochemical analysis. The extensive list of genes identified provides valuable information towards understanding the development of ATC, and provides a source of possible biomarkers for diagnosis and/or molecular targets for the development of novel drugs to treat ATC.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2003

Unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation for acute mixed lineage (myeloid and B-lymphoid lineage) leukemia in an adult with Down syndrome.

This article describes a rare case of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from an unrelated donor (URD) in an adult Japanese male with Down syndrome (DS) diagnosed as having acute mixed lineage leukemia. Examination of peripheral blood demonstrated WBC 6.2 x 10(9)/l with 45.5% blasts at admission. Leukemic blasts with positive peroxidase stain, but negative periodic acid-Schiff stain comprised 91.6% on bone marrow specimen. Surface marker analysis of these blasts showed the following: CD3(-), CD5(-), CD7(-), CD10(+), CD19(+), CD13(+), CD14(-), CD33(+), CD34(+), CD41a(-), and CD56(-). Based on these data, he was diagnosed as having acute mixed lineage (myeloid and B-lymphoid lineage) leukemia. He achieved complete remission (CR) by lymphoid-oriented chemotherapy performed after ineffective myeloid-oriented therapy. After four courses of consolidation chemotherapy for lymphoid lineage blasts, recurrence due to proliferation of myeloblasts had occurred. Thereafter, a second CR was obtained by low dose cytosine arabinoside (AraC) therapy. As this patient was considered to have a high risk of relapse, we selected allogeneic BMT from URD. Severe stomatitis due to methotrexate (MTX) occurred probably due to altered pharmacokinetics usually observed in DS patients. Though acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of systemic skin (grade II) and pneumonia were observed during neutropenia due to the post-conditioning regimen, he could be discharged from our hospital on the 135th day after BMT. On day 205 post-BMT, however, bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) occurred as a chronic GVHD disorder. Despite therapy with prednisolone and FK506, he died on day 400 post-BMT because of respiratory failure due to BO. In DS patients, superfluous toxicities due to MTX and AraC treatment have been reported, and these toxicities have been considered due to altered pharmacokinetics in patients with DS. This patient could tolerate the transplant conditioning regimen commonly used in patients without DS.

Adult↗