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Biomedical subjects

C Matsumoto

Publications and source records attributed to C Matsumoto.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Incidence, source, and nature of complaints received in a large, urban emergency medical services system.

OBJECTIVE: To document the incidence, source, and reasons for all complaints received by a large municipal emergency medical services (EMS) program. METHODS: A retrospective review of all complaints received during three consecutive years (1990-1992) in a centralized EMS system serving a large municipality (population 2 million). All cases were categorized by year, source, and nature of the complaint. RESULTS: In the three study years, EMS responded to 416,892 incidents with nearly a half-million patient contacts. Concurrently, 371 complaints were received (incidence of 1.12 per thousand); 132 in 1990, 129 in 1991, and 110 in 1992. Most complaints involved either: 1) allegations of "rude or unprofessional conduct" (34%), 2) "didn't take patient to the hospital" (19%), or 3) "problems with medical treatment" (13%). Only 1.6% (n = 6) were response-time complaints. Other complaints included "lost/damaged property," "taken to the wrong hospital," "inappropriate billing," and "poor driving habits." The most common sources were patient's families (39%) and the patients themselves (30%). Only 7.8% were from health care providers. CONCLUSION: Reviews of complaints provide information regarding EMS system performance and reveal targets for quality improvement. For the EMS system examined, this study suggests a future training focus on interpersonal skills and heightened sensitivities, not only toward patients, but also toward bystanders and family members.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1995

Pathogenesis of Rhodococcus equi infection in mice: roles of virulence plasmids and granulomagenic activity of bacteria.

Virulence of Rhocococcus equi ATCC 33701 and its plasmid-cured derivative ATCC 33701P- was compared in BALB/c and C3H/HeJ mice in terms of bacterial growth kinetics and histological changes in the liver, spleen and lungs, and humoral immune responses. Injection with a sublethal dose of 10(6) ATCC 33701 in mice resulted in microabscess formation after rapid multiplication in the liver and spleen by day 4, and then the bacteria were gradually eliminated with the formation of granuloma and the production of specific antibodies against 15- to 17-kDa antigens of the virulent bacteria. By contrast, ATCC 33701P- was avirulent as shown by early elimination of viable bacteria and no evidence of net multiplication in the organs. Histopathological changes consisted of only slight, transient infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages in the liver. Although live ATCC 33701P- did not evoke any humoral or histological responses in the mice, a large inoculum (10(8)) of killed ATCC 33701 and ATCC 33701P- resulted in the formation of granuloma in the liver and accelerated extramedullary hemopoiesis in the spleen. These results suggest that the pathogenesis of R. equi infection involves at least two important virulence determinants, both of which play critical roles in the disease: one is the virulence plasmid, which is required for R. equi to resist and grow within host cells; and the other is the granulomagenic activity that is related to the lipids and nature of the cell wall of the species, which induces the characteristic pathological changes.

Actinomycetales Infections↗
PubMed1995

In search of genes causing spontaneous hypertension.

1. Basal high blood pressure (BP) in the male and female F2 progeny produced by crosses between Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY/lzm) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP/lzm) linked strongly with the leukosialin locus on chromosome 1. 2. Excess salt intake caused elevation of BP and the response was larger in the females than the males. 3. In the male F2 progeny, salt-sensitive hypertension significantly cosegregated with the RR1023 marker on chromosome 10, rather than with the angiotensin converting enzyme locus. 4. In the female F2 progeny, salt-sensitive hypertension significantly linked with the MitR244 marker on chromosome 3.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

Metacarpal bone mass in normal and osteoporotic Japanese women using computed X-ray densitometry.

The metacarpal bone mineral density (BMD) and metacarpal index (MCI) of the second metacarpal bone were measured by computed X-ray densitometry (CXD) (Teijin Ltd., Tokyo), which we have established with the development of microdensitometry of radiographs. In this study, we evaluated the basic attributes of this CXD method and determined the age-related changes in both metacarpal measurements in normal Japanese women. The precision in vivo was measured in eight subjects. The precision errors [coefficient of variation (CV)] were 0.2-1.2% CV for metacarpal BMD and 0.4-2.0% CV for MCI, respectively. We have obtained low precision error and more rapid analysis, within 3 minutes respectively, compared with the previous methods. Age-related changes in the metacarpal measurements were evaluated in 1438 normal women. Both measurements showed the most significant decrease in the sixth decade of life. The rate of decrease in the sixth decade was 1.6%/year for metacarpal BMD and 1.5%/year for MCI. On comparison between metacarpal BMD by CXD and spine BMD using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 248 normal women with and without menstruation, the two measurements were found to be similarly decreased in the subjects within 5 years after menopause. There was also no significant difference in the Z-score between metacarpal BMD and spine BMD within 5 years after menopause. These results indicate that early postmenopausal bone loss occurs not only in the spine but also in the metacarpal bone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1994

Association of polymorphism in the interferon gamma gene with IDDM.

Cytokines may play important roles in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). We analysed a dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the first intron of the interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) gene in Japanese diabetic patients (175 IDDM and 145 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) and 267 control subjects. A significant difference was observed in the global allele distribution of the polymorphism between the IDDM and control groups (p = 0.039). The difference from the control group was more evident in the patients whose insulin therapy started within 1 year from onset (p = 0.006) or in the young-onset (< 10 years) patients (p = 0.0006). The alleles "3" and "6" were increased in the IDDM patients, and a significant increase in the frequency of the "3/6" genotype was observed in the IDDM patient group (9.1%, RR 2.9, p = 0.010), in the patients with initial insulin therapy less than 1 year from onset (10.6%, RR 3.4, p = 0.004), or in the young-onset patients (16.7%, RR 5.7, p = 0.0003) in comparison to the control subjects (3.4%). There was a tendency towards frequent occurrence of clinical characteristics which reflect young or abrupt onset of diabetes or both, and depletion of insulin secretion capacity in the patients with "3/6" or "6/6" in comparison to the patients with other genotypes. These results suggest that the IFN-gamma gene region may contribute to the pathogenesis of IDDM and could be a genetic marker for IDDM.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Lack of association of the insulin gene region with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in Japanese subjects.

Although the insulin gene region is implicated in susceptibility to Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in Caucasians, significance of this region to Type 1 diabetes in Japanese remains unclear because the class 1 alleles (shorter insertion) of the variable number of tandem repeat in the 5' region of the insulin gene are predominant in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. The 5' insulin gene polymorphism was analysed in 75 Japanese patients and 69 control subjects with a precise method using PvuII and a polymorphism specific probe, which enabled us to divide class 1 alleles into four subclasses. Allelic frequencies were not significantly different between Type 1 diabetic patients and control subjects. The polymorphism in the 3' untranslated region of the insulin gene (1127/PstI) was also analysed and found to be tightly linked to the 5' insulin gene polymorphism, and thus was not associated with diabetes. Interaction between HLA-DR and the insulin gene region, which was reported in the French study, was not observed in Japanese. These results suggest that the insulin gene region is not a valuable genetic risk factor for Type 1 diabetes in Japanese.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1994

Effects of hysterectomy on ovulation and related ovarian functions in regular estrous cycle rats.

The number of ovulation was significantly higher in hysterectomized rats with regular estrous cycles than in sham-operated rats at the estrous stage 20-24 days after operations (13.2 +/- 0.33 vs. 11.8 +/- 0.41, P < 0.05). This finding suggests that hysterectomy facilitates the follicular maturation in rats. To examine the mechanism of facilitation on follicular maturation in hysterectomized rats, plasma FSH level, ovarian estradiol-17 beta (E2) and ovarian aromatase activity were measured 20 days after hysterectomy. Hysterectomy had no effect on plasma FSH levels at any of the estrous stages. Ovarian E2 level and aromatase activity (AA) were significantly increased by hysterectomy only at diestrus-2 stage of the estrous cycle (E2; 3.76 +/- 0.49 vs. 1.48 +/- 0.49 ng/g ovarian tissue, P < 0.05, AA; 1.36 +/- 0.15 vs. 0.83 +/- 0.11 pmol/h. mg ovarian tissue, P < 0.05), but ovarian testosterone level was not affected by the operation. These results support the hypothesis that in rats hysterectomy facilitates follicular maturation. This may be due to an increase in ovarian E2 level at the diestrus-2 stage, caused by heightened ovarian aromatase activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A 3-basepair in-frame deletion (delta Leu999) in exon 17 of the insulin receptor gene in a family with insulin resistance.

We studied a woman with acanthosis nigricans and insulin resistance. The patient's Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocytes revealed slightly decreased insulin binding and markedly decreased insulin-stimulated autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the patient's genomic DNA revealed a 3-basepair in-frame deletion in one allele, resulting in the loss of leucine at position 999 of the insulin receptor (delta Leu999). The messenger ribonucleic acid transcripts from the mutant allele in the patient's lymphocytes were not decreased. Insulin-stimulated autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor from cells expressing delta Leu999 mutant insulin receptor complementary DNA was markedly decreased. The proband, her mother, elder brother, and younger brother, who were heterozygous for this mutation, showed moderate or marked hyperinsulinemia during oral glucose tolerance tests. Although fasting glucose levels were normal and fasting insulin values were preserved in all subjects with the mutation for the 8-yr period of observation, a tendency of progressive increase in postload glucose levels was observed. These results suggest that the delta Leu999 mutation, which reduces tyrosine kinase activity, was responsible for insulin resistance and contributed to postload hyperglycemia.

Acanthosis Nigricans↗
PubMed1994

Possible involvement of androgen in increased norepinephrine synthesis in blood vessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We investigated the effects of castration and testosterone propionate on sympathetic nervous systems in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Four-week-old male rats were castrated. For replacement of androgen, testosterone propionate (500 micrograms/rat) was administered subcutaneously 2 times a week to castrated rats after their 14th week. The systolic blood pressure of the castrated SHR (44 weeks) was significantly lower than those of intact SHR and testosterone-replaced SHR. The norepinephrine (NE) levels and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activities in the abdominal aorta and mesenteric artery of castrated SHR (45-50 weeks) were significantly lower than those of intact SHR. The NE levels and the TH activities in these blood vessels of testosterone-replaced SHR recovered to the levels obtained in those of intact SHR. As well as the systolic blood pressure, the NE levels and TH activities in blood vessels of WKY were significantly lower than those of intact SHR and showed no significant difference among the three groups. These results suggest that androgen may contribute to the development of hypertension in SHR via sustained enhancement of TH activity in blood vessels leading to increased NE level.

Androgens↗
PubMed1994

HLA class II alleles in Japanese patients with Graves' disease: weak associations of HLA-DR and -DQ.

To elucidate the associations of the HLA class II alleles with Graves' disease (GD), we examined DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 alleles in 62 Japanese GD patients and 142 control subjects by the PCR-SSOP (polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probes) method. We found that DRB1*0803 (P < 0.02), DRB1*1403 (P < 0.03), DQA1*0103 (P < 0.02) alleles and DRB1*0803-DQA1*0103-DQB1*0601 (P < 0.01), DRB1*1403-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301 (P < 0.02) haplotypes were significantly increased in GD patients. No DQB1 allele revealed a significant association with GD in Japanese. These weak associations may reflect either the heterogeneity of GD in Japanese or the importance of non-HLA factors in the development of the disease.

Alleles↗
PubMed1994

Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy in a raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) with chronic pulmonary inflammatory lesions.

A female raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) captured September 1992 in Nara prefecture, Japan, suffering from swollen joints of all four limbs was necropsied. Radiographically, there was a shadow in the right pulmonary caudal lobe and periosteal bone formation around several joints. Microscopically, there was extensive edema, along with one large and many small pyogranulomatous nodules and purulent bronchitis in the right lobe and left caudal lobe of the lungs. There were intermingled branching filamentous bacteria in the lesion, which stained positively with Warthin-Starry, Grocott, and Gram stains, and partially with periodic acid Schiff and Ziehl-Neelsen stains. Extensive exostosis with coralloid trabeculation had developed bilaterally at the carpal, stifle and hock joints in the surrounding well vascularized loose connective tissue. Degeneration of articular cartilage and villous proliferation of synovial membranes were apparent. This is the first report of hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy in the raccoon dog.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Non-MHC susceptibility genes in Japanese subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)].

Genetic factors clearly contribute to the development of autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cell in IDDM. The HLA class II genes have an important role in the pathogenesis of Japanese IDDM as they do in Caucasians. Particular HLA class II alleles and haplotypes contribute to the IDDM susceptibility/resistance in Japanese. In the 5' insulin gene polymorphism, the shorter insertion (class 1 allele) is predominant in Japanese, and thus is not associated with IDDM. Subdivision of the class 1 alleles also failed to show an association with Japanese IDDM. The insulin gene region appears not to be a valuable genetic marker for IDDM in Japanese. Recently, we found an association of polymorphism in the IFN-gamma gene with Japanese IDDM.

Asian People↗
PubMed1993

Predictive value of screening tests for persistent hepatitis C virus infection evidenced by viraemia. Japanese experience.

In November 1989, Japanese Red Cross Blood Centres started screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa) for the C100-3 viral peptide as the first such nationwide programme in the world. Thereafter post-transfusion non-A non-B hepatitis (PTNANBH) was reduced by 61-80%, but this was not as complete a success as our programme to prevent post-transfusion hepatitis B by screening for high titer hepatitis B core antibody, which we began in the same period. In order to acquire more effective control of PTNANBH, the HCV core-related antigen (GOR, N14) and second-generation Elisa (Ortho2, Abbott2) and second-generation antigen agglutination (PA, PHA) tests have been employed. Among 16,500 donors in 11 blood centers, 365 were serologically positive by at least one of these tests. Among these, HCV RNA was detected in 138 units and the remaining 227 were HCV RNA negatives. The effectiveness of these serological tests to detect HCV RNA-positive status were analyzed. Passive haemagglutination and particle agglutination (PHA and PA) tests were highly effective to predict HCV viraemia among blood donors. Also, these tests can easily determine antibody titre. By either PHA or PA, all units with > or = 2(12) agglutination titre (120 and 122 units) were HCV RNA positive and all agglutination-positive units with serum alanine aminotransferase level higher than 35 Karmen units were HCV RNA positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1993

Formation and property of mixed vesicles of phosphatidylcholine and MDP derivatives.

The aggregation form of mixtures of phosphatidylcholine and MDP derivatives was studied. The mixed vesicles containing less than 40% of B30-MDP were unilamellar, and over 40% B30-MDP aggregates of mixed vesicles or oligolammellar vesicles appeared. The mixed vesicles containing less than 20% of DV-7401 were unilamellar, and over 20% of it fibriform structures appeared.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗
PubMed1993

Low temperature dependent IgG3 subclass antibody with low avidity to C100-3 antigen derived from hepatitis C virus in voluntary blood donors.

The presence of an antibody which reacts strongly at lower temperatures to C100-3 antigen derived from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was demonstrated in blood donors' sera. These sera reacted with the antigen most strongly at 4 C and most weakly at 37 C and are termed 'cold antibody group'. The cold antibody group reaction was specifically inhibited with soluble C100-3 antigen. Cold antibody bound to C100-3 antigen at 4 C was dissociated at 37 C and was isolated in this manner. Low temperature-dependent anti C100-3 antibody was shown to be predominantly IgG3 subclass by ELISA using anti-human IgG subclass antibody. This IgG3 antibody was dissociated from antigen with 6M urea, demonstrating its low avidity. HCV-RNA was demonstrated in two of five samples. Therefore, to achieve more effective prevention of post-transfusion hepatitis C, we propose the incorporation of programs to detect low temperature-dependent low-avidity antibody against HCV-related antigen.

Antibody Affinity↗
PubMed1993

[The influence of target blurring and simulated opacity of the ocular media on automated perimetric thresholds].

The influence of target blurring and simulated opacity of the ocular media on the sensitivity of the central visual field in quantitative static perimetry was studied using a SARGON program of the automated perimeter Octopus 201. Ten eyes of 10 normal subjects aged from 21 to 35 were examined with target sizes 1, 3, and 5; 4 spherical plus lenses of +1.0D, +2.0D, +3.0D, and +5.0D; 5 kinds of occlusion diffusers which corresponded to the visual acuities of 1.0, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, and 0.1; and 4 neutral density filters of 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 log units. The studies suggested that there was little difference between the sensitivity for target size 1 and that for target size 3 in spite of slight blurring of the target and simulated opacity of the ocular media. We concluded that target size 1 was as useful as target size 3 in quantitative static perimetry.

Adult↗