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Biomedical subjects

G Toda

Publications and source records attributed to G Toda.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Ethanol patch test: a simple method for identifying the effectiveness of cyanamide in alcoholics.

BACKGROUND: To identify the pharmacological effectiveness of cyanamide, 144 alcoholics treated with cyanamide were subjected to a test that used an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitor, the ethanol patch test, which is considered to be a good indicator of ALDH2 phenotype. METHODS: We placed 100 microl of 70% ethanol on a lint pad and, as a control, placed the same volume of distilled water on a second pad. The ethanol patch test was performed on 144 alcoholics more than 2 weeks after abstinence from alcohol before and after treatment with cyanamide for 1 week. The dose of cyanamide was increased up to 150 mg until the patch test yielded a positive result. RESULTS: In the ethanol patch test, 36 alcoholics (25.0%) gave a positive result before treatment with cyanamide and might have been ALDH2(1)/2(2) heterozygotes. Among 108 alcoholics who were not positive, the distribution of the cyanamide dose that yielded a positive ethanol patch test result was 30 mg in 42 cases (38.9%), 50 mg in 33 cases (30.6%), 70 mg in 5 cases (4.6%), 100 mg in 6 cases (5.6%), and 150 mg in 2 cases (1.9%). Prevalence of liver cirrhosis was significantly higher in alcoholics who showed a positive ethanol patch test result at doses of less than 50 mg cyanamide than those at doses more than 70 mg (p = 0.029). The prevalence of adverse effects was significantly higher in alcoholics who showed a positive ethanol patch test result at doses of more than 70 mg than at doses of less than 50 mg cyanamide (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The ethanol patch test is a useful method for identifying pharmacological effectiveness of cyanamide and may reduce the prevalence of side effects in cyanamide-treated alcoholics.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Polymyositis with marked paravertebral muscle atrophy in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis].

We reported two patients with polymyositis (PM) associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who noticed head-drop as the incipient symptom. Muscle computed tomography showed marked hypodensity in the paravertebral muscles as compared with limb muscles. Patient 1, a 48-year-old female, was admitted in our hospital for the examination because of her neck and proximal limb muscle weakness, increasing fatigability, and abnormal serum liver and muscle enzyme levels. She felt her throat was so dry at age 39, and she noticed weight loss at age 41 and head-drop at age 42. A diagnosis of PM was made from symmetrical proximal limb muscle weakness, elevated creatine kinase (CK) level, and the electromyographic and muscle biopsy findings. Her illness was also diagnosed as PBC because of the increased serum alkaline phosphatase and IgM immunoglobulin levels, and liver biopsy findings. The anticentromere antibody titer was positive, though the antimitochondrial antibody titer negative. The HLA typing was DR 4, DR 8, DR53, DQ 4, DQ 6, DRB 1 (0405/0803). She was placed on 60 mg of prednisolone/day for PM and 300 mg of ursodeoxycholic acid/day for PBC. Patient 2, a 49-year-old female, presented with proximal limb muscle weakness and head-drop. Serum CK, alkaline phosphatase and IgM immunoglobulin levels were increased. The antimitochondrial antibody titer was positive. She began to have 60 mg of prednisolone/day, and 50 mg of azatioprine/day and 300 mg of ursodeoxycholic acid/day were subsequently added. PM associated with PBC seems to be rare, because only 21 cases have been described in literature. In those patients, marked paravertebral muscle atrophy has never been described. Further study is necessary to examine whether or not the preferential paravertebral muscle involvement is a striking and diagnostic finding for PM with PBC.

Atrophy↗
PubMed1999

Paraneoplastic vasculitis associated with esophageal carcinoma.

We report a case of esophageal carcinoma associated with paraneoplastic vasculitis. A 69-year-old man suffered from low-grade fever and numbness of the lower limbs for 3 months before esophageal and gastric carcinomas were detected. Concurrent infection or collagen disease was ruled out following clinical and laboratory examinations. In April 1996, the gastric carcinoma was completely removed by endoscopic mucosal resection, but the symptoms remained. Three weeks later esophagectomy was performed for esophageal carcinoma after which time the fever and numbness disappeared. The esophageal carcinoma was a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma invading into the submucosal layer. Twenty-two lymph node metastases were found in 68 resected lymph nodes. Latent thyroid cancer was found. Histologically, vasculitis was detected in the esophagus, stomach and serratus anterior muscle. The distribution and degree of vasculitis were most pronounced in the esophagus. The concurrent onset and spontaneous resolution of fever and numbness after the removal of the esophageal carcinoma suggested a paraneoplastic origin. The majority of patients with malignant neoplasm-associated vasculitis had hematologic neoplasms. Cases of esophageal carcinoma associated with paraneoplastic vasculitis are extremely rare.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Serum ubiquitin levels in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Serum concentrations of free ubiquitin and multiubiquitin chain as determined by immunoassays were compared between 10 healthy subjects, and 11 patients with alcoholic hepatic fibrosis, 10 with alcoholic cirrhosis, and 6 with viral liver cirrhosis. All measurements of multiubiquitin chains were expressed in terms of a standard multiubiquitin chain reference preparation 1. Serum concentrations (mean +/- SD) of free ubiquitin and multiubiquitin chains were significantly higher in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (63.5 +/- 33.7 ng/ml and 7.5 +/- 4.6 ng/ml) than in the normal subjects (29.6 +/- 6.6 ng/ml, p < 0.05 and 4.1 +/- 1.7 ng/ml, p < 0.05), and those with alcoholic hepatic fibrosis (34.8 +/- 16.3 ng/ml, p < 0.05 and 3.0 +/- 0.7 ng/ml, p < 0.05) and viral liver cirrhosis (28.8 +/- 7.5 ng/ml, p < 0.05 and 4.2 +/- 1.3 ng/ml, p < 0.05). Serum levels of both forms of ubiquitin in six patients with alcoholic cirrhosis showed a tendency to decline after 3 months of abstinence. In a total of 14 patients with alcoholic liver damage, 11 with brain atrophy had significantly higher serum levels of both ubiquitin forms than did three patients without brain atrophy (p < 0.05). No correlation was seen between serum concentrations of either form of ubiquitin and liver function test results in the patients with alcoholic liver damage. However, serum levels of both forms of ubiquitin levels correlated significantly with cumulative alcohol intake (p < 0.05). A significant correlation (p < 0.05) also was observed between serum levels of multiubiquitin chains and mean corpuscular volume, a marker of alcohol consumption. These results suggest that the serum concentrations of ubiquitin, especially multiubiquitin chain is a good marker for the diagnosis of alcoholic cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Clinical analysis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which evolved into dilated phase during long-term follow-up.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the incidence, clinical features and prognosis of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) which evolved into dilated phase HCM. The medical records of 43 patients with HCM followed up for at least 10 years were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups: group A consisting of patients with dilated-phase HCM defined by a left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVDD) of 55 mm or more and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 50% obtained by echocardiography, and group B, consisting of patients with HCM that did not evolve into dilated phase HCM. During the mean follow-up of 16.7 years, 10 patients (23.3%) evolved into dilated phase HCM (group A) while the remaining 33 patients (76.7%) did not (group B). Ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurred in 7 of the 10 patients (70.0%) in group A and in 5 of the 33 patients (15.2%) in group B (p < 0.001). An increase in LVDD and decreases in LVEF and SV1 + RV5 in the electrocardiogram were observed during the early phase of the follow-up period in group A, while these changes were gradual in group B. Cardiac death occurred in 5 (50.0%) of the 10 patients in group A and in 2 (6.1%) of the 33 patients in group B (p < 0.001). In conclusion, dilated-phase HCM is characterized by decreases in LVEF and SV + RV5 and an increase in LVDD during the early phase of follow-up period, and is associated with an increased incidence of VT and a poor prognosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Predictive evaluation and efficient management of medical examinations using Mahalanobis Taguchi System Method].

UNLABELLED: The Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS), an evaluative technique used in quality engineering, was utilized in a system analysis of medical examinations to determine practicability, to differentiate cost reduction benefits of specific components for increasing efficiency, and to determine possibility of utility on forecasting of future health condition of individuals. METHODS: 1. Medical examination date over a two year period were utilized to differentiate subject into two groups: Group A--Healthy or normal; and Group C--Patient group requiring treatment or currently undergoing treatment. The Mahalanobis distance for Group C from the Mahalanobis space of Group A was calculated for each subject to determine differentiability. 2. Utilizing the MTS method specific components of the examination system were selected and analyzed for effectiveness in diagnosis and screening to enhance efficiency of the examination. 3. Group A subjects (determined from the two year data), were analyzed using the data at the end of 1 year to develop the Mahalanobis space and the Mahalanobis distance at the 2nd year point was calculated and analyzed. RESULTS: 1. Subjects who were classified as group A at both 1st and 2nd year points numbered 159. With a cutoff point of 2.0 for Mahalanobis distance 98.1% of the healthy subjects (Group A) were classified as belonging to the healthy group, and 91.9% of C group as belonging to the patient group. 2. Blood pressure, GOT, GPT, gamma-GTP, T Chol, TG, UA, Cr, BS, HbA1c, Hb, and MCH were found to be effective components in the examination. Based on this result the items included in the examination can be reduced by approximately 60%. 3. With cutoff value of 1.5, the results of 90% of subjects 1 year later could be predicted. The prediction that 15% of Group C subjects would improve to join Group A could be made. Overall, the results 1 year later could be predicted at a level of 90% accuracy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the Mahalanobis-Taguchi System technique can accurately assess medical examination quality and can also be used, with reasonable accuracy, to predict the condition of individuals one year later. Therefore, the MTS can be used to help determine which patients should be receiving the examination 1 year later. In addition, components of the examination can be assessed using the MTS for benefits and costs to determine levels of essentiality of components. As a result, it can be used an effective tool for development and improvements in the examination system. With further development in the technique, it may become possible for use as a tool in disease diagnosis and treatment.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1998

Molecular cloning, differential expression, and chromosomal localization of human frizzled-1, frizzled-2, and frizzled-7.

cDNAs for three human Wnt receptors, Frizzled-1 (FZD1), Frizzled-2 (FZD2), and Frizzled-7 (FZD7), have now been cloned and characterized. The FZD1, FZD2, and FZD7 genes encode the 647-, 565-, and 574-amino-acid proteins, respectively. FZD1, FZD2, and FZD7 share a common structure consisting of seven transmembrane domains, a cysteine-rich domain in the N-terminal extracellular region, and the C-terminal Ser/Thr-Xxx-Val motif. Relatively large amounts of FZD 1 mRNA, 4.5 kb in size, were detected in adult heart, placenta, lung, kidney, pancreas, prostate, and ovary and in fetal lung and kidney. FZD2 mRNAs 4.0 and 2.4 kb in size were detected in adult heart, fetal brain, lung, and kidney. The level of FZD7 mRNAs 5.0 and 4.0 kb in size was high in adult skeletal muscle and fetal kidney, followed by fetal lung, adult heart, brain, and placenta. The FZD1 and FZD7 genes have been mapped to human chromosome 7q21 and 2q33, respectively.

Adult↗