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Biomedical subjects

H Akama

Publications and source records attributed to H Akama.

79 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Autoantibodies to the Sm antigen: immunological approach to clinical aspects of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The precise antigenic peptide of Sm antigen (U small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, U snRNP) and the clinical significance of anti-Sm antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) detected by a sensitive radioimmunoassay were studied. By immunoblotting, anti-Sm sera reacted with B'/B peptides of U1 snRNP and D peptide of U1-U2 snRNP, while anti-U1 RNP recognized 68k, A, B'/B and C peptides. Reblotting study using the specific antibodies against each peptide eluted from the blot sheets demonstrated that B'/B and D peptides shared a common Sm antigenic epitope. We purified D peptide from U1 snRNP and established a radioimmunoassay. Anti-Sm antibodies were found in 30% of the patients with SLE using this method, which was more sensitive than the conventional assays. Anti-Sm was associated with late onset renal disease and poor prognosis when analyzed with Cox's regression model.

Autoantibodies↗

Effects of isotonic saline loading on renal tubular and neurogenic dopamine release in conscious rabbits.

1. This study was designed to investigate the effects of isotonic saline loading on renal tubular and neurogenic dopamine (DA) in conscious rabbits. 2. Isotonic saline loading did not affect mean arterial pressure, heart rate or renal blood flow but markedly increased urine volume, sodium excretion and DA excretion. 3. Renal DA spillover was not affected by venous emptying, while renal noradrenaline (NA) spillover tended to decrease during saline loading. The ratio of % renal DA spillover to % renal NA spillover increased to 2.3 +/- 0.6 (P < 0.05) 3 h after saline loading. 4. Isotonic saline loading increased renal tubular DA production but had little effect on neurogenic DA release.

Analysis of Variance↗

Glucocorticoid-unresponsive fever in a patient with Weber-Christian disease.

Weber-Christian disease, a disease of unknown aetiology, is characterised by relapsing febrile episodes and systemic panniculitis. Glucocorticoid therapy is often useful during acute phases of the disease. This report describes a patient in whom hyperpyrexia did not respond to high-dose glucocorticoid treatment, yet did respond to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Adult↗

Possible mechanisms of glucocorticoid--unresponsive pyrexia. Defect in lipocortin 1?

Glucocorticoids have a strong anti-inflammatory action, and are indispensable in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. We had a patient with the Weber-Christian disease having an intractable high fever that did not respond to even a high-dose glucocorticoid therapy, but was responsive to a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. To elucidate possible mechanisms of the glucocorticoid-unresponsive fever, we have investigated the in vitro production of two eicosanoids, prostaglandin (PG)E2 and leukotriene (LT)B4, from the peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes after stimulation by ionophore A23187. The patient's leukocytes produced much larger amount of PGE2, but the same amount of LTB4, as did those of two control groups. More interestingly, the production of eicosanoids was inhibited by dexamethasone less in the patients than in the controls. Indomethacin suppressed the production of PGE2 both in the patients and in the controls. These results might be relevant in the glucocorticoid-unresponsive pyrexia.

Adolescent↗