Irreducible palmar dislocation of the distal interphalangeal joint.
A case of a child with rare palmar dislocation of the ring finger distal interphalangeal joint requiring open reduction is presented and the literature discussed.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Ikegami.
A case of a child with rare palmar dislocation of the ring finger distal interphalangeal joint requiring open reduction is presented and the literature discussed.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The SMXA-5 mouse is one of the SMXA recombinant inbred substrains established from the non-diabetic SM/J and A/J strains, and is a model for polygenic type 2 diabetes, characterised by moderately impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinaemia. These diabetic traits are worsened by feeding a high-fat diet. The aim of this study was to dissect the diabetogenic loci in the A/J regions of the SMXA-5 genome that contribute to diabetes-related traits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analysed the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for diabetes-related traits and obesity in (SM/JxSMXA-5)F(2) intercross mice fed a high-fat diet. To verify the function of the responsible locus that was mapped in the present study, we constructed a congenic strain and characterised its diabetes-related traits. RESULTS: A major QTL for glucose tolerance, free-fed blood glucose concentration and BMI was mapped on chromosome 2. This locus existed near D2Mit15, with the highest logarithm of the odds score (12.6) for glucose concentration at 120 min in a glucose tolerance test, and was designated T2dm2sa. The diabetogenic allele of T2dm2sa originated in the A/J strain. SM.A-T2dm2sa, a congenic strain that introgressed the T2dm2sa region of A/J genome into SM/J, exhibited overt impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinaemia. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The development of impaired glucose tolerance in SM.A-T2dm2sa mice confirmed the results of QTL analysis for diabetes-related traits in F(2) intercross mice. The present results suggest that there are latent diabetogenic loci in the genomes of non-diabetic A/J and SM/J mice, and that the coexistence of these loci, including T2dm2sa, causes impaired glucose tolerance in SMXA-5 and SM.A-T2dm2sa mice.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Recent studies have revealed that MHC-linked susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes is determined by multiple components. In the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, a second component (Idd16) has been mapped to a region adjacent to, but distinct from Idd1 in the class II region. In this study, we investigated the class I K gene as a candidate gene for Idd16. METHODS: We determined the genomic sequences of the class I K gene as well as the reactivity of K molecules with monoclonal antibodies in the NOD mouse, the Cataract Shionogi (CTS) mouse, and the NOD.CTS-H-2 congenic strain, which possesses a resistance allele to Type 1 diabetes at the Idd16 on the NOD genetic background genes. RESULTS: While the K sequence of the NOD mouse was identical to that of Kd type, ten nucleotide substitutions were identified in the CTS mouse compared with the NOD mouse. Of these, three were in exon 4, giving two amino acid substitutions, which were identical to those seen in KK type. These characteristics were retained in the NOD.CTS-H-2 congenic strain, which had a lower incidence and delayed onset of Type 1 diabetes owing to a resistance allele at Idd16. Lymphocytes from NOD.CTS-H2 congenic mice reacted with anti-Kd and anti-Kk monoclonal antibodies, reflecting the unique sequence of the K gene. The nucleotide sequence of the K gene in the non-obese non-diabetic (NON) mouse was also unique, consisting of a combination of Kk- and Kb-like sequences. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These data suggest that H2-K is unique in CTS and NON mice, and that allelic variation of the class I K gene may be responsible for Idd16.
OBJECTIVE: Tight filum terminale (TFT) is not an uncommon condition, but due to insufficient diagnostic options this syndrome is often overlooked and left untreated. The present study was designed to investigate surgical results concerning neurological perspectives and diagnostic methods for TFT. METHODS: Subjects for this study consisted of 37 patients with TFT who were surgically treated by transecting the filum terminale. We examined the surgical outcomes with regard to low back pain, leg pain, and bladder and bowel dysfunctions, and analyzed neurological and imaging findings. RESULTS: TFT diagnosis was based on the following five criteria; 1) low back pain, 2) non-dermatomal leg pain, 3) bladder-bowel dysfunction, 4) spinal stiffness, and 5) a newly developed positive provocation test for spinal cord extension. CONCLUSION: The survey of surgical outcomes indicated that satisfactory results could be obtained by surgical release of the filum terminale, while neural function was still reversible. In particular, our newly devised provocation test was shown to be highly effective for the early diagnosis of this disorder.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Type 1 diabetes mellitus, a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease, results from the selective destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Autoantibodies against beta-cell components are used clinically as sensitive markers of this disease; however, their physiological role has not been clear. To investigate the role of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) in the development of the Type 1 diabetes of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, we analysed and characterised NOD mice with targeted disruption of the GAD65 gene. METHODS: GAD65-deficient mice were previously established. After backcrossing the knockout mutation onto the NOD genetic background for up to eight generations, female littermates of the three resulting genotypes were produced by intercrossing: GAD65 +/+ (n=23), GAD65 +/- (n=62), and GAD65 -/- (n=31). RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of autoimmune diabetes showed no significant difference among the three groups in longitudinal studies using the Kaplan-Meier method. Islet morphology showed that the progression of islet infiltration did not differ significantly between the three groups. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: The cumulative incidence of autoimmune diabetes was not influenced by the GAD65 deficiency. These data suggest that GAD65 is not a major regulatory target of beta-cell autoimmunity in NOD mice.
beta-cell neogenesis is expected to provide a new therapy for diabetes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that transcriptional regulation involving pdx-1 is essential for endocrine neogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, it is possible that ectopic expression of pdx-1 in the pancreas could induce endocrine neogenesis. To test this possibility, we performed safe and efficient gene delivery of the pdx-1 gene into the mouse pancreas through the common bile duct using adenoviral vectors, and examined the effects of the ectopic expression of pdx-1. Here we show that adenovirus-mediated expression of pdx-1 can activate the endogenous pdx-1 gene, leading to beta-cell neogenesis and ductal proliferation. This technique is similar to the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, which has been already established as a safe procedure for humans. Thus, beta-cell neogenesis induced by adenovirus-mediated expression of pdx-1 provides a novel strategy for gene therapy for a cure for diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVES: Estrogen replacement therapy has favorable effects on serum lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women with hypercholesterolemia. However, there are some patients who fail to respond to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to lower the serum cholesterol level. In these cases, a conventional lipid-lowering therapy will be applied in addition to HRT, while the effects of these drugs are not well understood. In this study, we studied the effects of simvastatin and bezafibrate administered in addition to HRT. METHODS: Patients who were hypercholesterolemic even after HRT were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: HRT only (control group, n=10), HRT+simvastatin (10 mg/day, n=10), or HRT+bezafibrate (400 mg/day, n=10). Serum lipids and lipoprotein levels were measured throughout 12 weeks. RESULTS: The serum triglyceride levels were decreased by 24+/-28 and 38+/-13% in the HRT+simvastatin and HRT+bezafibrate groups, respectively. HRT+simvastatin decreased the total cholesterol (21+/-10%) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (28+/-12%) levels without affecting the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, while HRT+bezafibrate increased the HDL-C level (12+/-11%). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with simvastatin or bezafibrate in addition to HRT should be considered in cases of postmenopausal hypercholesterolemia in which HRT alone fails to lower the serum lipoprotein levels.
Bose fluids restricted in one dimension (1D) are realized by adsorbing 4He atoms on the 1D pore walls with a diameter of about 18 A. The Bose fluid appears above an adsorbed amount after the pore walls are coated with the inert 4He atoms. Heat capacity of the fluid was observed to have a temperature-linear term at low temperatures. This corresponds to the phonon heat capacity of the Bose fluid in the 1D pores. We estimate the phonon velocity and the interaction of the 1D Bose fluid.
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Neurogenin 3 (ngn3) is a transcription factor expressed in the endocrine precursor cells of the pancreas. It has recently been reported that ngn3-deficient mice show absence of pancreatic endocrine cells and die of postnatal diabetes. The purpose of this investigation was to screen for polymorphisms of the ngn3 gene and to test whether these polymorphisms are associated with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in the Japanese subjects. METHODS: We screened ngn3 gene and upstream region by direct sequencing and estimated the prevalence of polymorphisms in 197 patients with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and 216 control subjects. RESULTS: We identified four novel polymorphisms, Ser199Phe (596C/T), -43insCA, -983C/T and -1822G/A. In an association study the allelic frequencies of the major allele of these four polymorphisms were 0.721, 0.914, 0.912 and 0.530 in diabetic patients, respectively, and 0.694, 0.905, 0.917 and 0.537 in control subjects, respectively. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Mutations and polymorphisms of ngn3 gene are not significantly associated with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in the Japanese subjects.
BACKGROUND: We studied the clinical effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-huEPO) on anemia induced by two courses of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Seventy-two patients with NSCLC were randomized into three groups, receiving 100, or 200 IU/kg of r-huEPO, or placebo. The r-huEPO and placebo were administered subcutaneously three times a week for 6 weeks, starting 2 weeks after the initiation of chemotherapy. RESULTS: In the 53 evaluable patients, hemoglobin (Hb) levels at the nadir after the second cycle of chemotherapy were significantly elevated compared with the nadir after the first cycle in both r-huEPO treated groups, while this level was decreased in the placebo group. Hb levels at the end of the second course of chemotherapy (week 8) in both r-huEPO groups were higher than that in the placebo groups. No adverse drug reaction attributable to r-huEPO was observed. Serum erythropoietin levels after the administration of r-huEPO were higher than those after placebo administration. CONCLUSIONS: r-huEPO had an effect in preventing anemia in patients with NSCLC who had cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
Angiotensin II (Ang II) is one of the most important vasoconstrictive hormones but is also known to act as a neuromodulator and a neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral nervous systems. In a previous study, we have shown that Ang II, via AT1 receptors, induced depolarization by inhibition of M-type K(+) channels and SK channels in submandibular ganglion (SMG) neurons. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ang II on calcium channel current (I(Ca)) in acutely dissociated SMG neurons by the patch-clamp technique using the whole-cell configuration. Ang II inhibited total I(Ca) by 32.1+/-2.7%. The half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of Ang II for inhibiting I(Ca) was 0.8 microM. In the presence of 1 microM losartan, which is a selective antagonist of AT1 receptors, the effect of Ang II was attenuated (7.6+/-1.5%). Application of a strong depolarizing voltage prepulse did not affect the Ang II-induced inhibition of I(Ca) (32.8+/-2.8%). Intracellular dialysis of GDP-beta-S attenuated the inhibition of I(Ca) (6.8+/-2.1%). The mean percentage inhibitions of L-, N- and P/Q-type VDCCs by Ang II were 29.1+/-1.7, 16.3+/-6.0 and 1.2+/-0.8%, respectively, of the total I(Ca).
By using a novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the coding sequence, the chromosomal location of Tcf2, encoding hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-1beta, was determined in F2 intercrosses between Nagoya-Shibata-Yasuda (NSY) mice, an animal model of type 2 diabetes, and control C3H/He mice. The promoter region of Tcf2 gene was sequenced in NSY, non-obese diabetic (NOD) and control C3H/He mice. Tcf2 was mapped between genetic markers D11MIT320 and D11MIT195 with the following distances: D11MIT320-(7.3 cM)-Tcf2-(0.5 cM)-D11MIT195. A variant with insertion of C between -205 and -204 in the promoter region of Tcf2 was identified in NSY mice, but not NOD and C3H/He mice.
Autoantibodies against IA-2 have been detected in up to 86% of newly diagnosed patients with type 1 diabetes and appear to identify a subgroup of prediabetic subjects who rapidly progress to type 1 diabetes. We examined the association of IA-2 gene polymorphism with type 1 diabetes in Japanese subjects. A total of 276 Japanese subjects were studied for disease association and, in addition, another 53 patients were studied for association with the autoantibody status to IA-2. A microsatellite marker D2S1753E, located in the intron of the IA-2 gene, was used as a genetic marker in this study. In Japanese, two alleles (161mu and 165mu) were more frequent, and the 163mu allele was less frequent than in Caucasians (p = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in frequencies of alleles between diabetic patients and control subjects. The frequency of IA-2 gene polymorphism was not significantly different between patients stratified by age-at-onset, or between patients with and without susceptible HLA, DRB1*0405, DRB1*0802 and DRB1*0901. There was no significant difference in allele frequency of the IA-2 gene polymorphism between patients with and without autoantibody to IA-2. In conclusion, IA-2 gene polymorphism is not associated with either susceptibility to, or heterogeneity in type 1 diabetes in Japanese subjects.
To clarify the mechanisms of impaired insulin secretion in Nagoya-Shibata-Yasuda (NSY) mice, an inbred strain of mice with spontaneous development of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, the insulin response to glucose (5.5 to 27.8 mmol/L) and nonglucose stimuli (glibenclamide, arginine, and BayK8644, a Ca-channel opener) was studied in vitro using isolated islets from male NSY and control C3H/He mice at 36 weeks of age by the batch incubation method. Insulin response to 5.5 mmol/L glucose was not significantly different between NSY and C3H/He mice, but insulin response to a high concentration of glucose (> or = 11.1 mmol/L) was significantly smaller in NSY mice than in control C3H/He mice. The dose-response curve of insulin secretion showed a markedly reduced maximum response, but almost normal glucose sensitivity in NSY islets. Insulin responses to glibenclamide (1 mmol/L), arginine (20 mmol/L), and BayK8644 (0.1 mmol/L) were also significantly smaller in NSY mice than in C3H/He mice. Insulin content of islets, in contrast, was significantly higher in NSY mice than in C3H/He mice. The impaired insulin response to glucose and nonglucose stimuli together with higher insulin content in islets in the NSY mouse suggest that a defect in voltage-dependent Ca(2+)-channel or thereafter in the cascade of insulin secretion may be responsible for impaired insulin secretion in NSY mice. NSY mice, therefore, could be a novel animal model of type 2 diabetes with a defect in insulin secretion at a different site from that in previously known animal models.
Fenoldopam, a dopaminergic (DA1) agonist, has been reported to induce medial necrosis and adventitial inflammatory response in the splanchnic arteries in rats. This study was carried out to clarify the detailed time course of the inflammatory responses, using antibodies for the inflammatory cell markers, CD3 (T cell), CD20 (B cell) and ED-1 (macrophage), and inflammatory serum factors, IgG, IgM and C3. Rats were administered fenoldopam for 24 hours by intravenous infusion. Histopathologically, medial necrosis with hemorrhage was observed at the end of infusion, but it almost disappeared on day 7 post-infusion. Adventitial inflammatory responses with ED-1-, CD3- and CD20-positive cells were very slight at the end of infusion, became prominent with marked fibrosis on days 3 and 5, decreased on day 7, and subsided on day 14. The serum factors were first present in the area of medial necrosis, then shifted to the subendothelial space or cytoplasm of smooth muscle cells, and disappeared on day 14 post-infusion. Gaps in the external elastic lamina were observed on days 3 and 5 post-infusion, and IgG and IgM were present outside the gaps in the adventitia. These results provided us with more detailed information on the inflammatory responses following medial damage induced by vasodilators.
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) has a number of therapeutic applications in the treatment of various human cancers and diseases of viral origin. IFN-alpha includes several subtypes, and little has been reported on the biologic properties of the individual subtypes. Here, we report on the individual antitumor effects of five IFN-alpha subtypes, alpha1, alpha2, alpha5, alpha8, and alpha10, against six renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell lines in vitro. Among the subtypes, IFN-alpha8 most potently inhibited cell proliferation and delayed the G(1)/S transition. Synergistic induction of apoptosis was shown in two of the RCC cell lines when treated with the combination of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma rather than with either IFN-alpha or IFN-gamma alone. IFN-alpha8 was most effective in the induction of apoptosis when combined with IFN-gamma. In addition, IFN-alpha8 had the strongest ability to upregulate HLA class II antigen expression in the subtypes examined. These data indicate that subtypes of IFN-alpha have disparate antitumor effects in vitro, and in vitro distinctions among the IFN-alpha subtypes should be appreciated more in clinical application.
Here we report on the antiviral effects of two commercially available natural interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) preparations, their subtype compositions, and the effects of combinations of pairs of the subtypes on virally infected cells. Our results show that the antiviral effects of these preparations depend on the target cell and on the infecting virus. The component subtypes vary with the preparations, and combinations of pairs of IFN-alpha subtypes may have synergistic or competitive effects. Our results suggest that optimal preparations of synergistically acting subtypes may provide more therapeutic benefit to patients.
Although type 1 and type 2 diabetes are regarded as clinically distinct diseases, several lines of evidence have suggested common genetic factors between the two types of diabetes. The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, an animal model of type 1 diabetes, and the Nagoya-Shibata-Yasuda (NSY) mouse, a model of type 2 diabetes, are derived from the same outbred colony, Jcl:HCR, suggesting a shared susceptibility between the two types of diabetes in mice. Genetic as well as functional studies have supported the possibility that Tcf2, which encodes the transcription factor, hepatocyte nuclear factor 1beta (HNF-1beta), is a candidate gene for the common susceptibility between NSY and NOD mice. Txn, encoding thioredoxin which is a redox (reduction/oxidation)-active protein, is also a positional and functional candidate for a common susceptibility gene. To investigate whether either of these two genes is a common susceptibility gene, the coding nucleotide sequences of these two genes were compared among the NSY, NOD and control C3H strains. The coding sequence of Tcf2 of the NOD mouse was identical to that of the C3H mouse, but was different from that of the NSY mouse. The coding sequence of Txn was identical in the three strains. These data suggest that neither of the two genes is a common susceptiblity gene between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in mice.