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Biomedical subjects

H Kawabata

Publications and source records attributed to H Kawabata.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Photopic visual phantom illusion: its common and unique characteristics as a completion effect.

An illusion similar to the stationary visual phantom illusion presented earlier by Gyoba (1983, Vision Research 23 205-211) is reported. This illusion is visible in photopic vision and we have tentatively named it the 'photopic phantom illusion'. A typical example of this illusion is a white and light-gray square-wave grating occluded by a black region. In this figure, a phantom grating running across the occluder with clear contours but less contrast, is seen. The critical spatial frequencies of photopic phantoms have been measured and compared with those of scotopic phantoms that have been reported previously, revealing a great resemblance between them. We discuss the characteristics of this illusion in terms of transparency, stereoscopic viewing, and perceptual completion.

Color Perception↗

A case of sarcoidosis involving the tongue.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder which commonly affects the skin. Involvement of the tongue is rare; a review of the previous literature over the last 30 years revealed only six cases of sarcoidosis affecting the tongue. We studied a case of sarcoidosis involving the tongue in a 32-year-old Japanese woman with characteristic clinical and pathological findings. She visited our department with a complaint of a tongue lesion of which she had been aware for a month. A diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made for the lesion by clinical and pathological examinations. Oral involvement by sarcoidosis is rare, however this disorder should be considered as a possible cause of intraoral granulomatous lesions.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Effect of an endothelin receptor antagonist and an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor on metabolism and contraction in the ischemic and reperfused rabbit heart.

The effect of an endothelin (ET) A/ETB receptor antagonist, TAK-044, and/or an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, temocaprilat, on myocardial metabolism and contraction during ischemia and reperfusion was examined by phosphorus 31-nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) in Langendorff rabbit hearts. After normothermic 15 min global ischemia, 60min of postischemic reperfusion was carried out. TAK-044 and/or temocaprilat was administered from 40 min prior to the global ischemia. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), creatine phosphate, inorganic phosphate, pH, left ventricular systolic developed pressure (LVDev.P), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and coronary flow were measured. Twenty-eight hearts were divided into 4 experimental groups consisted of seven hearts each: Group I consisted of controls, Group II was perfused with TAK-044 (10(-6) mol/L), Group III was perfused with temocaprilat (10(-6) mol/L), and Group IV was perfused with TAK-044 (10(-6) mol/L) in combination with temocaprilat (10(-6) mol/L). Group II showed a more early recovery of ATP during postischemic reperfusion (82+/-3%) compared with Group I (71+/-3%). Group III showed a significant inhibition of the decrease in ATP during global ischemia (54+/-3%) compared with Group I (45+/-3%). Group IV also showed a significant marked inhibition of the decrease in ATP during global ischemia (59+/-5%) and a more significant improvement on recovery of ATP during postischemic reperfusion (86+/-3%) compared with the other 3 groups. There were no differences in LVDev.P, LVEDP and coronary flow among these groups. In conclusion, TAK-044 in combination with temocaprilat had a significant potentiation on myocardial metabolism during both ischemia and reperfusion.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

[Lung cancer detected in a patient under age 40 treated for pneumothorax].

We report a case of lung cancer in a relatively young patient who presented pneumothorax. A 31-year-old man complaining of pressure in his left chest was admitted with left pneumothorax disclosed on X-ray film. Although pleural drainage was performed for a week, the left lung did not expand well, and surgical treatment was required. During surgery, a tumor (1.5 x 1.0 cm in size) was discovered in the upper lobe of the left lung (S3). Histopathological examination revealed that it was a large cell carcinoma. People under the age of 40 account for only a small fraction of the entire lung cancer patient population. Pneumothorax occurs together with lung cancer, especially in people under age 40. We reasoned that lung cancer should be considered a possible complication in patients under 40 who experience recurrent or prolonged bouts of pneumothorax.

Adult↗

[Autopsy case of intravascular lymphomatosis with pancreatic carcinoma].

We report an autopsy case of intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) that arose after radiation therapy and chemotherapy for an inoperable pancreatic carcinoma. A 66-year-old man who suffered from diabetes mellitus and pancreatic carcinoma presented with aggressive progression of consciousness disturbance and high fever. The laboratory findings disclosed marked thrombocytopenia, hypercalcemia, and elevated serum PTH-related peptide. The patient soon died of ventricular fibrillation due to uncontrollable hypercalcemia. Postmortem examination with immunohistochemical analysis revealed a well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma in the pancreatic body as well as an accumulation of neoplastic B-lymphocytes in small vessels throughout the body without systemic lymphadenopathy. To our knowledge, double neoplasms including IVL are extremely rare.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Correction of knee deformity in patients with Ellis-van Creveld syndrome.

Six knees in three patients with Ellis-van Creveld syndrome were treated with lateral soft tissue release and corrective osteotomy of the tibia at 10 years of age on average. The main feature was valgus deformity with lateral dislocation of the patella. All patellae were reduced. The valgus deformity improved from 35 degrees (range, 48 degrees-20 degrees) to 17 degrees (range, 35 degrees-5 degrees) of the femorotibial angle (FTA) on average, although the FTA in five of six knees was < 5 degrees after surgery. There was one recurrent case and one transient peroneal nerve palsy. The reason for undercorrection was a depression of the lateral tibial plateau. The deformity of the articular surface is the most important problem in correcting the valgus deformity of the knee in this syndrome.

Adolescent↗

[Leptospirosis].

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Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Genetic and immunological analyses of Vls (VMP-like sequences) of Borrelia burgdorferi.

DNA fragments containing the VMP-like sequence (Vls) were cloned from Borrelia burgdorferi strain 297. Analyses by PCR, PFGE, and Southern hybridization revealed that the Vls sequences existed in multi-copies on the 20-kb borrelial plasmid, but not on chromosomes or other plasmids. One Vls unit of the strain 297 was about 669 bases, and predicted peptides length was 223 amino acids. Homologues of the Vls fragment were detected in three B. burgdorferi strains, a B. garinii strain 20047, and a B. afzelii strain P/Gau. A recombinant VlsII protein prepared in Escherichia coli strain JM109 reacted with antibodies that existed in three of five patients, by immunoblotting. These results suggested that the Vls of B. burgdorferi is expressed in Lyme disease patients.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Metamorphosis-associated and region-specific expression of calbindin gene in the posterior intestinal epithelium of Xenopus laevis larva.

The present study used a molecular approach toward understanding the mechanism of hormone- and region-dependent remodeling of the small intestine during metamorphosis of Xenopus laevis. A protein spot was noticed on a two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel as a protein whose expression was metamorphic stage- and region-dependent. The protein was identified as the Xenopus homolog (Xcalbindin) of chick calbindin D28k. Xcalbindin expression in the intestine was restricted to absorptive cells in the posterior part, being detectable at stages 49-61, not detectable at stages 62-63, detectable again at stages 64-66, and finally becoming undetectable in the adult. During spontaneous metamorphosis, the level of Xcalbindin mRNA was significantly increased between stages 57 and 58, dramatically reduced at stage 59, and the mRNA was undetectable from stages 60-63, after which it was weakly re-expressed until the end of metamorphosis. Such up- and down-regulation of Xcalbindin mRNA was induced precociously by exogenous thyroid hormone. These results indicated that Xcalbindin is a specific marker of the differentiated absorptive cells of the intestine. Immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies against Xcalbindin demonstrated that precursor cells of adult intestinal epithelial cells expressed Xcalbindin. Considering these results, the origin of adult intestinal epithelial cells was discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused by a health drink (Eberu) containing ophiopogonis tuber.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is considered to be a severe type of erythema exsudativum multiforme. It is characterized by erythema with bullous and eroded lesions of skin and mucous membranes. We report a case of Steven-Johnson syndrome following consumption of a health drink containing ophiopogonis tuber. A 66-year-old female took an O.T.C. health drink for fever. The next morning, she noted erythema and swelling of her face, neck, and chest. She started to develop bullous and eroded lesions on the skin of her entire body and the mucous membranes of her oral cavity, conjunctiva, and cornea, and she became feverish. She had high degrees of corneal erosion and liver dysfunction. Skin biopsy showed diffuse necrosis of the epidermis. After admission to the hospital, steroid pulse therapy (1000 mg/day of methylprednisolone sodium succinate) was continued for 5 days. The health drink induced a positive drug lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) and patch test. A challenge test was done with a one hundredth dose, and it was positive. We did patch tests with all components of the drink and found that Mai-Meu-Dong-Tang (ophiopogonis) alone was positive at 72 hours. There is no previous report of Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused by a health drink or Mai-Meu-Dong-Tang. Even though it is a health drink, we should be aware of the possibility of a severe reaction.

Aged↗

Sucrose permeability as a means of detecting diseases of the upper digestive tract.

The healthy gastric epithelium will not allow easy permeation of a disaccharide-sized molecule such as sucrose. However, during gastric damage, intact sucrose can pass the gastric epithelium and ultimately appear in the urine. We examined the relationship between total urinary sucrose excretion and various diseases. We used 149 patients (105 had upper gastrointestinal disease, 12 had gastric cancer and 32 were normal). Subjects were given a solution containing 100 g sucrose in 450 c.c. water. All urine was collected for 7.5 h. The urinary sucrose concentration was determined by anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography. Total urinary sucrose excretion was significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcer and those with gastric cancer than in endoscopically normal controls. In the 34 patients with gastric ulcer, the total sucrose excretion was closely correlated with ulcer size. Ulcer location did not affect urinary sucrose excretion. A strong correlation was also observed between sucrose excretion and lesion size in the 12 patients with gastric cancer. The sucrose permeability test may be a relatively sensitive method to detect gastric disease.

Case-Control Studies↗

Purification and characterization of NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase, involved in stereoselective reduction of ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate, from Candida magnoliae.

A NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase was purified to homogeneity from Candida magnoliae AKU4643 through four steps, including Blue Sepharose affinity chromatography. The enzyme catalyzed the stereoselective reduction of ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate to the corresponding (S)-alcohol with a 100% enantiomeric excess, which is a useful chiral building block for the chemical synthesis of pharmaceuticals. The relative molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 76,000 on high performance gel filtration chromatography and 32,000 on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme reduced alpha-, beta-keto esters and conjugated diketones in addition to ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate. The enzyme activity was inhibited by quercetin and HgCl2, but not by EDTA. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed no apparent similarity with those of other oxidoreductases.

Acetoacetates↗

Residual deformity in congenital radial club hands after previous centralisation of the wrist. Ulnar lengthening and correction by the Ilizarov method.

We used the Ilizarov method in seven patients with severe congenital radial club hands who had had previous wrist surgery, to correct residual shortening and bowing of the ulna together with recurrent wrist deformity. The mean age at operation was 6.5 years. The mean ulnar shortening was 5.3 cm and the mean angular deformity 42 degrees. The mean length gained was 51% of the original ulna. The mean healing index was 46.9 days (29.8 to 64.0). The ratio of the length of the lengthened ulna to the normal side improved on average from 64% to 95%. The angular deformity was initially completely corrected in six out of seven patients. The length ratio, however, decreased to 83% at the final follow-up. In four patients, the angular deformity partially recurred. We recommend correction of congenital radial club hand by staged procedures. The first is centralisation and stabilisation of the wrist and the second lengthening of the ulna and correction of the angular deformity using the Ilizarov method.

Bone Lengthening↗

Genotype phenotype correlation in achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia.

Recent studies of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene have established that achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia are allelic disorders of different mutations. To determine whether the genotype could be distinguished on the basis of the phenotype, we analysed height, arm span, and skeletal radiographs from 23 patients with achondroplasia and the G380R mutation of FGFR3 and eight with hypochondroplasia and the N540K mutation. Both conditions share the classical pathological features of micromelic short stature, reduced or unchanged interpedicular distances in the lumbar spine, disproportionately long fibulae, and squared and shortened pelvic ilia. These were significantly more severe in the G380R patients than in the N540K patients. Our findings have shown a firm statistical correlation between the genotype and the phenotype, although there were a few exceptional cases in which there was phenotypic overlap between the two conditions.

Achondroplasia↗

[A case of advanced gastric cancer with multiple bone metastasis successfully treated by both methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil sequential therapy, and endoscopic intratumoral injection of 5-fluorouracil].

We reported a case of advanced gastric cancer with multiple bone metastasis successfully treated by both methotrexate (MTX) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) sequential therapy, and endoscopic intratumoral injection of 5-fluorouracil. A 38-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of appetite loss and bone pain. He could not walk by himself for the bone pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a lesion like II c + III in the greater curvature of the angulus. By both MTX /5-FU sequential therapy and endoscopic intratumoral injection of 5-FU, partial response (PR) was obtained against gastric primary lesion, and his performance status was improved. PR was maintained for 5 months. Severe side effects of the chemotherapy were not observed.

Adenocarcinoma↗