Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Kono

Publications and source records attributed to H Kono.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Ultrastructural studies of concentric lamellar bodies in the bronchus of patients with sarcoidosis.

Biopsy specimens of the major bronchus of sixty-nine patients with sarcoidosis were investigated electronmicroscopically. 22 patients (12 males, 10 females), 32% of the cases, showed concentric lamellar or similar kinds of dense bodies in the bronchial wall. Typically, the concentric lamellar bodies were observed in various numbers, scattered in the collagen-increased tunica propria or superficial submucosal layer, where adjacent or deeply located blood capillary vessels were mostly obliterated. They were generally of 0.2 to 1.8 micron in size, but occasionally smaller ones were observed. We also found large swollen and irregular lamellated bodies greater than 2 microns in the cell cytoplasm. Six cases with particularly large numbers of these bodies in the bronchial wall showed "capped" figures, in which the concentric lamellar bodies were partly attached to other demilunar dense bodies. These figures were assumed to be the very early stage of formation of conchoidal bodies at the LM level, so-called Schaumann bodies. Two cases (5%) (chronic bronchitis, lung cancer) among 40 control patients with other diseases disclosed the same small lamellated bodies in the bronchial wall. We were unable to resolve the problem of the origin of these deposited in them, but assume that they will initially occur in the cell cytoplasm in some patients with sarcoidosis and eventually develop into typical concentric lamellar bodies.

Adolescent↗

Serum unconjugated estriol levels during spontaneous labor.

We measured maternal serum unconjugated estriol (SUE3) levels in 244 cases (218 cases with labor and 26 without labor) and investigated the relationships among several obstetrical factors and SUE3 levels. There was no significant difference in the SUE3 level between the group with labor and the group without labor. However, the SUE3 level decreased gradually with prolonged duration of labor in multipara. There were significant positive correlations between the SUE3 levels and birth weights (n = 82, r = 0.375, p less than 0.01) or placental weights (n = 82, r = 0.381, p less than 0.01) in the multipara with labor. The SUE3 levels of fetal distress cases (n = 30, 20.0 +/- 8.6 ng/ml) were significantly (p less than 0.05) lower than those without fetal distress (n = 188, 24.5 +/- 9.7 ng/ml). These data suggest that maternal SUE3 might have been affected with feto-placental function, even after the onset of labor SUE3 levels decrease with prolonged duration of labor.

Cesarean Section↗

Serum cortisol levels in pregnancy induced hypertension patients.

We measured the serum cortisol levels in 15 normal and 8 pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) primigravidas. The normal pregnancy had a significant (p less than 0.05) higher cortisol level than that of PIH patient. Especially, 4 severe PIH patients had a significantly (p less than 0.05) lower cortisol level. The lower maternal cortisol level of PIH patients became more significant with the severity of clinical symptoms of PIH. After the onset of labor, the cortisol levels of PIH patients did not elevate compared with normal pregnancy. These data suggest that in the PIH patient the reactivity of the adrenal cortex to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) may be blunted or the cortisol production in the adrenal cortex may be decreased by the tissue circulation insufficiency due to PIH.

Female↗

Sex difference in the human peripheral plasma beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin levels.

Human plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) were measured simultaneously by radioimmunoassay in 4 women with regular menstrual cycle (4 follicular phase and 4 luteal phase), 5 normal men and 10 term fetuses. Mean plasma beta-EP level in the total samples of 8 women was 30.7 +/- 5.8 pg/ml (+/- SE), significantly (p less than 0.03) higher than the beta-EP level in men (12.2 +/- 2.0 pg/ml). There was no significant sex difference in fetal plasma beta-EP level. These data suggest that the existence of sex differences for beta-EP secretion and release, and opioid peptides secretion and release mechanism might change with sexual maturation, due to changing sex steroids secretion.

Adult↗

Changes in placental lactogen, beta 1-chorionic gonadotropin, and unconjugated and total estriol levels in the late course of normal human pregnancy.

The levels of human placental lactogen (hPL), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG), unconjugated estriol (UE3) and total estriol (TE3) were measured radioimmunologically in women along their course of pregnancy. The serum hPL and beta-hCG levels were relatively constant in uncomplicated pregnancy, while UE3 and TE3 significantly rose towards 41 weeks of gestation. There were positive correlations between hPL and beta-hCG (n = 49, r = 0.737, p less than 0.001), and between UE3 and TE3 (n = 49, r = 0.904, p less than 0.0001). The ratios of placental hormones to estriol showed moderate declines towards 41 weeks of gestation. These data suggest that the fetal adrenal function increased toward the term, while the placental peptide hormones decrease or remain unchanged. Determination of serum unconjugated estriol was found to be convenient and useful for monitoring the fetoplacental function.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗

The human fetal prolactin and estradiol levels, and their correlationship.

Serum prolactin and estradiol-17 beta levels were determined in umbilical cord sera obtained from 33 preterm, 118 full-term and 11 anencephalic infants and in peripheral sera obtained from 5 neonates. Prolactin levels increased from mid-gestation toward term, and markedly decreased after birth. Those in anencephalic infants (253 +/- 86 ng/ml, mean +/- S.D.) were lower than in full-term infants (324 +/- 119 ng/ml), but the difference was not statistically significant. We also performed thyroid-releasing-hormone (TRH) (50-200 micrograms) test on 5 anencephalic infants, but significant changes of serum prolactin levels were not found. Estradiol-17 beta levels in anencephalic infants were significantly lower than those in full-term infants. There was a significant positive correlation between cord prolactin and estradiol-17 beta levels in full-term infants. These results suggest one of the control factors for human fetal pituitary prolactin secretion is estrogen, and hypothalamic factors are not so important.

Anencephaly↗

Primary colonic plasmacytoma associated with acute myelogenous leukemia.

We present a case of primary colonic plasmacytoma associated with acute myelogenous leukemia in a 32-year-old man. The neoplastic plasma cells revealed monoclonal lambda-light chains in the cytoplasm using immunoperoxidase techniques. Histochemical and electron microscopic findings are described with a review of the literature.

Adult↗