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Biomedical subjects

H Nagai

Publications and source records attributed to H Nagai.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Epigenetic alterations in methylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

It has been described that DNA alterations in human oral squamous cell carcinomas were successfully demonstrated as 6 spots being commonly reduced in more than 50% of 10 lesions using the restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) method. In the present study, the question of whether the DNA alterations involve not only genetic but also epigenetic change was examined with the use of cell lines Ca9-22, HO-1-u-1, HSC-2 and KB and treatment with a demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AzaCDR). Intensities of two of the reduced spots were amplified in the cell lines by the 5-AzaCDR treatment, showing that they were due to altered DNA methylation. Our study provides clear evidence that epigenetic changes, like the methylation are related to carcinogenesis in human oral squamous cell epithelium.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed2000

[A case of sarcoid myopaty with external ocular muscle involvement--diagnosis and follow-up study with 99mTc pyrophosphate scintigraphy].

A 62-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of diplopia and muscular weakness. She had been diagnosed as having sarcoidosis histologically by skin biopsy 5 years before. Although neither CT nor MRI could detect the granulomas, 99mTc-pyrophosphate scintigraphy successfully detected the involvement of sarcoidosis not only in the skeletal muscles but also in the external ocular muscles. After treatment with prednisolone, the symptoms markedly subsided and increased uptake of radionucleotide disappeared. Although 67Ga scintigraphy is also known to be useful in investigating the sites affected by sarcoidosis throughout the body, it was not effective in detecting the involvement of external ocular muscle due to the physiological uptake of 67Ga to the lacrimal grands. While the granulomas are frequently observed histologically in skeletal muscles, usually they are not associated with muscle symptoms. In our study 99mTc-pyrophosphate scintigraphy has proven to be useful in investigating the nodular lesions in skeletal muscles of sarcoidosis than 67Ga scintigraphy.

Female↗
PubMed2000

[Acute respiratory failure caused by tuberculosis requiring mechanical ventilation].

The patients with active tuberculosis in whom respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation developed were studied retrospectively. Nine patients (M 8, F 1) were identified at the National Tokyo Hospital during 5 years from January, 1993 to December, 1997. Seven of 9 patients were single men, and the duration of symptoms before admission was over 1 month in all patients, while the time from first visit to diagnosis was less than 7 days. All patients were identified as malnourished, and 7 patients suffered from another underlying diseases. The patients were classified into two groups. Six of 9 patients had pulmonary tuberculosis and the other three had miliary disease. The proportion of cases requiring mechanical ventilation was 0.3% and 8.6%, respectively, in pulmonary tuberculosis and miliary tuberculosis. At the start of mechanical ventilation, PaO2/FIO2 was lower than 200 in all 9 patients, and 6 patients were probably ARDS. Steroids (methylprednisolone 250-1000 mg/day) were used in all 9 patients. Despite the use of mechanical ventilation and antituberculous therapy, 8 out of 9 patients died. Only one patient with miliary tuberculosis survived. The establishment of the therapy for acute respiratory failure is needed so as to improve prognosis of such cases. At the same time, the delay in consulting a doctor led to acute respiratory failure in most cases, so it is also important to encourage tuberculosis patients to visit a doctor as soon as possible, after the appearance of symptoms.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

[Primary pulmonary cryptococcosis with endobronchial lesion].

A 19-year old man was admitted to our hospital with fever and productive cough. Chest X-ray films revealed multiple nodular shadows accompanied by a fusing tendency in the right middle field. A diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia was indicated, and the patient was treated with antibiotics. However, because this failed to resolve the nodular shadows, bronchofibroscopy was performed. Examination with a fiberoptic bronchoscope revealed an elevated lesion in the truncus intermedius. Histopathologic examination of a specimen obtained by transbronchial biopsy revealed cryptococcal organisms with the infiltration of monocytes. These findings yielded a diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis with endobronchial lesion. After 6 months of treatment with fluconazole, the multiple nodular shadows disappeared. Comparison of bronchoscopic findings before and after fluconazole treatment clearly demonstrated the efficacy of the therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Methods of single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis and application to hereditary cancer syndrome].

Single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis is important in all areas of molecular biology. The causative genes of hereditary cancer syndrome have been isolated. Recently, molecular diagnosis of hereditary cancer syndrome has been performed using methods of single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis and the usefulness has been reported. It is considered that progression of molecular biology will be able to contribute to diagnosis (especially pre-symptomatic diagnosis), prevention and treatment of hereditary cancer syndrome in the future.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Detection of genetic alterations in the human gastric cancer cell lines by two-dimensional analysis of genomic DNA.

We examined genomic DNA from each of three human-derived gastric cancer cell lines, using the technique of restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) which allows monitoring of approximately 2, 000 NotI landmarks. The resulting DNA spots from cancer cell DNA were compared with those in normal mucosa or gastric primary tumor. In all, 9 intense spots were detected from two of the three cancer cell lines. Two highly intensified spots were common in the two cancer cell lines and proven to be originated from DNA region containing the human c-myc proto-oncogene on chromosome 8. The degree of amplification of c-myc DNA was similar to each other and was estimated to be 60-fold as compared to those from normal mucosa DNA. On the basis of chromosome-assigned RLGS (CA-RLGS), other spots were assigned to each chromosome, such as one on chromosome 8, two each from chromosome 20, and three on one of chromosome 9-12. The remaining spot seems to be due to demethylation of a repetitive element. Twenty-four spot that were lost due to either homozygous deletion or methylation on corresponding NotI cleavage sites were commonly observed in all cancer cells. These spots were also assigned to each chromosome: one each from chromosome 2, 6, 7, 13, 14, 16, and 20, two each from chromosome 3 and 5, and nine from chromosome 9-12 by CA-RLGS. Many of the multi-copy spots corresponding to ribosomal RNA genes were greatly decreased due mainly to methylation on CpG islands along with minor rDNA variants, indicating that only minor rRNA genes may be silenced in these cancer cells. These results show that the present alterations detected by RLGS might be useful for identification of candidate genes inactivated or expressed unexpectedly in tumor development and tumor progression in the stomach.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2000

[Palmoplantar keratosis].

Palmoplantar keratosis is a frequent hereditary disorder of keratinization in humans that have been classified into diffuse, punctate and focal forms according to the pattern of hyperkeratosis on the pal and soles. Various clinically, histopathologically and genetically distinct phenotypes can be diagnosed. Diffuse palmoplantar keratodermas can be further subdivided by the presence of epidemlysis on histopathology into epidermolytic form and non-epidermolytic form. The late onset non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma was found associated with oesophageal cancer. The causative locus designated as TOC(Tylosis with oesophageal cancer) mapped to a small region on chromosome 17q25. Frequent allelic loss was found overlapping the region in sporadic oesophageal, ovarian and breast cancers. Positional cloning and candidate gene analysis will allow identification and characterization of the TOC gene which may also be implicated in cancer development.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed2000

[Susceptibilities of bacteria isolated from patients with lower respiratory infectious diseases to antibiotics (1998)].

The bacteria isolated from the patients with lower respiratory tract infections were collected by institutions located throughout Japan, since 1981. Ikemoto et al. have been investigating susceptibilities of these isolates to various antibacterial agents and antibiotics, and analyzed some characteristics of the patients and isolates from them each year. Results obtained from these investigations are discussed. In these 18 institutions around the entire Japan, 532 strains of presumably etiological bacteria were isolated mainly from the sputa of 438 patients with lower respiratory tract infections during the period from October in 1998 to September in 1999. MICs of various antibacterial agents and antibiotics were determined against 85 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 100 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 96 strains of Haemophilus influenzae, 75 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (non-mucoid strains), 6 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (mucoid strains), 38 strains of Moraxella subgenus Branhamella catarrhalis, 26 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae etc., and the susceptibilities of 517 strains were assessed except for those strains that died during transportation. S. aureus strains for which MICs of oxacillin (MPIPC) were higher than 4 micrograms/ml (methicillin-resistant S. aureus: MRSA) accounted for 60.0%. Vancomycin (VCM) and arbekacin (ABK) showed the most potent activities against MRSA. But one of MRSA showed resistance to ABK with the MIC of 64 micrograms/ml. The sensitive strains of MRSA to VCM have decreased. The frequency of penicillin (PC)-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP) + PC-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) have increased in 46.0% for 1998 comparatively from 30.9% of 1997's. But PRSP decreased, and PISP increased into 39.0% of 1998 years from 19.8% of 1997's. Panipenem (PAPM), imipenem (IPM) and faropenem (FRPM) showed the most potent activities against S. pneumoniae with MIC80s of 0.125 microgram/ml or below. Against H. influenzae and M. (B.) catarrhalis, almost all the drugs showed good activities. The sensitive strains of them against ceftazidime (CAZ) decreased in 1997, but those have increased in 1998. Inversely, the susceptibility of them against cefotiam (CTM) had been higher in 1997, but those have been lower in 1998. Tobramycin (TOB) showed the most potent activity against P. aeruginosa (both mucoid and nonmucoid strains). All drugs except ampicillin (ABPC) were active against K. pneumoniae. A quite few of K. pneumoniae showed low susceptibilities. Also, we investigated year to year changes in the characteristics of patients, their respiratory infectious diseases, and the etiology. The examination of age distribution indicated that the proportion of patients with ages over 70 years was 48.6% of all the patients showing a slight increase in every year. About the proportion of diagnosed diseases as follows: Bacterial pneumonia was the most frequent with 40.2%. The ratio of it has increased slightly, and the increased rate was 10% in patients with ages over 70 years compared with the results in 1997. Chronic bronchitis have decreased slightly with 27.6% in 1998. Number of strains isolated from patients before administration of antibiotics were more than those after administration of them in chronic bronchitis, but these were almost same number in bacterial pneumonia. Administration of antibiotics has changed the results of the frequency of isolation of bacterial species. Bacterial isolations before administration of antibiotics were as follows: S. pneumoniae 26.7%, H. influenzae 23.8%, S. aureus 13.3% and M. (B.) catarrhalis 10.8%. The frequencies of S. aureus decreased after antibiotics administration over 15 days, but the frequencies of P. aeruginosa (both mucoid and non-mucoid) was not affected. The frequencies of P. aeruginosa was 45.5% after administration over 15 days. The frequencies of S. pneumoniae decreased upon administration of antibiotics, these were only 4.5% over 15 days. The frequencies of H. (

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2000

Comparative study of amplicor Mycobacterium PCR and conventional methods for the diagnosis of pleuritis caused by mycobacterial infection.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical significance of the Amplicor Mycobacterium system for the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection in patients with pleural fluid, and to compare its usefulness with that of conventional smear and culture methods. DESIGN: Pleural fluid specimens were obtained randomly from in-patients admitted to National Tokyo Hospital between January and December 1996. All the patients were diagnosed with bacterial, histopathological and clinical gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of mycobacterial infection were evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy-five pleural fluid specimens were obtained. Conventional methods demonstrated a sensitivity of 30.6% and a specificity of 100%, while the Amplicor Mycobacterium demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 27.3% and 97.6% respectively. Lactic dehydrogenase, carcinoembryonic antigen, red blood cell, protein, glucose and types of inflammatory cells were not different in Amplicor positive and negative pleural fluid with mycobacterial infection. CONCLUSION: There was not much improvement in the accuracy of diagnosis when Amplicor Mycobacterium was used to diagnose mycobacterial pleuritis among various diseases with pleural fluid; however, the assay time was dramatically reduced with the use of Amplicor Mycobacterium.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed2000

[A small cell lung cancer shadow resembling beads on chest radiographs].

We present a case of small cell lung cancer whose shadow resembles bead son chest radiographs. An 81-year-old woman who had been receiving treatment from her doctor for pulmonary emphysema and chronic respiratory failure consulted our department because a small nodular shadow had been detected radiographically in the right lower lung field. The bead-like shadows in the radiographs and tomograms extended from the periphery of the right lower lobe to the pulmonary hilum. This case of small cell lung cancer appeared in chest radiographs to have an unusual shape.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[The role of a university hospital in home medical care--analysis of nurses' activities].

The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of nurses in the Department of In-Home Medical Care, a university hospital cooperating with primary care physicians, visiting nurse stations, and health stations in the community. Nurses coordinated between departments in the University Hospital and between the community for patients who were in the terminal stage and/or were provided complex home medical treatments. Nurses' activities in coordination were longer and more frequent than patient education for discharge.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed2000

[A case of pulmonary manifestation associated with myelodysplastic syndrome].

A 69-year-old woman with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was admitted to our hospital because of recurrent fever and pulmonary infiltration shadows. On the seventh day of hospitalization, she had an attack of high fever and cough and laboratory tests revealed an elevated leukocyte count and elevated serum C-reactive protein. Chest radiographs showed infiltration shadows in the right middle and lower lung fields. Because a diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia was initially suggested, she was treated with antibiotics. However, the infiltration shadows on the chest radiograph had not improve, so bronchofiberscopy was performed. Analysis of fluid obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) showed an increase in the total cell count, predominantly in lymphocytes and neutrophils. A transbronchial biopsy specimen showed infiltration of numerous neutrophils with necrosis under the bronchial epithelium, and edematous septa were infiltrated with numerous neutrophils and lymphocytes. BAL, blood, urine, bone marrow, and sputum cultures were all free of bacteria, mycobacteria and fungi. Interstitial infiltration by numbers of neutrophils associated with MDS was diagnosed and steroid treatment was performed.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[A new method for pharmacokinetic analysis of 99mTc-GSA using two-compartment and two-parameter model].

Technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl-human serum albumin (99mTc-GSA) is a liver scintigraphy agent which binds to asialoglycoprotein receptor in hepatocyte. Twenty-six patients with liver dysfunction were examined with 99mTc-GSA liver scintigraphy using two-compartment and two-parameter model (2C2P model). The 99mTc-GSA was assumed to move within two compartments (whole blood and liver). k1 and k2 were parameters which represented transfer rate constant from blood to liver, and from liver to blood, respectively. Two differential equations based on 2C2P model were integrated, so that k1, k2, k1/k2 and VLmg were estimated from the time-activity curves of the heart and liver. VLmg was computed as maximum amount of 99mTc-GSA binding to liver. The results were compared with the liver function tests and the conventional 99mTc-GSA indices: HH15, LHL15, and LU15. k1/k2 and VLmg values had positive correlation with the result of the serum liver function tests, Plt., T.Bil., ChE, GOT, LDH, ALP and gamma GTP. It is concluded that this new method using 2C2P model is not invasive and simplest in the 99mTc-GSA liver scintigraphies, and may be useful in evaluating liver function.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Effect of selective IL-6 inhibitor Am-80 on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in DA rats.

AIM: To observe the role of interleukin (IL)-6 in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). METHODS: DA rats were immunized by injecting bovine myelin basic protein (MBP). mRNA of cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta 1, IFN-gamma, and iNOS, were detected by RT-PCR. MBP was injected into ear to induce delayed type cutaneous hypersensitivity response (DTH). Histological studies were performed on the spinal cord with HE staining. Nitric oxide (NO) production from cultured murine macrophage clones was stimulated with LPS plus IFN-gamma. RESULTS: DA rats developed EAE disease with a peak of severity on d 13 and d 14. Am-80 (1.0, 3.0 mg/kg), a selective IL-6 inhibitor, inhibited the symptoms in terms of deterioration as observed by the clinical score, body weight and histological findings, in a dose-related manner. A high dose of Am-80 (3.0 mg/kg for 12 d) did not completely inhibit the disease, but delayed the symptoms and enhanced the delayed response. By prolonging the duration of treatment (18 d), Am-80 inhibited the onset of EAE during administration, but the symptoms of EAE appeared after the administration was stopped. Am-80 administerd for 12 d inhibited the DTH response on d 11 but not on d 22. RT-PCR studies demonstrated a strong expression of IFN-gamma, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-beta 1, TNF-alpha, and iNOS mRNA in spinal cord 13 d after immunization. However IFN-gamma, IL-10, TNF-alpha, and iNOS mRNA expression (on d 13) was suppressed by Am-80, except in the case of IL-6, hence the effect of Am-80 on the expression of IL-6 mRNA was examined in additional experiments. After Am-80 was administered for 12 d or 18 d, the expression of IL-6 mRNA was inhibited on d 12 or d 18, but increased on d 13 or d 19, respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that inhibition of EAE by Am-80 is initiated by inhibition of IL-6 production.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Effect of Shimotsu-to (a Kampo medicine, Si-Wu-Tang) and its constituents on triphasic skin reaction in passively sensitized mice.

Previous studies have reported that mice passively sensitized with anti-DNP (dinitrophenol) IgE antibody exhibited IgE-mediated skin reaction with an immediate phase response (IPR) at 1 h and a late phase response (LPR) at 24 h after the challenge of DNFB (dinitrofluorobenzene). We recently found that a third phase inflammatory reaction with intense and persisting infiltration of eosinophils, named very late phase response (vLPR), was induced by DNFB challenge peaking at 8 days. In this study, we examined the effects of a Kampo medicine, Shimotsu-to (Si-Wu-Tang), and its constituent crude drugs on triphasic skin reaction in passively sensitized mice. Shimotsu-to inhibited ear swelling in LPR and vLPR after DNFB challenge in a dose-dependent manner, and slightly diminished the scratching behavior considered to be associated with pruritus in IPR. The inhibitory effect on LPR and vLPR was partly due to Cnidii Rhizoma (Senkyu) in Shimotsu-to formulation, especially its fraction 5 containing cnidilide. On the other hand, Angelicae Radix (Toki) rather than Cnidii Rhizoma (Senkyu) in Shimotsu-to, inhibited the scratching behavior, although it did not inhibit the ear swelling in IPR. These findings indicate that the Shimotsu-to formulation is useful for the inhibition of cutaneous inflammatory diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

A novel sperm-specific hypomethylation sequence is a demethylation hotspot in human hepatocellular carcinomas.

Certain human DNA regions are strikingly undermethylated at CpG sites in sperm compared to adult somatic tissues. These sperm-specific hypomethylation sequences are thought to function early in embryogenesis or gametogenesis. By using the restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) cloning method, we have isolated a novel sperm-specific hypomethylation sequence, the status of which changes during spermatogenesis, embryonal growth and differentiation. This sequence is a part of a new 'NotI repeat' consisting of a 1.4 kb repetitive unit sequence named DE-1. The sequence is GC-rich and has high homology to a CpG DNA clone that was isolated by a methyl CpG protein binding column, indicating that it was normally highly methylated. We investigated the methylation status of this sequence. In the normal genome the sequence was methylated, but in the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genome, the target sequence was demethylated at the cytosine residue of the CpG dinucleotides with high frequency (75% in the previous study). These data suggest that this regional DNA hypomethylation may play a role in both cell differentiation and hepatocarcinogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Isolation of NotI clusters hypomethylated in HBV-integrated hepatocellular carcinomas by two-dimensional electrophoresis.

To examine genetic and epigenetic alterations associated with HBV integration in hepatocarcinogenesis, we compared genomic DNA profiles of primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and cell lines that either contained or did not contain integrated HBV. To accomplish this, we carried out Restriction Landmark Genomic Scanning (RLGS), a two-dimensional system that displays 2000-3000 Not I landmark sites in a single gel electrophoresis experiment. We identified one Not I landmark spot that showed high signal intensity in HBV-integrated cell lines or in primary HCCs, but not in HCCs or tumor-cell lines free of HBV integration. Cloning of this spot revealed that it consisted of a Not I cluster sequence enriched with CpG dinucleotides. This sequence, hypomethylated in association with HBV integration, was found in the peri-centromeric region of human acrochromosomes. The results demonstrate that epigenetic changes at specific sequences in the genome occur in association with HBV integration during the process of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Base Sequence↗