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Biomedical subjects

H Nishitani

Publications and source records attributed to H Nishitani.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

[Clinical symptoms and disability of myotonic dystrophy in Japan].

We performed the first nationwide survey of myotonic dystrophy (MyD) in Japan. This paper reports the result of analysis of clinical pictures and disability of 670 patients found in this survey. 413 cases (61.6%) were males and 257 (38.4%) were females. Male/female ratio was approximately 1.6. The age of onset was most often in the third or fourth decade. Mean age of onset was 27.7 years in the males and 26.8 years in the females. Eight percent of the cases presented their symptoms before the age of 9 years. These cases were considered to belong to congenital or infantile form of MyD. There were also a few patients who started noticing their symptoms after the age of 60 years. Duration of the illness at the time of examination was approximately 13 years in both sexes. Myotonia was observed in 97.3% of the males and 98.1% of the females. Muscular weakness was seen in 99.0% of the males and 96.5% of the females. Atrophy was present in 93.5% of the males and 88.9% of the females. These data showed that almost all cases had these three major symptoms related to the skeletal muscles. There were 16 cases which lacked myotonia, and most of them belonged to congenital or infantile form of MyD. Cataract was present in more than a half of the patients (54.4% in the males and 52.0% in the females). Mental retardation was observed in 42.4% of the males and 35.9% of the females. Frontal baldness was seen much more frequently in the males (74.6%) than in the females (22.7%). Generally, as the duration of the illness was longer, these clinical symptoms were seen in higher frequency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1988

A nation-wide collaborative study on the long-term effects of bromocriptine in patients with Parkinson's disease. First interim report in Japan.

Two prospective projects were started in May 1985 to evaluate the long-term effects of bromocriptine in patients with Parkinson's disease. One of the projects is to see if combination therapy with levodopa and bromocriptine is superior to levodopa alone with regard to the prevention of late side effects of levodopa therapy. The other is to see the long-term effects of bromocriptine monotherapy. Patients with Parkinson's disease were allocated randomly to either combination or levodopa group in the first project. Parkinsonian symptoms, disabilities of daily life and severity of late side effects of long-term levodopa therapy were evaluated by a semiquantitative rating scale. This communication represents the first interim report. Methods of the studies and synopsis of the results at the end of the 12th month are described. A total of 702 patients was enrolled in the study (combination therapy, n = 216; levodopa therapy, n = 200, bromocriptine monotherapy, n = 286). At the end of the 12th month, the numbers of patients who dropped out from the study were 19, 16 and 55 in the three groups, respectively. It appears to be too early to make any definite conclusion with regard to which mode of treatment is superior, however, some evidence suggesting a superiority of the combination therapy over levodopa alone was noted in managing wearing-off phenomenon and dyskinesia. As many patients are sticking to the originally intended mode of treatment, it appears to be possible to obtain more meaningful data in several years.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Primary structure of alpha-bungarotoxin. Six amino acid residues differ from the previously reported sequence.

alpha-Bungarotoxin (alpha-BuTx) was isolated from the venom of the Formosan banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus). The amino acid sequence was determined by a combination of conventional methods. In contrast to the sequence of alpha-BuTx reported by Mebs et al. ([1971) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 44, 711-716], our results revealed the presence of Ser-Pro-Ile, Pro-His and Gln-Arg at positions 9-11, 67-68 and 71-72 from the amino-terminal, respectively, and not Ile-Pro-Ser, His-Pro and Arg-Gln as reported previously.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Replication intermediate of a hybrid plasmid carrying the replication terminus (ter) site of R 6K as revealed by agarose gel electrophoresis.

A 4.32 kb DNA fragment, on which the DNA replication terminus (terR) site of plasmid R 6K was located, was inserted into the unique EcoRI site of plasmid pUC9. To detect replication intermediate molecules with a replication fork halted at the terR site, a cell DNA extract was digested with EcoRI, electrophoresed through an agarose gel and stained with ethidium bromide. In addition to two major bands, one derived from vector DNA and the other from the ter insert fragment, two extra minor bands were detected. Following DNA-DNA hybridization and electron microscopic observation we concluded that the two minor bands corresponded to the two Y-shaped molecules, produced from the theta-shaped intermediate molecules by EcoRI digestion.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1987

Relationship between serum nickel concentrations and anaemia in chronic haemodialysis patients.

Thirty chronic haemodialysis patients were examined with respect to the relationship between renal anaemia and serum nickel concentrations. Red blood cell counts, haemoglobin values, haematocrit values, serum iron values, serum ferritin levels and serum nickel concentrations were measured. No significant relationships were found between serum nickel levels and serum iron values or serum ferritin levels. Dialysis anaemia was found to have a significant correlation with serum nickel concentrations in chronic haemodialysis patients.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMed1987

Life spans of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients in the hospital care program in Japan.

Analysis of 176 autopsy cases of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) demonstrated that (1) hospitalized patients showed longer life spans than their non-hospitalized affected maternal uncles, (2) patients hospitalized recently lived longer than those hospitalized in the past, and (3) pulmonary infection has become a less frequent cause of death in recent years, whereas dystrophic changes of the cardiac and respiratory muscles are more closely related with recent fatal cases. These results indicate the changing life span expectancy of patients with DMD and the changes in cause of death over the last decade, probably owing to the benefits of a hospital care program.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Serum and corpuscular nickel and zinc in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Serum and corpuscular nickel and zinc concentrations in 30 chronic hemodialysis patients were examined. Serum nickel and zinc levels before dialysis were 0.22 +/- 0.03 microgram/dl (normal value: 0.56 +/- 0.08 microgram/dl) and 70.0 +/- 13.4 micrograms/dl (normal value: 96 +/- 8 micrograms/dl) low, respectively. However, corpuscular nickel and zinc levels before dialysis were high: 1.25 +/- 0.24 microgram/dl (normal value: 0.88 +/- 0.17 microgram/dl) and 1,299 +/- 146 micrograms/dl (normal value: 1,120 +/- 80 micrograms/dl). Serum zinc levels significantly increased after dialysis, but serum nickel concentrations did not significantly increase during dialysis. Corpuscular nickel and zinc concentrations did not significantly change during dialysis.

Erythrocytes↗