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Biomedical subjects

H Okazaki

Publications and source records attributed to H Okazaki.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

[Cardiopulmonary support in PTCA for severe coronary artery disease: its efficacy].

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) assisted by cardiopulmonary femorofemoral bypass was performed in 4 patients who were considered to be candidates for this technique because of their severe coronary artery diseases, including 2 with left main trunk disease, one with cardiogenic shock, and one with severe 3-vessel disease. Here we report the efficacy of cardiopulmonary support in PTCA. Case 1: An 85-year-old man with persistent unstable angina despite maximal doses of medications. Stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery (90%) was resolved by PTCA with cardiopulmonary bypass and intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP). Case 2: An 83-year-old man with unstable angina had high grade stenoses in the distal left main, left anterior descending and right coronary arteries. Although IABP was instituted for sustained chest discomfort and ST depression, the patient developed congestive heart failure. PTCA of the left main coronary artery with cardiopulmonary bypass was successfully performed. Case 3: A 64-year-old man with acute myocardial infarction. PTCA of the occluded left anterior descending coronary artery resulted in shock despite IABP, which was resolved by cardiopulmonary bypass with percutaneous insertion of cannulae, the technique we developed. Case 4: A 74-year-old man with unstable angina. He had a severe 3-vessel disease and a thrombus in the right coronary artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

[A case of primary Sjögren's syndrome presenting as osteomalacia secondary to renal tubular acidosis].

We report a 43-year-old female with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) who presented as osteomalacia due to distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA). Osteomalacia was thought to be a rare complication of RTA in SjS, although it had been often described in association with RTA in general. In 1979, she presented with dry mouth, parotid gland swelling and leg purpura. A diagnosis of primary SjS and hyperglobulinemic purpura was made on the basis of positive staining with Rose Bengal stain, sialography of the parotid gland and histological examination of the salivary gland of the lip. She was admitted to Jichi Medical School Hospital in March 1988 with chest pain. X-ray films revealed pseudofractures of bilateral ribs. Bone scanning showed abnormal multiple accumulation of RI on the same parts. Laboratory studies on admission revealed: GOT 50 IU/ml, GPT 9 IU/ml, ALP 190 IU/ml, LDH 301 IU/ml, BUN 11.0 mg/dl, creatinine 1.0 mg/dl, uric acid 2.7 mg/dl, total protein 7.4 g/dl (gamma globulin 22.3%), sodium 141 mEq/l, potassium 3.7 mEq/l, chloride 106 mEq/l, calcium 8.9 mg/dl, and phosphorus 2.4 mg/dl. Arterial blood gas studies on room air showed: PO2 96.7mmHg, PCO2 35.5mmHg, HCO3-19.1 mEq/l, PH 7.347 and base excess -5.4 mEq/l. The urinalysis showed: specific gravity 1.008, PH 7.0, and no protein and glucose. Immunologically, antinuclear antibody was positive at 1:640 with a speckled pattern. Anti-DNA antibody was negative. Antibodies to SS.A and SS.B were 1:64 and 1:32 respectively. Distal RTA was confirmed by the sodium bicarbonate and NH4Cl loading test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acidosis, Renal Tubular↗

[A case of paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH) in the elderly found by severe anemia].

CASE: 69 year-old female. Two weeks before the admission, the patient had suffered from upper respiratory tract infection. Severe anemia was detected (Hb was 6.0 mg/dl) and she received a transfusion. Four days after the transfusion, she became icteric and was transferred to our hospital on Feb. 3, 1990 for evaluation of anemia. Laboratory data on admission are as follows; Hb 6.3 g/dl, reticulocytes 128%, total bilirubin 4.6 mg/dl, indirect bilirubin 3.4 mg/dl, urobilinogen in urine positive, WR negative, direct anti-globulin test positive, indirect of the test negative, and Donath-Landsteiner test positive (both direct and indirect). Her red blood cells were classified as P2-positive. From these findings, non-syphilitic PCH was diagnosed. She required bed rest and therapy to protect her from cold exposure. The hemoglobin recovered to 8.3 g/dl. The D-L test was positive for 9 months. This is a rare case of PCH because the patient fell ill in old age and PCH was found because of her severe anemia in spite of her unawareness of hemoglobinuria.

Aged↗

[Intracoronary administration of ergonovine maleate for detecting vasospastic angina; one dose method].

Coronary spasm is an important etiologic mechanism in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia. Provocative test of coronary spasm during coronary arteriography is clinically useful. The ergonovine test has gained widespread use, and we have examined the efficacy and safety of intracoronary ergonovine application with a fixed dose of 16 micrograms. We studied 119 patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Coronary spasm was induced in 34 cases by intracoronary administration of 16 micrograms of ergonovine maleate. Coronary spasm was readily resolved by intracoronary administration of isosorbide dinitrate. None of the cases negative to the intracoronary ergonovine applications could be induced by additional systemic administration of 0.4 mg of ergonovine. Side effects of ergonovine such as elevation of blood pressure, headache and chest symptoms were infrequent in the intracoronary ergonovine test. We conclude that our method of intracoronary ergonovine application is sensitive and safe for the diagnosis of coronary spasm.

Aorta↗

Attempted limb lengthening by physeal distraction. Continuous monitoring of an applied force in immature rabbits.

The effectiveness of physeal distraction in stimulating bone growth in animals was investigated by force applied to the distal femoral growth plate of immature rabbits. The system was continuously monitored to detect physeal separation. A distraction of 0.25 mm every 12 hours led to physeal separation in five animals. One animal given a 6-kg force and two of seven given a 4-kg force showed physeal separation. All four rabbits given a 2-kg force and five of seven given a 4-kg force did not show a greater increase in length than the control femurs. Bone growth was not stimulated by physeal distraction. Any increase in length of more than the normal growth is attributable to physeal separation.

Animals↗

[Broncholithiasis: clinical experience of three operated cases].

Three patients with broncholithiasis had an operation in our hospital. Patient 1 had no history of tuberculosis. She had the pulmonary stones removed bronchoscopically twice. The stones were composed of inflammatory granulomas. Patient 2 had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Endoscopical removal of the pulmonary stone was not successful. After 6 days, she coughed up a large amount of blood, and the operation was performed. Patient 3 coughed up blood for 10 years. The amount of blood gradually increased and the operation was performed. All three cases had calcification of the hilar lymph nodes. Broncholithiasis appears to be related not only to pulmonary tuberculosis but also to other chronic inflammatory diseases of the lung.

Adult↗

Identification and gene cloning of a new phosphatidylinositol-linked antigen expressed on mature lymphocytes. Down-regulation by lymphocyte activation.

Lymphocytes are shown to express a limited number of a unique category of membrane Ag, such as Thy-1, Ly-6, Ly-31, and Qa-2, that are covalently linked to the membrane phosphatidylinositol (PI). We have identified a new glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored lymphocyte Ag, B7, by using a mAb and have determined the primary structure by cDNA cloning. B7 Ag was expressed on the majority, if not all, of the mature lymphocytes of both T and B lineages, including strongly CD3+ thymocytes, most splenic T cells, and approximately 60% of splenic IgM+ B cells, whereas the expression of B7 Ag on bone marrow cells was negligible. The expression of B7 Ag was nearly completely abolished with as little as 2 mU of PI-specific phospholipase C per ml, which did not completely eliminate Ly-6C and Thy-1 expression. Unlike the expression of other GPI-linked lymphocyte Ag, the expression of B7 was rapidly down-regulated upon the activation of T cells by mitogens or IL-2 both in vitro and in vivo. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that B7 Ag was an approximately 12-kDa protein. With a CDM8 expression vector, a cDNA encoding B7 Ag was cloned, and it was confirmed that the B7 Ag on cDNA-transfected cells was indeed PI-specific phospholipase C sensitive. The B7 cDNA contained an open reading frame of 222 bp including a typical N-terminal leader sequence and a characteristic sequence at the C terminus encoding hydrophobic amino acids. A computer search revealed no significant homology to any known molecule at both DNA and amino acid sequence levels. Northern blot analysis indicated that the B7 transcript was expressed on lymphohematopoietic tissues, including thymus, spleen, and bone marrow, but not on other organs, such as liver, kidney, and brain. The results indicated that B7 Ag is a new member of the GPI-anchored proteins which is selectively expressed on mature resting but not activated lymphocytes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Identification and characterization of endothelin converting activity in cultured bovine endothelial cells.

Using a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the carboxyl terminal tail of endothelin (ET) (His16-Trp21), we have confirmed the presence of the converting activity from synthetic human big ET-1 to ET-1 in the homogenate of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. The optimal pHs for the converting activities were found at pH 3.0 and pH 7.0. The activity at pH 3.0 was completely inhibited by pepstatin A, whereas the activity at pH 7.0 was not affected by known various protease inhibitors except EDTA and EGTA. When the products from big ET-1 were analyzed on an ODS and a CN columns, only ET-1 was detected at pH 7.0, but various ET-like immunoreactivities other than ET-1 were detected at pH 3.0. These findings strongly suggest that mature ET-1 is formed from big ET-1 in the endothelial cells by a metal-dependent neutral protease.

Animals↗

Expression of murine IL-2 receptor beta-chain on thymic and splenic lymphocyte subpopulations as revealed by the IL-2-induced proliferative response in human IL-2 receptor alpha-chain transgenic mice.

Lymphocytes from the human (h) IL-2R alpha chain transgenic mice (TGM) constitutively express high affinity binding sites for hIL-2, consisting of transgenic h-IL-2R alpha and endogenous murine IL-2R beta, and therefore easily proliferate in vitro in response to hIL-2. Our study was undertaken to clarify the hIL-2-responsive lymphocyte subsets in the TGM, which should most likely reflect the normal distribution of m IL-2R beta expression. In both thymus and spleen, the majority of expanded cells by hIL-2 was CD3+CD4-CD8+ TCR alpha beta+ cells. The proliferation of CD4+ cells was not observed at all from either organ despite the expression of transgenic hIL-2R alpha. Potent cellular proliferation was also observed from the thymocytes that had been depleted of CD8+ cells, the expanded cells consisting of CD3- (15-40%) and CD3+ populations (60-85%). Among CD3+ cells, approximately the half portion expressed TCR alpha beta, whereas the other half was suggested to express TCR gamma delta. A variable portion (5-20%) of the CD3+ cells expressed CD8 (Lyt-2) in the absence of Lyt-3, and the CD3+CD8+ cells were confined preferentially to the TCR alpha beta- (TCR gamma delta+) population. In the culture of splenocytes depleted of CD8+ cells, however, the proliferated cells were mostly CD3-CD4-CD8-TCR-Mac1-, whereas a minor portion (10-30%) was CD3+CD4-CD8-TCR alpha beta- (TCR gamma delta+. Analysis of TCR genes at both DNA and mRNA levels confirmed the phenotypical observations. These results strongly suggested that IL-2R beta was constitutively and selectively expressed on the primary murine thymocytes and splenic T and NK cells, except for CD4+ cells in both organs.

Animals↗

Hydrophobic residues 382-386 of antithrombin III, Ala-Ala-Ala-Ser-Thr, serve as the epitope for an antibody which facilitates hydrolysis of the inhibitor by thrombin.

In the presence of a monoclonal antibody raised against the human thrombin-antithrombin III complex, the reaction between thrombin and antithrombin III proceeded to form preferentially a two-chain form of the inhibitor rather than to follow the major pathway of stable acyl complex formation. We thus propose the term "switching antibody" for an antibody that switches the enzyme-inhibitor reaction (Asakura, S., Matsuda, M., Yoshida, N., Terukina, S., and Kihara, H. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 13736-13739). By analyzing a CNBr fragment of the thrombin-antithrombin III complex that reacts with the antibody we localized the epitope for the antibody to a strongly hydrophobic residue 382-386 peptide segment, Ala-Ala-Ala-Ser-Thr, of the inhibitor, which is also contiguous with a hydrophobic amino acid Ala at its carboxyl terminus. This particular region should be cryptic in nascent antithrombin III, but could have been exposed to provide the reactive site for the antibody at an early stage of the reaction. Thereby a conformational change may have been induced at or near the reactive site of the complex, facilitating hydrolysis of the inhibitor by the enzyme. Interestingly, this hydrophobic region is highly conserved among members of the serpin family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Very-low-calorie diet-induced weight reduction reverses impaired growth hormone secretion response to growth hormone-releasing hormone, arginine, and L-dopa in obesity.

To determine whether impaired growth hormone (GH) secretion in obese subjects is a consequence of obesity or a pre-existing pituitary-hypothalamic disorder, we measured (1) plasma GH response to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GRH; 1 microgram/kg body weight [BW]), arginine (0.5 g/kg BW), and L-dopa (500 mg); and (2) plasma glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids (FFA) in obese subjects before and after weight reduction due to very-low-calorie diet therapy using Optifast (240 kcal/d for 8 to 12 weeks). Body weight and body mass index (BMI) values before and after weight reduction were 87.2 +/- 4.1 kg and 34.5 +/- 0.9 kg/m2, and 67.8 +/- 2.7 kg and 27.0 +/- 0.4 kg/m2, respectively. GH response to GRH, arginine, and L-dopa in obese subjects was markedly impaired before weight reduction, whereas significantly increased responses were noted after weight reduction (P less than .01). Impaired integrated GH response to GRH, arginine, and L-dopa in obese subjects was significantly restored after weight reduction (P less than .01). Plasma glucose levels did not change, while plasma insulin and FFA levels decreased significantly after weight reduction (P less than .01, P less than .05). There was no significant correlation between integrated GH response to these three stimuli and plasma levels of glucose, insulin, and FFA, respectively. The reversibility of GH response to all three stimuli after weight reduction suggests that impaired GH secretion is a consequence of obesity rather than a pre-existing pituitary-hypothalamic disorder.

Adolescent↗

Spitz nevus of the palate. Report of a case.

A 4-year-old Japanese girl with a nonpigmented nodule on the anterior portion of the palate since birth is described. The overall microscopic appearance of the lesion was very similar to that of Spitz nevus of the skin. Diagnosis of Spitz nevus (mixed epithelioid cell and spindle cell nevus) was made on the basis of the clinical and histologic criteria for differentiating this lesion from malignant melanomas and common compound nevi. Positive immunostaining of epithelioid and spindle cells for S-100 protein and neuron-specific enolase was also indicative of their nevocellular nature. Review of the cases of Spitz nevus from the literature revealed that the present case most probably represents the first reported instance of this type of nevus in the oral cavity.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Isolation and expression of the full-length cDNA encoding CD59 antigen of human lymphocytes.

To identify the primary structure of CD59 antigen and to elucidate its function, a full-length cDNA clone of CD59 was isolated. The cDNA sequence contained an open reading frame that encodes an 128-amino-acid peptide. The amino-terminal 25 amino acids represented a typical signal peptide sequence and the carboxy-terminal hydrophobic amino acids were characteristic for phosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins. The predicted mature protein sequence showed 35% homology with murine Ly-6C.1 and 31% with Ly-6A.2. The number and the distribution of cysteine residues were conserved, implying that the CD59 represented a human homologue of murine Ly-6. RNA blot hybridization analysis revealed the expression of CD59 mRNA in placental, lung, and pancreatic tissues. The mRNA was not only expressed in T-cell lines but in some of monocytic, myeloid, and B-cell lines. In all of these tissues and cell lines, at least four mRNA species were detected. DNA blot hybridization analysis revealed a rather simple genomic structure, which suggested a single gene as compared with the complex multigene family of murine Ly-6.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Natural killer cell activity in workers exposed to benzidine and beta-naphthylamine.

To investigate the effects of benzidine (BZ) and beta-naphthylamine (BNA) on the immune system in man, the activity of natural killer (NK) cells as well as the relative number (percentage) of Leu 11a positive cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes were measured in 63 dyestuff workers exposed to BZ and BNA (aromatic amines, AA). The cytotoxic potential per NK cell (unit NK cell activity) was approximated by dividing the NK activity per fixed numbers of unseparated mononuclear cells by the percentage of Leu 11a positive lymphocytes that mediated NK activity. Thirty one of these workers had previously been treated for bladder cancer and then cured (ex-cancer AA workers) whereas the remaining 32 had not been diagnosed as having bladder cancer (non-cancer AA workers). There was no significant difference in the gross NK activity per unseparated peripheral mononuclear cells among ex-cancer AA workers, non-cancer AA workers, and the control group (p greater than 0.05). The relative number of Leu 11a positive cells, on the other hand, was significantly higher in AA workers than in the control group (p less than 0.01). The unit NK cell activity, as a result, was significantly more reduced in both ex-cancer and non-cancer AA workers than in the control group (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01, respectively). Between ex-cancer and non-cancer AA workers, no significant difference was observed in terms of unit NK cell activity. These results indicated that the function of NK cells per se was impaired in AA workers whereas the number of circulating NK cells was relatively increased.

2-Naphthylamine↗

[A case of mixed connective tissue disease exacerbated by griseofulvin complicating aseptic meningo-encephalitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation].

A variety of drugs have been implicated in causing or exacerbating SLE (drug-related lupus). Griseofulvin, the most commonly used agent in the treatment of fungal infections in the skin, has been shown to be a possible SLE-activating drug in several case reports. In the literature, however, any similar drug reactions have not been reported in MCTD, despite sharing features of SLE. The first case of drug (griseofulvin)-exacerbated MCTD was described and discussed. The patient was a 36-year-old woman with a six-year history of MCTD and subclinical Sjögren's syndrome. She developed aseptic meningo-encephalitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation after two weeks of continuous oral administration of griseofulvin 375 mg per day for trichophytosis of the feet. Following cessation of griseofulvin with anticoagulants, antibiotics, and high dose steroids at the same time, she greatly improved within one week.

Adult↗