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Biomedical subjects

I Hara

Publications and source records attributed to I Hara.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Relationship between oral breathing and nasal obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

In 30 normal subjects and 20 patients complaining of snoring or sleep apnea nasal percentage of total respiratory air volume (nasal fraction) was measured when nasal resistance was gradually increased. The switching point from nasal to oral breathing was also examined. Nasal respiratory resistance was measured by a rhinograph, and nasal fraction was measured with an inductive body-plethysmograph and with a CPAP nasal mask when the patients were at rest. Several sizes of cotton pledgets were inserted into the nasal vestibules as obturators, and nasal respiratory resistance and nasal fraction were measured repeatedly until subjects had to breathe through the mouth completely. Although the value of nasal respiratory resistance in patients with complaints of snoring or sleep apnea was higher than that of normal subjects, most of the patients did not complain of a sensation of nasal obstruction. However, the switching point from nasal to oro-nasal breathing in patients with complaints of snoring or sleep apnea was statistically higher than that in normal subjects. These results suggest that patients with complaints of snoring or sleep apnea can easily breathe through the mouth during sleep, and that chronic nasal obstruction may induce obstructive sleep apnea. Therefore, measurements of nasal respiratory resistance and nasal fraction are useful to evaluate obstructive sleep apnea.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Changes in nasal and oral respiratory resistance before and after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

Twelve patients with complaints of sleep apnea were examined with the all-night sleep test. They underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and were studied with the all-night sleep test again 3 to 6 months after the operation. Nasal and oral respiratory resistance was measured in sitting and supine position before and after surgery using a microrhinograph. The physiological effect of UPPP was also compared with the results of an MRI anatomical study. Nasal and oral respiratory resistance was significantly decreased post-operatively (p <0.05). The decreased value of post-operative nasal respiratory resistance in a supine position was more marked than that of oral resistance, suggesting that UPPP eliminates the obstruction at the soft palate, especially in a supine position. Although our study was performed in awake patients enlargement of the airway in the middle pharyngeal region may improve the nasal and oral respiratory function during sleep.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1996

A melanosomal membrane protein is a cell surface target for melanoma therapy.

Differentiation antigens on cancer cells are recognized by the immune system. A prototype set of these autoantigens in melanoma cells are the melanosomal glycoproteins, expressed in both melanomas and normal melanocytes. These are intracellular proteins that can be recognized by both antibodies and T lymphocytes. While one can understand how T cells can respond to intracellular proteins, based on cellular requirements for antigen processing and presentation, it is more difficult to understand how antibody responses to melanosomal proteins could lead to tumor rejection. We demonstrate that gp75 is expressed on the cell surface as well as intracellularly in human and mouse melanomas. The surface expression of gp75 can be augmented by IFN-gamma and during tumor growth in vivo. Surface expression of gp75 on mouse melanoma cells correlates with the ability of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against gp75 to reject melanomas in syngeneic mice. Antibody-mediated rejection seems to require the Fc portion of the antibody, suggesting a role for Fc receptor-positive effector cells such as natural killer cells. However, although NK1.1(+) cells have been implicated in antibody-induced rejection in vivo, cell surface expression of gp75(+) on melanoma does not lead to susceptibility to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in vitro. The mAb to gp75 induced tumor rejection in mice carrying both scid and bg/bg traits, showing that neither thymus-dependent T cells nor natural killer cytotoxic activity was required in vivo. Long-term treatment of mice with mAb led to patchy depigmentation in the coat. In summary, an intracellular organellar protein can be expressed at the cell surface and provide an antigenic target for antibody therapy and autoimmunity.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Implicating a role for immune recognition of self in tumor rejection: passive immunization against the brown locus protein.

The immune system can recognize differentiation antigens that are selectively expressed on malignant cells and their normal cell counterparts. However, it is uncertain whether immunity to differentiation antigens can effectively lead to tumor rejection. The mouse brown locus protein, gp75 or tyrosinase-related protein 1, is a melanocyte differentiation antigen expressed by melanomas and normal melanocytes. The gp75 antigen is recognized by autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells in persons with melanoma. To model autoimmunity against a melanocyte differentiation antigen, mouse antibodies against gp75 were passively transferred into tumor-bearing mice. Passive immunization with a mouse monoclonal antibody against gp75 induced protection and rejection of both subcutaneous tumors and lung metastases in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, including established tumors. Passive immunity produced coat color alterations but only in regenerating hairs. This system provides a model for autoimmune vitiligo and shows that immune responses to melanocyte differentiation antigens can influence mouse coat color. Immune recognition of a melanocyte differentiation antigen can reject tumors, providing a basis for targeting tissue autoantigens expressed on cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Rejection of mouse melanoma elicited by local secretion of interleukin-2: implicating macrophages without T cells or natural killer cells in tumor rejection.

Tumor cells transduced with cytokine genes provide a model to study host-effector mechanisms involved in tumor rejection. Local IL-2 production within a tumor site mimics a specific helper-T-cell response, bypassing an immunization phase. Growth of mouse B16F10 melanomas transduced with interleukin-2 (IL-2) in syngeneic hosts were significantly delayed. IL-2-producing B16F10 cells were super-transduced with interferon-gamma to up-regulate expression of major-histocompatibility-complex (MHC) antigens. Expression of class-I- or class-II-MHC molecules did not augment tumor rejection of IL-2-secreting tumor cells. Rejection of IL-2-transduced B16F10 cells in syngeneic mice was unaffected by depletion of CD8+ T-cell and NK1.1+ natural-killer (NK) cell populations. Tumor rejection occurred in SCID mice even after depletion of NK1.1+ cells, confirming that T cells and NK cells were not required for tumor rejection. Histologic examination of sites of tumor rejection showed inflammation, characterized by infiltrates of macrophages, occasional neutrophils, and areas of necrosis. When mice were treated systemically with macrophage-colony-stimulating factor to expand monocyte pools, tumor rejection was significantly augmented further. This study shows that in situ IL-2 production can result in tumor rejection mediated by inflammatory events, possibly involving macrophages, and mimicking a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response even in the absence of T cells and NK cells. Furthermore, tumor rejection can be enhanced by systemic administration of a cytokine to expand potential inflammatory cell populations.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Reactivity of autologous CD4+ T lymphocytes against human melanoma. Evidence for a shared melanoma antigen presented by HLA-DR15.

Reactivity of CD8+ T lymphocytes against human melanoma has been extensively characterized, but little is known about melanoma Ags recognized by CD4+ lymphocytes. We have identified CD4+ CTL that recognize shared melanoma Ag(s) expressed by autologous melanoma cells and a subset of allogeneic melanomas. The same Ag(s) was shared by autologous and positive allogeneic melanomas by cross-blocking experiments. Cytotoxicity was directed against epitopes presented by HLA-DR on target melanoma cells, and allelic typing revealed that cytotoxicity was restricted through HLA-DR15. These CD4+ T cells released IFN-gamma, IL-4, and TNF-alpha, but not IL-2, in response to HLA-DR15+ target cells. CD4+ T cells did not lyse DR15+ nonmelanoma cell types, including melanocytes or fibroblasts (induced to express HLA-DR by IFN-gamma). Thus, by cytotoxicity assays, shared Ags were only recognized on melanoma cells but not on normal melanocytes. In summary, this analysis shows that melanoma cells share an Ag that is presented by HLA-DR15.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1995

Masseter muscle activity and the hypoglossal nerve.

The effects of severing the hypoglossal nerve and resultant restriction of tongue movement was evaluated for its effect on masticatory jaw movement. Electromyograms of masseter muscles in the feeding rat were recorded 3 days after the nerve severing operation at 1 week intervals. Even after severing the lateral branches of the hypoglossal nerve bilaterally, active-feeding behaviour continued with mastication slightly impaired. After severing the medical branches bilaterally, feeding behaviour was rarely observed, but where eating did take place mastication was impaired with marked disturbance in the masticatory rhythm.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[Nephron sparing surgery of patients with renal cell carcinoma in a solitary kidney or bilateral renal cell carcinoma].

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of nephron sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma in patients with a solitary kidney or bilateral tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1982 to 1994, a total of 12 patients with a solitary kidney or bilateral tumors underwent nephron sparing surgery. The survival and complications were examined. RESULTS: The patients were 11 males and 1 female. Three patients were in stage 1, 6 in stage 2, 2 in stage 3, and 1 in stage 4, and the mean tumor size was 3.4 cm (0.8-6.5). The complications were post-operative bleeding in one patient and slight transient renal dysfunction which didn't require hemodialysis in 3 patients. The local recurrence was observed in 1 patient (8.3%), metastasis in 3 (25%), no evidence of disease in 8 (66.7%), alive with cancer in 1 (8.3%), death due to cancer in 2 (16.7%), death due to other disease in 1 (8.3%), and the 5 year survival of all patients was 62.5%, that was almost the same as the result of 141 renal cell carcinoma patients treated with nephrectomy in our hospital. The disease free survival rate of the patients in stage 1 and 2 seems to be higher than in stage 3 and 4 with no significant difference (p = 0.0956). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that nephron sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma in patients with a solitary kidney or bilateral tumors is a useful therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of masticatory function after sagittal split ramus osteotomy for patients with mandibular prognathism.

The aim of this study was to measure the changes in masticatory function for 1 year after sagittal split ramus osteotomy. Thirty prognathic patients who underwent preoperative and postoperative orthodontic treatment participated in this study. Their masticatory performance, occlusal contact area and points, and biting force were measured before surgery and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. From 3 months after surgery, masticatory efficiency was greater than that found preoperatively, and the increase was significant 6 months after surgery. Occlusal contact area and points tended to increase from 3 months after surgery, and there was a significant increase 12 months after surgery. The bilateral biting force was lower 3 months after surgery than it was preoperatively, but it had increased significantly and was balanced on left and right sides 12 months after surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Schistosoma mansoni: fatty acid-induced cercarial tail loss does not involve eicosanoid production and chemoreceptors.

Inhibitors of eicosanoid production had no effect on linoleic acid-induced Schistosoma mansoni cercarial tail loss. In addition, linoleic acid-induced cercarial tail loss was not inhibited by silver nitrate, which binds to putative chemoreceptors for fatty acids in cercariae. There was no correlation between molecular structures of fatty acids and their potencies to induce tail loss. Furthermore, transcompounds of fatty acids which cannot be precursors of eicosanoids elicited tail loss as potently as cis-compounds did. The present results suggest that fatty acid-induced cercarial tail loss is not mediated by eicosanoid production and chemoreceptors, which are involved in cercarial penetration behavior stimulated by fatty acids.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Adult T-cell leukemia involving the central nervous system after remission of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

We report a rare case of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) in which the patient had an acute type of ATL involving the central nervous system (CNS) after remission of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to human T lymphotropic virus type 1 associated bronchopneumopathy. A 62-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of ARDS. Pulse therapy with methylprednisolone improved ARDS, but she fell into a coma due to ATL and CNS invasion 5 months after recovery. Although chemotherapy decreased the fraction of abnormal lymphocytes, her consciousness level did not improve and she died.

Central Nervous System Neoplasms↗
PubMed1993

[Morphology of the ganglion cervicale superius in human fetuses and an adult].

Morphology of the ganglion cervicale superius (GCS) was studied on 16 sides of 10 human fetuses and the 2 sides of an adult cadaver with a binocular stereomicroscope. The obtained results were as follows. GCS is fusiform on 8 sides, takes the form of an eggplant on 3 sides, and is weakly constricted on 7 sides. The GCS was symmetrical in 2 cases. The GCS lay slightly above the first cervical vertebra and extended downward to the superior half of the second cervical vertebra on 11 sides of fetuses. The level in the adult is lower than in the fetuses by one vertebra. The nervus caroticus internus (CI), originating from the superior pole of the GCS as a cephalic prolongation, comprises one bundle on 14 sides, and splits into 2 bundles in the original position on 4 sides. The Nn. carotici externi (CE) arise from the medial part of the superior half of the GCS with several roots (the average number of roots: 3.4) on 17 sides. The CE communicates with the Rami pharyngei of the N. vagus and the N. laryngeus superior. The Rr. laryngopharyngei arise from CE on many sides. The N. jugularis originates from the laterosuperior side of GCS with one to three branches. On a few sides, the N. jugularis communicates with the N. vagus and the N. hypoglossus. The communicating branch between the Ggl. inferius of the N. vagus and the GCS was observed in all cases. The communicating branch between the R. ventralis of the Nn. cervicales and GCS is found in all sides, and the lower limit of the branch is at the ansa from C3 to C4. The Rr. laryngopharyngei (RL) arise from the medial part of the GCS with several branches near the CE, or it may arise from the CE or from both the GCS and the CE, and join with the N. laryngeus superior (laryngeal branch of RL:RL1), the Plexus pharyngeus (pharyngeal branch of RL:RL2) and CE (RL1 and RL2). It is found in a few sides that RL directly extends to the pharyngeal and laryngeal portions. The N. cardiacus cervicalis superior (CS), which originates from the anteroinferior portion or the inferior pole of the GCS, was found on all fetal sides. The average number of CS is 2.9. Some nerves, crossing from the CI to the root of CE over the A. carotis interna, were recognized on 15 sides of the fetuses and on both sides of the adult.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Exposure to DMTP by sprayers and the urinary excretion of metabolites].

Exposure in vinyl hothouses to DMTP (0,0-dimethyl-s-(2-methoxy-1,3,4-thiadiazol-5(4H)-onyl-(4)-m ethyl)- dithiophosphate) was studied in 5 spray-operators and one assistant worker. To determine the level of exposure to DMTP, concentrations in the atmosphere, concentration in atmosphere near the operators breathing zone, skin levels from penetration through the operator's clothing, and urinary excretion of metabolites of DMTP (2,3-dihydro-5-methoxy-3-methyl-sulphonyl methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-one and 2,3-dihydro-5-methoxy-3-methyl-sulphinyl methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-one) were measured. The results were as follows; 1. DMTP concentrations in the atmosphere were 10.0-18.0 micrograms/m3, and concentrations in the atmosphere near the operators breathing zone were 5.4-33.6 micrograms/m3 during spraying. 2. Metabolites of DMTP were detected in all sprayers. Levels were 1.5 to 31.6 micrograms/day for the sulphonyl-metabolite. But it was not detected in the assistant sprayer. 3. Urinary concentrations of the DMTP metabolite were maximum 15-20 h after spraying. 4. Amount of DMTP adherent on the skin was estimated to be 0.4 to 71.3 micrograms for spray-operators. Variations resulted from differences in condition of protective clothing. 5. DMTP appeared to be absorbed not only through the respiratory system, but also through the skin.

Female↗
PubMed1993

Role of calcium ion in Schistosoma mansoni cercarial tail loss induced by unsaturated fatty acids.

Linoleate (C18: 2) and oleate (C18: 1), but not stearate (C18: 0), induced tail removal in cercariae. Linoleate stimulated tail loss more strongly than oleate did. Tail loss induced by linoleate was significantly suppressed by incubating cercariae with ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Preincubation of cercariae with EGTA for 5 min caused further inhibition of the tail loss. Calcium ionophore A23187 (A23187) increased the cercarial tail-loss rate. When A23187 was combined with linoleate at 0.03 mM, an additive effect on tail loss appeared, whereas the ionophore in combination with linoleate at 0.3 mM had no such effect. EGTA almost completely abolished cercarial tail loss induced by linoleate at both 0.03 and 0.3 mM in the presence and absence of A23187. Linoleate at 3 mM provoked cercarial tail loss even in the presence of EGTA, although the effect of oleate at 3 mM disappeared. Under these conditions, the effect of linoleate was synergistically enhanced by the combination with A23187. A similar, but not significant, synergism took place in cercariae stimulated by oleate. These findings suggest that unsaturated fatty acids enhance calcium influx into cercariae, resulting in triggering tail loss, and, furthermore, that the fatty acids have other potentiating effects on cercarial tail loss. Protein kinases play an insignificant role in fatty acid-induced cercarial tail loss, because a protein kinase C inhibitor, 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), and an inhibitor of various protein kinases, staurosporine, had little or no effect on cercarial tail loss induced by linoleate at 3 mM.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Genomic structure of the ME491/CD63 antigen gene and functional analysis of the 5'-flanking regulatory sequences.

Genomic structure of the ME491/CD63 antigen gene and promoter activity of the 5'-flanking regulatory sequences were studied. The antigen gene consists of eight exons that span 4 kilobase-pairs. Primer extension analysis with RNA from cultured human cells identified three major transcription initiation sites. The 5'-flanking region of exon 1 has features characteristic to promoters of many house-keeping genes and growth-regulating genes. The region is highly GC rich and contains potential binding sites for transcription factors such as Sp1 and ETF, but not a TATA box. The 5'-flanking sequence exerted strong promoter activity when linked to a reporter gene. Deletion mutant analysis of the 5'-flanking sequence has strongly suggested that a potential binding site for AP-1 plays an important role in positively regulating the gene expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Clinical and pathological evaluations of methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin chemotherapy for advanced urothelial cancers.

We have treated advanced transitional-cell carcinoma of the urothelial tract with methotrexate, vinblastine, Adriamycin, and cisplatin (M-VAC) chemotherapy since July of 1985. We analyzed the effect of that chemotherapy in 26 patients with advanced urothelial cancer who were treated in our hospital and followed up. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 15 patients with distant metastases. In all, 11 of them received M-VAC as adjuvant chemotherapy for metastatic lesions after surgical removal of the primary lesion, and the remaining 4 patients were not operable since they had very advanced-stage tumors; they received only M-VAC chemotherapy. Group 2 contained 11 patients who received M-VAC neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. In group 1, the overall response rate was 57.1% and the mean duration of response was 12.6 months. In the 11 patients who had received M-VAC as adjuvant therapy after surgical removal of the primary tumor, the mean duration of response was 14.1 months. After M-VAC chemotherapy, six patients underwent surgical resection of metastatic lesions and restaging was done pathologically in these cases. The clinical response coincided with the pathological response in all six cases. In group 2, 5 of 11 patients experienced histological downstaging of the resected bladder. M-VAC chemotherapy combined with surgical resection of residual tumors has proved to be an effective option against advanced urothelial cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cytomegalic inclusion disease presenting acute intrahepatic cholestasis.

An 83-year-old man suffering from pulmonary emphysema was admitted to our hospital because of jaundice. He was diagnosed as acute intrahepatic cholestasis but the etiology could not be determined during the treatment period. In spite of treatment, the jaundice worsened progressively without any elevation in serum transaminase, and he died of respiratory failure 58 days later. An autopsy revealed a generalized cytomegalic inclusion disease, predominantly in the biliary tracts, liver and lungs. This is a rare case of cytomegalic inclusion disease presenting acute intrahepatic cholestasis without any elevation of transaminase during the clinical course.

Acute Disease↗