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Biomedical subjects

I Kato

Publications and source records attributed to I Kato.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources

Causes of death in the elderly and their changing pattern in Hisayama, a Japanese community. Results from a long-term and autopsy-based study.

The causes of death for the elderly were prospectively studied in Hisayama, Japan, a rural community. We compared 1,621 subjects, aged 40 years or over, recruited in 1961, and 2,053 subjects recruited in 1974. Each cohort was studied in a follow-up that lasted 10 years; they had autopsy rates of 82.1% and 86.1% during each 10-year period, respectively. The most common causes of death for those aged 70 years or over were cerebrovascular disease, malignant neoplasms, and pneumonia. Deaths due to cerebrovascular disease tended to decrease in the recent cohort, but the proportion of decline was more prominent in cases aged 40 to 69 years. There was a sex difference in the changing pattern of mortality from heart diseases including ischemic heart disease. Deaths by both heart diseases and ischemic heart disease increased in the more recent cohort of aged women, whereas they decreased in the aged men. Pneumonia was an important cause of death for the elderly in both cohorts. Deaths due to "senility" were rare, being only 1% of the deceased aged 70 or over. With prolonged lifespan, especially for women, the impact of atherosclerosis and its related disorders on the recent Japanese aged population appears to have increased.

Adult↗

Cathepsins B, H and L activities in gingival crevicular fluid from chronic adult periodontitis patients and experimental gingivitis subjects.

To clarify roles of lysosomal cysteine proteinases cathepsins B, H and L in pathological destructive process of periodontal tissues, levels of their enzymatic activities were determined in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from chronic adult periodontitis patients and from experimental gingivitis subjects. In periodontitis patients, higher levels of cathepsins B, H and L activities were found at sites with more serious signs of the disease activity. The total activity of each enzyme (per unit time) was positively correlated with the GCF volume. However, it had little or no correlation with the probing depth (PD). In contrast, the specific activity of each enzyme in GCF (activity units per mg protein), which reflects the selectivity of enzyme exudation, was negatively correlated with the GCF volume. These results suggest that the cysteine proteinases are selectively released into gingival crevices at a relatively mild stage of periodontitis. In experimental gingivitis subjects, no significant activity of each enzyme was detected in GCF, even when the quantity of GCF was comparable to that from periodontitis patients. These data suggest that no significant amounts of these enzymes are released at experimental gingivitis sites or that a homeostatic mechanism, including regulation by protease inhibitors, may control activities of these enzymes in GCF with acute inflammation.

Adult↗

Granulocyte medullasin levels in gingival crevicular fluid from chronic adult periodontitis patients and experimental gingivitis subjects.

The concentration of medullasin, an elastase-like serine proteinase, in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from chronic adult periodontitis patients and experimental gingivitis subjects was determined by the highly sensitive immunoassay method. In periodontitis patients, the medullasin content increased with increase of the GCF volume and then attained a maximum value at a relatively mildly inflamed stage. The value was maintained through more serious stages of disease activity. However, the medullasin content was independent of the probing depth. The medullasin content of the patients was markedly decreased after periodontal treatment, indicating that the enzyme participates in the development of the chronic periodontitis. Large amounts of medullasin were also detected in GCF from experimental gingivitis subjects, although it was not detected by the activity measurements. There was a rapid increase in the medullasin content during the 4-day period after abstention from oral hygiene measures, which corresponded to those of severely inflamed periodontitis patients. The peak value decreased up to the 7th-d followed by a gradual increase during the 21-d experimental period. The increased medullasin level rapidly decreased following resumption of oral hygiene measures. The results suggest that medullasin plays important roles both in the defence mechanism against the gingival inflammation and in the development of the acute inflammation.

Adult↗

Stimulatory effect of staphylococcal leukocidin on phosphoinositide metabolism in rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

When rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were incubated with staphylococcal leukocidin (F and S components) in the presence of 32Pi at 37 degrees C, incorporation of 32Pi into phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) occurred after a lag phase of 10 s and reached a maximal level at 60 s of 50- and 30-fold increase, respectively, compared with that of the control in the absence of the toxin. Whereas the amount of 32P radioactivity incorporated in PIP and PIP2 decreased to control levels in a few minutes, 32P incorporation into phosphatidic acid (PA) continuously increased over 3 min. These findings suggested an early activation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in rabbit PMNs by leukocidin as shown by the rapid breakdown of PIP and PIP2 accompanied by the appearance of PA. The stimulatory effect of leukocidin on some enzymatic activities of the phosphatidylinositol pathway was further investigated by using PMN cell membrane preparations. In the presence of both the F and S components, enhanced 32P incorporation was observed not only in PIP2 and PA but also in PIP. While the F component mainly enhanced 32P incorporation into PIP2 and PA, the S component alone had no effect on 32P incorporation into PIP, PIP2, and PA. The F component alone enhanced conversion of PIP to [32P]PIP2 in the presence of unlabeled PIP and [gamma-32P]ATP, through the activation of PIP kinase. PIP kinase activity was potentiated by the addition of NAD and GTP. Subsequent formation of [32P]PA was also enhanced by the F component, resulting from activation of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C. These results suggested that the F component of staphylococcal leukocidin is responsible for the enhancement of phosphoinositide metabolism in rabbit PMN cell membranes.

Animals↗

Detection of serum antibody by the antimitogen assay against streptococcal erythrogenic toxins. Age distribution in children and the relation to Kawasaki disease.

We describe a new method to measure human serum antibody against streptococcal erythrogenic toxins that uses inhibition of lymphocyte mitogenicity of the toxins as the indicator. Sera from 53% of 53 Kawasaki disease patients contained specific inhibitory activity against A toxin, whereas only 15% had serum inhibitory activity against B toxin. The specific anti-A toxin serum inhibitor was found in 10% of 118 age-matched control patients suffering from various infections and allergic diseases (p = 0.001, compared to Kawasaki disease patients). Serum inhibitory activity was detected in a small number of patients with beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection (3/19) and in none of the age-matched healthy children (0/17). However, four of seven cord blood sera samples and five of 13 sera samples from healthy neonates contained the inhibitor, a result suggesting passive transfer from mothers. Most of the antimitogen-positive sera were also positive by ELISA of IgG antibody against A toxin, and IgG fractions of the positive sera remained positive in both assays. Thus, it is possible that the specific serum inhibitor detected by the antimitogen assay represents anti-A toxin antibody. The role of toxin-producing bacteria in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease remains to be investigated.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

[Migrant population life style and health status characteristics].

To clarify migrant population characteristics, we examined the relationship between out-migration from study areas during a 3 year follow-up period and health status, life style, and socioeconomic factors obtained at the initial baseline survey in a cohort study involving 15, 493 males and 17,440 females. Characteristics of inter-prefectural out-migrants were summarized as follows: 1) A significantly higher proportion of inter-prefectural out-migrants were employees of relatively large companies, family members of these employees, white collar workers in the case of males, and housewives in the case of females. 2) Inter-prefectural out-migrants had relatively good health status and high participation in cancer screening tests. 3) The dietary habits of inter-prefectural out-migrants were more westernized and well-balanced. 4) Male inter-prefectural out-migrants had a higher proportion of heavy smokers and daily drinkers, while females had lower proportion of smokers and drinkers. When comparing in-migrants to out-migrants, the characteristics were similar for males, but opposite for females.

Adult↗

[Estimation of trends in cancer incidence in a population-based cancer registry].

To evaluate trends in cancer incidence adjusted for completeness of registration in a population-based cancer registry, we analyzed the data of incidence and mortality in the Aichi Cancer Registry from 1979 to 1986 and recalculated age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs) at the lowest completeness of registration through the study period by excluding reported cases from the registration randomly. The results were as follows: 1) The AAIRs for male stomach cancer and rectal cancer in both sexes, which did not decrease or rather increased using the original incidence figures, showed a clear decrease after adjustment. 2) The AAIRs for female stomach and uterine cancers, which also showed decreases in the original incidence, showed more marked decreases. 3) The marked increases observed for the AAIRs for colon and breast cancers in the original incidence were attenuated by about 50%. 4) The AAIRs for liver and lung cancers were also affected somewhat by the adjustment for completeness of registration. 5) Trends in the AAIRs after adjusting for completeness of registration were virtually the same as those for age-adjusted mortality rates.

Female↗

[Comparative case-control analysis of gastric and duodenal ulcers].

A case-control analysis was conducted comparing gastric and duodenal ulcers involving 369 cases with gastric ulcer, 127 cases with duodenal ulcer an 3,104 control subjects based on a questionnaire survey of subjects who received gastroscopic examination at the Aichi Cancer Center Hospital from April, 1985 to March, 1989. Risk of gastric ulcer was positively associated with smoking (relative risk (RR) = 3.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.63-5.13), irregular time of meals (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06-1.81) and milk intake (RR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.25-2.04) and inversely associated with fruit intake (RR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57-0.95), while the risk of duodenal ulcer was positively associated with smoking (RR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.16-3.26), a preference for foods that are not rich (RR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.03-2.32), intake of pickled vegetables (RR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.21-2.55) and presence of methods of diversion (RR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.16-2.71). These results suggest that life style is involved in the etiology of both diseases and that there are some differences in the associations between both diseases.

Adult↗

Lung cancer prognostic factors from the Aichi Cancer Registry.

Lung cancer prognostic factors have been evaluated on the basis of three-year survival rates for 2,830 lung cancer patients diagnosed between 1983 and 1986 and reported to the Aichi Cancer Registry. In the univariate analyses, the former in each pair of following factors showed a significantly better prognosis than the latter: early vs. late stage of disease, surgically-treated vs. non-surgically-treated cases, adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma vs. large cell and small cell carcinoma, cases detected by screening vs. others, young vs. old patients, females vs. males, non-smokers vs. smokers. The association of prognosis with these factors, other than smoking and histological type, remained statistically significant throughout multivariate analysis. When analyzed according to histological type, disease stage was the most important prognostic factor, across all histological types, and surgery was the second most important prognostic factor, except in cases of small cell carcinoma. Sex and method of detection were significantly associated with survival rates in adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma, and the association with smoking was of borderline significance for adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Descriptive epidemiology of subsites of cancers of the liver, biliary tract and pancreas in Japan.

Recent time trends (1979-1987) and geographical distributions in mortalities from subsites of cancers of the hepato-biliary-pancreatic system have been investigated on the basis of the vital statistics of Japan. The corrected age-adjusted mortality rates (CAAMRs) were calculated to eliminate the influence of the proportion of subsite-unknown cancers. During the above period, the CAAMR for intrahepatic bile duct cancer increased by a relatively high extent (2.0-fold in males and 1.67-fold in females), and those for cancers of the gallbladder, extrahepatic bile duct and pancreas (head and other parts) increased to a moderate extent (1.2-1.4-fold). The CAAMR for primary liver cancer showed an increasing trend in males and a decreasing trend in females. The CAAMR for cancer of the ampulla Vater changed little during the period. A clear cluster of prefectures with high CAAMRs was observed in the northern part of Japan for cancers of the extrahepatic bile duct and pancreatic head. Clusters of prefectures with high CAAMRs for cancer of the gallbladder and ampulla Vater were observed in the mid-northern part of Japan, especially on the Japan Sea side. The CAAMR for primary liver cancer was high in the Island of Kyushu and some western parts of Japan, and low in the northern part of Honshu Island. No clear clusters of prefectures with high CAAMRs were observed for cancers of the intrahepatic bile duct and pancreas, other than for the pancreatic head.

Age Factors↗

[A 38-year-old survivor with complete transposition of the great arteries].

A 38-year-old woman with complete transposition of the great arteries (CTGA) was reported. She was admitted to Ehime University Hospital because of dyspnea on effort. She was diagnosed as CTGA with large ventricular septal defect (VSD) and pulmonary stenosis (PS) by magnetic resonance imaging. Survivors above 30 years of age are very rare in CTGA. The reason why this patient is still alive at the age of 38 seems to be due to PS that decreases pulmonary vascular resistance and VSD that mixes blood gas appropriately in the ventricle.

Adult↗

Rapid, simple enzymatic assay of free L-fucose in serum and urine, and its use as a marker for cancer, cirrhosis, and gastric ulcers.

We devised a kit for use with automated analyzers, for assay of urinary free L-fucose by means of a newly isolated L-fucose dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.122), and we measured L-fucose in healthy subjects, cancer patients, and patients with other diseases. It takes 10 min to complete one assay. Absorbance and L-fucose concentration were linearly related up to at least 3.0 mmol/L, analytical recovery was 90-104%, and intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were less than 4.2% and 7.8%, respectively. The concentrations of L-fucose, corrected for creatinine, were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects in nine of 18 patients with gastric ulcers, 19 of 21 patients with cirrhosis of the liver, and 206 of 366 patients with some type of cancer, reflecting a changed L-fucose metabolism. Because urine specimens are analyzed and the test is rapid and inexpensive, this method may be suitable for mass screening for some kinds of cancer, cirrhosis, and gastric ulcers.

Adult↗