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Biomedical subjects

J Hanai

Publications and source records attributed to J Hanai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Contribution of HPLC mass screening for neuroblastoma to a decrease in mortality.

The aim of this study is the estimation of the contribution of HPLC mass screening for neuroblastoma to the decrease in deaths due to this disease. The mortality rates of malignant neoplasms of the adrenal glands (ICD 9, 1940; ICD 10, C74; virtually all the cases of these codes are neuroblastoma during childhood) at 1-4 years of age in cohorts born in 1979-1984, 1985-1988, and 1989-1992 in the whole of Japan were calculated, using data obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The numbers of infants screened by HPLC in the cohorts were estimated through the reports of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the database of the Japanese Society for Mass-screening. The mortality of the cohort born in 1989-1992, in which 77.8% of the live births were screened by HPLC, was 1.73 per 100,000 live births. This is about half of that (3.26) of the cohort born in 1979-1984, in which few infants were screened. On the assumption that cases of the 1985-1988 and 1989-1992 cohorts died according to the mortality rate of the 1979-1984 cohort, the expected numbers of deaths were estimated; that for the 1985-1988 cohort was 178.51 (of them, that for the infants screened by HPLC was 39.65), and that for the 1989-1992 cohort was 159.78 (of them, that for the infants screened by HPLC was 124.33). The observed numbers of deaths were 145 and 85, respectively. Assuming that non-HPLC methods have no effects and using 2 unknown quantities x (contribution of HPLC) and y (other factors), simultaneous equations (1) 178.51 - 39.65x - 178.51y = 145 and (2) 159.78 - 124.33x - 159.78y = 85 were made. Solving them, x = 0.5041 and y = 0.0757 were obtained. In conclusion HPLC screening targeting infants aged 6 months reduces death of adrenal neuroblastomas at 1-4 years of age by about 50%.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Lymphoproliferative disorders in renal transplant patients in Japan.

Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PT-LPD) are characterized by a clinically and morphologically heterogeneous group of lymphoid proliferation occurring after organ or bone marrow transplantation. The immunodeficient state provides a basis for lymphomagenesis probably through activation of oncogenic viruses. Twenty-four patients in whom PT-LPD developed after renal transplantation in Japan were analyzed. They received hemodialysis for 4 to 226 (median 13) months before transplantation. In situ hybridization was performed to detect Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization with primers in the tax and pol regions of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) were performed on DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded specimens. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 12 cases were B-cell type, 10 cases (42%) T-cell type and 2 NK-cell type. Five of the T-cell cases were classified as adult T-cell lymphoma with proven HTLV-1 genome in the tumor and seropositivity for the virus. These cases were classified as adult T-cell lymphoma (ALT). More than 80% of B-cell, 30% of T-cell and both NK/T-cell lymphomas were EBV-positive. Co-infection of EBV and HTLV-1 was found in 2 cases with ATL. These findings showed that ATL is common among Japanese renal transplant patients, which might be due to transmission of HTLV-1 via blood transfusion during hemodialysis.

Adolescent↗

Expression of Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels, SK3, in the interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastrointestinal tract.

A role for small-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (SK) channels on spontaneous motility of the gastrointestinal tract has been suggested. Although four subtypes of SK channels were identified in mammalian tissues, the subtypes of SK channel expressed in the gastrointestinal tract are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression and localization of SK channels in the gastrointestinal tract. RT-PCR analysis shows expression of SK3 and SK4 mRNA, but not SK1 or SK2 mRNA, in the rat intestine. SK3 immunoreactivity was detected in the myenteric plexus and muscular layers of the stomach, ileum, and colon. SK3-immunoreactive cells were stained with antibody for c-kit, a marker for the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), but not with that for glial fibrillary acidic protein in the ileum and stomach. Immunoelectron microscopic analysis indicates that SK3 channels are localized on processes of ICC that are located close to the myenteric plexus between the longitudinal and circular muscle layers and within the muscular layers. Because ICC have been identified as pacemaker cells and are known to play a major role in generating the regular motility of the gastrointestinal tract, these results suggest that SK3 channels, which are expressed specifically in ICC, play an important role in generating a rhythmic pacemaker current in the gastrointestinal tract.

Animals↗

The use of an osseointegrated implant for orthodontic anchorage to a Class II Div 1 malocclusion.

This case report describes the use of an osseointegrated implant to maximize anchorage in a 24-year-old female orthodontic patient with an Angle Class II, Division 1 malocclusion. Preadjusted edgewise appliance therapy was performed by extraction of only the maxillary first premolars. The osseointegrated implant was placed in the median-sagittal region of the hard palate for maximum orthodontic anchorage and connected to maxillary first molar bands via a transpalatal arch. Total treatment time was 2 years and 8 months. Cephalometric superimposition revealed the achievement of maximum molar anchorage in the maxilla, resulting in satisfactory occlusal and facial improvements. Histological analysis of the implant-bone interface demonstrated that the fixture was successfully osseointegrated. In conclusion, the osseointegrated implant placed in the median-sagittal palate was shown to be an effective orthodontic system that can be used clinically as a rigid intraoral anchorage.

Adult↗

A RUNX2/PEBP2alpha A/CBFA1 mutation displaying impaired transactivation and Smad interaction in cleidocranial dysplasia.

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), an autosomal-dominant human bone disease, is thought to be caused by heterozygous mutations in runt-related gene 2 (RUNX2)/polyomavirus enhancer binding protein 2alphaA (PEBP2alphaA)/core-binding factor A1 (CBFA1). To understand the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of CCD, we studied a novel mutant of RUNX2, CCDalphaA376, originally identified in a CCD patient. The nonsense mutation, which resulted in a truncated RUNX2 protein, severely impaired RUNX2 transactivation activity. We show that signal transducers of transforming growth factor beta superfamily receptors, Smads, interact with RUNX2 in vivo and in vitro and enhance the transactivation ability of this factor. The truncated RUNX2 protein failed to interact with and respond to Smads and was unable to induce the osteoblast-like phenotype in C2C12 myoblasts on stimulation by bone morphogenetic protein. Therefore, the pathogenesis of CCD may be related to the impaired Smad signaling of transforming growth factor beta/bone morphogenetic protein pathways that target the activity of RUNX2 during bone formation.

3T3 Cells↗

A case of breast cancer diagnosed by inguinal lymph node metastasis.

We describe a case of a 58-year-old woman with right inguinal lymph node swelling and a T1 tumor in the right breast. She was referred with an 18-month history of the former complaint and a six-month history of the latter. Excisional biopsy of the inguinal lymph node revealed breast cancer metastasis. Radiographical examination showed no metastases to the lungs, liver or bone. Modified radical mastectomy was performed. Histological examination revealed solid tubular carcinoma, PT2, PM (axillary lymph node metastases 4/16), stage IV. Estrogen and progesterone receptors were negative. Three cycles of postoperative cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and 5-fluorouracil (CAF) chemotherapy were given, and the right inguinal area was irradiated with 40 Gy. The patient complained of swelling in both legs three years after surgery. Computed tomography revealed marked lymph node swellings in the pelvic cavity. She died six months later. Inguinal lymph node metastasis from breast cancer is very rare, although distant lymph node metastasis in the cervix occurs frequently. This case should help clarify how breast cancer metastasizes to distant lymph nodes.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Multiple inflammatory pseudotumors mimicking liver metastasis from colon cancer: report of a case.

A 54-year-old man underwent an operation for colon cancer histologically diagnosed as moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with clinical staging of Dukes C. He was prescribed carmofur for adjuvant chemotherapy. A follow-up computed tomography scan done 6 months later revealed two new low-density areas in the liver. A diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma from the previous colon cancer was presumed, based on the patient's history and radiological findings, and resection of the affected area of liver was performed. Histological examination of these tumors revealed that they were inflammatory pseudotumors (IPT). The patient had an excellent postoperative course and has shown no further signs of recurrence in the 3 years since his last operation. IPT of the liver is a rare disease, for which no methods of diagnosis and treatment have been established, since it is difficult to distinguish IPT from hepatocellular carcinoma or metastatic carcinoma. We describe this case with a review of the 101 cases of IPT documented in the Japanese literature, in the hope that it will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of this unusual disease entity.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Schnurri interacts with Mad in a Dpp-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Decapentaplegic (Dpp) is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily. Dpp governs various developmental processes in Drosophila through the transcriptional regulation of a variety of genes. Signals of Dpp are transmitted from the cell membrane to the nucleus by Medea and Mad, both belonging to the Smad protein family. Mad was shown to bind to the Dpp-responsive element in genes such as vestigial, labial, and Ultrabithorax. The DNA binding affinity of Smad proteins is relatively low, and requires other nuclear factor(s) to form stable DNA binding complexes. schnurri (shn) was identified as a candidate gene acting downstream of Dpp receptors, but its relevance to Mad has remained unknown. RESULTS: We characterized the biochemical functions of Shn. Shn forms homo-oligomers. Shn is localized in the nucleus, and is likely to have multiple nuclear localizing signals. Finally, we found that Shn interacts with Mad in a Dpp-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: The present results argue that Shn may act as a nuclear component of the Dpp signalling pathway through direct interaction with Mad.

Animals↗

[Changes in MR imaging appearance of breast cancer after intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the characteristic change in breast cancer related to chemotherapeutic response (CR) and the effect of invasion and toxicity in the skin and pectoralis muscle exist on MR imaging after intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy. A total of 11 patients with histologically proven breast cancer underwent MR study before and after chemotherapy. Changes in images and the dynamic curve-after-chemotherapy were evaluated, including time to maximum signal intensity (SI) and the early phase enhance ratio (EPER) in the tumor. In the tumor, changes in the dynamic curve, time to maximum SI, EPER and necrosis did not correlate with CR, but change in SI on T2-weighted images was suggested to do so. Changes in the dynamic curve and images in the pectoralis muscle and in images on the skin were suggested to correlate with CR. In addition, images changed for the worse in many cases of invasion and toxicity in the pectoralis muscle and in some cases of invasion in the skin. In conclusion, tumors had fewer imaging changes correlating with CR after intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy. Changes for the worse in images of the pectoralis muscle and skin may be useful for the evaluation of invasion.

Adult↗

c-Ski acts as a transcriptional co-repressor in transforming growth factor-beta signaling through interaction with smads.

Smads are intracellular signaling mediators of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily that regulates a wide variety of biological processes. Among them, Smads 2 and 3 are activated specifically by TGF-beta. We identified c-Ski as a Smad2 interacting protein. c-Ski is the cellular homologue of the v-ski oncogene product and has been shown to repress transcription by recruiting histone deacetylase (HDAC). Smad2/3 interacts with c-Ski through its C-terminal MH2 domain in a TGF-beta-dependent manner. c-Ski contains two distinct Smad-binding sites with different binding properties. c-Ski strongly inhibits transactivation of various reporter genes by TGF-beta. c-Ski is incorporated in the Smad DNA binding complex, interferes with the interaction of Smad3 with a transcriptional co-activator, p300, and in turn recruits HDAC. c-Ski is thus a transcriptional co-repressor that links Smads to HDAC in TGF-beta signaling.

Acetyltransferases↗

Interaction and functional cooperation of PEBP2/CBF with Smads. Synergistic induction of the immunoglobulin germline Calpha promoter.

Smads are signal transducers for members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. Upon ligand stimulation, receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads) are phosphorylated by serine/threonine kinase receptors, form complexes with common-partner Smad, and translocate into the nucleus, where they regulate the transcription of target genes together with other transcription factors. Polyomavirus enhancer binding protein 2/core binding factor (PEBP2/CBF) is a transcription factor complex composed of alpha and beta subunits. The alpha subunits of PEBP2/CBF, which contain the highly conserved Runt domain, play essential roles in hematopoiesis and osteogenesis. Here we show that three mammalian alpha subunits of PEBP2/CBF form complexes with R-Smads that act in TGF-beta/activin pathways as well as those acting in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathways. Among them, PEBP2alphaC/CBFA3/AML2 forms a complex with Smad3 and stimulates transcription of the germline Ig Calpha promoter in a cooperative manner, for which binding of both factors to their specific binding sites is essential. PEBP2 may thus be a nuclear target of TGF-beta/BMP signaling.

Activin Receptors, Type I↗

E1A inhibits transforming growth factor-beta signaling through binding to Smad proteins.

Smads form a recently identified family of proteins that mediate intracellular signaling of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily. Smads bind to DNA and act as transcriptional regulators. Smads interact with a variety of transcription factors, and the interaction is likely to determine the target specificity of gene induction. Smads also associate with transcriptional coactivators such as p300 and CBP. E1A, an adenoviral oncoprotein, inhibits TGF-beta-induced transactivation, and the ability of E1A to bind p300/CBP is required for the inhibition. Here we determined the Smad interaction domain (SID) in p300 and found that two adjacent regions are required for the interaction. One of the regions is the C/H3 domain conserved between p300 and CBP, and the other is a nonconserved region. p300 mutants containing SID inhibit transactivation by TGF-beta in a dose-dependent manner. E1A inhibits the interaction of Smad3 with a p300 mutant that contains SID but lacks the E1A binding domain. We found that E1A interacts specifically with receptor-regulated Smads, suggesting a novel mechanism whereby E1A antagonizes TGF-beta signaling.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

Renal neoplasias in patients receiving dialysis and renal transplantation: clinico-pathological features and p53 gene mutations.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, the relative risk for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in renal transplants was about 80-fold higher than that in the general population. Depressed immune surveillance due to the use of immunosuppressive agents was considered to cause cancer. Before renal transplantation, a vast majority of patients received hemodialysis, a known causative factor for acquired cystic disease of kidney (ACDK). Because ACDK is also considered to predispose to RCC, at least two risk factors for cancer accumulate in renal transplants. METHODS: In our study, clinicopathological features together with p53 gene mutations were analyzed in 218 patients with RCC: 22 received dialysis followed by renal transplantation, 39 received dialysis alone, and 157 sporadic RCC. P53 mutations were analyzed on DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded specimens with use of single strand conformation polymorphism, followed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: RCC in transplants shared several clinicopathological features with those in dialysis patients, which included small size and multiplicity of tumor, relatively high frequency of presence of ACDK, and papillary type of RCC. p53 gene mutations were infrequent in RCC of any clinical setting. CONCLUSIONS: Atrophic kidney at the end-stage of renal failure and under dialysis have lesions of ACDK that might predispose to RCC in dialysis and transplant patients.

Adult↗

Intracellular signaling of the TGF-beta superfamily by Smad proteins.

TGF-beta is a potent inhibitor of cell growth, and accumulating evidence suggests that perturbation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway leads to tumorigenesis. Smads are recently identified proteins that mediate intracellular signaling of the TGF-beta superfamily. Smads 2 and 3 are phosphorylated by the TGF-beta type I receptor. Smad4 was originally identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in pancreatic cancers. Smads 2 and 3 form complexes with Smad4 upon TGF-beta stimulation. The heteromeric Smad complexes translocate into the nucleus, where they activate expression of target genes. Our recent study demonstrated that Smads exist as monomers in the absence of TGF-beta. Smads 2 and 3 form homo- as well as hetero-oligomers with Smad4 upon ligand stimulation. Both homo-oligomers and hetero-oligomers directly bind to DNA, suggesting that the signaling pathway of Smads may be multiplex. Smads 2 and 3 associate with transcriptional coactivators such as p300 in a ligand-dependent manner, p300 enhances transactivation by TGF-beta, suggesting that coactivators link Smads to the basal transcriptional machinery. A missense mutation of Smad2 identified in colorectal and lung cancers was introduced to Smad3. The mutant, Smad3(DE), blocked the activation of wild-type Smad2 and Smad3. Thus, the missense mutation not only disrupts the function of the wild-type Smad but also creates a dominant-negative Smad, which could actively contribute to oncogenesis.

Animals↗

[Phyllodes tumor of the breast with cystic portion: MR imaging with histopathological correlation].

The purpose of this study was to reassess the MR imaging appearance and significance of dynamic MR imaging in phyllodes tumor with cystic portion. MR imaging in four patients with surgically proven phyllodes tumor was reviewed both radiologically and histopathologically. In all cases, T2WI showed inhomogeneous signal intensity with a hypointense area and internal septation in the solid portion. At histopathological examination, collagenous fibers and hemorrhage were seen in the area corresponding to hypointensity in the solid portion on T2WI. In the dynamic study, three cases showed the gradual type and one the rapid type. The percentage of cystic portion in the gradual type was over 30%, and in the rapid type, 6%. Cases of the gradual type, histopathologically, showed apparent hemorrhage, necrosis, cystic dilatation of the duct, sclerotic change, and a less densely stromal component than the rapid type. In conclusion, we speculate that the dynamic pattern may reflect changes in tumor angiogenesis that do not correlate with either malignancy or benignancy. On T2WI, internal septation and a hypointense area are considered useful for diagnosis.

Adult↗

International cooperation in neonatal screening: technical training course for newborn and infant screening.

We report the outline and results of our experience with a group training course of neonatal screening for health care professionals in developing countries. Sapporo City Institute of Public Health (SCIPH) has been offered a training course on neonatal screening once a year since 1991 under the Technical Training Program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The aims of this training course are to enhance the participants' technical knowledge and skills, and also to deepen their understanding of the principle of neonatal screening as well as the relevant diseases. Lectures and laboratory practice on phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital hypothyroidism (CH), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and neuroblastoma are included in the 3-month program. After the completion of the training, participants are expected to play a major role in establishing and expanding neonatal screening system in each of their countries. We have received a total of 67 participants from 25 countries until March 1998: 58 pediatricians; 2 gynecologists; 6 biochemists; 1 administrative officer. After they returned to their countries, 11 engaged in neonatal screening and started PKU and CH screening in their institute, city or province in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Thailand. We believe that these results fulfilled our objectives. Also, for follow-up, SCIPH has been giving information and consultation to the participants on requests. This international cooperation network could also benefit our present network of the International Society Screening in the future.

Developing Countries↗