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Biomedical subjects

Jiro Numaga

Publications and source records attributed to Jiro Numaga.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Intraocular metabolites of isopropyl unoprostone.

PURPOSE: It is still unknown which metabolite of isopropyl unoprostone is responsible for reducing intraocular pressure. This study was carried out to measure intraocular metabolites of isopropyl unoprostone in the aqueous humor of primate and human eyes. METHODS: Nine monkeys were randomly divided into three groups, all of which received isopropyl unoprostone. In group I, the drug was scheduled to be instilled at 0 hr, in group II at 1 hr, and in group III at 2 hr, prior to aqueous humor aspiration in order to determine metabolite concentration. Furthermore, 27 patients scheduled for cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation were divided into five groups that received isopropyl unoprostone. In group A, the drug was scheduled to be instilled at 0 hr, in group B at 1 hr, in group C at 2 hr, in group D at 3 hr, and in group E at 4 hr, prior to surgery. At the beginning of the operation, the aqueous humor was aspirated. Metabolites of isopropyl unoprostone in the aqueous humor were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: M1 (3-[(1R,2R,3R,5S)-3,5-dihydroxy-2-(3-oxodecyl)cyclopentyl]propionic acid) (unoprostone free acid) and M2 ((Z)-7-[(1R,2R,3R,5S)-3,5-dihydroxy-2-(3-oxodecyl)cyclopentyl]hept-5-enoic acid), an intraocular oxidized metabolite of isopropyl unoprostone, were measured. M1:M2 in monkeys was respectively 0:0 ng/ml in group I, 150.2 +/- 45.1:9.5 +/- 1.7 (p < 0.05) in group II, and 74.6 +/- 31.4:19.2 +/- 5.3 (p < 0.01) in group III. M1:M2 in humans was respectively 0:0 ng/ml in group A, 50.6 +/- 22.3:3.2 +/- 1.3 (p < 0.05) in group B, 125.0 +/- 23.1:12.2 +/- 3.4 (p < 0.001) in group C, 144.9 +/- 33.8:24.5 +/- 6.2 (p < 0.01) in group D, and 56.7 +/- 21.5:18.7 +/- 5.3 (p < 0.05) in group E. CONCLUSIONS: A free acid of isopropyl unoprostone is the major intraocular metabolite of isopropyl unoprostone that is expected to act on target tissues in the eyes of both monkeys and humans.

Aged↗

Relationship between anterior capsule contraction and posterior capsule opacification after cataract surgery in patients with diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the relationship between contraction of the anterior capsule opening and posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery in patients with diabetes mellitus. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Kaiya Eye Clinic, Hamamatsu, and Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaragi, Japan. METHODS: This study comprised 45 patients (45 eyes) with diabetes mellitus who had cataract surgery. In all eyes, the anterior capsule opening area and degree of PCO were determined by diaphanoscopy using an anterior eye segment analysis system (EAS-100, Nidek, Inc.) 1 day and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no correlation between the size of the anterior capsule opening area 1 day after surgery and the degree of PCO 1 year after surgery (Pearson correlation coefficient [r] = 0.041; P =.79). The percentage reduction in the anterior capsule opening area from 1 day to 1 year after surgery did not correlate with the degree of PCO 1 year after surgery (r = -0.08; P =.60). CONCLUSION: Contraction of the anterior capsule opening and PCO after cataract surgery cannot be explained by a common mechanism.

Aged↗

Comparison of patients with Behçet's disease in the 1980s and 1990s.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical findings in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) seen in 2 different decades (1980s and 1990s) to determine if there has been a shift toward the appearance of less severe disease. DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred forty patients with uveitis caused by BD who had their first visit and at least a 4-month follow-up at the uveitis clinic of University of Tokyo Hospital between January 1980 and December 1999 were enrolled. METHODS: Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the date of the first visit. The clinical profiles were then compared between the 1980s group (133 patients, observed for 33.5+/-26.4 months) and the 1990s group (107 patients, observed for 46.9+/-32.6 months). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of ocular attacks per year, visual outcomes, and the percentage of patients who had cyclosporine or cyclophosphamide therapy. RESULTS: Age of onset, type of inflammation, incidence of secondary glaucoma, and surgical history of glaucoma and cataract did not differ between the 1980s and the 1990s. Conversely, in patients in the 1990s, the number of ocular attacks per year and the percentage of patients with cyclosporine or cyclophosphamide therapy decreased significantly. Furthermore, the percentage of eyes with good visual acuity (VA) (?20/30) increased, and the percentage of eyes with poor VA (<20/200) decreased significantly at both the first and the last examinations. There was a trend for less bilateral disease and fewer genital ulcers in the 1990s as well. CONCLUSIONS: Through a study of Japanese patients, we confirmed that the clinical outcomes of BD, especially judging by the number of ocular attacks per year and VA, indeed improved during the 1990s.

Adolescent↗

Identification of subgenus C adenoviruses by fiber-based multiplex PCR.

Subgenus C human adenoviruses, which include serotypes 1, 2, 5, and 6, are often associated with respiratory illness, ocular infections, gastroenteritis, and systemic infection among immunocompromised patients. To address the problems associated with the conventional typing methods, we developed a fiber-based multiplex PCR assay for simple and specific identification of adenovirus type 1, 2, 5, and 6 field isolates. To design type-specific primers, adenovirus type 1 and 6 fiber genes were sequenced. The assay correctly identified prototype strains of adenovirus serotypes 1, 2, 5, 6, as well as 21 previously typed adenovirus field isolates. Mixing two different prototype DNAs produced two amplicons of different lengths, thus clearly distinguishing the prototypes. The results correlated 100% with serological tests and 95% with the previously described PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The detection of dual infection is an added benefit of the assay. No nonspecific amplification was detected with other adenovirus serotypes or with nonadenoviral DNA. Our fiber-based multiplex PCR assay will provide a convenient tool for type-specific identification of subgenus C adenovirus isolates in various clinical situations and in epidemiological investigations and is a better alternative than the hexon-based assay.

Adenoviridae↗

Effects of a new dexamethasone-delivery system (Surodex) on experimental intraocular inflammation models.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of a new biodegradable dexamethasone drug delivery system, Surodex, in two experimental intraocular inflammation models; endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) and experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU). METHODS: Surodex was inserted into the right anterior chambers (ACs) of rats. In the EIU experiment, protein concentration, cell infiltration, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the aqueous humor were measured 24 h after injection. Eyes were evaluated histopathologically. In the EAU experiment, firstly, Surodex was administered at various days after immunization. Then, Surodex was administered on day 9 and eyes were evaluated histopathologically. Intraocular cytokine levels (IFN-gamma and IL-4) were investigated. RESULTS: In the EIU experiments, eyes with Surodex exhibited significantly reduced inflammation compared with contralateral controls. Protein concentrations, cell infiltrations, as well as MPO activity were reduced. In the EAU experiments, all rats with Surodex given on days 0 or 7 showed no or significantly reduced inflammation in both eyes. Rats treated on day 12 developed reduced inflammation only in the treated eyes. IFN-gamma levels were significantly lower in the eyes with Surodex, whereas IL-4 was not detectable. CONCLUSIONS: This new, biodegradable corticosteroid drug-delivery system is highly effective in suppressing intraocular inflammation, and should be a useful tool to manage uveitis in humans.

Animals↗

Plasma and whole-blood chemokine levels in patients with Behcet's disease.

BACKGROUND: Chemokines are a family of chemoattractants of leukocytes that play a critical role for leukocyte recruitment in various inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate the involvement of chemokines, interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the peripheral blood, with a special reference to disease activities of the patients with Behçet's disease (BD). METHODS: The study population consisted of totally 55 patients with BD who had panuveitis (20 patients with active BD, 35 patients with inactive BD) as well as 19 healthy volunteers as control. Disease activity was defined according to the existence of ocular inflammation. IL-8 and MCP-1 concentration levels in the plasma and whole-blood samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Whole-blood samples were obtained by lysing cell membranes of peripheral blood cells. RESULTS: Most of the plasma IL-8 samples were below the detectable limit. Whole-blood IL-8 levels were readily measured. The levels in the patients with active BD were significantly higher than the other two groups. The patients with active and inactive BD showed higher plasma and whole-blood levels of MCP-1 than controls. The plasma and whole-blood MCP-1 levels of the samples collected at the same time showed a linear correlation. CONCLUSION: A close relationship was found to exist between the cell-associated IL-8 and the disease activity, while a persistent role of MCP-1 was observed in BD. Measuring the whole-blood levels of chemokines is useful for monitoring the disease activity.

Adolescent↗

Retinopathy in older patients with diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: We studied the effects of the age and/or disease duration in diabetics on the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: The population consisted of 3614 type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. The subjects were divided into three age groups (elderly, > or = 65 years old; middle-aged, 64-40 years old, and younger < 40 years old) for disease duration-adjusted comparison with and without DR and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Then, in 503 patients with 8-year follow-up data available, the frequency of development/progression of DR and the rate of progression to PDR were compared among the three groups. Thirdly, in the elderly patients, DR prevalence and the frequency of the development/progression of DR were compared between two groups with different diabetes duration (> or = 6 years and < or = 5 years). RESULTS: The prevalence of DR increased significantly with age (P < 0.001). The prevalence of PDR decreased significantly with age (P < 0.001). The overall frequency of the development and/or progression of DR increased significantly with age (P = 0.002); however, age was not related to the frequency of progression to PDR. In the patients with diabetes duration of 6-15 years, the frequency of the development/progression of DR and of progression to PDR after an 8-year follow up tended to decrease with age. Elderly patients with a diabetes duration of > or = 6 years showed significantly higher rate of prevalence of DR and frequency of development/progression of DR in an 8-year period than those with diabetes of a shorter duration (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: In elderly DM patients, the prevalence of DR was increased even in the short duration and development/progression rates of DR were increased, while the relative frequency of PDR was decreased. Older-onset DM patients appear to be at a lower risk for progression to PDR.

Adult↗

Risk factors for contraction of the anterior capsule opening after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To investigate the factors contributing to contraction of the anterior capsule opening (ACO) after cataract surgery in normal eyes. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo, School of Medicine, Tokyo, and Kaiya Eye Clinic, Hamamatsu, Japan. METHODS: This study included 141 eyes of 141 patients scheduled to have cataract surgery. The area of the ACO was determined by diaphanoscopy using the EAS-1000 anterior eye segment analysis system 1 day and 9 months postoperatively, after which the percentage reduction in the ACO area was calculated. Aqueous flare intensity was measured with a laser flare-cell meter 1 week and 9 months after surgery. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which factors were correlated with the percentage reduction in the ACO area. Variables tested included patient age, axial length, the ACO area on the first postoperative day, and flare values 1 week and 9 months after surgery. RESULTS: Patient age (r = 0.193, P =.029) and flare intensity 9 months after surgery (r = 0.255, P =.007) were significantly correlated with the percentage reduction in the ACO area (R(2) = 0.133). The axial length, ACO area 1 day postoperatively, and flare value at 1 week were not correlated with ACO contraction. CONCLUSION: Contraction of the ACO after cataract surgery is related to instability of the blood-aqueous barrier.

Adult↗

Case of optic nerve involvement in metastasis of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

BACKGROUND: The gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) belongs to the leiomyosarcoma or leiomyoma group, and metastasis of leiomyosarcoma to the orbit is extremely rare. The most common sign of the metastasis of leiomyosarcoma to the orbit is proptosis; the primary lesion is usually found in skin or soft tissue. CASE: A 60-year-old man, who had a history of multiple metastases of GIST, suffered sudden unilateral blindness. OBSERVATIONS: His history and computed tomographic scans suggested that the lesion was a metastasis of GIST to the cavernous sinus around the root of the optic nerve. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of metastasis of GIST to the orbit.

Fatal Outcome↗