Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Arai

Publications and source records attributed to K Arai.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions in hypertrophic and keloid scars.

Silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) have been widely used as a marker of cellular activity and proliferation. In a retrospective study, we investigated the potential value of AgNORs in 12 hypertrophic and 24 keloid scar tissues. Ten normal skin tissues served as controls. A standard silver-staining method was used, and the mean AgNOR count of dermal fibroblastic cells in each tissue was determined. In normal skin, the mean AgNOR count of dermal fibroblasts was 1.79+/-0.55, whereas fibroblastic cells in hypertrophic and keloid scars had mean AgNOR counts of 3.18+/-0.56 and 5.10+/-0.97, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean AgNOR counts of fibroblastic cells from normal skin, hypertrophic scar, and keloid scar [one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), p < 0.0001]. Our findings suggest that AgNOR count may be a useful marker for assessment of fibroblastic cell activity in hypertrophic and keloid scars, which may have potential value for histologic and biologic characterization of the two lesions.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

A comparative study of the vasodilator effects of prostaglandin E1 in patients with pulmonary hypertension after mitral valve replacement and with adult respiratory distress syndrome.

UNLABELLED: To determine whether the vasodilator effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) differ according to the etiology and pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension, we studied 30 patients with pulmonary hypertension after mitral valve replacement (MVR) (n = 16) or with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (n = 14). PGE1 was administered to decrease the mean pulmonary artery pressure to below 30 mm Hg in both groups. Cardiac index and oxygen delivery tended to increase, whereas mean systemic artery pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), and pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) significantly decreased in both groups. A vasodilatory index was defined in this study to allow evaluation of vasodilation relative to PGE1 dose: systemic vasodilatory index (VIs) = SVRI change/PGE1 dose; and pulmonary vasodilatory index (VIp) = PVRI change/PGE1 dose. The VIp was similar in both groups, but the VIs was significantly greater in the ARDS group compared with the MVR group (13.3 +/- 7.8 vs 4.8 +/- 5.1, P < 0.01). A good correlation was found between the pretreatment intrapulmonary shunt fraction (Qs/Qt [%]) value and PGE1 extraction rate in the lung (r = 0.60), and between the pretreatment Qs/Qt value and PGE1 concentration in the radial artery (r = 0.65) in an additional 15 patients. We conclude that the vasodilator effects of PGE1 on the pulmonary circulation are similar in the two groups, whereas the vasodilator effects on the systemic circulation are significantly greater in the ARDS group and that significant reduction in VIs in the ARDS group was associated with decreased PGE1 extraction in the lung. IMPLICATIONS: Pulmonary hypertension after mitral valve replacement, or with adult respiratory distress syndrome, is a major medical problem. The authors found that administration of prostaglandin E1 significantly dilated the pulmonary circulation with a concomitant decrease in pulmonary artery pressure. Because the systemic vasodilatory effect was greater in the adult respiratory distress syndrome group, the authors concluded that prostaglandin E1 concentrations in the systemic circulation depend on the severity of lung injury.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A case of eccrine poroma with multiple transepidermal elimination.

The skin functions to eliminate foreign substances through the epidermis to the epidermal surface; this process is called transepidermal elimination (TEE). TEE has been observed in various skin tumors. We encountered a 64-year-old male patient with eccrine poroma with marked TEE. A dark brown nodular papule appeared on the anterior aspect of his right leg about 20 years ago and gradually expanded. Histopathologically, cell nests of poroma were extruded to the epidermal surface at several sites. No erosion was noted, and mild to moderate inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in the upper layer of the dermis. According to Mehregan's classification, the TEE, phenomenon observed in our case may correspond to types 2 and 3.

Acrospiroma↗
PubMed1997

Serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and the pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen as markers of bone metastases in patients with prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) and the pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) as possible markers of bone metastases in patients with prostate carcinoma (PCA) patients. METHODS: Levels of PICP and ICTP were measured by radioimmunoassay of serum from 29 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 17 patients with PCA without bone metastases and 29 patients with PCA and bone metastases. RESULTS: Serum levels of PICP in patients with PCA and bone metastases (mean +/- SD 304.3 +/- 365.9 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those in patients with BPH (95.6 +/- 27.1 ng/ml) and in patients with PCA without bone metastases (111.1 +/- 44.6 ng/ml). No significant difference was observed between the BPH and the PCA without bone metastases groups. Serum levels of ICTP were significantly higher in the PCA with (10.4 +/- 10.3 ng/ml) and without bone metastases groups (7.7 +/- 6.0 ng/ml) than in the BPH group (3.7 +/- 2.0 ng/ml). There was no significant difference between the PCA groups with and without bone metastases. CONCLUSION: Serum PICP levels correlate well with results of bone scans, while serum ICTP levels increase in patients with PCA regardless of the presence of bone metastases.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

[Long-term observation of sensorineural hearing-impaired children with hearing aids].

In the long-term observation (9-22 years) of 45 hearing-impaired children, using our own "Hearing Test Progress Table", 36(80.0%) showed fluctuation of the hearing threshold. Twenty-nine of the 36 patients had acute progression of hearing loss. Three peaks of onset of the acute loss were observed: at age 6, 10, 16 years in girls, 7, 11 and 16 years in boys. Twenty-three of the 45 (51.1%) have been able to maintain their good thresholds throughout these periods, with 14 cases of hearing loss restored by our successful treatment of acute sensorineural hearing losses (1-6 times). Twenty-two of the 45 children (48.9%) could not maintain their initial thresholds: gradual hearing deterioration in 7 of the 22, and acute hearing loss (1-10 times) in the remaining 15 cases. Although these 15 patients could not maintain their initial hearing thresholds until the end of the observation period, active treatments for their acute losses were successful in the early period, and almost all patients were able to maintain their initial hearing thresholds until graduation from elementary school. Our "Hearing Test Progress Table" is based on the results of pure tone audiometry for each frequency on every audiometry test. The management (including guidance and treatment) using the table is very effective.

Child↗
PubMed1997

[Primary pulmonary lymphoma diagnosed from monoclonality of lymphocytes in a transbronchial biopsy specimen].

A 57-year-old man was found on a routine chest X-ray examination to have three infiltrative shadows: two in the right lung field and one in the left. Examination of a transbronchial biopsy specimen revealed infiltration of many small lymphocytes under the bronchial mucosa. In situ hybridization showed that they were monoclonal, and primary pulmonary lymphoma was diagnosed. The patient also had liver cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. He was treated with a combination of pirarubein, cyclo-phosphamide, vindesine, prednisolone, and etoposide, but the tumors did not shrink. Therefore, as of the time of this writing he was being given only etoposide.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1997

[Pleural B cell lymphoma presenting as paraplegia].

A 54-year-old man felt pain on the right side of his chest. Two months later, paraplegia developed. A chest CT scan revealed a pleural effusion and a mass lesion along the right parietal pleura. The lesion extended directly into the adjacent part of the spinal canal and compressed the spinal cord. Cytologic examination of the pleural effusion revealed atypical lymphoid cells, and examination of a transcutaneous biopsy specimen showed monotonous atypical B lymphocytes. The diagnosis was pleural malignant lymphoma. Chemotherapy induced a partial remission, but 14 months after the first examination he died of central nervous system involvement. Pleural lymphoma can directly compress the spinal cord and cause paraplegia. Early diagnosis and therapy greatly affect the outcome in patients with spinal cord compression.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

Roles of JAK kinase in human GM-CSF receptor signals.

The IL-3 and GM-CSF (hGMR) receptors consist of two subunits, alpha and beta, both of which are members of the cytokine receptor superfamily. Phosphorylation of tyrosine residues of hGMR beta subunit and several cellular proteins are observed with hGM-CSF stimulation. We analyzed role of tyrosine residue of hGMR beta subunit and nature of tyrosine kinase, JAK2 in hGMR signals using several hGMR beta subunit mutants. In addition to box1 region, a membrane distal region (a.a. 544-589) of hGMR beta is required for c-fos activation. Only one tyrosine residue (Tyr577) exists within the region 544-589, and substitution of Tyr577 to phenylalanine in GMR beta 589 resulted in the loss of c-fos activation. In contrast, the same substitution in a wild type receptor did not affect GM-CSF-induced activities such as c-fos mRNA induction and proliferation but abolished Shc phosphorylation. These results suggest that the activation of Shc is not essential for c-fos activation and several tyrosine residues co-ordinate to activate c-fos activation. It is well documented that IL-3 or GM-CSF activates JAK2 in BA/F3 cells. However the role of JAK2 in IL-3/GM-CSF functions is largely unknown. We examined the role of JAK2 in GM-CSF-induced signaling pathways. Dominant negative JAK2 (delta JAK2) lacking the C-terminus kinase domain, suppressed IL-3/GM-CSF induced c-fos activation, c-myc activation and proliferation suggesting that JAK2 is involved in both signaling pathways. PTP1D and Shc are phosphorylated by IL-3/GM-CSF in BA/F3 cells, however these phosphorylation events were inhibited by expression of delta JAK2. Taken together, these results indicate that JAK2 is a primary kinase regulating all the known activities of GM-CSF. JAK2 mediates GM-CSF induced c-fos activation through receptor phosphorylation and Shc/PTP1D activation.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1997

[Effect of controlled hypotension on cerebral oxygen delivery].

The margin of safety for controlled hypotension is still unclear especially in the central nervous system (CNS) which is one of the most sensitive organs to hypoxia and ischemia. Recently, cerebral optical spectroscopy in the infrared light range was developed as a useful tool which makes it possible to monitor cerebral oxygenation (rSO2) non-invasively and continuously during anesthesia. Resulting rSO2 mainly reflects oxygen extracts by cerebral tissue and then indicates cerebral oxygen delivery. We examined the limitation of controlled hypotension in the brain in 12 patients by monitoring rSO2 during anesthesia. rSO2 under room air breathing (control value as normal physiological condition) was 67 +/- 3% (mean +/- SEM). It significantly increased by 5.6 +/- 0.8% under 100% oxygen breathing, but decreased near to the control value under sevoflurane anesthesia (FIO2 1.0). During moderate controlled hypotension (70% of normal blood pressure) by prostaglandin E1 under sevoflurane anesthesia (FIO2 1.0). rSO2 remained at control value, indicating that cerebral oxygen delivery was still sufficiently maintained. However rSO2 decreased significantly by 9.0 +/- 1.1% in same controlled hypotension condition under FIO2 0.4. This decrease in rSO2 could be potentially harmful for CNS although any post-operative neurological disorder was not observed in our cases. We conclude that cerebral oxygen delivery may be insufficient even in the moderate controlled hypotension, and thus higher FIO2 is recommended in such procedures.

Alprostadil↗
PubMed1997

[Evaluation of clinical trials on adjuvant chemotherapy for curatively resected gastric cancer].

Reports of the results of clinical trials on adjuvant chemotherapy for curatively resected gastric cancer in Japan and other countries were reviewed. The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy outside Japan was not recognized except in two trials. Japanese trials did not reveal a significant survival benefit compared with surgery alone. However, a consensus was achieved in Japan on its efficacy by understanding some results of subset analysis as definite proof. Recently, it has been recognized that the re-evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy should be carried out with the control group of surgery alone. The results of the trials of JCOG and N.SAS-GC, comparing adjuvant chemotherapy versus surgery alone, are much awaited. At the present time, carefully designed randomized controlled trials with sufficient sample size, which include surgery alone for control arm, are the only way to establish the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1997

[Cytokines and their receptors].

Cytokines control growth, differentiation, and function of cells of lymphocytic, hemopoietic systems and provide a pertinent model to study intercellular communications and intercellular signal networks. Cytokines have key properties that shape the nature of the network. 1) A single cytokine has multiple biological activities (pleiotropy). 2) Multiple cytokines have overlapping activities(redundancy). 3) A single cell interacts with multiple cytokines with seemingly identical responses(cross-talk). Gene cloning of cytokines and their receptors provide knowledge to understand molecular mechanisms of these phenomena. Within recent studies of modification of the cytoplasmic region of the cytokine receptor or the signaling molecules, it will become possible to apply these molecules for therapeutic purposes.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Prognosis of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer following hepatic resection and arterial infusion chemotherapy--assessment from the percentage of tumor involved area].

Prognosis of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer following hepatic resection and arterial infusion chemotherapy was studied from the percentage of tumor involved area (PTIA). The PTIA was calculated by the following formula: sigma S'/sigma S, with S' as the tumor area and S as the liver area on each CT slice. The subjects were 25 cases of hepatic resection (HR), and 31 cases of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAI). The PTIA of the cases of HR and that of HAI was 1.5 to 25.9% and 0.8 to 31.3%, respectively. For comparison, all cases were divided into group A, which was not more than 10% of the PTIA, and group B, which was more than 10% of the PTIA. In the cases of HR, the prognosis of group A was significantly better than that of group B (p < 0.05). In the cases of HAI, the prognosis of group A was better than that of group B. Even in group A, the prognosis of the cases of HR was significantly better than that of HAI (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the PTIA in the cases of HR and HAI for metastasis from colorectal cancer is important factor which reflects the prognosis.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1997

[Evaluation of intraperitoneal chemotherapy using CDDP/MMC or CDDP for gastric carcinomatous peritonitis].

The prognosis of positive cytology case (cy (+)) without peritoneal dissemination (P0) and P (+) cases were poor. In this study, the efficacy of intraperitoneal chemotherapy (i.p. therapy) for these patients was evaluated in 26 gastric cancer patients. Intraperitoneal repeated administration of MMC 10 mg/body and CDDP 40-50 mg/body (15 cases) or CDDP 40-50 mg/body (11 cases) alone was performed once a month via the drug delivery system. Negative change of cytology was observed in 13 out of 19 patients, and the prognosis of these patients was better than that of the unchanged cytology group. The prognosis of P0/cy(+) was better than that of P(+) patients. Two year survival rate of P0/cy(+) with i.p. therapy was better than that of P0/cy(+) without i.p. therapy (58.3% vs 22.5%). Adverse drug reaction such as severe gastro-intestinal symptoms and bone marrow toxicities were not recognized. In conclusion, this report suggests that i.p. therapy is more useful for P0/cy(+) cases than that of P(+) cases in gastric cancer. Randomized controlled trials should be done to confirm the efficacy of the intraperitoneal chemotherapy regarding the prolongation of life.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗