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Biomedical subjects

K Imai

Publications and source records attributed to K Imai.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Clinicopathological features of prostate cancer detected by transrectal ultrasonography-guided systematic six-sextant biopsy.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to compare the efficacy of 3 modalities (prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay, digital rectal examination (DRE), and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)) in detecting prostate cancer which was pathologically confirmed by TRUS-guided systematic six-sextant biopsy, and to investigate the relationship between the number of positive cores and several clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: Between 1992 and 1994, 297 males (155 from a mass screening program and 142 identified as outpatients) with a mean age of 71 years, underwent examinations including PSA determination, DRE, TRUS and systematic six-sextant biopsy, and/or additional directed biopsy. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was detected in 93 men. The sensitivity level of the PSA assay was significantly higher (85%) than that of either DRE or TRUS. Patients with an abnormal DRE or TRUS, elevated PSA levels, and those in the T3-T4 category or with moderate to poorly-differentiated adenocarcinomas had more positive biopsy cores (P < 0.05). Also, the relationships of both the number of positive biopsy cores and tumor grade to bone metastasis were significant (P < 0.01). Of 209 hypoechoic areas identified by transrectal ultrasonography, 42% were cancerous, and of 427 isoechoic areas, 12% were cancerous. The percentage of positive biopsy cores with hypoechoic areas was 86% in the subjects with a PSA > 10 ng/mL, but low (9%) in subjects with a PSA < or = 4 ng/mL, and the percentage of negative biopsy cores with a normal TRUS was high (98%) in subjects with a PSA of < or = 4 ng/mL, but lower (67%) in subjects with a PSA > 10 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: The serum PSA assay was more useful than either DRE or TRUS in detecting prostate cancer. The percentage of bone metastasis increased concomitant with the number of positive biopsy cores, and the positive biopsy rate of hypoechoic areas positively correlated with the PSA level.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Atonic epileptic drop attacks associated with generalized spike-and-slow wave complexes: video-polygraphic study in two patients.

PURPOSE: We studied falling manifestations of atonic epileptic drop attacks (AEDA) in 2 patients with cryptogenic epilepsy with myoclonic-astatic seizures. METHODS: Using video-polygraphic examinations. For analysis, we recorded 51 seizures in 1 patient and 18 seizures in the other. The extent of AEDA ranged from collapsing and landing on the buttocks to head nodding only without falling. RESULTS: Detailed video analysis of the drop attacks, with the patient in standing position, demonstrated the first manifestations to be flexion at the waist and knees, followed by further knee flexion, leading to falling straight down and landing on the buttocks. Ictal polygraphs demonstrated diffuse interruptions of ongoing EMG discharges corresponding to the falls, indicating that these attacks are true atonic seizures. CONCLUSIONS: The falling manifestations of AEDA appeared to be characteristic and different from those of tonic drop seizures, which have been described as falling forward with tonic flexion of the hips, upper trunk, and head, as well as abduction or elevation of the arms.

Cerebral Cortex↗
PubMed1997

Zonisamide monotherapy in newly diagnosed infantile spasms.

PURPOSE: We determined the short-term efficacy of zonisamide (ZNS) monotherapy in newly diagnosed patients with infantile spasms (IS). METHODS: Eleven hospitals participated in this open, prospective trial. ZNS 3-10 mg/kg/day was administered as the second-choice drug to 11 newly diagnosed patients with IS (cryptogenic 3, symptomatic 8) who failed to respond to high-dose vitamin B6. RESULTS: Four infants with symptomatic IS had cessation of spasms and disappearance of the hypsarrhythmia. In these responders, the spasms ceased after a few days (1-5 days) of treatment at a dose of ZNS 4-5 mg/kg/day which produced plasma ZNS concentrations ranging from 5.2 to 16.3 microg/ml (mean 9.8 microg/ml). There were two relapses (50%) 4-6 weeks after cessation of seizures, however. Relapse was predicted by effects of ZNS on EEG; the 2 infants in whom an abnormal EEG persisted had relapses, whereas the 2 whose EEG normalized remained seizure-free (follow-up 20 and 26 months). No adverse reactions were noted. CONCLUSIONS: ZNS may be effective in the initial treatment of selected patients with IS.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1997

Heterogeneity in androgen receptor levels and growth response to dihydrotestosterone in sublines derived from human hepatocellular carcinoma line (KYN-1).

Heterogeneity in the growth response to androgen and androgen receptor (AR) status in an AR-positive human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) line, KYN-1, was investigated in the present study. Seven sublines were obtained from KYN-1 by the limited dilution method. Four of them had no detectable amounts of AR and did not show any growth response to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) at the concentration up to 1000 nM, while the other three had varying amounts of both cytosolic and nucleosolic AR that were 5- to 7-fold higher than that of the parent cell. In the parent cell, the addition of DHT caused a modest but significant increase in the cell number (21%) in a 14-day culture. Such effect was increased by 2- to 7-fold in two AR-positive sublines. In addition, the sensitivity of the response in these two sublines was increased by up to 24-fold. The one remaining AR-positive subline did not show any growth response to DHT, although the behavior of its AR in sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation and Western blotting was the same as that of the other two sublines. These data clearly show that sublines derived from an established human HCC line have a broad heterogeneity in the growth response of HCC to androgen as well as in AR status and could be classified into three groups on the basis of the growth responsiveness to androgen and the AR expression.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1997

Juvenile xanthogranuloma occurring in the oral cavity: case report and histopathological findings.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma is commonly seen in the dermis, and only very rarely develops in the oral mucosa. Here were report a case that occurred in the anterior palate of a 9-year-old boy. The lesion appeared as a dark red and well-defined nodule measuring 12 x 14 mm. Histologically, it consisted of a proliferation of histiocytes and fibroblastic stroma intermingled with foamy cells. Many lipid droplets without limiting membrane were observed in the cytoplasm under electron microscopy, but no Langerhans' cell granules were observed. The proliferative histiocytes were positive for lysozyme and macrophage HAM56 under immunohistochemical observation, but not for S-100 protein. From these findings, the lesion was diagnosed as juvenile xanthogranuloma. The post-operative course, now amounting to 7 years, has been uneventful.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1997

Functional adrenocortical adenoma in a case with B cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorder.

We describe a B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (B-CLL) patient with an adrenocortical adenoma. He was treated initially with oral cyclophosphamide and prednisolone for 2 months, followed by low-dose prednisolone for an additional 2 years, which resulted in the prompt disappearance of CLL cells. After a period of 2 years without therapy, a functional adrenocortical adenoma was found. After adrenalectomy, the CLL cells rapidly increased. Progression of the disease and clinical-hematological relapse was well controlled by low doses of steroids alone, and the patient's condition stabilized. Considering the recent data that corticosteroids can induce apoptosis of CLL cells, the above clinical course suggests that augmented glucocorticoid production from the tumor may have suppressed disease progression.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1997

Infrequent alterations of the p16 (MTS-1) gene in human gastric cancer.

p16 (MTS-1, multiple tumor suppressor gene 1), a putative tumor suppressor gene, is one of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDI) and it regulates the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. To clarify the role of p16 in primary gastric cancer, we have investigated somatic mutations of this gene by using the polymerase chain reaction/single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method. In 23 surgical specimens of primary gastric cancer, none were detected in exon1 and exon 2. Among the 6 human gastric cancer cell lines examined, PCR products were not found in 2, MKN28 and MKN45, suggesting the presence of homozygous deletions. No mutation was found in the other 4 cell lines. Furthermore, decreased expression levels were not observed in 13 gastric cancer tissues by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Considering the above results of PCR-SSCP and RT-PCR, genetic alterations of the p16 gene are rarely implicated in human gastric cancer tumorigenesis.

Actins↗
PubMed1997

The beta APP717 Alzheimer mutation increases the percentage of plasma amyloid-beta protein ending at A beta42(43).

We measured plasma levels of amyloid beta protein (A beta) ending at positions 40 (A beta40) and 42(43) [A beta42(43)] in six carriers of beta APP717 (Val to Ile) mutation linked to familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) as well as in patients with sporadic AD (sAD) and controls. The percentage and the level of A beta42(43) were significantly higher in carriers of beta APP717 mutation relative to sAD, whereas A beta40 levels were decreased. In contrast, A beta levels and ratios were at similar levels in sAD, regardless of the stage of the disease, compared with non-AD neurologic disease controls and nondemented control individuals. These results suggest that the reported increase in the percentage of A beta42(43) secretion in transfected cells with beta APP717 mutant genes actually takes place in the bodies of carriers of beta APP717 mutation, and that plasma A beta could be used as an indicator of the alterations of beta APP/A beta metabolism in subtypes of AD.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Comparison of the sympathetic nervous system activity between spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats to respond to blood pressure reduction.

Two types of calcium antagonists, diltiazem and nicardipine, were separately infused in 23-28 week-old spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (under sodium thiobutabarbital anesthesia and ventilation, n = 4) through the left femoral vein, resulting in the reduction of blood pressure. In each rat, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and the concentration of plasma catecholamines (CAs), norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), were concomitantly determined and the correlations between these three values were studied for each calcium antagonist. Plasma concentration of CAs were measured in blood samples collected during the infusion from the right femoral artery of each rat by the automatic sensitive and selective detection system. The reduction of blood pressure induced by the calcium antagonists brought about an increase in plasma CAs levels. The blood pressure correlated well with the logarithm of plasma NE and E concentration and the relations were expressed as Y = -alpha log(X)+m (Y, blood pressure; X, concentration of plasma NE or E; alpha, slope; and m, intercept). The alpha s of SHR rats were greater than those of WKY rats for the calcium antagonists employed, meaning that the increment of plasma CAs responding to a decrease in blood pressure was smaller in SHR than in WKY rats. It was concluded that the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system to maintaining blood pressure reduced by diltiazem and nicardipine is less in SHR than in WKY rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Recent progress on analytical chemistry and biochemistry of D-amino acids].

Recent findings that D-amino acids, especially D-aspartic acid and D-serine, exist in vivo in the mammalian tissues (brain and peripheries), prompted us now to investigate their biological and pathological roles in mammals. In this review, the overview of the progress of analytical chemistry and biochemistry of D-amino acids is described.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Inhibitory effects of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) extract and related polyphenol compounds on growth of human lymphoid leukemia cells.

We have investigated the effects of persimmon (Diospyros kaki) extract (PS) and related polyphenol compounds such as catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), epicatechingallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) on the growth of human lymphoid leukemia Molt 4B cells. We found that PS, ECG, EGC, and EGCG strongly inhibited the growth of the cells in a dose-dependent manner, while C and EC inhibited the growth of the cells only moderately. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, was inhibited by 10-20% by these polyphenol compounds. The morphology of the Molt 4B cells indicated severe damage 3 days after treatment with PS, ECG, EGC, and EGCG. Irregular shape of the cells and DNA fragmentation were observed in PS, ECG, EGC, or EGCG-treated cells. These results suggest that PS, ECG, EGC, and EGCG induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of Molt 4B cells.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1997

Plasma progesterone concentrations during pregnancy and lactation in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

Plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations during pregnancy and lactation in Mongolian gerbils were measured by enzymeimmunoassay (EIA). The P4 concentration was found to increase rapidly after mating and reach a peak on day 6 of pregnancy. The maximum level (166.0 to 184.8 ng/ml) was maintained to day 12 and then decreased to a plateau at a moderate level until day 21. The P4 concentration declined to its lowest level on day 24 of pregnancy, one day before parturition. The P4 concentration on the first day of lactation was similar to that on the last day of pregnancy. The concentration then increased to a significantly higher level on day 4 of lactation, remained relatively stable until day 19, and then significantly dropped on day 22. The present study in gerbils showed that the plasma P4 concentration during pregnancy was higher in the first half than in the second half of gestation and that the P4 level during lactation was fairly constant. The pattern of changes in the P4 level during pregnancy and lactation is therefore quite different from that of other rodent species, such as rats, mice and hamsters.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Effects of food restriction on reproductive and toxicological parameters in rats--in search of suitable feeding regimen in long-term tests.

Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats, consisting of 40 animals of each sex, were examined for age-related lesions after a 13-week food restriction. From 6 weeks of age, four groups of 10 male and 10 female rats each were fed normal pelleted chow, ad libitum for the control group and approximately 85%, 70% and 55% of feed consumption in the control group, for 13 weeks. Estrous cycles in females were examined during the 3rd through 12th week of the study, and hematological, blood biochemical and pathological examinations of all animals were carried out after the 13-week feeding. Estrous cycles were prolonged or stopped in most females of the 55% feeding group from the 7th week of restricted feeding and atrophy of the theca granulosa cells with decreased cytoplasmic lipid droplets was found in the ovaries at necropsy. In the males of the 55% feeding group, Leydig cell atrophy was found in the testes. The groups at 70% and 85% feeding showed no abnormality in hematological, blood biochemical and pathological observations. On the other hand, decreases in plasma lipid peroxide levels were noted in the 70 and 85% feeding groups. These results suggest that 70% and 85% feedings seem suitable for minimizing development of age-related changes without nutritional disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Churg-Strauss syndrome associated with necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis in a diabetic patient.

We report a patient with Churg-Strauss syndrome-associated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis concurrent with diabetes mellitus. The patient was a 64-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital because of a glove and stocking type hypesthesia and numbness, multiple purpurae on both legs, and renal insufficiency with hematuria and proteinuria. Renal biopsy revealed necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis accompanied by necrotizing arteritis, marked eosinophilic infiltration of the interstitium, and diffuse and nodular diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Cyclophosphamide and steroid therapy succeeded in improving her neurologic symptoms as well as retarding the deterioration in renal function. No clinical manifestations suggestive of a recurrence of Churg-Strauss syndrome have been observed during the one-year follow-up period.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed1997

Idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia with Bowen's disease.

A 39-year-old man with Bowen's disease was troubled with multiple molluscum contagiosum over the trunk and lower extremities. Subsequently oral candidiasis was complicated. Laboratory examination revealed lymphocytopenia and a decrease in the CD4/CD8 ratio. His CD4+ T-lymphocyte count was only 187 cells/microl one time and 222 cells/microl another time. No evidence for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was found. He had no family history of immunodeficiencies.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[A case of Sjögren's syndrome associated with EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia].

A 69-year-old woman was admitted to Department of Orthopedic Surgery in our hospital because of lumbago on April 4, 1995. Since laboratory data showed thrombocytopenia (platelet count 2.1 x 10(4)/mm3) on admission, she was transferred to Department of Internal Medicine for further examination on April 11. She noticed abnormal taste and showed remarkable sicca symptoms. Schirmer test, gum test and electrogustometry were positive, and parotid sialogram findings and histology of minor salivary glands of the lip were compatible with those of typical Sjögren's syndrome. Thus, she was diagnosed as Sjögren's syndrome. Although the antibodies to SS-A/SS-B were negative in her serum, anti-nuclear and anti-centromere antibodies were strongly positive (x1280). Serum IgM level was increased. The decreased platelet count was observed when EDTA was used as anticoagulant. The binding activity of the anti-platelet antibody activated by EDTA was dependent on temperature. Its immunoglobulin class was shown to be IgM by enzyme-labelled antibody method. We here report a case of Sjögren's syndrome associated with EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Pernicious anemia associated with chronic thyroiditis and suspected latent adrenal insufficiency].

A 64-year-old female referred to our hospital because of severe anemia. Peripheral blood examination showed macrocytic anemia; red blood cell count was 1.49 x 10(6)/microliters, hemoglobin concentration was 5.6 g/dl, hematocrit was 16.1% and MCV was 108 fl. Serum VB 12 level was significantly low as 58 pg/ml. Upper gastrointestinal examination disclosed chronic atrophic gastritis. Anti-intrinsic factor and anti-parietal cell antibodies were detected in the serum and Schilling's test was positive. Thus a diagnosis of pernicious anemia was made. Though the serum free T 3 and free T 4 levels were in normal ranges, the elevated serum TSH and positive tests for anti-microsome and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies indicated that the patient had chronic thyroiditis. Then other endocrinological examinations were performed. Low level of urinary 17-OHCS and a hypo-reactive pattern of rapid ACTH test led to a diagnosis of latent adrenal insufficiency. This case could be categorized into polyglandular autoimmune syndrome.

Adrenal Cortex Diseases↗