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Biomedical subjects

K Itoh

Publications and source records attributed to K Itoh.

At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

The role of 201Tl scintigraphy in evaluating proliferative activity in thyroid neoplasms.

To identify the relationship between the uptake of 201Tl and the proliferative activity in thyroid neoplasms, 201Tl scintigraphy was performed in 57 patients with thyroid neoplasms. 201Tl uptake ratio was calculated in both the early and the delayed images and then compared with factors representing cellular or practical proliferative activity of the lesions. The labeling index (LI) for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was determined quantitatively by flow cytometry. There was a significant correlation between the uptake ratio and LI for PCNA. The correlation coefficient for the delayed ratio (DR) vs. LI was better than that for the early ratio (ER) vs. LI. As parameters for practical proliferation, the surgical stage in primary thyroid carcinoma or 131I uptake in recurrent thyroid carcinoma was focused on. DR was strongly related to these parameters, regardless of the histopathological features or size of the lesions. Our results suggest that 201Tl uptake in delayed thyroid scan is useful in assessing proliferative activity in thyroid neoplasms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Radionuclide venography as a clue to the diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

A patient was examined with radionuclide venography (RVG) to investigate unilateral leg oedema which might be due to deep vein thrombosis. RVG with Tc-99m MAA demonstrated no findings to suggest deep vein thrombosis of the right leg. However, collateral flow derived from the left common iliac vein and truncated inferior vena cava (IVC) were revealed. Contrast venography confirmed the obstruction of IVC and collateral flow from the left common iliac vein to the left ascending lumbar vein. It also showed the obstruction of hepatic veins and the patient was finally diagnosed as Budd-Chiari syndrome. Although unilateral leg oedema is an atypical symptom in Budd-Chiari syndrome, the findings on RVG led us to conduct further imaging studies to reach the diagnosis.

Budd-Chiari Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for autonomously functioning thyroid nodule.

Four patients with solitary autonomously functioning thyroid nodule (AFTN; 2 toxic and 2 subclinically toxic) received ultrasonography (US)-guided percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT). The pretreatment scintigraphic appearance of the nodule was hot, and radioactivity in the extranodular tissue was completely suppressed throughout. Ninety-nine percent ethanol was slowly injected under US guidance. As a rule, the injection was performed in fractionated sessions and the treatment was repeated until the total amount of ethanol exceeded the baseline nodular volume. The therapy was successful. Complete remission of hyperthyroidism was observed among the patients with toxic nodule. The basal level of TSH and its response to TRH injection was normalized in the patients with subclinically toxic nodule. Posttreatment scintigrams revealed that the extranodular tissue recovered and radioactivity in the hot nodule had noticeably decreased. The rate of reduction in the nodular volume was more than 80% in all. There was no recurrence or development of hypothyroidism during a follow up of 10 to 23 months. The main side effect was mild and transient pain and/or a burning sensation at injection. No severe or permanent complications occurred. Although the number of our cases was small, the results suggest that PEIT is a useful program in treating AFTN.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Differences between 99mTc-DTPA and 99mTc-MAG3 captopril renographies in renovascular hypertension.

Captopril renography (CRS) with 99mTc-DTPA and 99mTc-MAG3 was performed on a 21-year-old woman with renovascular hypertension due to right renal artery stenosis caused by fibromuscular dysplasia. In the affected kidney, the renogram pattern was substantially changed with 99mTc-DTPA and 99mTc-MAG3 following the administration of captopril, and the quantitated renal uptake indicating individual renal function was significantly decreased in 99mTc-DTPA and slightly decreased in 99mTc-MAG3. In the contralateral normal kidney, the renogram showed some minor changes with both radioagents, while the quantitated renal uptake was significantly decreased with 99mTc-DTPA and substantially increased with 99mTc-MAG3. The combined use of physiologically different renal agents 99mTc-DTPA and 99mTc-MAG3 is helpful in investigating hemodynamic and functional changes in the stenosed kidney as well as the normal kidney in RVH.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract of mice injected with cyclophosphamide.

Effects of intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide, an immunosuppressant, on the degree of bacterial translocation and morphological changes of Peyer's patches (PP) in the intestine were investigated with antibiotic-decontaminated SPF mice and germfree mice monoassociated with Escherichia coli C25. It has been reported that treatment with cyclophosphamide induces bacterial translocation. Cyclophosphamide treatment in this study, however, significantly decreased E. coli C25 translocation from the gastrointestinal tract to the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), although the numbers of lymphoid cells, especially B cells, in the PP, MLN, and spleen were remarkably reduced. Four injections of cyclophosphamide at a dose of 100 mg/kg inhibited bacterial translocation more than one injection at a dose of 200 mg/kg in SPF mice. Germfree mice, however, treated with one dose of 200 mg/kg showed the same inhibition of bacterial translocation as those given 100 mg/kg four times. In cyclophosphamide-treated mice, lymph follicles in the PP were obviously smaller than those in control mice, M-cells were similar in appearance to absorption epithelial cells except for short microvilli, and immune cells among the M-cells had disappeared. These data suggested that inhibition of bacterial translocation in mice treated with cyclophosphamide may be the result of morphological and physiological changes of epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal tract, especially M-cells, as a point of entry of invading bacteria, independent of the changes in immunological function.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Fractal property of eye movements in schizophrenia.

On the basis of a temporal model of animal behavior we conducted temporal analysis of eye movements in schizophrenic subjects (n = 10) and normal controls (n = 10). We found a fractal property in schizophrenic subjects, the fixation time of eye movement during reading ambiguous and difficult sentences showing a clear inverse power law distribution. An exponential distribution of a nonfractal nature was found in normal controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Method development for the determination of cefdinir and its related substances by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The validation of the HPLC method used for the determination of cefdinir and its related substances is described. The developed method was specific and stability-indicating and provided a linear response with concentration. The system and method precision, expressed as relative standard deviations, were not greater than 1%, and the reproducibilities within and between laboratories were acceptable for the assay method. The procedure can quantitate related substances greater than approximately 0.05% of the principal cefdinir peak.

Calibration↗
PubMed1996

Neural cell adhesion molecules in activity-dependent development and synaptic plasticity.

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) have a vital role in forming connections between neurons during embryonic development. Increasing evidence suggests that CAMs also participate in activity-dependent plasticity during development and synaptic plasticity in adults. Neural impulses of appropriate patterns can regulate expression of specific CAMs in mouse neurons from dorsal-root ganglia, alter cell-cell adhesion and produce structural reorganization of axon terminals in culture. Synaptic plasticity in Aplysia, learning in chick and long-term potentiation in rat hippocampus are accompanied by changes in CAM expression. Long-term potentiation can be blocked by disrupting CAM function in rat hippocampus, and learning deficits result from antibody blockade of CAMs in chicks and in transgenic mice lacking specific CAMs. Cell adhesion molecules might produce these effects by controlling several cellular processes, including cell adhesion, cytoskeletal structure and intracellular signaling.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Quantitative analysis of HCV RNA and genotype in patients with chronic hepatitis C accompanied by oral lichen planus.

Lichen planus (LP) is a common oral disorder that may represent a mucosal reaction to a variety of factors, including hepatitis C virus (HCV). To determine whether viral factors play a role in oral lichen planus (OLP) pathogenesis, we measured serum HCV RNA and determined HCV genotype in patients with chronic hepatitis C accompanied by OLP. The subjects included 43 patients with chronic hepatitis C: 23 with OLP (group 1) and 20 without OLP (group 2). Serum was collected from all subjects and used to quantify HCV RNA by the branched DNA signal amplification assay; HCV genotypes were classified by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method into types I, II, III and IV. Comparison of patient characteristics disclosed that the mean age of group 1, 60.7 years, was significantly higher (P = 0.001) than that of group 2 (46.4 years). No significant differences were seen between sexes in values of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein (T protein), albumin and gamma-globulin. There were also no significant differences in HCV RNA levels or HCV genotypes between groups. The findings suggested that OLP pathogenesis was a result of host factors rather than viral factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Development and exacerbation of oral lichen planus during and after interferon therapy for hepatitis C.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is frequently seen in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. To clarify the role of HCV in OLP pathogenesis, we investigated the occurrence and progression of oral lesions in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon. Oral surgeons examined 24 hepatitis C patients (15 men, nine women; mean age 48.1 years) for oral lesions before, during and after interferon (IFN) treatment. OLP was observed in 16.7% (4/24). Two patients had OLP before treatment, one during and one after treatment. Those who developed OLP during or after treatment had neither improvement nor disappearance of OLP even when serum HCV RNA became negative. Leucoplakia was seen in four patients before treatment and oral cancer in one patient 6 months after completing treatment. OLP can occur, exacerbate and persist during IFN treatment for hepatitis C, even when serum HCV RNA becomes negative. The present study suggested that OLP pathogenesis in hepatitis C is due to host factors induced by HCV infection rather than direct HCV participation. Treating physicians should be aware of OLP occurrence or exacerbation by IFN treatment with hepatitis C patients, but IFN therapy is not necessarily contraindicated in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

High frequency of the MAGE-1 gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The MAGE-1 gene, originally isolated from a human melanoma cell line, directs the expression of a potential tumor-rejection antigen, MZ2-E. This antigen is recognized by autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes in association with a major histocompatibility complex class I molecule (HLA-A1), and has provided a basis for specific immunotherapy for melanoma patients. Here we show a high frequency of expression of the MAGE-1 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined the expression of the MAGE-1 gene in cell lines originated from hepatoma cells and in tumor and nontumor tissues of livers with HCC by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and subsequent Southern blotting. MAGE-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) was expressed in three of four HCC cell lines (75%) and in 16 of 20 (80%) resected HCCs though none was detected in nontumor tissues. The high frequency expression of MAGE-1 gene in HCCs suggests the possibility as a target for tumor-specific immunotherapy for HCC patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of neocarzinostatin chromophore (NCS-chr) by use of a monoclonal antibody against NCS-chr analog.

A monoclonal antibody against NCS-chr was prepared and characterized. Because of the instability of NCS-chr, chemically synthesized stable analog compound, termed PS, was used as a hapten of immunogen. The obtained antibody, termed APS, reacted with NCS-chr, but neither with NCS, NCS-polystyrene-maleic acid conjugate (SMANCS), nor UV-irradiated NCS-chr. Epitope analysis using the compounds that have a structure similar to PS showed that APS recognized the total structure, particularly cyclopenten moiety, of PS. These results suggest that APS recognizes the enediyne structure of NCS-chr. Next, the inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of NCS-chr was established. The standard curve showed that the microgram order of NCS-chr were accurately measurable by the established ELISA. Furthermore, it was revealed that the established ELISA was more sensitive than the antibiotic activity determination, termed Bio-assay. The established ELISA will be useful as a quantitative method of NCS-chr.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1996

Direct determination of serum glycyrrhetic acid by a monoclonal antibody-based inhibition ELISA using ibuprofen for releasing serum albumin-bound glycyrrhetic acid.

We found that ibuprofen (IBU) had a potential for releasing serum albumin-bound glycyrrhetic acid (GA). Based on this observation, IBU was used to pretreat samples for the determination of serum GA levels by an inhibition ELISA. This method, termed IBU method was evaluated by the recovery of GA from human serum albumin (HSA) or normal human serum (NHS) that contained the exogeneously added GA (37-1000 ng/ml). The mean recovery of GA from HSA and NHS samples treated with IBU were 104.7 and 105.2%, respectively, whereas those without IBU pretreatment were 2.8 and 10.7%, respectively. Comparison of IBU method and chloroform extraction method revealed that the GA content of serum samples pretreated by each method were almost the same. These results suggest that IBU method is useful as a serum processing procedure for the determination of serum GA levels by an inhibition ELISA.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1996

Melanocyte lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing the MART-1 melanoma antigen in HLA-A2 patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

The MART-1/Melan-A melanoma antigen recognized by the majority of HLA-A2-restricted tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is a self antigen expressed on melanocytes and the retina. We have investigated whether Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease and sympathetic ophthalmia (SO), systemic inflammatory disorders affecting various organs containing melanocytes, are autoimmune diseases directed toward the MART-1 antigen. In two of three patients with VKH disease and one patient with SO, CD8(+) T cell clones (TCC) form intraocular fluid of HLA-A2(+) patients lysed T2 cells when pulsed with a HLA-A2-binding MART-1 peptide, but not a HLA-A2-binding pMel-17 or tyrosinase peptide, in a HLA-A2-restricted manner. In addition, Th, TCC recognizing a HLA-A2-binding MART-1 peptide were also established from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient with VKH disease. In contrast, either CD4(+) TCC from these patients or CD8(+) TCC from the intraocular fluid of HLA-A2(+) patients with uveitis associated with Behcet's disease or HTLV-1 uveitis did not show this cytotoxicity. The results demonstrate that the MART-1 peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes lyse melanocytes in the eye of patients with VKH disease or SO, suggesting that these diseases are autoimmune diseases directed toward the MART-1 antigen in HLA-A2(+) patients.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1996

Human tumor rejection antigens MAGE.

Characterization of the MAGE genes has facilitated a molecular approach to identification of the genes encoding tumor-rejection antigens expressed on human cancer cells. MAGE proteins are normal tissue antigens compartmentalized in testicular cells that play an important role in the early phase of spermatogenesis. MAGE-1, -2, -3, -4, and -6 genes are preferentially expressed in many different cancers at both the mRNA and protein levels. More than half of human cancers of various histologic type express at least one of these MAGE genes. Demethylation induces MAGE antigens in cells, suggesting that MAGE genes are important developmentally regulated genes under methylating control. Thus, genetic instability in cells causing loss of this methylating control could result in the preferential expression of MAGE genes in cancer cells. Therefore, MAGE gene products may be appropriate target molecules for development of new cancer vaccine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

A case of extragonadal germ cell tumor with elevated postchemotherapy HCG successfully treated by resection of a solitary metastasis and chronic oral etoposide.

We report a 39 year-old man with disseminated extragonadal germ cell tumor (GCT), whose serum level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) increased again after platinum-based combination chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow rescue and radical adjunctive surgery. The increase in the HCG level was progressive in spite of multiple chemotherapy, and after a while, a coin lesion in the right lung was identified by chest roentgenography. The pulmonary lesion was refractory to additional chemotherapy. After a systemic survey to confirm that the lesion was solitary, video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection of the right lower lobe was performed. Because the resected tumor included viable tumor cells and the serum HCG level remained slightly high one month after the operation, oral low-dose etoposide was begun. In a short time, the level of the serum tumor marker decreased and remained normal during the subsequent 7 months of therapy and thereafter. The patient remains in complete remission 13 months after completion of the final therapy and 3 years after the initial diagnosis. Even if the level of a serum tumor marker is high, salvage resection can be a promising therapeutic option for operable tumors that are refractory to chemotherapy. The usefulness of chronic oral etoposide for patients with GCT should be examined by further clinical trials.

Administration, Oral↗