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Biomedical subjects

K Kanai

Publications and source records attributed to K Kanai.

324 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Variations in effectiveness of antigen retrieval pretreatments for diagnostic immunohistochemistry.

Enzymatic and non-enzymatic pretreatments for antigen retrieval (AR) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, deparaffinised sections were compared and optimised by immunostaining of tissues infected with 13 different pathogens. Enzymatic pretreatment was achieved by incubating slides in 0.25 per cent trypsin (TR) and non-enzymatic pretreatments by heating them in a microwave oven (MWO) or an autoclave (AC). Three different buffers of different pH and molarity including phosphate buffer (PB), citrate buffer (CB) and acetate buffer (AB) were used as AR solutions. All of them were effective regardless of molarity, for the MWO with a processing time of 20 minutes, and the AC with a processing time of 15 minutes. The detectability of many viral antigens was significantly improved by MWO or TR pretreatment, but that of most bacterial antigens was not improved and that of some viral antigens was decreased by TR pretreatment. These results suggest that AR pretreatment is a prerequisite procedure for immunohistochemical detection of many infectious agents but the optimal pretreatment has to be individualised for each agent.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quantitative analysis of smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum proliferation in differentiating hepatocytes of midpostnatal mice treated with phenobarbital.

The increase, expressed as a percentage of the control value, in the area of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) per unit cytoplasmic volume did not differ between periportal and perivenular hepatocytes in 10-day-old mice injected with 50 mg/kg phenobarbital (PB) at 7, 8, and 9 days of age, whereas it was greater in perivenular than in periportal hepatocytes in 20-day-old animals injected with 100 mg/kg at 17, 18, and 19 days of age. Unexpectedly, the amount of rough ER increased after PB administration in both perivenular and periportal hepatocytes in the two age groups. Experiments done to determine the significance of the rough ER proliferation brought the following results. The intensity of immunohistochemical fluorescence for albumin decreased in both periportal and perivenular hepatocytes from 20-day-old animals treated with PB. NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity increased in both smooth and rough microsomes in 20-day-old animals treated with PB. These results show that the predominant proliferation of smooth ER in perivenular hepatocytes after PB administration, characteristic of adult liver, arises between 10 and 20 days of age, and that rough ER proliferation, which is related to the increase in drug metabolism, is characteristic of the liver of midpostnatal mice.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Computed tomography of liver sarcoidosis.

A case of sarcoidosis revealed multiple low density areas in the liver on CT. One of these lesions was confirmed by laparoscopic liver biopsy to be a mass of noncaseating granulomas surrounded by necrotic or fibrotic tissues. These lesions disappeared rapidly after steroid therapy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fatty acid profile and acid phosphatase activity of fresh isolates of Pseudomonas pseudomallei.

Eighty-one fresh isolates of Pseudomonas pseudomallei from melioidosis patients were subjected to the analysis for the fatty acid composition by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and pH-dependent pattern of nonspecific phosphatase activity. All the test strains were identical in the GLC profile showing the three peaks of characteristic hydroxy acids (3-OH 14:0, 2-OH 16:0, 3-OH 16:0) and the two prominent peaks of cyclopropane acids (17:0 delta, 19:0 delta). They had also basically the same pH-dependent curves of the enzymatic activity with paranitrophenyl phosphate as substrate, showing two to three peaks or shoulders only in the acidic side of the curve. These two biochemical characteristics could differentiate P. pseudomallei distinctly from P. aeruginosa, but not from P. cepacia.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Demonstration of acid phosphatase activity in antigenic glycoprotein fractions obtained from the culture filtrate of Pseudomonas pseudomallei.

Pseudomonas pseudomallei, the causative microorganism of melioidosis, was grown in Mueller-Hinton liquid medium, and glycoprotein fractions were separated from the culture filtrate by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel-filtration with Sephadex G-75, and column chromatography with DEAE-cellulose. The fractions revealed acid phosphatase activity, and reacted to the sera from melioidosis patient in gel-diffusion precipitation assay.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Substrate response in acid phosphatase activity of Pseudomonas pseudomallei and Pseudomonas cepacia, with special reference to tyrosine phosphatase.

The substrate response in acid phosphatase activity of Pseudomonas pseudomallei and Pseudomonas cepacia was examined with different phosphate esters including hexose phosphates and phosphoaminoacids in a whole cell assay system. The enzymatic activity against each substrate was evaluated in terms of percent activity to that against para-nitrophenyl phosphate set as 100. A remarkable finding was that the phosphatase reaction was the highest with phosphotyrosine or phosphoserine as substrate showing 180% activity. This tyrosine phosphatase activity was resistant to heating at 60 C for 20 min and inhibited greatly by 0.1% ZnCl2. Pseudomonas cepacia showed the same pattern of substrate response and the same characteristics of tyrosine phosphatase activity.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serosurveillance for Pseudomonas pseudomallei infection in Thailand.

A nation-wide survey was conducted to see the prevalence of serosensitivity to Pseudomonas pseudomallei antigens by indirect hemagglutination (IHA) and indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) for IgG and IgM. Serum samples were collected from blood donors in eight selected areas and bacteriologically confirmed melioidosis patients in Ubon Ratchathani province. The distribution patterns of antibody titers were compared among the survey areas with cut-off points set at 1:160 for IHA, 1:4 for IFA-IgM and 1:32 for IFA-IgG. These cut-off points were decided by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristics) analysis. The specificity (% true negative reactions) of each serological test in the general population differed significantly among survey areas, possibly reflecting the extent of inapparent infection in each community. IFA was more successful than IHA in differentiating between negative from positive reactions. The survey classified the areas into endemic (Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani), transported (Bangkok), and non-endemic (other provinces) types.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serosurveillance for double infection with Pseudomonas pseudomallei in tuberculous patients.

The serosensitivity to Pseudomonas pseudomallei antigen in pulmonary tuberculous patients was surveyed in Ubon Ratchathani Province, a melioidosis-endemic and tuberculosis-prevalent area in Thailand. Indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) and indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) for IgM and IgG were employed for the measurement of antibody levels, with cut-off points set at 1:160, 1:8, and 1:32, respectively. Retrospective protocol survey of clinical data was also conducted. From these studies, however, no evidence was obtained to show that tuberculous patients have a disposition to acquire double-infected with P. pseudomallei and to develop melioidosis. The serosensitivity was never higher than that of the general population of the province as represented by healthy blood donors, nor related with the clinical severeness. Tuberculosis and melioidosis appear to be mutually independent diseases without showing interrelated prevalence in the endemic area.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A preliminary survey for human immunodeficient virus (HIV) infections in tuberculosis and melioidosis patients in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

A preliminary survey was conducted for the prevalence of HIV infections in pulmonary tuberculosis and melioidosis patients in Ubon Ratchathani province, in Thailand, the second largest province in population which supplies labors to Bangkok metropolis. In this province, tuberculosis is prevalent in a higher rate than in most other provinces and melioidosis is endemic. Four HIV-seropositives were found in a total of 551 suspected and culture-positive cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, while no HIV-seropositive was found in 121 melioidosis patients. In view of the rapidly expanding HIV-infections in Thailand, a strict watch will be needed on the future epidemiological status of HIV-infection in tuberculous patient.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improved long-term survival following complete eradication of esophageal varices by sclerotherapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Conflicting results have been reported concerning the effect of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy upon the long-term survival of cirrhotic patients with esophageal varix. The recurrence and rebleeding of esophageal varices seems to be an important factor influencing long-term survival. We investigated the long-term survival of patients after complete eradication of esophageal varices. METHODOLOGY: Forty patients treated by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for acute esophageal variceal bleeding were studied. The recurrence rate of varices and the long-term survival of patients in whom complete eradication of esophageal varices was obtained were compared with those of patients in whom the eradication of varices was incomplete. RESULTS: The frequency of the recurrence/deterioration rate of varices and rebleeding in the complete eradication group was significantly lower than that in the incomplete eradication group (10.7% vs. 100%, 0% vs. 58.3%, respectively, p < 0.01). Accumulated 5-year survival rate of the complete eradication group was significantly higher than that of the incomplete eradication group (68.2% vs. 43.2%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Complete eradication of esophageal varices by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy is effective both in preventing variceal re-bleeding and in improving the survival of cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructure of Trichophyton mentagrophytes stained with neutral red.

The ultrastructure of Trichophyton mentagrophytes cells stained with neutral red was investigated using electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Fixatives containing molybdenum and chromium were used to prevent the outflow of neutral red. Electron-dense particles composed of metals and dye were observed exclusively in the vacuoles, which were increased in number and size, but not near the cell wall. Results indicate that neutral red passes directly through the fungal cell wall and is incorporated into the vacuoles.

Electron Probe Microanalysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic liver failure induced by long-term administration of tegafur: a case report.

A 55 year-old man was admitted with massive ascites. Although the laboratory data on admission were compatible with hepatic cirrhosis and remarkable esophageal varices were observed during endoscopy, the imaging findings such as computed tomography and ultrasonographic examination did not confirm hepatic cirrhosis. The patient had no history of alcohol abuse, blood transfusions or acute hepatitis. Serological markers related to viral and autoimmune hepatitis were all negative. Seven years ago, the patient had undergone an operation for colon cancer and has been taking tegafur since then for a total of 55 months. Tegafur was suspected as the causative agent for the liver dysfunction of this patient and the administration of tegafur was stopped. His laboratory data improved gradually and the ascites vanished. The first liver biopsy performed 6 months after discontinuation of tegafur still revealed chronic active hepatitis. However, at the liver biopsy performed 18 months after withdrawal of tegafur, inflammatory activity had subsided and the third liver biopsy, performed 34 months thereafter, revealed further improvement of the pathological changes that had occurred in the liver. We therefore conclude that the administration of tegafur may have caused chronic active liver injury with portal hypertension manifested as ascites and esophageal varices.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗