Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Kawaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to K Kawaguchi.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Significance of endothelial deposition of von Willebrand factor in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: autopsy findings of a case complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We report the renal immunohistochemical findings of a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Aggregated platelets were observed adhering to the arteriole walls. Intense deposition of von Willebrand factor (vWF) was noted in the endothelium, even in areas where thrombi were not seen. This difference in the distribution of platelets and vWF suggested that the endothelium was damaged prior to platelet aggregation.

Aged↗

[Renal cell carcinoma with contralateral adrenal metastasis: a case report].

A case of contralateral adrenal metastasis of renal cell carcinoma is reported. The patient was a 54-year-old male, who underwent a right radical transperitoneal nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma, and had been administered interferon alpha intramuscularly. Nine months after the operation computerized tomography revealed the presence of an adrenal mass on the left side, undetected at nephrectomy, which suggested that the renal cell carcinoma had metastasized. A left adrenalectomy was performed. Histologically, the mass was identical to metastasis of renal cell carcinoma. The patient was administered supplementary hydrocortisone and was well 3 months after the adrenalectomy with no evidence of recurrence or other metastasis. This is the 24th case of contralateral adrenal metastasis of renal cell carcinoma in the Japanese literature.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

[A case of primary pulmonary lymphoma associated with Sjögren syndrome and IgM monoclonal gammopathy confirmed by DNA rearrangement].

A 70-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of an abnormal shadow on his chest X-ray film, consisting of a mass containing an air bronchogram. He was also found to have a monoclonal gammopathy (IgM kappa type) and Sjögren syndrome. Open lung biopsy was performed with the suspicion of primary pulmonary lymphoma or pseudolymphoma. Southern blot analysis of the tissue revealed clonal rearrangements of immunoglobulin gene, supporting the diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma. Using conventional immunoperoxidase staining (PAP) method, the monoclonality in the tissue specimen is sometimes quite difficult to prove. Southern blot analysis, however, gives more accurate and reliable results. The analysis of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements is quite useful in determining the presence or absence of monoclonality in a specimen in cases of suspected lymphoproliferative disease such as primary pulmonary lymphoma and pseudolymphoma. We strongly recommend the use of Southern blot analysis in making the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disease.

Aged↗

The influence of pelvic nerve transection on the neuromuscular system of the canine urinary bladder.

We previously reported that bladder overdistension led to denervation and subsequent supersensitivity of the detrusor muscle to acetylcholine. Therefore, to exclude the influence of bladder overdistension, we produced a low-pressure bladder in female mongrel dogs using an indwelling urethral catheter, and performed pelvic neurectomy (decentralization). We examined the effects of decentralization on the neuromuscular system of the bladder. The contraction response levels of bladder strips in dogs 1 and 2 weeks after neurectomy was low, and significantly different from that of bladder strips in the control group. The dose-response curves of dogs 4 and 8 weeks after neurectomy showed a shift to the left when compared to those of the control group, indicating a significant increase in sensitivity of the bladder strips. Many cholinergic terminal and varicosity profiles had a normal ultrastructure in all of the groups subjected to neurectomy, while some had degenerating profiles representing clear axoplasm without any recognizable organelles. Microphotographs of bladder obtained from dogs with spontaneous catheter loss showed degenerating axons, which were observed more frequently than in bladders kept empty with indwelling urethral catheters. Micturition in the dogs with spontaneous catheter loss was achieved by overflow incontinence without catheterization. These findings suggest that post-synaptic nerve degeneration may be augmented by impairment of micturition, followed by decentralization. Our observations also suggest that post-synaptic nerve degeneration (denervation) plays an important role in the increased sensitivity of the detrusor muscle to acetylcholine in the parasympathetically decentralized urinary bladder, whether denervation is due to trans-synaptic degeneration or impairment of micturition.

Acetylcholine↗

Methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin for advanced urothelial cancer.

A series of 31 patients with advanced urothelial cancer were treated with combination chemotherapy consisting of 1-4 cycles of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (M-VAC). Of the 31 patients, 29 had measurable and evaluable lesions. A complete remission was achieved by 4 of these 29 patients (14%) for 1-46 months. A partial remission was observed in 14 of the 29 patients (48%) for 1-9 months. Whereas bony and hepatic metastatic lesions did not respond, some nodal (7/12), pulmonary (4/8), and pelvic lesions (2/3) as well as primary bladder tumors (4/6) and a tumor marker (1/2) responded. Complete tumor remission was observed in nodal (2/12) and pulmonary (1/8) metastatic lesions, in invasive lesions to the prostate and seminal vesicle (1/1), and in primary lesions in the bladder (2/6), ureter (1/1), and urethra (1/1). Two of three patients with non-transitional cell tumors attained a partial remission for 1-7 months. Complete remission of the pulmonary lesions was obtained in a case of squamous cell cancer of the bladder with pulmonary metastases. The toxicity of this regimen was generally tolerable and included moderate to severe myelosuppression, mild to moderate nausea and vomiting, renal toxicity, and mucositis. These results suggest that the M-VAC regimen holds promise for the treatment of advanced metastatic transitional cell cancer as well as non-transitional cell cancer of the urothelium.

Aged↗

[Susceptibility of organ of Corti with or without melanin to acoustic overstimulation].

Albino and pigmented guinea pigs were compared in terms of susceptibility to acoustic trauma. The animals were exposed to a 4 kHz pure tone of 120 dB for 60 min. N1 thresholds of CAP were measured before and after the acoustic exposure. Changes in the outer hair cell and stria vascularis were studied using SEM and TEM. After acoustic trauma, N1 thresholds were more elevated in the albino than in the pigmented guinea pigs. Also, pathological changes in the outer hair cell and stria vascularis were more severe in the albino animals. A noteworthy finding in the stria vascularis was that the melanin in intermediate cells had moved into marginal cells. This melanin migration may be possibly involved in mechanisms underlying prevention of acoustic trauma.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

[Two cases of hypothyroidism with echocardiographic features similar to cardiomyopathy: one simulates hypertrophic and the other dilated cardiomyopathy].

Two cases of hypothyroidism with echocardiographic features similar to cardiomyopathy were presented. In case 1 (a 68 year-old woman), moderate pericardial effusion and myocardial hypertrophy were observed on admission. In case 2 (a 69 year-old woman), dilation of the left ventricle, hypokinesis of the interventricular septum and the left ventricular free wall, and reduced left ventricular systolic function were observed on admission. These echocardiographic findings were similar to hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy. In the two cases, after recovery to euthyroid state, these echocardiographic abnormalities returned to normal. We concluded that hypothyroidism led to a reversible hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, and that echocardiographic study was useful for diagnosis and for following up cardiac manifestations of hypothyroidism.

Aged↗

[The effect of acebutolol and metoprolol on noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring system in essential hypertension].

We compared the antihypertensive effects of acebutolol and metoprolol during 2-4 weeks of treatment in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Acebutolol (n = 12) significantly decreased conventionally measured blood pressure from 173/100 mmHg to 148/86 mmHg (p less than 0.005), and metoprolol (n = 11) decreased it from 164/106 mmHg to 138/87 mmHg (p less than 0.01). Based on data derived from automated 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, both drugs significantly decreased the blood pressure in the early morning (5:00-10:00). Moreover, in the metoprolol group, there were significant falls in day-time blood pressure (7:30-19:30) and night-time blood pressure (23:00-7:00). In contrast, acebutolol showed significant antihypertensive effect on day-time blood pressure, but not effect on night-time blood pressure. The study confirmed the efficacy and character of metoprolol and acebutolol. We must choose an effective beta-blocker when using an automated 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring system to get adequate blood pressure reduction for the whole 24 hours.

Acebutolol↗

[Experimental and clinical evaluation of functional electrical stimulation of the anal sphincter].

To determine the most effective parameter of functional electrical stimulation of the anal sphincter (FES), the present study was carried out in female mongrel dogs anesthetized with alpha-chloralose urethane. When spontaneous and rhythmic micturition contractions of the bladder were present, they were more effectively inhibited by the stimulation with low frequency (5 to 10 Hz). Based on the results of this experiment 18 patients with urge incontinence were treated by maximal electrical stimulation with the following parameters. The duration for each stimulus was 0.2 msec, frequency 5 Hz, amplitude 30 to 150 volts. Every patient received ten treatments for two weeks, each lasting for 30 minutes. A clinical cure for urge incontinence was noted in 12 patients. As for urodynamic studies, FES increased significantly the volumes of the first desire to void (FDV) and maximum desire to void (MDV); however, it did not increase significantly the maximum urethral closure pressure or residual urine volume. Eighteen patients were divided into two groups; an unstable bladder group and a neurogenic bladder group. In the latter, the increases in volumes of FDV and MDV were significant. Second, 18 patients were divided into two groups according to the administration of lack of anticholinergic agents. For subjective symptoms, the rate of improvement of urge incontinence was significantly higher in the group administered the agents. These findings suggested that FES was very useful for the treatment of urge incontinence, with its efficacy augmented by the administration of anticholinergic agents.

Aged↗

Granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Two cases of granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary found at the time of relapse of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are presented. Almost 5 years after the initial diagnosis of AML, both cases presented ovarian tumors which were discovered to be myeloblastoma of the ovary on laparotomy in one case and at the time of autopsy in the other. Evidence of hematological relapse followed the presentation of the ovarian tumor within a month. Both patients were treated with surgery and/or chemotherapy.

Acute Disease↗

The response of the detrusor muscle to acetylcholine in patients with infravesical obstruction.

We previously examined the effects of overdistension on the neuromuscular system of canine urinary bladders and reported that bladder overdistension led to nerve degeneration and subsequent supersensitivity through a decrease of blood supply to the bladder. We have accordingly in this study evaluated these changes in human subjects with infravesical obstruction. The responses to acetylcholine of bladder strips obtained from patients with detrusor instability were not significantly different from those of bladder strips from patients without detrusor instability, but the dose-response curve of these groups showed a shift to the right compared to that of the unobstructed control patients. As compared with the response of bladder strips in patients without an episode of retention, the response in patients who received prostatectomy within 30 days demonstrated no significant difference, although in patients who received prostatectomy after more than 30 days there was a statistical difference. These results indicated a significant decrease in sensitivity of the detrusor muscle in patients with infravesical obstruction and suggest that bladder overdistension caused by infravesical obstruction may lead to supersensitivity of the detrusor muscle secondary to denervation.

Acetylcholine↗

Immunohistochemical analysis of oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and Ki-67 in leiomyoma and myometrium during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

Immunohistochemical distribution of oestrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and the cell proliferation-associated antigen Ki-67 was investigated in leiomyomas and the myometrium during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. In the myometrium, ER expression was observed in the proliferative phase, but was suppressed in the secretory phase and during pregnancy. In leiomyomas, ER expression was observed throughout the menstrual cycle, but was suppressed during pregnancy. However, PR was expressed both in the myometrium and leiomyomas throughout the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. In both the myometrium and leiomyomas, a higher number of Ki-67-positive cells was observed during pregnancy than in the secretory phase, and Ki-67 was negative during menopause. The Ki-67-positive cell count in leiomyomas was significantly higher than that in the myometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Thus both myometrium and leiomyomas have high growth activity under the hormonal milieu of high progesterone levels. The growth potential of leiomyomas is apparently higher than that of myometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.

Adult↗

Quantitative estimation of infarct size by simultaneous dual radionuclide single photon emission computed tomography: comparison with peak serum creatine kinase activity.

To test the hypothesis that simultaneous dual energy single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with technetium-99m (99mTc) pyrophosphate and thallium-201 (201TI) can provide an accurate estimate of the size of myocardial infarction and to assess the correlation between infarct size and peak serum creatine kinase activity, 165 patients with acute myocardial infarction underwent SPECT 3.2 +/- 1.3 (SD) days after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. In the present study, the difference in the intensity of 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation was assumed to be attributable to difference in the volume of infarcted myocardium, and the infarct volume was corrected by the ratio of the myocardial activity to the osseous activity to quantify the intensity of 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation. The correlation of measured infarct volume with peak serum creatine kinase activity was significant (r = 0.60, p less than 0.01). There was also a significant linear correlation between the corrected infarct volume and peak serum creatine kinase activity (r = 0.71, p less than 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed a high correlation between corrected volume and peak creatine kinase activity in patients with anterior infarctions (r = 0.75, p less than 0.01) but a poor correlation in patients with inferior or posterior infarctions (r = 0.50, p less than 0.01). In both the early reperfusion and the no reperfusion groups, a good correlation was found between corrected infarct volume and peak serum creatine kinase activity (r = 0.76 and r = 0.76, respectively; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Clinical Enzyme Tests↗

Lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis with cholangitis: a variant of primary sclerosing cholangitis extensively involving pancreas.

Pancreatic involvement in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an extremely rare condition, and its pathologic features are poorly documented. We report two cases of an unusual lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing inflammatory disease involving the total pancreas, common bile duct, gallbladder, and, in one patient, the lip. Two elderly men presented with waxing and waning obstructive jaundice, and exhibited radiologic and ultrasonographic findings highly suggestive of pancreatic carcinoma. Gross appearance of the pancreas showed firm and mass-like enlargement with regional lymph node swelling. Histologic findings were characterized by diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with marked interstitial fibrosis and acinar atrophy, obliterated phlebitis of the pancreatic veins, and involvement of the portal vein. Similar inflammatory processes involved the bile duct and the gallbladder. Lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis with cholangitis is thought to be a more appropriate term for this condition, of which a similar lesion has been previously noted in a single case of "PSC involving pancreas". Differences in age, radiologic appearance, and the negative history of ulcerative colitis exist, but the two cases in this study could be considered as a variant of PSC extensively involving pancreas, which can readily be mistaken for pancreatic carcinoma.

Aged↗