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Biomedical subjects

K Kodama

Publications and source records attributed to K Kodama.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Angiographic and clinical outcome of a new self-expanding intracoronary stent (RADIUS): results from multicenter experience in Japan.

The RADIUS coronary stent featuring a multisegmented slotted tube design and self-expanding nitinol delivery system has a high radial force and flexibility, uniform expansion, and contours to the shape of the vessel. Successful stent deployment was achieved in 104 stable angina patients (106 lesions; 44% LAD, 19% circumflex, and 37% RCA). Mean minimal lumen diameter (MLD) increased from 0.77 +/- 0.46 mm to 2.88 +/- 0.61 mm and mean percent diameter stenosis (% DS) decreased from 73 +/- 14% to 6 +/- 13% immediately after the procedure. At 6-month follow-up, two patients (2%) underwent urgent target revascularization, and cerebral bleeding occurred in one patient (1%). Angiographic follow-up was performed in 94 lesions (89%) and mean MLD and mean % DS were 2.08 +/- 0.92 mm and 30% +/- 24%, respectively. Stent restenosis (>50% diameter stenosis at follow-up) was observed in 16 (17%) of all lesions. The high success rate for stent deployment, low incidence of major adverse cardiac event, and lower restenosis rate after stent implantation indicate that the RADIUS stent is useful for coronary intervention.

Adult↗

Clinical value of pleural lavage cytological positivity in lung cancer patients without intraoperative malignant pleuritis. Recurrent pattern based on semiquantitative analysis of tumor cells in pleural lavage.

OBJECTIVES: We recently developed pleural lavage cytology for lung cancer patients without intraoperative signs of malignant pleuritis (Ann Surg Oncol, 4: 409, 1997). We analyzed recurrent patterns in pleural lavage cytology-positive lung cancer patients without intraoperative signs of malignant pleuritis based on semiquantitative evaluation of tumor cell clusters in pleural lavage solution. METHODS: Between December 1987 and December 1998, pleural lavage cytology-positive results after thoracotomy were obtained in 97 cases of lung cancer despite the lack of evidence of malignant pleuritis. Based on semiquantitative evaluation of the mean number of tumor cell clusters per slide in pleural lavage solution, patients were classified as Type I, in whom the mean number of clusters was < 1; Type II, in whom clusters numbered 1-10; and Type III, in whom clusters exceeded 10. RESULTS: Type I patients numbered 37, Type II 40, and Type III 20. By September 1999, pleural recurrence had occurred in 17 patients (18%)--2(5%) Type I, 4 (10%) Type II, and 11 (55%) Type III. The incidence of pleural recurrence was significantly higher for Type III patients, i.e., 5 of 11 Type III patients with pleural recurrence showed no sign of distant metastasis. In contrast, the main recurrent patterns in the other 2 groups were extrathoracic, nodal, and/or intrapulmonary. CONCLUSIONS: The semiquantitative evaluation of tumor cell clusters in pleural lavage cytology-positive patients provided useful information on postoperative recurrence. Since Type III patients are at high-risk for pleural recurrence, postoperative therapy targeting local control should be conducted in such patients.

Adult↗

Identification of 187 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 41 candidate genes for ischemic heart disease in the Japanese population.

To investigate whether common variants in the human genetic background are associated with pathogenesis of ischemic heart diseases, we systematically surveyed 41 possible candidate genes for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by directly sequencing 96 independent alleles at each locus, derived from 48 unrelated Japanese patients with myocardial infarction, including 25.8 kb 5' flanking regions, 56.8 kb exonic and 35.4 kb intronic sequences, and 1.8 kb 3' flanking regions. In this genomic DNA of nearly 120 kb, we identified 187 SNPs: 55 in 5' flanking regions, seven in 5' untranslated regions (UTRs), 52 in coding elements, 64 in introns, eight in 3' UTRs, and one in a 3' flanking region. Among the 52 coding SNPs, 26 were non-synonymous changes. Allelic frequencies of some of the polymorphisms were significantly different from those reported in European populations. For example, the Q506R substitution in the coagulation factor V gene, the so-called "Leiden mutation", has a reported frequency of 2.3% in Europeans, but we detected the Leiden mutation in none of the Japanese genomes that we investigated. The allelic frequencies of the -33A>G SNP in the thrombomodulin gene were also very different; this allele occurred at a 12% frequency in the Japanese patients that we examined, although it had been detected in none of 82 Caucasians reported previously. These data support the hypothesis that some SNPs are specific to particular ethnic groups.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Psychiatric disorders in juvenile patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The relationships of psychiatric characteristics to metabolic control and psychosocial functioning were examined in a group of 16 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) (mean age: 14.3+/-5.1 years, mean duration of follow-up: 5.0+/-2.3 years) and psychiatric disorders. The comparison is also made to 69 IDDM controls (mean age: 17.0+/-6.7 years) without psychiatric disorders. Metabolic control was evaluated in terms of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Psychosocial functioning at both psychiatric treatment entry and discharge was assessed using the global assessment of functioning (GAF) scale. Subjects were divided into three subgroups - Somatoform Type (25%), Behavioral Type (50%) or Psychotic Type (25%) - according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition revised (DSM-III-R), based on semi-structured interviews. Four patients (25%) were diagnosed as having schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (Psychotic Type), which is rather rare. The mean HbA1c level in the Behavioral Type patients was significantly higher than in the other subgroups (P<0. 01). After psychiatric treatment a significant difference (P<0.0001) in the GAF Scale was observed in the Psychotic Type compared with the other subgroups. We conclude that the Behavioral Type is associated with poor metabolic control and that for the Psychotic Type, improved psychosocial functioning can be achieved through psychiatric treatment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the lung: report of two cases.

Two cases of primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the lung are reported. The first case is a 41-year-old man with a tumor in the left upper lung, and the second case is a 30-year-old woman with a tumor in the right lower lung. In both cases, the tumors originated in the lung but not in the chest wall. No distant metastasis was detected. In case 1, transcutaneous fine-needle biopsy (TCNB) revealed small round cell proliferation, although bronchoscopic examination showed no abnormal findings. Both the expression of Mic2 protein and t(11;22)(q24;q12) translocation were proved in the tumor cells. The tumor cells were positive for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and vimentin, but negative for Leu7, chromogranin A, and pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP). In case 2, bronchoscopic examination showed only compressive change in right lower lobe bronchi. TCNB revealed small round tumor cells expressing Mic2 protein. The tumor cells were negative for leukocyte common antigen, S100 protein, pankeratin, chromogranin A, and desmin, but weakly positive for NSE and moderately positive for Ki-67 (MIB1). Both patients were successfully treated by the combination of surgical resection and chemotherapy, and are alive with no sign of recurrence for approximately 22 months in case 1 and 16 months in case 2.

12E7 Antigen↗

Effect of pre-reperfusion residual flow on recovery from myocardial stunning: a myocardial contrast echocardiography study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) may be used to assess coronary microvasculature in patients with myocardial infarction. Myocardial contrast echocardiography-no reflow suggests poor functional outcome; however, MCE with reflow does not necessarily indicate good myocardial salvage or sufficient functional recovery from myocardial stunning. In this study, MCE was performed to assess the effect of pre-reperfusion residual flow (PRF) on the recovery from myocardial stunning. METHODS AND RESULTS: The size of the occluded bed, an area supplied with an infarct-related artery, was determined by comparing pre- and post-reperfusion MCE images in 40 patients with first acute myocardial infarction. Myocardial contrast echocardiography-no reflow was observed after reperfusion in 8 patients. Significant PRF was not recognizable in any of the 8 patients. The other patients with MCE reflow were subdivided into 2 groups on the basis of the ratio of the area perfused by PRF to that of the occluded bed: 14 patients with the ratio of more than 10% (PRF[+]), and the other 18 patients (PRF[-]). The wall motion score (0, normal to 4, dyskinetic) was obtained in the convalescent stage. RESULTS: (1) Wall motion of the infarct area after day 3 was better in patients with PRF than in patients without PRF. (2) Left ventricular functional improvement in the long term was remarkable in patients with good reflow and PRF(+), modest in patients with good reflow but PRF(-), and not detectable in patients with MCE-no reflow. No significant correlation was found between angiographic collateral grades and PRF. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of residual flow within the infarct area before reperfusion results in not only good myocardial salvage but also rapid functional recovery from myocardial stunning.

Coronary Circulation↗

Anatomical study of a left single coronary artery with special reference to the various distribution patterns of bilateral coronary arteries.

A left single coronary artery of heart was observed during anatomy practice at Kumamoto University School of Medicine in a 73-year-old female cadaver who died from a thalamic hemorrhage. The left single coronary artery, having a single orifice in the left aortic sinus, bifurcated into the anterior interventricular (IVa) and circumflex (CIR) arteries. No orifice of the right coronary artery was found on the aortic wall. Giving off a branch which traversed the upper part of the infundibulum to supply the anterior upper region of the right ventricle, the IVa descended in the anterior interventricular sulcus to supply the apex of the heart. The CIR curved leftwards in the atrioventricular sulcus to reach the posterior surface, after which it continued to emerge again into the anterior surface. The atrial arteries showed no anomalous distribution pattern and histological observation revealed no pathological abnormality other than a slightly thickened tunica intima. Furthermore, we observed the distribution patterns of bilateral coronary arteries in 377 hearts dissected during anatomical practice over 13 years at Kanazawa University (1980-1986) and Kumamoto University (1993-1998). Although the reason why only the right coronary artery was absent is left unexplained, it was concluded that the left single coronary artery in this study, having the developed left conal and circumflex branches, was an extreme case of the left dominant series of coronary arteries. The formation of single coronary arteries can be explained embryologically by the change of flow in the capillary plexus established on the ventricle wall.

Aged↗

p53-regulated GML gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer. a promising relationship to cisplatin chemosensitivity.

The GML gene (glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored molecule-like protein gene) is a novel gene specifically induced by wild-type p53, which may participate in cell cycle control or the cell apoptotic pathway. Recent experiments suggest that the expression of this novel gene in cancer cells is closely associated with sensitivity to certain anticancer drugs. To elucidate the role of the gene expression in cisplatin (CDDP) chemosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 30 surgically resected materials were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). GML gene expression was detected in 9 (30%) samples. Its incidence was significantly higher in immunohistochemically p53-negative (P=0.040) or wild-type p53 tissues (P=0.041). On in vitro chemosensitivity testing using 29 primary tissues, six samples with GML gene expression showed good sensitivity to CDDP. In particular, in tissues with immunohistochemically p53-negative accumulation, those with GML gene expression showed significantly better in vitro sensitivity to CDDP (P=0.012). Clinically a good response to CDDP-based chemo(thermo)therapy for NSCLC patients with tumour residue or recurrence, was observed only in those with p53-negative accumulation and GML gene expression, in agreement with in vitro results. Thus, although the number of tested samples was small, GML gene expression is commonly detected in immunohistochemically p53-negative NSCLCs in close association with good sensitivity to CDDP. GML gene expression analysis may serve as a predictor of CDDP-based chemotherapy for patients with NSCLC.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Synthesis and binding characteristics of N-(1-naphthyl)-N'-(3-[(125)I]-iodophenyl)-N'-methylguanidine ([(125)I]-CNS 1261): a potential SPECT agent for imaging NMDA receptor activation.

N-(1-Naphthyl)-N'-(3-[(125)I]-iodophenyl)-N'-methylguanidine ([(125)I]-CNS 1261) was synthesized as a potential radioligand to image N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. [(125)I]-CNS 1261 was prepared by radioiodination of N-(1-naphthyl)-N'-(3-tributylstannylphenyl)-N'-methylguanidine using Na(125)I and peracetic acid. [(125)I]-CNS 1261 uptake in vivo reflected NMDA receptor distribution in normal rat brain, whereas in ischemic rat brain, uptake was markedly increased in areas of NMDA receptor activation. Radiolabeled CNS 1261 appears to be a good candidate for further development as a single photon emission computed tomography tracer in the investigation of NMDA receptor activation in cerebral ischemia.

Animals↗

Association of a polymorphism at the 5'-region of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor with hypertension.

Molecular variants of individual components of the renin-angiotensin system are thought to contribute to inherited predisposition towards essential hypertension. Using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and sequence analysis, we identified seven polymorphisms in the 5'-flanking region of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1/AT 1 ) gene. We conducted a case-control study in a sample from the Japanese population to determine whether polymorphic markers in the 5'-flanking region of the AT 1 gene were associated with essential hypertension. The study compared 149 hypertensive subjects to 156 normotensive control subjects. A significantly higher frequency of the AT 1 (-535)*T allele was observed in hypertensive subjects. Evidence was obtained that the AT 1 (-535)*T allele showed a synergistic effect on risk of hypertension with angiotensin I converting enzyme D allele (ACE*D).

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Virus-associated haemophagocytic syndrome responsive to steroid pulse therapy and double filtration plasmapheresis.

We present an adult patient with haemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) successfully treated with a combination of steroid pulse therapy and double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP). A 58-year-old male was admitted with high fever, severe renal dysfunction, liver dysfunction and an increased level of lactate dehydrogenase. A serological test for Epstein-Barr (EB) virus showed an elevation of EBNA-IgM antibody titre. There were increased haemophagocytic histiocytes in the bone marrow in addition to thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) accompanied by organ dysfunction. EB virus associated haemophagocytic syndrome was diagnosed. On admission, interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and macrophage (M)-CSF were elevated, and were promptly normalized after steroid pulse therapy was initiated. G-CSF and M-CSF gradually decreased after DFPPs was started. To control hypercytokinaemia until treatment for the underlying disease is initiated, steroid pulse therapy and double filtration plasmapheresis are useful.

Antibodies, Viral↗

[Japanese spotted fever complicated by acute respiratory failure].

A 66-year-old male was admitted to our hospital, presenting a high fever and generalized erythema on June 9, 1999. Physical examination revealed many eschars on his legs. Laboratory examinations were as follows: platelet counts, 5.5 x 10(4)/microliter: FDP, 25 micrograms/ml: TAT, 70.9 ng/ml: GOT, 177 IU/l, GPT, 174 IU/l: CRP, 32.3 mg/dl. Based on these findings, he was diagnosed as having rickettsiosis with DIC, and minocycline (200 mg/day) and heparin were started immediately, but had no clinical effect for 3 days. Blood gas analysis showed severe hypoxia and the chest CT scan revealed increased CT value in all lung fields with reticular shadows in the lower fields and pleural effusion, suggested interstitial pneumonia. Methyl-prednisolone pulse therapy was started on June 12, after which he completely recovered. Anti-Rikettia japonica IgM antibody was found to be x8,192 by immunofluorescent test, establishing the diagnosis of Japanese spotted fever. Acute respiratory failure with interstitial pneumonia shadows should be emphasized as a complication of severe rickettsiosis.

Acute Disease↗

GABAergic contribution to rat bladder hyperactivity after middle cerebral artery occlusion.

To evaluate the influences of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mechanisms on bladder hyperactivity after left middle cerebral artery occlusion, cystometric recordings were obtained from unanesthetized female rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of both muscimol (GABA(A) receptor agonist; 0.1-10 nmol) and baclofen (GABA(B) receptor agonist; 0.1-3 nmol) produced dose-dependent inhibitions of micturition with increases in bladder capacity (BC). The effects of high doses (1-10 nmol) were similar in sham-operated (SO) and cerebral-infarcted (CI) rats. However, lower doses of muscimol (0.1 or 0.3 nmol) and baclofen (0.1 nmol) reduced BC in CI rats. After bicuculline (GABA(A) receptor antagonist; 1 or 3 nmol) administration, BC in both SO and CI rats first decreased and subsequently increased. An increase in urethral pressure was observed after administration of bicuculline (3 nmol) but not with either muscimol or baclofen. Infarct volumes in muscimol-, bicuculline-, or baclofen-treated rats were not significantly different from those of vehicle-treated rats. These results suggest that GABAergic mechanisms inhibit the micturition reflex at the supraspinal level but that this can change as a result of CI.

Animals↗

Relationship between MRI findings and prognosis for patients with general paresis.

MRI was performed in 7 patients with general paresis before or at a very early stage of treatment. A large dose of antibiotics, mainly penicillin, was given to all patients, and the effects of treatment, the patients' outcome, and MRI findings were investigated. Three of the 7 patients had MRI findings of atrophy of the medial temporal lobe including the hippocampus. In the medial temporal lobe atrophy group, a personality change or general dementia remained even after the treatment was completed, and outcome in social functioning was poor. Medial temporal lobe atrophy may be a poor prognostic sign in general paresis.

Adult↗