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Biomedical subjects

K Matsuo

Publications and source records attributed to K Matsuo.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a glycoprotein that selectively promotes proliferation of endothelial cells, has been associated with cancer development. The aim of the present study was to determine whether serum levels of VEGF correlate with disease progression in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: VEGF levels were measured by a highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in sera from 67 patients with colorectal cancer, 14 patients with colorectal adenomas, and 72 healthy volunteers, and in tissue homogenates from 10 patients with colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with colorectal cancer than in patients with colorectal adenomas or in normal controls (p < 0.01). In patients with colorectal cancer, serum VEGF levels were significantly associated with Dukes stage (p < 0.01) and with carcinoembryonic antigen levels (r = 0.725, p < 0.001). Patients with hepatic and/or lymph node metastasis had higher serum VEGF levels than those without. Surgical resection of the colorectal tumor led to a decrease in serum VEGF levels whether or not metastasis was present (p < 0.05). The tumor-bearing tissue contained significantly more VEGF than normal-appearing mucosa (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF is involved in the development of colorectal cancer. Measurement of VEGF in the serum may be a useful noninvasive clinical marker for evaluating the disease status.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1998

Mechanism of antiarrhythmic effects of class Ic drugs in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in man.

While class Ic antiarrhythmic drugs are effective in treating patients with atrial fibrillation, their mechanism of action is poorly understood. We performed electrophysiological studies before and after their administration to 22 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Atrial refractoriness, maximal interatrial conduction delay and the wavelength index were measured at two basic cycle lengths (600 or 400 ms). Both drugs studied increased atrial refractoriness and wavelength index. Flecainide reduced the maximal interatrial conduction delay, but pilsicainide did not. Each drug increased the wavelength index in a tachycardia-dependent manner. Class Ic drugs may reduce atrial vulnerability by increasing the wavelength of the reentrant circuit during periods of rapid heart rate.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1998

Increased serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in Kawasaki disease.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic mitogen that specifically targets vascular endothelial cells. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of VEGF in Kawasaki disease (KD), the most common cause of systemic vasculitis in childhood. Serum VEGF levels were measured by ELISA in 22 patients with KD, 22 febrile children with infection, and 19 healthy children. Samples from KD patients were divided into three groups: acute stage (n = 20), subacute stage (n = 13), and convalescent stage (n = 15). The results showed that KD patients in the acute and subacute stages had significantly higher levels of VEGF than did patients with infectious diseases and the healthy control subjects. When compared with the VEGF levels of patients with and without coronary artery lesions (CAL), significantly higher levels of VEGF were observed in the subacute stage in patients with CAL and in patients without CAL in the acute stage. Serial examination revealed that the serum VEGF levels in KD patients with CAL increased from a relatively low level in the acute stage to an extremely high level in the subacute stage. In contrast, patients without CAL were found to have extremely high levels of VEGF only in the acute stage of KD. In KD patients, the serum VEGF levels did not correlate with the inflammatory markers and clinical symptoms. Our results raise the possibility that VEGF is involved in the pathogenesis of KD, especially in the development of CAL. Further study is needed to clarify the biologic effect of VEGF on coronary arteries in KD.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Influence of inoculation site of combined oil-adjuvanted vaccine on the antibody response in chickens.

Inactivated oil-adjuvanted vaccines for ND, IB, and IC serotypes A and C (OILVAX NB2AC) have been marketed from 1993. In the outdoors, various inoculation sites have been used in chickens because to make the inoculation procedure easier. We examined whether differences would be obtained in the antibody response according to the inoculation sites; the subcutaneous inoculation into the back of the neck for OILVAX use, and the thigh, lower thigh, breast and shoulder muscle for the possible application of the inoculation outdoors. The clear order was not found in the NDV-HI titer, IBV-SN titer against Nerima or TM-86 among the inoculation sites used during the examination period. The IC serotypes A and C HI titers did vary among the inoculation sites; the subcutaneous inoculation produced the highest antibody titer, and high antibody titers were observed in the order of lower thigh muscle > or = thigh muscle > breast muscle > or = shoulder muscle inoculation.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1998

Resonance imaging of the eustachian tube cartilage in microtia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether external and internal defects in microtia are related. METHOD: Magnetic resonance images of the eustachian tube cartilage were evaluated for 20 patients who had unilateral microtia. Nineteen patients were classified as Grade 2, and one was classified as Grade 3. The Grade 3 patient also had unilateral facial palsy. RESULTS: On T1-, T2-, and proton-density-weighted images, the eustachian tube cartilage was clearly identified as a pair of straight lines with low signal intensity. There was no evidence of hypoplasia of the eustachian tube cartilage on the microtic side in any Grade 2 patient, but hypoplasia was evident on the microtic side of the patient classified as Grade 3. CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with the view that impairment of embryonic development before 6 weeks results in injury to the immature primordium and malformation of both the external and middle ear. In contrast, injuries that occur at a later fetal age (i.e., after 3 months) do not appear to cause middle ear malformations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Interferon-alpha-induced thyroid dysfunction in patients with chronic active hepatitis C: a transient, reversible and self-limited dysfunction.

To survey the prognoses of interferon-alpha (IFNalpha)-induced thyroid dysfunction, a total of 100 patients (49 males and 51 females) with biopsy-proven chronic active hepatitis C were studied. Either during or after IFNalpha therapy, 29 patients (33.7%) revealed suppression/elevation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) or both, transient thyrotoxicosis (TSH less than 0.1 microU/ml) or transient hypothyroidism (TSH 5.0-190.95 microU/ml). However, the thyroid function normalized without supplementation of the thyroid hormone in the follow-up period. In the same period, one of the 14 control patients (7.1%) developed thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid abnormalities developed significantly more in patients with IFNalpha therapy than in those without IFNalpha therapy. The findings suggest that the occult autoimmune disorder becomes overt with IFNalpha treatment in patients with pre-existent autoimmune thyroid disease. IFNalpha-induced thyroid dysfunction is transient, reversible and self-limited. It is not necessary to discontinue IFNalpha therapy when thyroid dysfunction develops.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy and renal and retinal damage in untreated patients with essential hypertension.

We examined the relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and renal and retinal damage in 174 untreated patients with essential hypertension. As an index of renal and retinal damage, we examined proteinuria and retinal vascular change. LVH was diagnosed according to left ventricular mass obtained from echocardiography. Of the hypertensive patients, 111 patients (64%) had LVH. The incidences of proteinuria and advanced retinal vascular change were higher in patients with LVH than in those without LVH. In a multiple regression model, there was a significant positive correlation between left ventricular mass and proteinuria, as well as diastolic blood pressure, sex, age and body mass index. In conclusion, proteinuria is related to elevated left ventricular mass in patients with essential hypertension.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1998

Microstructure and homogeneity of dental porcelain frits.

The microstructure and homogeneity of three commercial dentin and incisal unfired porcelain frits (one conventional and two ultra-low fusing types, fused-to metal were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microspectroscopy, and wavelength- and energy dispersive X-ray microspectroscopy. The average contents of tetragonal and cubic leucite for the conventional and one of the ultra-low fusing type frits were 20.1-22.6 wt% and 0-2.6 wt%, respectively, whereas those of another of the ultra-low fusing type frits were about 11.5-11.6 wt% and 2.9-4.6 wt%, respectively. The conventional type frits seemed to be admixtures of three kinds of glass frits. One of the ultra-low fusing type frits seemed to be an admixture of four kinds of glass frits. Another ultra-low fusing frits seemed to be only one kind of glass frit dispersed with small size, less than 1 micron, leucite crystals. There were no remarkable differences in microstructure and homogeneity between dentin and incisal porcelain frits in each brand.

Aluminum Silicates↗
PubMed1998

Rapid screening of platelet donors for PlA1 (HPA-1a) alloantigen using a solid-phase microplate immunoassay.

PlA1 and PlA2 are alternative platelet-specific alloantigens in the PlA1 system. Sensitization to PlA1 underlies most cases of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) and posttransfusion purpura (PTP) in white populations. A rapid and simple method for large-scale platelet phenotyping is desirable for identifying expectant mothers at risk of allosensitization and for identifying PlA1-negative donors when transfusions are indicated for treatment of NAIT or PTP. We investigated the effectiveness of a solid-phase microplate immunoassay for this purpose. Platelet-rich donor plasmas were tested using the Capture-P(R) kit (Immucor, Norcross, GA). Platelet monolayers in microtiter wells were incubated with anti-PlA1, washed, and exposed to red blood cells (RBCs) precoated with anti-human IgG. Adherence of RBCs in a diffuse pattern across the well surface indicated the attachment of anti-PlA1 to PlA1-positive platelets whereas sedimentation of unattached RBCs into a central pellet indicated the platelets were PlA1-negative. Of 520 donors, 15 (2.88%) tested PlA1-negative, which correlates well with the reported PlA2,2 frequency in whites of 2.25 percent. Results were confirmed by DNA genotyping and/or immunoblotting. This screening technique permits phenotyping donors for PlA1 alloantigen with minimal specialized equipment. Confirmatory testing for PlA2 alloantigen can be reserved for donors that test negative for PlA1.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Echocardiographic evaluation in long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis compared with the hemodialysis patients.

In dialysis patients, the prevalence of severe left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and systolic failure, important predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, has been reported to be very high. Therefore, we investigated cardiac function in 17 long-term CAPD patients (dialysis duration: 76.5 +/- 13.2 months; L-CAPD) by echocardiography and pulsed Doppler, and then compared with 16 short-term CAPD patients (dialysis duration: 28.9 +/- 11.9 months; S-CAPD), 21 long-term hemodialysis patients (dialysis duration: 165.1 +/- 52.7 months; L-HD), and 22 short-term hemodialysis patients (dialysis duration: 71.3 +/- 28.9 months; S-HD), except for the cases with diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, cardiac surgery or overt congestive heart failure. We selected 13 normotensive patients with normal kidney function as normal control group matched for sex and age (Control). Concerning with L-CAPD, S-CAPD, L-HD, and S-HD, these four groups were matched for age and original diseases. We examined blood pressure (BP), cardiothoracic rate (CTR), antihypertensive (AHT) drugs and laboratory data. Wall thickness, left atrium, ventricular chamber size, ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular mass (LV mass) [Devereux et al. 1986] were measured by echocardiograph. Peak early diastolic flow velocity (E), peak atrial filling velocity (A), A/E ratio and deceleration time of peak early diastolic flow velocity (DT) were calculated by analyzing transmitral flow, recorded by pulsed Doppler. BP control, CTR and EF were significantly worse in L-CAPD than in other patient groups. A/E as one of parameters for cardiac diastolic function was significantly higher in L-CAPD than in HD patients. LVMI (LV mass index: LV mass/body surface area) was significantly higher in L-CAPD than in other groups. LVMI in CAPD patients was shown to be significantly worse as time goes. Volume control by itself without AHT drugs could achieve good BP control in the long-term CAPD patients who were changed to maintenance hemodialysis because of peritoneal sclerosis. We concluded that LV hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction tend to progress in CAPD patients as time goes on. Also it is suggested that the cause of cardiac dysfunction in CAPD patients was mainly based on poor BP control probably due to overhydration, and therefore, appropriate volume control in CAPD patients is especially important.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed1998

[Color M-mode Doppler analysis of left ventricular inflow in pediatric patients].

This study evaluated the clinical usefulness of analyzing left ventricular (LV) filling by color M-mode Doppler echocardiography in pediatric patients. The LV-filling patterns of color M-mode Doppler echocardiography were obtained by LV inflow in the apical 4-chamber or long-axis view, and the time difference between the occurrence of peak velocity at the mitral tip and in the apical region (M-AP) was calculated. The peak velocity at each depth was determined by adequate selection of the Nyquist limit by shifting the zero point after freezing the color M-mode. LV volume and posterior wall motion velocity were obtained simultaneously. The catheter-derived data were compared with echo-derived data in 7 patients (mean age 12.0 years). The M-AP correlated positively with the time constant of LV relaxation (tau; r = 0.83, p < 0.05), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (r = 0.83, p < 0.05), and negatively with peak diastolic posterior wall motion velocity (r = -0.78, p < 0.05). The M-AP was compared with other echo-derived data between Group N (35 children with normal cardiac function, mean age 4.3 years) and Group F (12 children with LV ejection fraction less than 40%, mean age 9.5 years). The M-AP was significantly longer in Group F (53.3 +/- 14.0 vs 116.5 +/- 30.5 msec; p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in the E/A or deceleration time of E between the 2 groups. In Group N, the E/A correlated to LV end-diastolic volume and heart rate, but the M-AP showed no correlation. In Group F, the M-AP correlated with the percentages of normal LV end-diastolic volume (r = 0.76, p < 0.01) and LV ejection fraction (r = -0.58, p < 0.05). The M-AP was not influenced by LV size or heart rate and could easily differentiate normal heart from failing heart, and thus this is a useful parameter for evaluating diastolic function in pediatric patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Vascular endothelial growth factor levels in the aqueous and serum in diabetic retinopathy with or without neovascular glaucoma].

We determined the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF) in the aqueous and serum in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy (n = 12) and neovascular glaucoma (n = 11). The aqueous levels of PEGF/VPF were significantly higher in both groups than in 10 diabetics without such complications. The levels were very high in patients with neovascular glaucoma, suggesting that VEGF/VPF is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic neovascular glaucoma. The serum levels were not significantly related to the presence or the stage of retinopathy. The findings suggest the possibility of treatment of neovascular glaucoma using anti- VRGF/VFP preparations.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[A case of juvenile muscular atrophy of the upper limb with intraspinal cavity formation].

The patient was a 23-year-old man. He had no history of trauma in the head and neck. When he was 20 years old (in 1992), he noticed muscle atrophy and weakness in the right hand. In a hospital, he had cervical MRI study and other examinations. The diagnosis was juvenile muscular atrophy of the upper limb (Hirayama's disease). After that the symptoms became worse in the bilateral forearms and hands. The neurological examination showed severe atrophy in bilateral C7 to Th1 innervated muscles, right pyramidal sign, mild superficial and deep sensory disturbance in the dermatome of C7-Th1, and right Horner's sign. Cervical MRI and myelography revealed the atrophy of cervical cord and intraspinal cavity formations from C5 to Th1. We concluded that chronic and intermittent compression to cervical cord with flexion position made the cavities during the clinical course because these cavities were not found in the MRI taken in 1992.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Nucleic acid components of mycobacteria: recent studies on secreted protein genes].

Among the nucleic acid components of mycobacteria, secreted protein genes have been attractive targets in relation to the role in the bacteria-host cell interaction. The alpha antigen gene family is of particular interest from its evolutional constitution process and as a candidate of protective antigen for tuberculosis (TB). Recent studies on DNA vaccination revealed that the antigen 85A, a member of the alpha antigen family, could induce protective immunity against TB. The other studies on the development of recombinant BCG vaccines demonstrated that alpha antigen gene is applicable to a foreign antigen carrier which could obtain protective immunity against human immunodeficiency virus and malaria parasite infections. In this paper, advanced applications of such mycobacterial secreted protein genes are reviewed.

Animals↗