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Biomedical subjects

K Ohmori

Publications and source records attributed to K Ohmori.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor in the tumour tissue as a prognostic factor of soft tissue sarcomas.

Previous studies have shown that the prognosis of patients who have tumours with high microvessel density (MVD) is worse than that of patients who have a lower density in a variety of cancers. In this study, we investigated the clinical relevance of neovascularity assessed by MVD and the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumour tissue of patients with soft tissue sarcoma in comparison with major clinicohistologic parameters by univariate and multivariate analysis. In 115 patients with soft tissue sarcoma, MVD was measured by counting vessels stained with factor VIII antibody. The concentration of VEGF in the tumour tissue was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These parameters were then compared with disease outcome. The concentration of VEGF in the tumour tissue, but not MVD, was found to be correlated with disease outcome in patients with soft tissue, sarcoma. VEGF concentration in the tumour tissue showed a relationship with the clinical stage and histologic grade of the tumour. There was no significant difference in the levels of tissue VEGF concentration and MVD among soft tissue sarcomas classified according to histologic type. The level of tissue VEGF concentration in patients who had subsequent local recurrence and metastasis were significantly higher than the respective values in patients who did not have such disease outcome. No significant correlation existed between MVD and the concentration of VEGF in the tumour tissue. Univariate analysis showed that a high tissue VEGF concentration was associated with poor overall survival of the patient and a greater probability that local recurrence and metastasis had occurred. Multivariate analysis revealed that the tissue concentration of VEGF is an independent prognostic factor for the disease outcome of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. VEGF concentration in the tumour tissue, but not MVD, is an additional prognostic parameter for disease outcome in patients with soft tissue sarcoma, regardless of histologic type.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Image-guided anterior thoracolumbar corpectomy: a report of three cases.

STUDY DESIGN: A report of three cases of thoracolumbar vertebral collapse treated with image-guided anterior corpectomy. OBJECTIVES: To document the surgical technique and the usefulness of image-guided anterior corpectomy for thoracolumbar vertebral collapse. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Computer-assisted navigation systems can provide accurate three-dimensional surgical information intraoperatively. However, there is no clinical report regarding the application and usefulness of the computer-assisted navigation system for anterior thoracolumbar corpectomy. METHODS: After exposure of anterior and lateral aspects of the vertebral bodies through the transpleural approach, a reference frame was fixed to the thoracolumbar spinous process. Then thoracolumbar corpectomy and decompression were carried out under computer assistance. RESULTS: The tip of the standard probe and the angled rongeur could be monitored on three-dimensional images during surgery, and the retropulsed fragments within the spinal canal could be safely and completely removed under computer assistance. CONCLUSION: This image-guided procedure would aid surgeons in the complete and safe decompression of thoracolumbar injury.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Diacerein suppresses the increase in plasma nitric oxide in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis.

We investigated the effects of rhein, an active metabolite of diacerein, on the interleukin-1alpha-stimulated production of nitric oxide (NO) in rabbit articular chondrocytes, and the effects of diacerein on NO production in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis. At doses of 10 and 30 microM, rhein significantly inhibited the interleukin-1alpha-stimulated NO production in chondrocytes. In the rat adjuvant-induced arthritis model, diacerein was administered for 21 days, starting at the time of adjuvant injection. Paw swelling and plasma NO level were measured in order to assess the effect of diacerein on arthritis and NO biosynthesis in the whole body. At doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg/day, diacerein significantly suppressed the development of adjuvant-induced arthritis and the increase in plasma NO. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of diacerein on rat adjuvant-induced arthritis is partly related to its reduction of the NO production induced by adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Assessment of myocardial postreperfusion viability by intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography: analysis of the intensity and texture of opacification.

BACKGROUND: Although defects on intracoronary myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) indicate loss of viability after reperfusion, opacified segments may also exhibit persistent dyssynergy. Therefore, we related the intensity and texture of opacification produced by an intravenous contrast agent to histological findings to determine the characteristics of necrotic tissue by postreperfusion MCE. METHODS AND RESULTS: MCE was performed by intravenous injection of 0.15 mL/kg QW7437 in 14 dogs who underwent 3-hour coronary occlusion followed by 3-hour reperfusion. At baseline and 3 hours after reperfusion, midventricular short-axis images were digitized and segmented. Infarction fraction (IF) for each segment was determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride stain. Of 224 segments, 140 showed no or small infarction and served as a control group. Of 84 segments with significant infarction (IF>30%), 52 exhibited a defect on MCE, and 32 exhibited no defect. Echo texture was quantified by computing entropy based on the co-occurrence matrix analysis of gray-level pairs within each segment. Three hours after reperfusion, average and maximal entropies in the infarct segments without opacification defects were significantly higher than control levels. Histologically, the degree of intracapillary erythrocyte stasis was less in this group than in the infarcted segments with MCE defects with similar magnitude of tissue injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Opacification defects by MCE may be present or absent in myocardium with histologically confirmed infarction. The texture of MCE from opacified but infarcted myocardium differed significantly from control segments and may assist in determination of segmental viability after reperfusion.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of the elimination between perfluorinated fatty acids with different carbon chain length in rats.

Elimination in urine and feces was compared between four perfluorinated fatty acids (PFCAs) with different carbon chain length. In male rats, perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHA) was rapidly eliminated in urine with the proportion of 92% of the dose being eliminated within 120 h after an intraperitoneal injection. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) was eliminated in urine with the proportions of 55, 2.0 and 0.2% of the dose, respectively. By contrast, four PFCAs were eliminated in feces with the proportion of less than 5% of the dose within 120 h after an injection. In female rats, the proportions of PFOA and PFNA eliminated in urine within 120 h were 80% and 51% of the dose, respectively, which were significantly higher compared with those in male rats. There was the tendency that PFCA with longer carbon chain length is less eliminated in urine in both male and female rats. Fecal elimination of PFCAs was not different between PFCAs in female rats and comparable to those in male rats. The rates of biliary excretion of PFCAs in male rats were slower than those in female rats. Sex-related difference in urinary elimination of PFOA was abolished when male rats had been castrated. On the contrary, treatment with testosterone suppressed the elimination of PFOA in urine in both castrated male rats and female rats. The effect of testosterone was in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that PFCAs are distinguished by their carbon chain length by a renal excretion system, which is regulated by testosterone.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Clinical features of extraforaminal lumbar disc herniation based on the radiographic location of the dorsal root ganglion.

STUDY DESIGN: The relations between the location of the dorsal root ganglion and pre- and postoperative symptoms were reviewed retrospectively in 27 patients who underwent radiculography and posterior discectomy. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical features and surgical outcome of extraforaminal lumbar disc herniation based on the location of dorsal root ganglion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The location of dorsal root ganglia has been reported to be correlated with a variety of radicular symptoms. Extraforaminal lumbar disc herniation has several specific clinical features, one of which is severe radicular pain. However, there is no report in the literature on the association between the location of the dorsal root ganglia and the severity of the symptoms of extraforaminal lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: The radiographic location of the dorsal root ganglion of each compressed nerve root was determined by preoperative direct radiculograms. All patients were classified into the following three groups according to the location of dorsal root ganglion: intraspinal, intraforaminal, and extraforaminal. The incidences of these locations were 5 of 27 (18.5%), 15 of 27 (55.5%), and 7 of 27 (25.9%), respectively. The relation between the location of the dorsal root ganglion and clinical parameters such as the level of the compressed nerve root, the degree of limitation on straight leg raising test, the severity of the pre- and postoperative subjective symptoms (leg pain, low back pain, and walking capacity), clinical signs (sensory and motor disturbance), and the recovery rate were investigated. RESULTS: The degree of limitation on the straight leg raising test in the extraforaminal group tended to be low, compared with that in the intraspinal and intraforaminal groups. Low back pain in the extraforaminal group was more severe than that in the intraspinal and intraforaminal groups. Preoperative leg pain in the extraforaminal group was significantly more severe that that in the intraspinal group, and the walking capacity in the extraforaminal group tended to be lower than that in the intraspinal and intraforaminal groups. No significant differences were found between the location of dorsal root ganglion and the preoperative sensory or motor disturbance and surgical outcomes. CONCLUSION: The location of the dorsal root ganglion might influence the severity of radicular symptoms (pain and walking distance tolerance) in patients with extraforaminal lumbar disc herniation.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: a comparative study with nodular sclerosis-type Hodgkin's disease.

The clinicopathological features of 10 patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) are described. The patients were aged 19 to 63 years, with a median age of 25.5 years. There were 5 men and 5 women. All patients presented with chest symptoms, and 6 presented with superior vena cava syndrome. Nine patients had bulky mediastinal tumors. The disease was confined within the thorax and contiguous lymph nodes, although multiple liver tumors were observed in 1 patient. Laboratory findings included high lactate dehydrogenase levels and elevated C-reactive protein levels. The soluble interleukin 2-receptor level was high in 6 patients tested. A comparative study of PMLBCL and nodular sclerosis-type Hodgkin's disease (NS-HD) with a mediastinal mass revealed substantial overlap in clinical features. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens of PMLBCL revealed clusters of CD20+ large cells; however, CD30+ Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg-like cells were occasionally seen, raising the potential to misdiagnose PMLBCL as NS-HD. The patients with PMLBCL were treated with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone), biweekly CHOP, or MACOP-B (methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone, and bleomycin) regimen, and 6 received consolidation radiotherapy to the involved field. With the exception of 1 patient who was primarily refractory to therapy, 9 patients (90%) achieved complete response and 7 (70%) remain in continuous remission with a mean follow-up of 24 months.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Prediction of neurologic outcome in patients with spinal cord injury by using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) in predicting neurological recovery in patients with spinal cord injury was evaluated. HBO has been used to treat spinal cord injury, but HBO does not appear to greatly alter the neurological outcome. This is the first report of the use of HBO as a diagnostic tool to evaluate neurological recovery after spinal cord injury. The study group consisted of 22 patients, aged 21-73 years, with spinal cord injuries. The effect of HBO was evaluated on admission and categorized as one of four grades (excellent, good, fair, or poor). The neurological status was evaluated on admission and at the time of follow-up, according to Frankel grade and the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score. Correlations between the HBO effect and Frankel grade recovery and correlations between the HBO effect and recovery rate of the ASIA motor score were evaluated. The recovery in Frankel grade from admission to the final follow-up became better as the effectiveness of HBO increased (r = 0.445; P = 0.0414). The Frankel grade (r = 0.036; P = 0.871) and ASIA motor score (r = 0.029; P = 0.893) on admission did not correlate with the recovery in Frankel grade. There was a significant correlation between the HBO effect and the recovery rate of the ASIA motor score (r = 0.586; P = 0.0072), but this correlation was weaker than that for the ASIA motor score on admission (r = 0.752; P = 0.0006). We conclude that HBO can be employed to assess the status of spinal cord function recovery after spinal cord injury.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

A myxoid liposarcoma in the lower leg, with a large intra-abdominal metastasis.

We report a patient with a large intra-abdominal metastasis of myxoid liposarcoma. The patient first noticed an asymptomatic mass in her left leg in 1985, when she was 20 years old. The mass was left untouched until she realized its rapid growth and consulted a local doctor in 1994. After needle biopsy, she was histologically diagnosed as having a myxoid liposarcoma. She disagreed with the recommendation for an amputation below the knee, made at another hospital. A marginal resection was performed as an alternative treatment. She subsequently underwent three more marginal resections and four intra-lesional resections for repeated local recurrences. In 1997, an abdominal computed tomography scan revealed the presence of multiple intra-abdominal metastases, and the lesions were judged to be inoperable. Ileus and respiratory distress, caused by compression by the abdominal mass, gradually worsened, and she died in 1999, at the age of 34. The girth of her abdomen was 135 cm at the time of death.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

Association of plasma adrenomedullin with carotid atherosclerosis in chronic ischemic stroke.

Adrenomedullin is a potent vasodilator peptide exerting anti-atherosclerotic actions in vitro. We investigated the impact of the severity of atherosclerosis on plasma mature-adrenomedullin (m-AM) levels in 38 patients with chronic ischemic stroke. The variables of carotid artery atherosclerosis assessed using ultrasound measurement, blood pressure, and risk factors were related to m-AM levels. Severe atherosclerosis was associated with a further elevation of the increased m-AM level in patients with high systolic blood pressure. Even in patients with fewer risk factors, the presence of severe atherosclerosis was associated with an increased m-AM level. Thus, atherosclerosis elevates m-AM independent of the blood pressure level or presence of risk factors.

Adrenomedullin↗
PubMed2001

Quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion during graded coronary stenosis by real-time myocardial contrast echo refilling curves.

OBJECTIVES: The present study examined the ability of real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) to delineate abnormalities produced by graded coronary stenoses and to correlate signal intensity (SI) parameters derived from destruction/refilling curves with regional myocardial blood flow (MBF) and contractile function. BACKGROUND: Recent technological advances have enabled myocardial opacification by MCE to be achieved during real-time imaging. METHODS: In eight open-chest dogs, we created LAD occlusion and graded stenoses that were either flow-limiting at rest (FLS) or reduced adenosine hyperemia (non-flow-limiting at rest = NFLS). Myocardial contrast echo used Optison infusion and low-energy real-time power pulse inversion imaging. High-energy FLASH frames destroyed bubbles every 15 cardiac cycles. Myocardial SI-versus-time plots were fitted to a one-exponential function to obtain the rate of SI rise (b) and peak SI in the last frame. RESULTS: Dyssynergy was not observed during any NFLS, but perfusion abnormalities were. Visual detection of decreased opacification was possible with severe NFLS and FLS. b demonstrated a significant reduction with severe NFLS and near significant with moderate NFLS; peak SI did not. All exponential parameters were significantly decreased with FL stenosis and occlusion. The MBF ratio in LAD/LCx beds (fluorescent microspheres) correlated with b (r = 0.79) and the product of the peak SI and b (r = 0.80). CONCLUSIONS: In an open-chest dog model, parameters derived from microbubble refilling of the imaging field by real-time MCE correlate well with myocardial blood flow and can identify coronary stenosis.

Albumins↗
PubMed2001

Quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion during graded coronary artery stenoses by intravenous myocardial contrast echocardiography.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine whether coronary stenoses of variable severity could be quantitatively assessed by analysis of myocardial perfusion as determined by intravenous (IV) myocardial contrast echocardiography. BACKGROUND: Recently, new contrast agents and imaging technology have been developed that may enable improved assessment of myocardial perfusion by IV contrast injection. METHODS: Variable obstruction of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery in dogs was produced by a screw occluder. Coronary artery flow was measured with a transit time flowmeter during baseline, pharmacological vasodilation, a non-flow-limiting stenosis at rest in conjunction with vasodilation, a flow-limiting stenosis, and total occlusion. Myocardial contrast echocardiography was performed after IV injection of the contrast agent NC 100100. Time-intensity curves were obtained off-line for the LAD risk area and the adjacent left circumflex (LCx) territory, and peak background-subtracted video intensity was determined. Fluorescent microspheres were injected at each intervention for determination of regional myocardial blood flow. RESULTS: During non-flow-limiting stenosis, flow limiting stenosis and total occlusion, LAD/LCx ratios of peak myocardial videointensity and blood flow decreased proportionately. Both LAD/LCx ratios of video intensity and blood flow identified the non-flow-limiting and the flow-limiting stenoses as well as total occlusion of the LAD artery. A significant correlation between LAD/LCx video intensity and blood flow ratios was observed (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The degree of blood flow mismatch between ischemic and normal myocardial regions during graded coronary stenoses can be estimated in the dog by quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion produced by IV myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Effect of oxatomide, an antiallergic agent, on QT interval in dogs.

Oxatomide (CAS 60607-34-3, KW-4354) is an effective antiallergic agent for allergic rhinitis, urticaria, pruritus cutaneous, and eczema/dermatitis, etc. Terfenadine (CAS 50679-08-8) and astemizole (CAS 68844-77-9), antiallergic agents, have been reported to induce QT prolongation leading to serious ventricular arrhythmia (torsades de pointes) as cardiovascular adverse effects. The present study was carried out to determine whether oxatomide and terfenadine have effects on QT interval as a single drug or in combination with itraconazole (CAS 84625-61-6), an antifungal agent with a CYP3A4 inhibitory effect, in conscious dogs. Terfenadine alone induced QT prolongation at the dose of 30 mg/kg p.o. When itraconazole was administered at the dose of 100 mg/kg p.o. 1 h before terfenadine administration, terfenadine induced QT prolongation at the dose of 10 mg/kg p.o. On the other hand, oxatomide did not induce QT prolongation either as a single agent at the dose of 30 mg/kg p.o. or in combination with itraconazole at the dose of 10 mg/kg p.o. The results present no evidence that oxatomide has the potential to provoke ventricular arrhythmia.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Minimum 10-year follow-up study of anterior lumbar interbody fusion for isthmic spondylolisthesis.

The aims of the current study were to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiologic results of anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) for isthmic spondylolisthesis. Between 1981 and 1988, a total of 35 patients underwent ALIF for isthmic spondylolisthesis. Of these, 23 patients were followed clinically and radiographically for more than 10 years (average, 13.3 years). The Japanese Orthopaedic Association low-back pain score was used to evaluate the outcome of subjective symptoms and clinical signs. The preoperative and postoperative percentage of slip, preoperative and postoperative intervertebral disk height, interbody graft union, and pars defect union were evaluated by serial radiographs. The adjacent disk degeneration was also evaluated by radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging. Although the low-back pain score worsened after 5 years, ALIF provides satisfactory overall long-term clinical results. The preoperative percentage of slip and the disk height were corrected after surgery, but at the time of interbody graft union, slip and disk height recurred as a result of grafted bone collapse. The rate of union in the grafted area was 83%. In the nonunion cases, the scores gradually deteriorated with time, but the overall results were not different from those of union cases. Radiographs showed adjacent disk degeneration in 52% of cases in the upper adjacent level and in 70% of cases in the lower adjacent level, but these changes were not correlated with clinical outcomes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Clinical symptoms and surgical outcome in lumbar spinal stenosis patients with neuropathic bladder.

We evaluated the clinical and radiologic features of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis with neuropathic bladder. Based on cystometrogram analysis, the patients were divided into two groups--the neuropathic bladder (NB) group: the NB+ group (23 patients), and the nonneuropathic bladder group: the NB- group (14 patients). The symptom of incontinence was characteristic in patients in the NB+ group. Patients in the NB+ group had a more severe neurologic disturbance, compared with those in the NB- group. The more severe neurologic disturbance was caused by the more striking finding of degenerative spinal stenosis associated with developmental narrowing of the spinal canal. Decompressive surgery had a beneficial effect on the recovery of the neurologic symptoms in both groups. Residual urine volume was reduced after surgery. Postoperative cystometrogram was carried out in nine patients in the NB+ group. It showed a normal pattern in six patients; however, three patients remained in an underactive pattern. Furthermore, four patients still required clear intermittent self-catheterization after surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Prevention of cerebral thromboembolism by low-dose anticoagulant therapy in atrial fibrillation with mitral regurgitation.

Controversy exists regarding the influence of mitral regurgitation (MR) on thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. We aimed to investigate retrospectively a reduction of risk for stroke due to MR in atrial fibrillation and to evaluate the effectiveness of low-intensity anticoagulation therapy. In 313 patients with atrial fibrillation, transthoracic echocardiography was performed and MR was graded. Between the groups with no or mild MR (n = 209) and with moderate or severe MR (n = 104), age, sex, treatment, history of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipemia and mitral stenosis, and previous stroke were compared. No significant differences in clinical characteristics, treatment, or history were observed between the two groups. The incidence of thromboembolism was significantly higher in the group with no MR (48 patients [23%]) than in the group with MR (14 patients [13%], p < 0.05). In the MR group, previous stroke was frequently observed in patients without warfarin treatment (11 of 51 patients) compared with patients with low-dose warfarin treatment (international normalized ratio of 1.6-1.8) (3 of 53 patients, p < 0.05). Consequently, the thromboembolic event was markedly prevented by low-dose warfarin treatment.

Aged↗