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Biomedical subjects

K Shichikawa

Publications and source records attributed to K Shichikawa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Arthritis and polyenthesitis after viral pleuro-pneumopathy due to Coxsackie virus].

A sixty-one year-old male developed subacute polyenthesitis one month after the onset on pleuropulmonary disease. This last manifestation resolved completely six months later, whereas the enthesopathy ran a subacute course, improving over time. Three years after onset, the patient had monoarthritis of the left elbow and tendinitis of both Achilles tendons. During the course of the disease, neutralizing antibodies against Coxsackie virus A9 rose significantly then returned to normal when clinical manifestations improved. This finding suggests that viral infections may cause enthesopathy.

Arthritis

Polyenthesitis.

We described the clinical symptoms and signs of 11 cases of polyenthesitis, confirmed by the presence of inflammation in biopsies and increased activity in scintigraphy. All cases are negative for HLA-B27, and there is no presence of systemic inflammatory reaction, radiographic sacroiliitis, or chronic arthritis. The enthesitis is not ossifying and follows a rather benign clinical course. In one case, herpes virus-like particles were detected in the fibroblast debris of the tissue removed from Achilles tendon insertion. This fact suggests that polyenthesitis may be a clinical manifestation due to a reaction to an infectious agent.

Adolescent

Polyamine levels in synovial tissues and synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

We determined the polyamine contents of the synovial tissues from 11 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the free putrescine levels in the synovial fluids (SF) from 10 patients with RA, 7 with osteoarthritis (OA), 5 with posttraumatic arthritis, and 3 with infectious arthritis. Putrescine levels in the synovial tissues correlated with serum C reactive protein concentration in patients with RA. Free putrescine levels in SF were significantly elevated in patients with infectious arthritis, compared with those found in RA, OA, and posttraumatic arthritis. Free putrescine levels in SF from patients with RA were significantly higher than in those with OA. Our findings suggest that polyamines may play an important role in RA.

Adult

Production of interleukin-1 beta-like factor with synovial cell growth promoting activity from adult T-cell leukemia cells.

We observed a case of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) with proliferative synovitis. Culture supernatants from ATL cells (ATL-SN) obtained from the peripheral blood constitutively produced an interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like factor in vitro, as shown by the growth inhibition factor (GIF) assay using the A375 melanoma cell line and the lymphocyte activating factor (LAF) assay using C3H/HeJ thymocytes. Neutralization studies indicated that polyclonal antibodies against IL-1 beta blocked most (80%) of the activity in ATL-SN. In addition, increased amounts of IL-1 beta mRNA were found in the ATL cells by dot blot analysis. Sephacryl S-200 chromatography showed that the molecular weight of this factor was approximately 17.5 kDa, and Western blot analysis revealed that this factor reacted with polyclonal anti-IL-1 beta antibody under the reduced condition. The isoelectric point was 7.5. Furthermore, ATL-SN showed significant activity in promoting the growth of synovial cells in parallel with IL-1 activity. These data suggest that the constitutive production of this IL-1 beta-like factor might be responsible for proliferative synovitis in this case.

Aged

Nerve supply to the posterior longitudinal ligament and the intervertebral disc of the rat vertebral column as studied by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. I. Distribution in the lumbar region.

The nerve supply to the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) and the intervertebral disc (IVD) of the lumbar vertebra was investigated by acetylcholinesterase (AchE) enzyme histochemistry in the rat. The meningeal branch of the spinal nerve (the sinuvertebral nerve) enters the vertebral canal and divides into ascending and descending branches which fuse with those from adjacent vertebrae. They give off transverse branches, connecting with those from the opposite side to form the superficial nerve fibre network in the intervertebral segment, which spreads to the vertebral segment of the PLL. Apart from this superficial nervous network, many nerve fibres enter through the posterolateral portion of the annulus fibrosus (AF) and form a dense, fine nerve fibre network in the deep layer of the intervertebral portion of the PLL and the superficial layer of the AF. Nerve fibres and terminals cannot be found in the deep layer of the AF or the nucleus pulposus. In the central part of the deeper nerve network there are few nerve terminals whereas there are abundant free nerve endings in the peripheral zones. It is suggested that these abundant nerve fibres may be correlated with various functions characteristic of this region and that they may be important in the regulation of movement and posture in the vertebral column.

Acetylcholinesterase

Nerve supply to the posterior longitudinal ligament and the intervertebral disc of the rat vertebral column as studied by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. II. Regional differences in the distribution of the nerve fibres and their origins.

Regional differences of the distribution and the origin of the nerve fibres of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) and the intervertebral disc (IVD) were investigated by acetylcholinesterase (AchE) enzyme histochemistry in the rat. The deeper nerve network was well-developed at the lower thoracic and the upper lumbar vertebral levels, but it was hardly seen at the mid-thoracic level. This difference can be correlated with the extensibility of the PLL. The experimental study revealed that the AchE-positive nerve fibres in the PLL and the IVD were mostly derived from the spinal ganglia, that the superficial nerve network was supplied by the spinal ganglia bilaterally and polysegmentally, and that the deeper nerve network was supplied bilaterally but unisegmentally.

Acetylcholinesterase