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Biomedical subjects

K Shichikawa

Publications and source records attributed to K Shichikawa.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Autoimmunity and chondrolysis of the hip. A report of two cases.

Two patients with rapidly progressive chondrolysis of the hip are reported. Immunofluorescent staining showed deposits of immunoglobulins and complement components in the synovium and the remaining femoral head cartilage. Seven patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, or femoral neck fractures, were used as controls and all had a negative immunofluorescent staining reaction in the synovium. We suggest that an autoimmune reaction against articular cartilage antigens may play a role in the development of chondrolysis.

Aged↗

Older age onset rheumatoid arthritis with or without osteoarthritis.

The clinical features of a group of 79 patients with older age onset rheumatoid arthritis (ORA) were compared with those of a group of 414 patients with younger age onset rheumatoid arthritis. The ORA group contained approximately equal numbers of men and women, were less rheumatoid factor positive, had a raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lower HLA-DR4 positivity, and a tendency towards larger joint involvement at the onset of the disease. These features have been reported by many authors except for the lower DR4 positivity. Of these features, the lower prevalence of rheumatoid factor positivity and the tendency towards larger joint involvement at the onset were characteristic of a subset of patients with ORA who had had osteoarthritis before the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. It is suggested that osteoarthritic large joints may be susceptible to the occurrence of rheumatoid synovitis at the onset of the disease, but that the osteoarthritis inducing factor may be negatively related to the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.

Age Factors↗

Operations for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. A comparison of the results of anterior and posterior procedures.

Over the past 19 years we have operated on 269 patients with myelopathy associated with cervical spondylosis. We report our results in 191 cases which we have followed up for 1 to 12 years (average 31 months). The clinical state before and after operation was recorded using the criteria of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Posterior operations gave better results than anterior for the more advanced myelopathies such as transverse lesions, the Brown-Séquard syndrome and the motor syndromes, but the brachialgia and cord syndrome and the central cord syndrome were satisfactorily treated by anterior operations. Of the three anterior and three posterior techniques used, no single one showed an overall superiority. A short duration of symptoms before operation was associated with better results, but these were not influenced by the age of the patients.

Adult↗

Double-blind study with liposteroid in rheumatoid arthritis.

A multicentre double-blind comparative trial was performed in 138 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after biweekly intravenous or intramuscular injections of liposteroid (containing 2.5 mg of dexamethasone), which had been developed as a drug for targeting therapy of RA, and Decadron (containing 3.3 mg of dexamethasone) as a reference drug. The results showed a tendency to a significantly higher rate of improvement with lower frequency of side-effects in the liposteroid group than in the Decadron group. This study indicates that liposteroid is more useful for RA and that the separation of the efficacy and side-effects of steroids could be clinically confirmed to some extent.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

A multicenter double-blind controlled study of lobenzarit, a novel immunomodulator, in rheumatoid arthritis.

A multicenter double-blind study was carried out in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by comparing treatment with a novel immunomodulator, lobenzarit, disodium 4-chloro-2, 2'-iminodibenzoate, with an inert placebo. Both groups of patients received 75 mg/day of indomethacin as a basal regimen during the study period of 16 weeks. Group 1 (115 patients) received 240 mg/day lobenzarit, 80 mg TID, and Group 2 (115 patients) received placebo TID orally. A statistically significant improvement was noted in the number of swollen joints and in the Lansbury index at Weeks 12 and 16 in Group 1 as compared to Group 2. Overall clinical effectiveness was significantly higher in Group 1 (63%) than in Group 2 (43%). Incidence of side effects was 38% in Group 1 and 22% in Group 2. The most frequent side effect in both groups was gastrointestinal upset. Our data confirm that lobenzarit is a useful agent in the treatment of patients with RA.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

The pattern of spinal and extraspinal hyperostosis in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and the ligamentum flavum causing myelopathy.

Thirty one patients suffering from myelopathy associated with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and ligamentum flavum of the spine have been investigated. The pattern of spinal and peripheral hyperostosis was recorded in each case. Flowing anterior vertebral hyperostosis and ligamentous ossification at the enthesis around the pelvis and hips were the most frequent associations, occurring in approximately 86% of patients. The distribution and incidence of the spinal and extraspinal hyperostosis in this series corresponds closely to the findings in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). The present findings indicate that patients suffering from cervical myelopathy and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament should be regarded as manifesting focal features of a more generalised disorder producing skeletal hyperostosis.

Adult↗