Successful intravenous interferon-beta treatment of chronic hepatitis C in a patient with Bernard-Soulier syndrome.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
K Tajima
Publications and source records attributed to K Tajima.
Ancient HTLV type 1 provirus DNA of Andean mummy.
The worldwide geographic and ethnic clustering of patients with diseases related to human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) may be explained by the natural history of HTLV-1 infection. The genetic characteristics of indigenous people in the Andes are similar to those of the Japanese, and HTLV-1 is generally detected in both groups. To clarify the common origin of HTLV-1 in Asia and the Andes, we analyzed HTLV-1 provirus DNA from Andean mummies about 1500 years old. Two of 104 mummy bone marrow specimens yielded a band of human beta-globin gene DNA 110 base pairs in length, and one of these two produced bands of HTLV-1-pX (open reading frame encoding p(40x), p(27x)) and HTLV-1-LTR (long terminal repeat) gene DNA 159 base pairs and 157 base pairs in length, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of ancient HTLV-1-pX and HTLV-1-LTR clones isolated from mummy bone marrow were similar to those in contemporary Andeans and Japanese, although there was microheterogeneity in the sequences of some mummy DNA clones. This result provides evidence that HTLV-1 was carried with ancient Mongoloids to the Andes before the Colonial era. Analysis of ancient HTLV-1 sequences could be a useful tool for studying the history of human retroviral infection as well as human prehistoric migration.
Asian People↗
Mutation and expression of the metastasis suppressor gene KAI1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND: KAI1/CD82, a tumor metastasis suppressor gene, is correlated inversely with the progression and invasion of several tumors. It also has been reported that the KAI1 gene is related to the tumor suppressor gene p53. This study was performed to clarify the correlation between KAI1/CD82 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics and p53 expression in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The authors also investigated mutation of the KAI1 gene coding region to determine whether this may reduce KAI1 expression in ESCC. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry with anti-KAI1 polyclonal antibody and monoclonal antibody against p53, KAI1/CD82 and p53 expression were detected in 55 patients with ESCC who had undergone surgery. The authors examined the KAI1 gene mutation in 22 patients with ESCC by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: KAI1/CD82 expression was positive in 36 of 55 patients (65.5%). There was a significant inverse correlation between KAI1/CD82 expression and regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0045), distant metastasis (P = 0.0092), the number of lymph node metastases (P = 0.0019), and pathologic stage (P = 0.0046). The survival rates of KAI1/CD82 negative patients were poorer than those of positive patients (P = 0. 024). The correlation between KAI1 positive and p53 positive tumors was not statistically significant. None of the 22 patients with ESCC showed mutation of the KAI1 gene by PCR-SSCP. In one patient, there was polymorphism in the SSCP assay and DNA sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: The authors demonstrated immunohistochemically that the expression of KAI1 protein appeared to be correlated with lymph node metastasis. Mutation does not seem to be a mechanism for dysregulation of the KAI1 protein in ESCC.
Adult↗
Cloning and sequencing of the levansucrase gene from Acetobacter xylinum NCI 1005.
The levansucrase gene (lsxA) was cloned from the genomic DNA of Acetobacter xylinum NCI 1005, and the nucleotide sequence of the lsxA gene (1,293 bp) was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the lsxA gene showed 57.4% and 46.2% identity with the levansucrases from Zymomonas mobilis and Erwinia amylovora, respectively, while only 35.2% identity with that from Acetobacter diazotrophicus. The gene product of lsxA (LsxA) that was overproduced in E. coli coded for a polypeptide of molecular mass 47 kDa. The LsxA released glucose and produced polysaccharide from sucrose, the structure of which was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and determined to be a beta-(2,6)-linked polyfructan.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Nitrotyrosine in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and relevance to p53 expression.
We have examined the expression of nitrotyrosine, a marker of peroxynitrite formation, in 55 esophageal cancers by immunohistochemistry. Nitrotyrosine was detected in 21 of 55 (38.2%) esophageal cancers. Comparison of nitrotyrosine expression and the pathological findings showed that there was a significant association between the expression of nitrotyrosine and each of the depth of tumor invasion (P<0.01), occurrence of metastasis (P<0.05), pathological stage (P<0.01), smoking status (P<0.05) and alcohol intake (P<0.05). The survival rate of patients with nitrotyrosine-negative cancer was significantly higher than that of patients with nitrotyrosine-positive cancer (log-rank test, P<0.01). p53 was detected in 29 of 55 (52.7%) esophageal cancers, however, p53 expression did not correlate with nitrotyrosine expression. In conclusion, nitrotyrosine, a product of nitrogen species, is expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which suggests that exogenous risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol, through NO, are associated with carcinogenesis and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Adult↗
Beneficial effects of MET-88, a gamma-butyrobetaine hydroxylase inhibitor in rats with heart failure following myocardial infarction.
Myocardial ischemia can cause myocardial infarction and as a consequence, heart failure. 3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazinium) propionate (MET-88) inhibits gamma-butyrobetaine hydroxylase and has cardioprotective effects on the ischemic heart. We now examined the effects of MET-88 in rats with congestive heart failure following myocardial infarction. Congestive heart failure was produced by left coronary artery ligation in rats. MET-88 at 100 mg/kg/day was orally administered from the 2nd day after surgery. We performed a survival study for 181 days, and measured ventricular remodeling, cardiac function, and myocardial high-energy phosphate levels after treatment for 20 days. MET-88 prolonged survival with a median 50% survival of 103 days compared to 79 days for the heart-failure control rats. The expansion of the left ventricular cavity (ventricular remodeling) in heart-failure rats was prevented by treatment with MET-88, and the effect of MET-88 was similar to that of captopril at 20 mg/kg. MET-88 attenuated the rise in right atrial pressure in heart-failure rats and augmented cardiac functional adaptability against an increased load. Also, MET-88 improved the myocardial energy state in heart-failure rats. The present results indicate that MET-88 improves the pathosis in rats with heart failure induced by myocardial infarction.
Adenosine Diphosphate↗
Comparison of lifestyle and risk factors among Japanese with and without gastric cancer family history.
To find specific risk factors of gastric cancer (GC) independent of GC family history (GCFH), 2 studies were conducted using the database of the Hospital-based Epidemiological Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center: (i) a comparison of lifestyles between non-cancer cases with positive and negative GCFH status and (ii) a case-reference investigation of subjects with and without GCFH, treated separately. The first showed no significant variation of GCFH status with regard to smoking, drinking and most food habits. Multivariate analyses in the case-referent studies revealed odds ratios (ORs) for GC associated with habitual smoking of 2.78 (95% CI 1.22-6.28) for those with and 2.74 (95% CI 1.76-4.26) for those without GCFH. In individuals with GCFH, an independently lowered OR (0.52, 95% CI 0.27-0.99) was evident for frequent consumption of raw vegetables, whereas the opposite was noted for pickled vegetables (2. 39, 95% CI 1.28-4.45). No statistically significant interaction was found between GCFH and selected lifestyle items. In conclusion, our results suggest a limited influence of GCFH on risk factors for GC.
Adult↗
Influence of ring opening-closure equilibrium of oxanine, a novel damaged nucleobase, on migration behavior in capillary electrophoresis.
Oxanine (Oxa) is a novel damaged nucleobase which is generated from guanine by HNO2 or NO. As a fundamental study for detection of Oxa formed in vivo, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) have been tested by changing the pH of the running buffer. At pH 7, CZE did not separate Oxa from seven other nucleobases, and MEKC separated Oxa but their peaks migrated close together. In both the techniques, an extreme peak broadening occurred for Oxa around pH 9 and a good peak separation was achieved at pH 12. The behavior of the Oxa peak is discussed in relation to the unique multistep acid-base equilibria of Oxa.
Buffers↗
Formation of 2'-deoxyoxanosine from 2'-deoxyguanosine and nitrous acid: mechanism and intermediates.
The reaction mechanism for the formation of 2'-deoxy-oxanosine from 2'-deoxyguanosine by nitrous acid was explored using methyl derivatives of guanosine and an isolated intermediate of the reaction. When 1-methylguanosine was incubated with NaNO(2)under acidic conditions, N (5) -methyloxanosine and 1-methylxanthosine were generated, whereas the same treatment of N (2), N (2)-dimethylguanosine generated no product. In a similar experiment without NO(2)(-), participation of a Dimroth rearrangement was ruled out. In the guanosine-HNO(2)reaction system, an intermediate with a half-life of 5.6 min (pH 7.0, 20 degrees C) was isolated and tentatively identified as a diazoate derivative of guanosine. The diazoate intermediate was converted into oxanosine and xanthosine at a molar ratio (oxanosine:xanthosine) of 0.26 at pH 7.0 and 20 degrees C. The ratio was not affected by the incubation pH between 2 and 10, but increased linearly with temperature from 0.22 (0 degrees C) to 0.32 (50 degrees C). The addition of acetone also increased the ratio up to 0.85 (98% acetone). Based on these results, a con-ceivable pathway for the formation of 2'-deoxyoxanosine from 2'-deoxyguanosine by HNO(2)is proposed.
Cations↗
Engineering of the hydrophobic core of an alpha-helical coiled coil.
The amino acid sequence that forms the alpha-helical coiled coil structure has a representative heptad repeat denoted by defgabc, according to their positions. Although the a and d positions are usually occupied by hydrophobic residues, hydrophilic residues at these positions sometimes play important roles in natural proteins. We have manipulated a few amino acids at the a and d positions of a de novo designed trimeric coiled coil to confer new functions to the peptides. The IZ peptide, which has four heptad repeats and forms a parallel triple-stranded coiled coil, has Ile at all of the a and d positions. We show three examples: (1) the substitution of one Ile at either the a or d position with Glu caused the peptide to become pH sensitive; (2) the metal ion induced alpha-helical bundles were formed by substitutions with two His residues at the d and a positions for a medium metal ion, and with one Cys residue at the a position for a soft metal ion; and (3) the AAB-type heterotrimeric alpha-helical bundle formation was accomplished by a combination of Ala and Trp residues at the a positions of different peptide chains. Furthermore, we applied these procedures to prepare an ABC-type heterotrimeric alpha-helical bundle and a metal ion-induced heterotrimeric alpha-helical bundle.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Characterization of the cryptic plasmid pSBO2 isolated from Streptococcus bovis JB1 and construction of a new shuttle vector.
A cryptic plasmid designated pSBO2 (3582 bp) was isolated from Streptococcus bovis JB1. The pSBO2 contained putative sites for a double-strand origin (dso), a small transcriptional repressor protein (Cop), countertranscribed RNAs (ctRNAs), and a replication protein (Rep), which were similar to those from pMV158 and pLS1, which were isolated from S. agalactiae, and pWVO1, isolated from Lactococcus lactis. The putative single-strand origin (sso) of pSBO2 was similar to pER341 and pST1, which were isolated from S. thermophilus. Recombinant plasmid designated pSBE2 was constructed to bind pECM184 vector and the DNA fragment containing sso, dso, Cop, ctRNAs, and Rep of pSBO2. When pSBE2 was introduced into S. bovis 12-U-1 and no8, the plasmids in the transformants had deleted the 160-bp fragment between sso and dso. This plasmid, designated pSBE2A, was capable of transforming Escherichia coli and S. bovis strains 12-U-1 and no8 on high frequency; therefore, pSBE2A is an effective shuttle vector.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Phenotypic characterization of polysaccharidases produced by four Prevotella type strains.
Four ruminal Prevotella type strains, P. ruminicola JCM8958T, P. bryantii B 4T, P. albensis M384T, and P. brevis ATCC19188T, were characterized for polysaccharide-degrading activities with the reducing sugar release assay and zymogram analyses. Carboxymethylcellulase, xylanase, and polygalacturonate (PG)-degrading enzyme activities were determined in cultures grown on oat spelt xylan, xylose, arabinose, cellobiose, and glucose as sole growth substrates. P. ruminicola and P. albensis showed carboxymethylcellulase induction patterns. When xylan was supplied as a sole growth substrate, xylanase activities produced by P. bryantii and P. albensis were at least 18- and 11-fold higher, respectively, than during growth on other carbohydrates, suggesting that the regulation of the xylanases was highly specific to xylan. All strains constitutively produced PG-degrading enzymes. The corresponding activity of P. bryantii was more than 40-fold higher than in other strains. Zymogram analyses routinely detected the presence of high-molecular-weight (100-170 kDa) polysaccharide-degrading enzymes in ruminal Prevotella. Characteristics of the polysaccharide-degrading activities showed diversity of ruminal Prevotella species.
Animals↗
Detection and a possible mechanism of magnetic field effect on the crystal growth of sedimentary calcium carbonate.
Sedimentary calcium carbonate was grown at a physiological pH6.8 from a mixture of equivolume of 70 mM Ca(NO(3))(2) and 70 mM NaHCO(3) aqueous solution. The kinetics of the crystal growth was monitored by means of turbidity measurement. The apparent absorption is gradually increased with the elapsed time after the mixing and reaches its maximum at t(max). The average t(max) is significantly decreased from =467 s (for n=13 runs) to 408 s (n=13) by application of the static magnetic field (SMF) of H=400 mT to the precipitating solution. The application of SMF at 120 s later the mixing shows the same =396 s (n=9) as that of 408 s. It has been thus detected that the application of SMF is ineffective in the stage of the nucleation or the earlier stage of the crystal growth but effective in the Ostwald ripening stage of the growth nucleus or the later stage of the crystal growth where large numbers of the growing crystalline particles seem greater than a few hundred nanometers. A possible mechanism for the SMF effect is as follows. An ion escaping from the growing crystal surface with a certain 'migration velocity' due to a random walk process has significant probability to drift onto the identical surface or at least the identical crystal by means of Lorentz force, because the translational displacement of the crystal during a cycle of the cyclotron motion of the ion is smaller than the size of the growing crystal. This type of drift results in the suppression of re-dissolution of the ions on the growing surface and in the acceleration of the growth in the later stage of the crystal growth. The undetected SMF effect in the earlier stage of the crystal growth can be partly attributed to the re-dissolution due to the thermodynamic instability of the small nuclei which predominates over the presumable SMF effect. This can be partly ascribed to the large translational displacement of the small particle. The application of this mechanism to an oscillating magnetic field will predict the presence of a window for the frequency of the oscillating magnetic field.
Journal Article↗
An idea for a relation between the frequency and intensity of the optimal oscillating magnetic field for the magnetic effects.
An idea for a relation between the frequency and intensity of the optimal oscillating magnetic field for the magnetic effects has been presented. An estimated optimal frequency is about 150 Hz for a system containing ions of effective molecular weight of M approximately 100 under a square pulsing magnetic field of intensity H=1 mT.
Journal Article↗
Clinical results of implantation of an endovascular covered stent-graft via midsternotomy for distal aortic arch aneurysm.
UNLABELLED: We have been implanting endovascular stent grafts (EVG) via midsternotomy for distal aortic arch surgery since February 1997. The early clinical results are evaluated. METHODS: There were 11 true aneurysms (8 fusiform, 3 saccular) and one chronic type B dissection. The average age was 68 yr (63-81). EVGs were PTFE-covered two-8 bend Z stents in the first eight cases and made with the same stents and ultrathin woven Dacron grafts in the last four cases. RESULTS: Total arch replacement and aortocoronary bypass grafting were combined in one and two patients, respectively. The average retrograde cerebral perfusion time was 42+/-8 min. The cardiopulmonary bypass time averaged 211+/-26 min. All patients awoke early after operation (4.5+/-1.2 h). All but one case was extubated within 24h. There was no operative mortality, but paraplegia and cerebral infarction were complicated in one case each. Their maximum diameter (73.9+/-21.2mm) decreased significantly after operation (68.7+/-20.1mm) and one year thereafter (63.1+/-16.0 mm). True aneurysms were thrombosed completely. A chronic type B dissection revealed impending rupture due to false lumen infection one year after operation. The whole descending aorta replacement was performed but the patient died 6 months thereafter due to cerebro-vascular complication. CONCLUSION: Implantation of EVGs reduces operative invasion for distal arch surgery. This procedure should improve mortality, while long-term results have not been clarified.
Aged↗
Cross-sectional study on risk factors of HIV among female commercial sex workers in Cambodia.
To describe epidemiological features on HIV prevalence among female commercial sex workers (CSWs), a cross-sectional study on sexual behaviour and serological prevalence was carried out in Cambodia. The CSWs were interviewed on their demographic characters and behaviour and their blood samples were taken for testing on sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, Chlamydia trachomatis, syphilis, and hepatitis B. Associations between risk factors and HIV seropositivity were analysed. High seroprevalence of HIV and Chlamydia trachomatis IgG antibody (CT-IgG-Ab) was shown among the CSWs (54 and 81.7%, respectively). Univariate logistic regression analyses showed an association between HIV seropositivity and age, duration of prostitution, the number of clients per day and CT-IgG-Ab. Especially, high-titre chlamydial seropositivity showed a strong significant association with HIV prevalence. In multiple logistic regression analyses, CT-IgG-Ab with higher titre was significantly independently related to HIV infection. These suggest that existence of Chlamydia trachomatis is highly related to HIV prevalence.
Adolescent↗
Products of the reaction between a diazoate derivative of 2'-deoxycytidine and L-lysine and its implication for DNA-nucleoprotein cross-linking by NO or HNO(2).
Recently, we have reported that a stable diazoate intermediate (dCyd-diazoate) is produced upon the reaction of dCyd with nitrous acid and nitric oxide [Suzuki, T., Nakamura, T., Yamada, M., Ide, H., Kanaori, K., Tajima, K., Morii, T., and Makino, K. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 7151-7158]. In this work, the reaction of dCyd-diazoate with L-Lys was investigated. When 0.4 mM dCyd-diazoate was incubated with 10 mM L-Lys in sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C, two unknown products were formed in addition to dUrd. By spectrometric measurements, the products were identified as dCyd-Lys adducts with C4(dCyd)-N(alpha)(Lys) and C4(dCyd)-N(epsilon)(Lys) linkages (abbreviated as dCyd-alphaLys and dCyd-epsilonLys, respectively). The yields at the reaction time of 72 h were 28.0% dCyd-alphaLys, 13.4% dCyd-epsilonLys, and 11.1% dUrd with 33.9% unreacted dCyd-diazoate. When 0.4 mM dCyd-diazoate was incubated with 22 mg/mL poly(L-Lys) at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C for 24 h, 82% of the free dCyd-diazoate disappeared, indicating adduct formation with the polymer. At pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C, dCyd-alphaLys and dCyd-epsilonLys were fairly stable and gave rise to no product after incubation for 7 days. At pH 4.0 and 70 degrees C, both adducts disappeared with the same first-order rate constant of 1.7 x 10(-)(6) s(-)(1) (t(1/2) = 110 h), which was approximately (1)/(3) of that of dCyd. These results suggest that if dCyd-diazoate is formed in DNA in vivo, it may react with free L-Lys and the side chain of L-Lys in nucleoproteins, resulting in stable adducts and DNA-protein cross-links, respectively.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
Identification and characterization of a reaction product of 2'-deoxyoxanosine with glycine.
2'-Deoxyoxanosine (dOxo) is a novel DNA lesion produced from dGuo by reaction with nitrous acid or nitric oxide [Suzuki, T., Yamaoka, R., Nishi, M., Ide, H., and Makino, K. (1996) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118, 2515-2516]. We investigated the reaction of dOxo with glycine (Gly) under physiological conditions. When 5 mM dOxo was incubated with 500 mM Gly in 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C, an unknown product was formed exclusively. The yield of the product was 86% at an incubation time of 3 h. Using spectrometric data, it was identified as a ring-opened adduct containing an amide bond between the carbonyl group of dOxo and the amino group of Gly. The adduct was very stable (t(1/2) = 1280 h) under physiological conditions. Furthermore, dOxo in oligodeoxynucleotide reacted with Gly, yielding the same adduct. These results suggest that dOxo formed in DNA may react with Gly present in cells, resulting in adduct formation in vivo.
DNA Damage↗