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Biomedical subjects

K Takehara

Publications and source records attributed to K Takehara.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: increased growth response to platelet-derived growth factor BB in cell culture.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a malignant tumor originating in the dermis. Although it is locally aggressive and recurs unless completely excised, it only rarely metastasizes. In the present study, we established 4 cultured DFSP cell strains, which were almost identical to normal skin fibroblasts when observed under a phase-contrast-microscope, and we observed their responses to various growth factors. DFSP cells showed significantly greater response to platelet-derived growth factor BB(PDGF BB) and transforming growth factor beta 1(TGF beta 1) than normal fibroblasts. We also determined upregulation of PDGF beta receptors in DFSP cells by both 125I PDGF-BB binding assay and immunoblotting analysis. These findings suggest that the interaction between the PDGF-B chain and the overexpression of PDGF beta receptors might play a role in the development of DFSP tumors.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1993

Antihistone antibodies in patients with localized scleroderma.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence and antigen specificity of antihistone antibodies (AHA) in localized scleroderma. METHODS: Forty-nine serum samples from patients with localized scleroderma were examined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by immunoblotting. RESULTS: By ELISA, AHA were demonstrated in 47% (23 of 49) of patients with localized scleroderma and in 87% (13 of 15) of patients with generalized morphea. Immunoblotting revealed that the predominant antigens were histones H1 and H3. The presence of AHA correlated with that of anti-single-stranded DNA antibody. CONCLUSION: Some of the major antigens for antinuclear antibodies in patients with localized scleroderma are histones.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Diagnostic significance of nailfold bleeding in scleroderma spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: The early detection of scleroderma spectrum disorders (SSD) is important. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of nailfold bleeding in SSD. METHODS: We examined patients for nailfold bleeding in the following three groups: (1) 81 patients with SSD including 50 patients with scleroderma, 10 with mixed connective tissue disease, and 21 with Raynaud's phenomenon having specific antinuclear antibody (ANA); (2) 99 patients with other connective tissue diseases or primary Raynaud's phenomenon; and (3) 200 patients with common skin diseases. RESULTS: The frequency of nailfold bleeding was significantly higher in SSD (75.3%) than in other connective tissue diseases (12.1%) and in controls (3.0%). The presence of nailfold bleeding in two or more fingers showed a 98.3% specificity for SSD. Among the patients with SSD, the incidence of nailfold bleeding in scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease, and Raynaud's phenomenon with specific ANA was similar. Nailfold bleeding strongly correlated with the presence of anticentromere antibody. CONCLUSION: The presence of nailfold bleeding is useful for the early detection of SSD.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1993

Amelanotic metastatic melanoma in a patient with oculocutaneous albinism.

Melanomas are rare in patients who have albinism, compared with the frequent occurrence of squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas. This report describes amelanotic metastatic melanoma in a 58-year-old Japanese man who had tyrosinase-positive oculocutaneous albinism. A prolonged bleeding time, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, and Gilbert syndrome were also present. Superficial spreading melanoma with evidence of spontaneous regression on his right forearm was suspected as a possible primary site. Twenty-two cases of melanomas in persons who have albinism have been reported.

Albinism, Oculocutaneous↗
PubMed1993

Coexistence of morphea and systemic sclerosis.

While the association of morphea and systemic sclerosis (SSc) is considered to be a rare condition, we observed well-demarcated sclerotic skin changes indistinguishable from morphea in 9 of 135 SSc patients who visited our clinic during the last decade. We consider this rate of incidence (6.7%) to be high enough to consider morphea to be one of the skin involvements of SSc. There was a significantly (p < 0.01) higher incidence of morphea in males (3 of 5) than in females (6 of 130). Only 3 of 111 SSc patients positive for antinuclear antibody (ANA) also showed morphea, whereas 6 of 9 patients negative for ANA showed morphea (p < 0.01). Although the mechanism underlying the development of morphea in SSc patients remains unknown, our observations suggest a heterogeneous pathogenesis related to SSc gender and ANA type.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Biotinidase activity in patients with liver disease.

To investigate whether biotinidase deficiency may occur in liver disease, we determined biotinidase activity, biotin levels, and organic acids in patients with liver disease. Serum biotinidase activity in patients with liver disease (2.63 +/- 1.40 nmol/min/ml) was significantly lower than in the control group (5.43 +/- 1.06 nmol/min/ml). Serum biotinidase activity in decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatoma was significantly lower than in acute viral hepatitis (AVH), chronic viral hepatitis (CVH), and compensated LC. The mean serum level of biotin in decompensated LC (1.8 +/- 0.6 microgram/ml) and hepatoma (1.7 +/- 0.8 microgram/ml) was significantly lower than in the control group (2.5 +/- 1.0 microgram/ml), and urinary excretion of biotin was increased in patients with liver disease, particularly in decompensated LC. Biotinidase activity correlated positively with serum biotin level and correlated negatively with urinary biotin level. Moreover, in four of five patients with severe liver disease the excretion of propionate, lactate, and 3-hydroxybutyrate decreased after biotin supplementation. The data for patients with severe liver disease so resembled those for late-onset multiple carboxylase deficiency that biotinidase deficiency is likely in patients with severe liver disease.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗
PubMed1993

A case of systemic sclerosis with anticentromere, antitopoisomerase I, and anti-U1RNP antibodies.

We describe a case of systemic sclerosis (SSc) positive for 3 autoantibodies; anticentromere antibody, antitopoisomerase I antibody, and anti-U1RNP antibody, It is known that coexistence of 2 of these 3 antibodies is rare and the coexistence of these 3 antibodies in serum from a patient with SSc has not been reported. In addition, we examined our stock serum samples from 236 cases with SSc or related disorders for the presence of specific antinuclear antibodies and were unable to find a serum sample containing all 3 antibodies.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1992

Clinical evaluation of scleroderma spectrum disorders using a points system.

We have established a new diagnostic method using a points system to evaluate patients with early scleroderma and those with scleroderma spectrum disorders (SSD). To examine the clinical usefulness of this method, it was applied to a total of 215 cases including 97 patients with scleroderma, 32 with SSD, 28 with presumed primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and 58 with other connective tissue disorders (CTD). A total score was obtained for each patient as the sum of the following five factors: (1) extent of skin sclerosis (maximum, 10 points); (2) pulmonary changes (maximum, 4 points); (3) antinuclear antibodies (maximum, 5 points); (4) pattern of Raynaud's phenomenon (maximum, 3 points); and (5) nailfold bleeding (maximum, 2 points). Of the 97 scleroderma patients, 86 (89%) had 9 or more points, and of the 32 SSD patients, 28 (88%) had 5 to 8 points. In contrast, all patients with presumed primary RP and 54 of 58 (93%) patients with other CTD had 0 to 4 points. These data suggest that this diagnostic method is very useful not only for clinical evaluation of SSD, but also for the differentiation of scleroderma and SSD from other CTD and primary RP.

Connective Tissue Diseases↗
PubMed1992

Characterization of baculovirus-expressed hemagglutinin and fusion glycoproteins of the attenuated measles virus strain AIK-C.

With measles virus cDNA of the avirulent vaccine strain AIK-C, two cDNAs of H or F genes were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. The amplified cDNAs were inserted respectively to the baculovirus transfer vector pAcYM1 derived from the nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Autographa californica (AcNPV). After co-transfection of the transfer vectors with AcNPV DNA to Spodoptera frugiperda cells, recombinant baculoviruses were screened by plaque assay, and the viruses containing H-cDNA or F-cDNA were named H-AIK or F-AIK, respectively. By Western blot analyses, the band around 80 kDa and some smaller bands were appeared in the H-AIK infected S. frugiperda cells, and the band around 40 kDa was detected in the F-AIK infected cells. Immunofluorescence studies on unfixed S. frugiperda cells infected with H- or F-AIK recombinants showed that both antigens were transported to the cell surface. When green monkey red blood cells were added to the recombinant infected cells, H-AIK infected cells showed haemadsorption, and cells infected with F-AIK lysed the red blood cells. The recombinant proteins elicited the neutralizing antibodies against measles virus.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Skin distribution and differential expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 and beta 2.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) 1 and 2 have both become increasingly important in cutaneous biology, but their expression and distribution in human skin are not entirely clear. In this report, normal forearm skin from four volunteers was investigated for TGF-beta 1 and beta 2 immunostaining with antibodies that detect preferentially either cell- or matrix-associated forms of these peptides. Marked cell-associated TGF-beta 1 was found in the dermis, particularly around blood vessels and ducts; cellular TGF-beta 2 immunostaining was less prominent, and was predominantly around blood vessels. Neither TGF-beta 1 nor -beta 2 could be detected in the epidermis or epithelial structures, and the dermal matrix contained minimally detectable amounts of the two isoforms. In all cases, dermal matrix and cells contained greater amounts of TGF-beta 1 than TGF-beta 2. Previous studies have shown that both TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2 can induce dramatic increases in extracellular matrix, and both peptides have been implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. We therefore investigated TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2 immunostaining in involved forearm skin of four patients with systemic sclerosis. Compared to normal skin, fibrotic specimens showed increased amounts of matrix and epidermal TGF-beta 1, but not TGF-beta 2. We conclude that TGF-beta 1 and -beta 2 expression in human skin is differentially regulated, and that their distribution is varied and complex.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effect of platelet-poor plasma from patients with neurofibromatosis on the growth of cultured neurofibroma-derived fibroblast-like cells.

The effect of platelet-poor plasma from patients with von Recklinghausen's disease (neurofibromatosis, NF) on the cell growth of cultured neurofibroma-derived fibroblast-like cells (NF fibroblast-like cells grown from explant cultures of cutaneous neurofibromas) was examined. Platelet-poor plasma and sera from nine NF patients and nine control individuals were examined. When comparing platelet-poor plasma from patients with NF with control individuals, the former stimulated the proliferation of fibroblast-like cells derived from neurofibromas, not that of normal fibroblasts.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Clinical evaluation of serum levels of monomeric dimeric and tetrameric pseudocholinesterases in patients with various liver diseases].

Serum levels of monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric pseudocholinesterases were measured by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with various liver diseases and normal controls in order to evaluate their clinical significance. In patients with liver cirrhosis, serum levels of monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric were significantly lower than those in normal controls, patients with fatty liver and chronic hepatitis. The ratio of monomeric and dimeric to tetrameric in patients with liver cirrhosis was also significantly lower than that in normal controls, patients with fatty liver and chronic hepatitis. Serum levels of tetrameric, dimeric and monomeric were not significantly higher in the patients with fatty liver than in normal controls, but the ratio of monomeric and dimeric to tetrameric was significantly higher in patients with fatty liver than that in normal controls, patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. These findings suggest that the selective determinations of serum levels of monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric pseudocholinesterases are useful to estimate the metabolism of fat and protein in various liver diseases.

Adult↗