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Biomedical subjects

K Tashiro

Publications and source records attributed to K Tashiro.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

Brunnstrom stages and Wallerian degenerations: a study using MRI.

We studied the relationship between the Brunnstrom stages obtained after rehabilitations and Wallerian degenerations detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Forty-nine hemiplegic patients were retrospectively studied. The patients were grouped into a low stage group (30 patients) demonstrating Brunnstrom stages I approximately IV and a high stage group (19 patients) demonstrating stages V approximately VI. MRI detected Wallerian degenerations as changes of signal intensity in corticospinal tracts on T2-weighted images. The signals were hypointense or hyperintense compared to the normal side according to the intervals between the MRI examinations and the ictuses. MRI showed Wallerian degenerations in 27 of 30 patients in the low stage group and 5 of 19 patients in the high stage group. The difference between the two groups was significant (p less than 0.005).

Aged↗

Multiple sclerosis in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan: prospective analyses of clinical features.

We analyzed the clinical features of multiple sclerosis (MS) prospectively seen between July 1986 and October 1989 on Hokkaido island, the northernmost part of Japan. Clinical features were generally considered to be intermediate between the previous Japanese reports and those of Western countries. Devic's disease was rare and simultaneous bilateral visual loss at on set was not too common this series, differing from that previously reported of Japanese MS. The high incidence of acute transverse myelopathy and lesser involvement of the cerebellum, however, support the previous view. Further clinical and epidemiological studies will be necessary on this island.

Adult↗

Sacral nerve root cysts manifesting as localized unilateral perineal pain--case report.

A 62-year-old female presented with multiple sacral nerve root cysts manifesting as localized unilateral perineal pain. Myelography just after contrast material injection revealed multiple cysts at the sacral level. However, perioperative dye injection showed hardly any flow in the reverse direction. Only the S3 nerve was constricted by hyperplasia of the dura mater, and adhered to the cyst wall. Other nerves were not constricted, nor adhered to cyst walls. The S3 nerve constriction and tight adhesion was the cause of the pain. The one-way flow of spinal fluid from the spinal subarachnoid space to the cysts is probably closely correlated with cyst formation.

Cysts↗

[Analysis of tumor volume in latent prostatic carcinoma].

An assessment has been made of the histopathological characteristics of latent prostatic carcinoma and the tumor volume in 500 male Japanese patients who underwent dissection at The Jikei University since 1983. A microscopic observation was made of the prostatic glands extirpated totally at the necropsy, fixed with formalin and prepared as a step-section in a thickness of 3 mm. In the cases of latent carcinoma, after photographing the lesion in the same magnification and measuring the area of the carcinoma lesion with a digitizer, the volume was calculated by multiplying the thickness of 3 mm, and carcinoma volume was determined by integrating the value of each slice and adjusted by a conversion formula. The incidence of latent carcinoma was 104 cases out of 500 (22%). The incidence increased as the age layer becomes higher, and latent carcinoma was observed in 44% of the patients aged 80 and above. Complication of latent carcinoma with prostatic hyperplasia was presumed to be an independent phenomenon in so far as it is seen from the statistical aspect. The patients were classified histopathologically into well-differentiated type (64%), mixed type (27%) and poorly-differentiated type (9%), showing high incidence in the low-aged layer of well-differentiated lesions and in the high-aged layer of mixed type lesions and in the high-aged layer of mixed type lesions. The average tumor volume of latent carcinoma was so small as 231 mm3, but many of the lesions in the cases of well-differentiated type were small, being on average 103.9 mm3, but many of the lesions in the cases of poorly-differentiated type were large, being on average 642.2 mm3. Statistically, with a tumor size of 200 mm3 as the boundary, a difference was observed in the distribution of histological constitution between the group with smaller lesions and the group with larger lesions. As an application of this result to the clinical carcinoma of stage A, the value of volume of 200 mm3 was considered to be important as a diagnostic criterion in deciding the necessity of treatment.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[A study on the passage of the upper urinary tract stones after in situ ESWL].

Two hundred patients with upper urinary tract stones underwent in situ ESWL with Lithostar during the recent 20 months at Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi Hospital. Actual residual stone rates were calculated based on the period from the initiation of the treatment to the stone free status, and discussed according to the location and size of the stone treated. Total 200 patients were submitted to 1.67 +/- 0.97 treatment sessions with 6742 +/- 5545 shock waves. After 3 months, 148 patients (78%) showed stone free status, and 32 patients (16%) had residual stones less than 4 mm. The actual residual stone rates were 90.5%, 66.5%, 39.1%, 26.9% and 17.9% after 1, 3, 6, 12 and 20 weeks, respectively. The residual stone rate were lower in the lower ureter, uretero-pelvic junction, upper ureter, renal parenchyma or diverticulum and renal pelvis or calyx in order. As for the size, the larger the stones the higher the residual stone rates; the therapeutic results were significantly worse in patient group of stones larger than 21 mm compared to the patient group of smaller stones (p less than 1%). The destructed stones were passed gradually up to 6th week after in situ ESWL, however, after that fragments seldom passed out. Therefore, it was concluded that decision on the additional or combination therapeutic intervention, if necessary, should be made after 6 weeks. Combination therapy with endoscopic surgery and/or others was seemingly needed for the patients with stones of more than 21 mm in size and of renal pelvis and renal calyx to improve the rates of stone free.

Adolescent↗

[Two cases of recurrent optic neuritis (OPN) and acute transverse myelopathy (ATM) with associated anticardiolipin antibodies].

We investigated anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with adding aCL-cofactor in two cases of recurrent OPN and ATM patients. These two patients had similar clinical features with ATM and OPN during their clinical courses. They were supposed to be suffered with multiple sclerosis (MS), although cranial MRI was normal and oligoclonal IgG band (OCB) was consistently absent in the cerebrospinal fluid. Positive aCL is suggestive that this disease may be a disorder associated with aCL with different etiology and pathogenesis from other MS patients. Serologic testing for aCL with aCL-cofactor should be warranted for MS patients, especially for those showing OPN and ATM during the clinical course, because in orientals the incidence of ATM and OPN is relatively high among MS.

Acute Disease↗

[A study of DNA ploidy pattern, proliferation index and PCNA in duodenal carcinoma].

12 cases of duodenal carcinoma were studied for nuclear DNA ploidy patterns, the proliferation index (PI), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive score (1 = 0-25%, 2 = 26-50%, 3 = 51-75%, 4 = 76-100%) and PCNA positive rate. DNA aneuploidy was observed in 9 cases (75%) and PCNA staining was positive in 11 cases (91.6%). DNA ploidy patterns, PI, PCNA positive scores and positive rates were not related to each other. No relationship DNA ploidy patterns for PCNA positive scores and PCNA positive rates could be found. The relationship between PI and PCNA positive score was found not to be significant (P less than 0.10). PI was revealed to correlate significantly (P less than 0.05) to PCNA positive rate.

Aneuploidy↗

[Varicella-zoster virus-associated spinal myoclonus without skin lesions].

A 50-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of abnormal involuntary movement of upper abdomen. Three months before admission, she had suffered from left lateral chest pain without skin lesions for one week. The neurological examination on admission revealed myoclonus of upper abdomen, and hyperalgesia and thermohyperesthesia from T4 to T9. There was no weakness, the tendon reflexes were symmetrical and the plantar responses were flexor. The surface EMG disclosed the symmetrical, synchronous contractions of m. rectus abdominis and m. obliques externus abdominis. This spinal myoclonus reduced during sleep. The EEG, CT and MRI showed no abnormalities. Serum varicella-zoster virus (VZV) titers increased significantly on follow-up examinations. Clonazepam, 1.5 mg daily was effective in this patient. The myoclonus spontaneously disappeared without clonazepam in six weeks after onset, and at the same time the sensory disturbance also improved. From the neurological findings and clinical course, we consider this spinal myoclonus was probably elicited by involvement of the inhibitory interneurons of the dorsal horns, due to immune response to latent VZV infection but not to direct neuronal destruction by VZV. Spinal myoclonus should be recognized as the spectrum of neurological disease associated with VZV even in the absence of skin lesions.

Female↗

[Epidemiological study of motor neuron disease in Hokkaido island--its incidence, prevalence and regional distributions--ALS Study Group].

The incidence, prevalence and regional distributions of sporadic motor neuron disease (MND) from 1980 through 1989 were evaluated in collaboration with multiple neurological institutes in Hokkaido island. Patients with sporadic MND were collected from three sources: 1) neurologist practicing in Hokkaido island, 2) sending inquiries to 620 major hospitals, 3) notification file of MND provided by Japanese Ministry of Welfare and Health. Three hundred and eighty-nine patients with sporadic MND were ascertained for this study. Of 389 patients, 238 patients were men and 151 patients were women, and the ratio of men to women was 1.6:1. The mean age of onset was 58.2 +/- 10.3 years old, 57.7 +/- 10.4 for men and 58.9 +/- 10.0 for women. Their clinical presentations were 303 patients with ALS, 52 patients were PBP and 34 patients were SPMA. The crude incidence rate for both sexes combined for 1980 through 1989 was estimated as 0.69 per 100,000 person-year. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence for men was 0.86 per 100,000 person-year (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.97) and that is higher than 0.53 per 100,000 person-year (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.61) for women. The average, crude prevalence rate from 1985 through 1989 was estimated as 2.25 per 100,000 person-year. There are no overall trends of changing the pattern in incidence and prevalence of MND in Hokkaido island, however the geographic distributions of the incidence of MND according to towns and cities disclosed the presence of some relative clustering areas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Correlation between clinical features and neuroradiological findings in juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity (Hirayama disease)--with and without "tight dural canal in flexion"].

Myelography was performed in 12 patients with juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity. Seven patients showed anterior shift of lower cervical dural canal in flexion (tight dural canal in flexion) (T group), however the other 5 patients did not show "tight dural canal in flexion" (NT group). Onset of illness and sex were not different between 2 groups. However, there was a tendency that the neurological signs and symptoms were more severe in the patients of T group than those of NT group. These results suggest that "right dural canal in flexion" can be one of mechanisms which exhibit the clinical symptoms of the juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity. However, there may be other etiological factors in the juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity.

Adolescent↗

[A case of benign intracranial hypertension with fluctuated symptoms and CSF pressure synchronized with menstrual cycle].

A 39-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of repeated severe headache, nausea and diplopia. On admission she was obese with bilateral papilledma and abducens weakness. Mass lesion and sinus thrombosis were ruled out by brain CT and angiography. CSF pressure was normal initially. CSF pressure fluctuated with menstrual cycle, sometimes showing over 600 mmH2O with worsening of the symptoms. She was diagnosed as benign intracranial hypertension (BIH). Diuretics did not improve the symptoms, and visual disturbances ensued and deteriorated. A spinal subarachnoid space-peritoneal shunt was inserted to control CSF pressure, showing rapid improvement of headache and diplopia but visual disturbances remained almost unchanged. Optic nerve sheath fenestration was performed without improvement of visual deterioration. We postulated multiple factors such as obesity, menstrual abnormality, iron deficiency anemia and analgesic drugs played important roles to produce BIH in this case. Careful quantitative perimetry should be done to decide a suitable time for surgical treatment in BIH.

Adult↗

[Extrapyramidal manifestations in hereditary olivopontocerebellar atrophy--clinical study of 10 cases in three affected pedigrees].

We studied 3 pedigrees affected with autosomal dominant olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), and clinical features of 10 patients were reported. Clinically, 6 cases were dominated with cerebellar ataxia, one with Parkinsonism, and three with choreiform movements. Furthermore, they were characterized by slow eye movement and progressive loss of tendon reflexes. Generally, extrapyramidal manifestations, such as Parkinsonism or choreiform movements, are occasionally observed in dominant OPCA. However, the pathogeneses are different from each other. The choreiform movements are unique in dominant OPCA, and generally not observed in sporadic OPCA. In the distribution of degenerated foci, dominant OPCA is often associated with degeneration of not only substantia nigra, but also with other structures such as dentate nucleus, red nucleus, external segment of globus pallidus (GPe), and subthalamic nucleus. This dentatorubral and pallido-Luysian system degeneration are parts of neuropathological findings in hereditary DRPLA (Naito-Oyanagi form). In both disorders, choreiform movements is observed. Current theory indicates that hyperactivity of neostriatal dopamine neurons and degeneration of GPe play roles in the pathogenesis of chorea. Clinically, choreiform movements are common in hereditary DRPLA, but not in dominant OPCA. This difference could be explained by the nigral degeneration in dominant OPCA, which suppress the generation of choreiform movements.

Adult↗

[Clinicopathological study of Joseph disease: report of 4 pedigrees and its nosological consideration].

Four pedigrees of Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) were reported. Main clinical features of 21 patients in these pedigrees were cerebellar ataxia, limb spasticity, gaze nystagmus, facio-lingual twitchings, and external ophthalmoparesis. Amyotrophy, hypokinesia, or dystonia were manifested with advance of the illness. In patients with younger onset age, such extrapyramidal signs were dominated. Neuropathological study of one autopsied case disclosed that there were degeneration of spinocerebellar tract, anterior horn cells, pontine nuclei, dentate nucleus, red nucleus, substantia nigra, internal segment of globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and motor nuclei of brain stem; neurons of cerebellar cortex and inferior olivary nucleus were preserved. From these clinical and pathological features, these 4 pedigrees satisfied the criteria of MJD, and were differentiated from hereditary olivopontocerebellar atrophy. Currently, MJD is accepted as a new entity of hereditary spinocerebellar ataxias. However, there are still controversies as to whether Azores-Portuguese MJD and Japanese MJD are identical disorder. Furthermore, the nosological relationship between MJD and a number of similar cases, as reported historically under the diagnosis of Brown type ataxia or Marie's ataxia, has not been clearly established. From reviewing such cases critically, pathological and clinical features of our cases are so similar to those of the latter, indicating that the probably identical genetic disorder has been classified under the different categories.

Adult↗

[Linkage study of Machado-Joseph disease: genetic evidence for the locus different from SCA1].

Spinocerebellar ataxia 1 (SCA1) is the locus symbol of hereditary olivopontocerebellar atrophy, and it is mapped on the short arm of chromosome 6. D6S89 is the polymorphic DNA marker linked tightly to SCA1. In order to examine whether SCA1 and Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) loci are different from each other, we performed linkage study for D6S89 to MJD locus. A total of 20 pedigrees of MJD were analysed. Number of individuals consists of 211 members. Among them, 74 were affected. Consequently, 14 pedigrees showed negative lod score, and 6 showed weak positive lod scores at most of recombination fractions. As a whole, linkage between MJD locus and D6S89 was excluded at recombination fraction of 0.15. Our results further support the concept that MJD is not an allelic disorder but distinct genetic entity from SCA1.

Adult↗

[Linkage study of hereditary olivopontocerebellar atrophy: genetic evidence for locus heterogeneity in Japanese cases].

Spinocerebellar ataxial 1 (SCA1) is the locus name of autosomal dominant olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), and is assigned to the short arm of chromosome 6. The tight linkage between SCA1 and D6S89 has recently been reported. In order to examine possible locus heterogeneity, we studied linkage for D6S89 to disease loci in 16 pedigrees of dominant OPCA. D6S89 polymorphism was analysed with PCR amplification of genomic DNA by using specific oligonucleotide primers. Lod scores were computed by LIPED program with the correction of age-dependent penetrance. Homogeneity test was performed by using HOMOG program. Fifteen out of 16 pedigrees were informative to D6S89. Among them, 7 pedigrees showed positive and 8 pedigrees showed negative lod scores throughout all recombination fractions. Homogeneity testing disclosed that approximately 55% of pedigrees are linked to D6S89, and others were not linked. Our results provide evidences that dominant OPCA in Japan are genetically heterogenous. At now, it has been still unknown whether there are any clinico-pathological differences among OPCA genotypes. Based on the alpha-constant from homogeneity testing, we divided our pedigrees into linked-pedigree (SCA1) and nonlinked-pedigrees (nonSCA1). Then, clinical features were compared between these two groups. Hyperactive DTR was more common in SCA1 than nonSCA1 group. On the other hand, hypoactive DTR was more significantly dominated in nonSCA1 than SCA1. Slow saccade and Babinski sign were common in both groups. Although not statistically significant, nystagmus, exteral ophthalmoparesis, mydriasis, ptosis, facio-lingual twitching, and limb spasticity were more frequently observed in SCA1 than nonSCA1. These results indicate that there are possible correlation between disease genotype and phenotype.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Magnetic resonance imaging in Parkinson's disease--the evaluation of the width of pars compacta on T2 weighted image].

The width of substantia nigra (SN) in 59 cases with idiopathic Parkinson's disease as well as 21 normal controls was analyzed by T2 weighted image (T2WI) of 1.5 Tesla high-field magnetic resonance image (MRI). All patients and controls underwent MRI with the spin-echo sequences used TR/TE: 3000/30 (short TE), and TR/TE:3000/80 (long TE), in 5-mm-thick volumes. The width between the red nucleus and the cerebral peduncle showing low signal intensity areas was measured as that of SN and its ratio to the distance from the aqueduct to the midline of the cerebral peduncle was also measured. The calculated values of the width of SN and its ratio were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. The significant reduction in the width of SN and its ratio in Parkinson's disease were disclosed as below; the mean calculated values of the width of SN were 2.95 +/- 0.51 mm in controls, 2.68 +/- 0.99 mm in Parkinson's diseases on long TE images (P less than 0.01), and the mean ratio of the width of SN were 13.58 +/- 4.21% in controls, 10.52 +/- 3.07% in Parkinson's diseases on long TE images (P = 0.0002). The narrowing of SN in Parkinson's disease was more prominent in men, and advanced cases with Yahr stage III and IV. Considering that the pars reticulata, which is normally containing iron, shows low signal intensity on long TE images, the width of pars compacta could be measured more precisely on this sequences. The evaluation of the ratio of SN in midbrain on long TE images seemed to be more sensitive than the calculated values in detecting the narrowing of SN and pars compacta in Parkinson's disease.

Adult↗

Activin receptor mRNA is expressed early in Xenopus embryogenesis and the level of the expression affects the body axis formation.

Activin is a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and possesses various activities in cellular control phenomena. During Xenopus embryonic development, activin is thought to act as a natural mesoderm-inducing factor. We isolated here the Xenopus activin receptor cDNA from Xenopus tadpole cDNA library and examined the expression of the Xenopus activin receptor gene during the course of early embryonic development. The Xenopus activin receptor has an 87% homology at the level of deduced amino acid sequence with the mouse activin receptor, and using the cDNA obtained, three bands of mRNA with different lengths were detected in Xenopus embryos throughout early embryogenesis. We synthesized activin receptor mRNA in vitro and tested the effect of the injection of the mRNA into Xenopus fertilized eggs on subsequent development. When the synthetic mRNA was injected into uncleaved fertilized eggs, embryos with reduced trunk structure were formed. However, when the mRNA was injected into the ventral blastomeres at the 16-cell stage, embryos with a secondary body axis were formed. These results indicate the importance of the function of activin receptor in the regulatory mechanism for body axis formation.

Activin Receptors↗