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Biomedical subjects

K Yokochi

Publications and source records attributed to K Yokochi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Pemphigoid nodularis: a case with 230 kDa hemidesmosomes antigen associated with bullous pemphigoid antigen.

We report a 73-year-old woman with typical clinical, histological and immunofluorescence features of pemphigoid nodularis. Direct immunofluorescence studies of prurigo nodularis-like lesions and peribullous skin showed the linear deposition of IgG and C3 at the basement membrane zone. Circulating IgG against the basement membrane was also detected by indirect immunofluorescence. The serum from the patient was shown to contain the autoantibody against 230 kDa hemidesmosomal antigen associated with bullous pemphigoid antigen.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Subsequent epilepsy in very-low-birthweight infants: a long-term follow-up study from birth.

We studied 197 survivors of 290 very-low-birthweight (VLBW, < 1,500 g) infants admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit from 1977 through 1982. The children were all followed until at least age 6 years (mean 10 years 6 months). Eight children (4.1%) had epilepsy: 5 had generalized, 2 had unilateral, and 1 had partial seizures. Two (1.0%) had active and poorly controlled epilepsy. Three had a history of epileptic seizures, but none for > or = 6 years, and 3 were no longer receiving antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. Most (5 of 8) were severely multiply handicapped. As compared with VLBW children without epileptic seizures and neurodevelopmental abnormalities, VLBW children with epileptic seizures had a gestational age < 27 weeks, a weight < 1,000 g, severe perinatal complications as indicated by an Apgar score of < 4 at 5 min, and the need for long-term oxygen administration.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed1995

Magnetic resonance imaging in children with kernicterus.

The magnetic resonance (MR) findings of three children with severe neonatal jaundice who were suspected to be suffering from kernicterus were examined. In all children high intensity areas in the globus pallidus were demonstrated bilaterally on T2-weighted imaging. The posteromedial border of the globus pallidus was shown to be the most sensitive area to kernicterus by MR findings.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1994

Identification of programmed cell death in normal human skin tissues by using specific labelling of fragmented DNA.

Programmed cell death (PCD) in normal human skin tissues was studied by using in situ specific labelling of fragmented DNA. This labelling method clearly stained the nuclei of Henle's layer in the bulb of the anagen hair follicle in serial sections, and the nuclei of the inner root sheath cuticle cells and Huxley's layer cells showed positive staining in the upper part of the hair follicles. This staining pattern was consistent with the sequence of keratinization in the three layers. The nuclei of differentiated cells located at the centre of the sebaceous glands, and those of the granular keratinocyte layer, were also stained. These findings suggest that PCD might play a key role in the terminal differentiation of the epidermis and epidermal appendages.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1994

Cerebral palsy of cystic periventricular leukomalacia in low-birth-weight infants.

We studied ultrasound findings and neurodevelopmental outcome of 24 infants weighing 2500 g or less with cystic periventricular leukomalacia. Fourteen infants had symmetrical cysts in the parietal or occipital region (group 1) and 10 had non-symmetrical cysts (group 2). Each infant was followed for more than 4 years of age (mean 5 years and 7 months). Twenty out of 24 (83.3%) children developed cerebral palsy. All of group 1 had cerebral palsy (8 diplegia and 6 ataxic diplegia), while 6 (60%) in group 2 developed cerebral palsy (4 diplegia and 2 hemiplegia). There was a significant difference in the incidence of cerebral palsy and motor ability between the two groups. The size and site of the cyst did not predict cerebral palsy. The presence of symmetrical cysts in the parietal or occipital region is a highly reliable neurosonographic finding for predicting cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1993

Hepatic gastrinoma.

A solitary hepatic tumor in a 50-year-old woman, which was observed as a hemangioma, ultimately was resected because it increased in size. The tumor volume doubling time was 28.8 months over the observed period of 30 months. The histologic diagnosis was carcinoid tumor. Immunohistochemical staining showed strong focal reactivity for gastrin and diffuse reactivity for pancreatic polypeptide, vasointestinal polypeptide, calcitonin, and parathormone. Preoperative gastric hyperacidity with diarrhea and a body weight loss of 7 kg, moderately controlled by cimetidine on admission, suggested high serum gastrin levels produced by the tumor. Her symptoms resolved after surgery, and she had a normal serum gastrin level with negative secretin stimulation test results. A review of six cases of hepatic gastrinoma suggests that surgical resection, if feasible, would be the treatment of choice.

Carcinoid Tumor↗
PubMed1993

Motor function of infants with athetoid cerebral palsy.

The motor function of 35 children with athetoid cerebral palsy was examined retrospectively using videotape recordings made at five to eight months of age. Many infants showed asymmetric tonic neck, Moro and Galant reflexes. Movements shown to be difficult included: keeping a symmetric supine posture, isolated movements of the hips and knees, forward extension of the upper extremity, extension of neck and trunk in the prone position and in ventral suspension, flexion of the neck in the traction response, and weight support by the upper extremities. Asymmetric or excessive opening of the mouth was present in all infants. The grade of difficulty for each posture and movement might reflect subsequent motor disability at three years of age.

Athetosis↗
PubMed1992

Assessment of upper and lower extremity movements in hemiplegic children.

Upper and lower extremity movements were assessed in 26 children with spastic hemiplegia according to the modified Brunnstrom method. Of the upper extremity movements, supinating the forearm was most difficult, followed in order by pronating the forearm, flexing the shoulder to 90 degrees, flexing the shoulder to 180 degrees, abducting the shoulder to 90 degrees or putting the hand on the lumbar spine, putting the hand behind the ipsilateral ear (flexor synergy), and putting the hand on the contralateral knee (extensor synergy). The extensor and flexor synergies were easier than the other movements in the hemiplegic children as well as in hemiplegic adults, but the order of difficulty in the other movements in children was not the same as in adults. The difficulty in the lower extremity movements was uniform in the subjects. None of the children could dorsi-flex the ankles and many could not rotate the hips internally. A small number of the children could not flex the knees or perform straight leg raising. All children could flex the hips and knees, extend the hips and knees, and abduct the hips. The difficulty in isolated hip abduction and flexion was less prominent in the hemiplegic children, compared to in hemiplegic adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Neonatal cerebral infarction: symptoms, CT findings and prognosis.

In a retrospective multi-center study, we investigated eighteen infants with unilateral cerebral infarctions confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scans. The initial symptoms were observed in all the patients between 0 and 3 days of age. Convulsions or apneic attacks were the initial symptoms in all but one. Only 4 patients had complicated obstetric histories and none showed polycythemia or electrolyte abnormalities. All of the initial CT scans revealed unilaterally localized hypodense areas. In 10, the initial CT scans were performed within 24 hours after the clinical onset. In 16, the lesions were within the territory of the middle cerebral artery, 9 of which also involved the cortico-spinal tract (CST). In the remaining 2 patients, the lesions were located within the territory of the posterior cerebral artery. None of the 9 patients without CST involvement developed hemiplegia, whereas 5 (56%) of the 9 with CST involvement had hemiplegia, which is a fairly low incidence compared with that in adult cases. This difference was thought to be related to neonatal brain plasticity.

Cerebral Infarction↗
PubMed1992

Protection of gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced injury by intragastric bolus administration of epidermal growth factor combined with hydroxypropylcellulose.

Orally administered epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to protect the gastric mucosa against injury induced by noxious agents. However, EGF administered by intragastric bolus appears to have less effect on the gastric mucosa because of its rapid excretion from the gastric lumen. In this study, mouse EGF given to rats by gastric intubation was confirmed to remain in the stomach at significantly high concentrations when given in combination with hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), an agent that retards drug release. The residual mouse EGF levels in the gastric luminal content and tissue 3 h after administration of 50 micrograms/kg of EGF dissolved in 1 ml of 2% HPC were 30 and 60 times higher, respectively, than those obtained after EGF alone. Pretreatment with intragastric bolus administration of EGF and HPC at the same dose for 3 h attenuated significantly the development of gastric lesions induced by absolute ethanol compared to that with HPC alone, EGF alone, or saline (mean values of ulcer index: EGF + HPC, 14.3; HPC, 52.8; EGF, 50.7; and saline, 63.2 mm). There were no significant differences between the ulcer index in the HPC, EGF, and saline groups. The present study indicates that exogenous EGF given as an intragastric bolus protects the gastric mucosa against injury when combined with HPC, which can bind to EGF and prevent its rapid excretion from the gastric lumen.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Role of intracellular Ca2+ and the calmodulin messenger system in pepsinogen secretion from isolated rabbit gastric mucosa.

Both carbachol (10(-4)-10(-3) mol/l) and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) (10(-8)-10(-6) mol/l) significantly stimulated the release of pepsinogen from rabbit gastric mucosa maintained in organ culture (213-216% and 143-261% of control, respectively, p less than 0.05-0.01). The secretion was not affected by removing Ca2+ from the culture medium with ethylene glycol tetra-acetic acid. Verapamil failed to inhibit the secretion of pepsinogen induced by the drugs in ordinary culture medium containing Ca2+. In contrast, nicorandil (10(-6)-10(-4) mol/l) attenuated the release of pepsinogen by the drugs in a dose dependent manner, regardless of the presence or absence of Ca2+ in the culture medium. W-7 (10(-6)-10(-4) mol/l) and W-5 (10(-5) and 10(-4), or 10(-6) mol/l) reduced significantly the secretion of pepsinogen induced by carbachol (53-71% and 63-81% of control, respectively, p less than 0.05-0.01) and that by CCK-8 (49-67% and 66-76% of control, respectively, p less than 0.01) in the Ca2+ containing medium. However, W-7 did not show significant inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and forskolin induced pepsinogen secretion. These findings indicate that the calmodulin messenger branch that is activated by a rise of intracellular Ca2+ mobilised in cytosol from its intracellular, but not extracellular, source plays a critical role in pepsinogen secretion induced by carbachol and CCK-8. It seems likely that an increase in cAMP in cytosol does not provoke any calmodulin mediated pepsinogen secretion.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

A case with athetosis, mental retardation, deafness, and pachygyria.

A 6-year-old girl with pachygyria was presented. Regions of pachygiria were seen in the frontal, temporal, and parietal areas in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging. She showed athetosis, mental retardation, deafness, short stature, and microcephalus, but did not show epilepsy. A combination of these symptoms may be a new clinical entity, caused by undetermined prenatal events.

Athetosis↗
PubMed1991

Magnetic resonance imaging in children with spastic diplegia: correlation with the severity of their motor and mental abnormality.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for 34 children with spastic diplegia, examined between two and 10 years of age, were analysed. Dilatation of the trigone, atrophy of the peritrigonal white matter and prominent deep cortical sulci were seen. On T2-weighted images, periventricular high-intensity areas in the white matter adjacent to the trigones and bodies of the lateral ventricles were seen in many children. These MRI features may reflect the pathological changes of periventricular leukomalacia in children with spastic diplegia. Among the MRI findings, only the amount of white matter correlated with severity of disability: white matter reduction corresponded to the more severe motor disabilities.

Brain↗
PubMed1991

Leg movements in the supine position of infants with spastic diplegia.

Leg movements in the supine position of 49 infants with spastic diplegia (three to 11 months corrected age) were examined. Only simultaneous flexion and extension of the hips and knees were seen, with exceptional isolated hip movements; the simultaneous movements had synergic features. When the knees were flexed, the hips were flexed, abducted and externally rotated, and the ankles were dorsiflexed. When the knees were extended, the hips were extended, adducted and internally rotated and the ankles were plantar-flexed. Hip flexion combined with knee extension (leg elevation) and isolated knee movements were not seen in diplegic infants, but were seen in all control preterm infants with a good prognosis, after five and six months corrected age, respectively. The absence of these movements is a useful diagnostic item for spastic diplegia.

Cerebral Palsy↗
PubMed1990

Dominant use of the left hand by athetotic cerebral palsied children.

Hand preference was studied in 57 children with athetotic cerebral palsy. A left-sided preference was seen in 61% of the subjects. In more severely affected children for whom the possible cause was asphyxia, the left-sided preference was especially common. The perinatal brain damage causing athetosis may affect a motor system controlling movement on the right side more severely.

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗
PubMed1989

An enzyme immunoassay of slow moving protease (SMP) in human gastric mucosa.

A two-site enzyme immunoassay for slow moving protease (SMP) of human gastric mucosa has been developed. The detection limit of SMP was 50 pg/tube and the optimal assay range was 0.5 to 50 ng/tube. This assay system made it possible to measure a trace amount of gastric mucosal SMP in endoscopic biopsy-specimens. Mean gastric mucosal SMP contents of the antrum, the angles, and the distal and proximal corpuses were 4.5, 3.7, 2.6, and 2.5 micrograms/mg protein, respectively. The antral mucosa contained a larger amount of SMP than the gastric mucosa of other area. The present enzyme immunoassay system is sufficiently sensitive for the clinical study of SMP in gastrointestinal tract.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
PubMed1989

An autopsy case of atypical infantile motor neuron disease with hyaline intraneuronal inclusions.

We describe a 5-year-old boy who had had a progressive motor weakness with bulbar palsy and spasticity of the lower extremities since age 3 years and who died of bronchopneumonia after about two and a half years of the illness. Neuropathologic examination revealed combined degenerative processes in the upper and lower motor neurons, the spinocerebellar and olivocerebellar systems, and the ventral thalamic nuclei. Lewy body-like intraneuronal hyaline inclusions, which ultrastructurally showed irregular accumulations of trilaminar membranous profiles, were detected in the spinal anterior horn, Clarke's dorsal nucleus, facial nerve nucleus, inferior olivary nucleus, and substantia nigra. This case could be considered as a unique form in the group of the infantile motor neuron diseases associated with multi-systemic degenerations in the central nervous system.

Brain↗