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Biomedical subjects

Ken Okamura

Publications and source records attributed to Ken Okamura.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Painless thyroiditis].

Painless thyroiditis is characterized by painless low-uptake thyrotoxicosis (thyrotoxicosis without hyperthyroidism). Destructive damage of the thyroid has been thought to be the mechanism for self-limited thyrotoxicosis. However, hydrolysis of thyroglobulin must be responsible for the release of excessive thyroid hormone. Low-uptake of iodine and excessive release of thyroid hormone suggest the uncoupling of hormone synthesis and hormone secretion in the thyroid gland. Suppressed serum TSH level, various cytokines or growth factors including TGFbeta1, and thyroglobulin itself may be responsible for the suppressed hormone synthesis. The mechanism for persistent hormone release despite suppressed hormone synthesis should be clarified. Quantitative TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin assay is helpful for the differential diagnosis of painless thyroiditis and Graves' hyperthyroidism.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed2002

Proteomic analysis of human brain identifies alpha-enolase as a novel autoantigen in Hashimoto's encephalopathy.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare autoimmune disease associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). To identify the HE-related autoantigens, we developed a human brain proteome map using two-dimensional electrophoresis and applied it to the immuno-screening of brain proteins that react with autoantibodies in HE patients. After sequential MALDI-TOF-MASS analysis, immuno-positive spots of 48 kDa (pI 7.3-7.8) detected from HE patient sera were identified as a novel autoimmuno-antigen, alpha-enolase, harboring several modifications. Specific high reactivities against human alpha-enolase were significant in HE patients with excellent corticosteroid sensitivity, whereas the patients with fair or poor sensitivity to the corticosteroid treatment showed less reactivities than cut-off level. Although a few HT patients showed faint reactions to alpha-enolase, 95% of HT patients, patients with other neurological disorders, and healthy subjects tested were all negative. These results suggest that the detection of anti-alpha-enolase antibody is useful for defining HE-related pathology, and this proteomic strategy is a powerful method for identifying autoantigens of various central nervous system diseases with unknown autoimmune etiologies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Hypercalcemia associated with parathyroid hormone-related protein at the terminal stage of uncomplicated squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is mainly responsible for hypercalcemia in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). METHODS: We retrospectively checked the appearance of hypercalcemia among 33 patients who died with head and neck SCC. Serum concentrations of C-terminal region of PTHrP (C-PTHrP) were measured in 15 of them. The intracellular PTHrP expression was immunohistochemically stained in 42 SCC sections obtained from the 33 before the appearance of hypercalcemia. RESULTS: Hypercalcemia appeared in 24 of the 33, and increased serum C-PTHrP levels were confirmed in 11 of 12 hypercalcemic patients. PTHrP was identified in all SCC sections, and a stronger intensity than in normal squamous epithelia was observed in 50% of those obtained within 1 year before the onset of hypercalcemia. CONCLUSION: A high incidence of PTHrP-induced hypercalcemia was shown among patients dying with head and neck SCCs. The intracellular increase in PTHrP might be observed preceding hypercalcemia.

Adult↗