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Biomedical subjects

M Koda

Publications and source records attributed to M Koda.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 (stromelysin-1) concentration in patients with chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 plays an important role in extracellular matrix degradation, because of its broad substrate specificity and its activation of other proMMPs. Our aims in the present study were to determine whether the measurement of serum MMP-3 is clinically useful for assessing ongoing liver fibrolysis in patients with chronic liver disease. METHODS: We measured the serum MMP-3 concentrations with a sandwich enzyme immunoassay in 58 patients with chronic hepatitis, 22 patients with liver cirrhosis, 45 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 124 healthy individuals. The liver MMP-3 content was also measured in autopsied livers. RESULTS: Among the healthy controls, the serum levels of MMP-3 were about 2-fold higher in the males than in the females. In this study, the serum MMP-3 results of mainly the male group were analyzed because of the large number of male subjects. Compared to the control level, the mean serum MMP-3 concentration was 55% lower in chronic hepatitis, 53% lower in liver cirrhosis and 46% lower in hepatocellular carcinoma. There was no significant difference in the serum MMP-3 levels among the chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma groups. The serum MMP-3 levels were not related to the histological degree of necroinflammation or of liver fibrosis in the patients with chronic hepatitis. No significant difference in serum MMP-3 levels was observed among three Child's subgroups in the group of cirrhotic patients. In the group of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, the serum MMP-3 levels were not related to the severity of liver function, the HCC tumor size, or the histological differentiation. The serum MMP-3 level was not correlated with serum markers for connective tissue turnover, i.e. procollagen type III peptide, 7S fragment of type IV collagen, hyaluronan and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in the patients with chronic liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of serum MMP-3 is of little use for assessing fibrolysis in chronically diseased livers.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1999

Prognosis for pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma.

We retrospectively compared the outcome of 13 patients at our institution and that of 163 reported cases of pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with that of conventional HCC subdivided by tumor diameter (group A: less than 2 cm; group B: 2-5 cm, group C: more than 5 cm). The survival of patients with pedunculated HCC in the 163 reported cases was no different from that of group B, but less favorable than in group A (p < 0.01) and more favorable than in group C (p < 0.01). Among the 163 patients with pedunculated HCC, the 113 cases of surgically treated patients had higher survival than the 21 patients treated with transcatheter arterial embolization (n = 16) or transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy (n = 5) (p < 0.01) and than 29 conservatively treated patients (p < 0.001). A total of 70 patients out of 163 (42%) died within 1 year after diagnosis. Additionally, almost all cases of pedunculated HCC showed histologically moderately or poorly differentiated characteristics according to Edmondson and Stainer's classification or the WHO classification. These results suggest that pedunculated HCC has not a favorable prognosis if appropriate surgical resection has not been performed very early within a few months because of its rapid progressive nature.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Effects of a low calorie vegan diet on disease activity and general conditions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

There is little objective information about diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan. We studied 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital for 55 days. They basically took a 1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and undertook a 3-5-day fast three times. During the 55-day stay, average body weight decreased by 5.1kg. Lansbury index and ESR decreased whereas CRP did not change. WBC decreased and the differential cell counts showed a decrease of neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes without a change in lymphocytes or basophils. RBC, hemoglobin and MCV increased. LDL-C decreased, while HDL-C increased. There was no change in total protein or albumin. These data suggest that this combination of a low calorie vegan diet and fasting may contribute to improve RA with little undesirable effects on the patient's general conditions.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Effects of a 5-day fast on clinical laboratory data from patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

There have been few studies on the effects of a fast on clinical laboratory data in Japanese. We studied twelve women with rheumatoid arthritis who were not taking any medicine and stayed in the Koda hospital for a diet which lasted 55 days. They basically took a 1200 kcal vegan diet and undertook a 3-5-day fast three times. The clinical laboratory data obtained before and after the second fast (day 27-day 31) were compared. Average body weight decreased by 1.5 kg. There were no changes in CRP. Rapid turnover proteins such as alpha 1 and beta 2-microglobulin decreased, whereas albumin, IgG, IgA and IgM increased. HDL-C increased without a change in LDL-C or triglycerides. Free T3 decreased and free T4 increased, while TSH did not change. The increases in albumin, Ig, HDL-C and free T4 were not consistent with the results of previous studies. This difference may have been due to the low calorie vegan diet before the fast.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1999

[Urine C-peptide excretion in hypocaloric states and factors affecting its excretion].

Recent evidence suggests that hyperinsulinemia may contribute to the development of various risk factors of atherosclerosis. To examine the effects of energy intake on insulin secretion, 24-h urine C-peptide was measured in twelve women with rheumatoid arthritis who were not taking any medicine and stayed in Koda hospital for a diet therapy which lasted 55 days. They were basically placed on a 1200 kcal/day vegan diet combined with three 3-5-day fasting periods (200 kcal/day). Urine C-peptide excretion markedly decreased from 31-40 to 8-14 micrograms/day during the fasting periods. Among the anthropometric variables examined, the average level of urine C-peptide excretions measured in the fasting periods showed a significant correlation with the percentage and the amount of body fat. However, such correlation was not observed while the calorie intake was 1200 kcal. No clinical laboratory parameter showed a significant correlation with urinary C-peptide excretion. These results suggest that the major determinant of urine C-peptide excretion is food intake and that hyperinsulinemia could be easily improved by restricting energy intake.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1999

[Case report of muscle cramp versus focal epilepsy].

We report here a boy suffering from muscle cramps in the right upper extremity. At 32 days of age, he developed purulent meningitis followed by paresis of the right upper extremity. From infancy he had intermittent episodes myoclonus-like involving the right hand. Since he also had true epileptic seizures with loss of consciousness, ocular deviation, and vomiting at 6 and 8 years of age, he was treated with anti-epileptic drugs as therapy for focal motor seizures. At 6 years of age, these episodes increased in frequency. The cramps spread from the right hand to involve the entire upper extremity with pain. At the age of 10, he was referred to Hirosaki University Hospital and was admitted. Using closed circuit television with continuous EEG and EMG monitoring we observed during his episodes repeated EMG abnormalities consisting of continuous discharges of polyphasic motor unit potentials, but no epileptic EEG discharges. We diagnosed these episodes as muscle cramp. His muscle cramps were controlled by medication with muscle relaxants and Chinese medicines. This case illustrates that the differential diagnosis between muscle cramps and epileptic seizures is important for proper treatment.

Arm↗
PubMed1998

Lung cancer: intermittent irradiation synchronized with respiratory motion--results of a pilot study.

PURPOSE: To test the feasibility of a system for intermittent irradiation synchronized with respiratory motion in a clinical setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A newly developed gate pulse controller that starts and stops irradiation at a chosen phase of the respiratory cycle by controlling a linear accelerator was used in six patients with lung cancer. A laser displacement sensor was used for the detection of respiratory motion. Three patients underwent radiation therapy during the cycles between 50% expiration and 50% inspiration (step 1), and three patients underwent radiation therapy during the cycles between 70% expiration and 30% inspiration (step 2). RESULTS: The system functioned well; irradiation was verified with portal verification radiography in all six patients. The range of the tumor position during synchronized irradiation was detectable with fast portal localization radiography. The treatment times for steps 1 and 2 were 1.38-1.71 and 2.03-2.18 times longer, respectively, than those for conventional irradiation. CONCLUSION: Synchronized irradiation with the authors' system allowed convenient and reliable reduction of the target volume. Further study is needed to standardize the system for clinical use.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed1998

Limited-stage small cell lung cancer: local failure after chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate radiation therapy regimens for improvement in local control in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radical radiation therapy results in 117 patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed. The protocols in 90 patients were 40 Gy in 20 fractions (n = 28), 50 Gy in 25 fractions (n = 32), and 45 Gy in 30 fractions (accelerated hyperfractionation, n = 30). The other 27 patients received thoracic irradiation (dose range, 20-60 Gy; median dose, 54 Gy). All patients underwent systemic chemotherapy. RESULTS: The 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival rates in the patients with N0, N1, N2, and N3 disease were 26%, 34%, 18%, and 0%, respectively; the rates of in-field relapse were 25%, 36%, 26%, and 25%, respectively; and the rates of marginal relapse were 0%, 9%, 15%, and 29%, respectively. In 56% of patients with marginal relapse, the relapse site was at the upper margin. The 4-year in-field control rates for the patients who underwent 40, 50, and 45 Gy were 51%, 70%, and 56%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with N3 limited-stage small cell lung cancer should undergo a separate protocol, and the upper margin should be extended in patients with N2 or N3 disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Post-prandial serum hyaluronan concentration in patients with chronic liver disease.

Serum hyaluronan measurement is an option for diagnosing cirrhosis and assessing liver fibrosis, but it is of little use in the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis and compensated liver cirrhosis. It is generally known that intake of food results in elevation of the serum hyaluronan concentration. This work was designed to determine whether a change in the serum hyaluronan concentration after eating might reflect the hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell impairment in chronic liver diseases. The chronological measurement of serum hyaluronan concentration after eating was performed after an overnight fast in 31 patients with chronic hepatitis, 31 cirrhotic patients, and 8 healthy subjects. The hyaluronan concentration in the loading test increased with the severity of the liver disease in the patients with chronic hepatitis, being significantly higher in the patients with moderate or a higher grade of necroinflammation than in those with a minimal grade, and also significantly higher in patients with stage 3 fibrosis than in those with stage 2 or less. The elevation of the concentration after eating in patients with liver cirrhosis was marked and the range did not overlap with that in patients with chronic hepatitis. Even in 14 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis whose hyaluronan concentration pre-prandially was less than 200 ng/ml, the range of the post-prandial peak concentration did not overlap with that in the chronic hepatitis patients. These results suggest that the evaluation of post-prandial serum hyaluronan concentration is potentially useful for assessing the grading of necroinflammation and staging of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis, as well as for diagnosing compensated liver cirrhosis.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1998

[The effects of aging on the relationship between changes in body weight, serum lipid levels, and blood pressure].

The effects of aging on the relationships between changes in body weight, serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, beta-lipoprotein), and blood pressure (systolic pressure, diastolic pressure) were studied. The subjects were 17,689 Japanese (aged 19 to 88 years) who had received annual examinations at health centers for two consecutive years. After the date were adjusted for sex, body mass index, and serum lipid levels at baseline, changes in serum lipid levels and blood pressure per kilogram change in body weight were estimated for 3 age groups (under 45, 45 to 64, and 65 or older). Positive relationship between changes in body weight and blood pressure were noted for all 3 age groups. Although total cholesterol, triglyceride, and beta-lipoprotein levels all decreased with weight loss in the under-65 groups, total cholesterol in the 65-and-over group did not change significantly. The increases in total cholesterol, triglyceride, and beta-lipoprotein levels were associated with weight gain in the under-65 groups, but not in the 65-and-over group. HDL-cholesterol levels in all age groups decreased significantly with weight gain. These results suggest that aging affects the relationship between changes in body weight and serum lipid levels but not that between changes in body weight and blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Molecular weight of hyaluronate in the serum of patients with chronic liver disease.

Hyaluronate in tissue and lymph is known to be heterogenous and to show a wide range of molecular weights (10(4) to 10(7) Da). Serum hyaluronate concentrations are increased under various pathophysiological conditions such as liver disease, post-gastrectomy, and after the ingestion of food. To clarify whether the chromatographic patterns of hyaluronate in serum from patients with chronic liver disease are different under these conditions, we subjected sera to chromatography using a Sephacryl S 400 HR column. The chromatograms revealed that the hyaluronate in serum was eluted as a single peak at the position corresponding to the molecular weight of blue dextran, the molecular weight being more than 2 x 10(6) Da. The patterns of the chromatogram were similar among the patients with liver disease and the healthy subject although the heights of the peaks were different. Ingestion of food and a history of gastrectomy for gastric cancer did not influence the elution patterns of serum hyaluronate. These results indicate that hyaluronate in serum has molecular weight of more than 2 x 10(6) Da, and that its elution patterns are not influenced by pathophysiological factors, such as the severity of liver disease, or history of gastrectomy or by food intake in patients with chronic liver disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis associated with piperacillin therapy in a boy with glomerulonephritis.

An 11-year-old boy with glomerulonephritis developed acute renal failure 4 days after beginning piperacillin (PIPC) treatment. Renal biopsy revealed acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) with marked eosinophils. A lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) for PIPC demonstrated an extremely high LST index of 626%. The serum levels of immunoglobulin E and eosinophil cationic protein also showed a significant increase at 9021 IU/mL and greater than 150 micrograms/L, respectively. These observations suggest that a hypersensitivity reaction might play a role in the pathogenesis of ATIN. This is the first report to describe PIPC-induced ATIN in a child.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

[A case of an adult neuroblastoma with bone-marrow metastases: 131I-MIBG scintigraphy in comparison with MRI].

To detect a primary neuroblastoma lesion and its metastases, 131I-MIBG scintigraphy was performed for a 24-year-old woman who had a high level of serum catecholamine. 131I-MIBG scintigrams showed high radioactivity in the left upper quadrant, pelvic bone, and vertebral bodies. A biopsy of the pelvic bone revealed metastasis from the neuroblastoma. After four chemotherapy courses, the accumulation of 131I-MIBG decreased after each course; however, scintigraphy performed after the last chemotherapy course showed focal mild uptake in the right sacroiliac. The presence of residual tumor in the sacroiliac was confirmed histologically. On the other hand, T1-weighted and T2-weighted MR images performed before the treatment showed low signal intensity and high signal intensity in the pelvic bone, respectively. After the fourth chemotherapy course, T2-weighted MR images showed low signal intensity in the pelvic bone; however, it was difficult to determinate whether it should improve. To assess the effect of treatment of neuroblastoma, 131I-MIBG scintigraphy was considered more useful than MRI.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗
PubMed1996

Comparison of serum 7S fragment of type IV collagen and serum central triple-helix of type IV collagen for assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral liver disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A competitive radioimmunoassay for serum 7S fragment of type IV collagen (7S collagen) using a polyclonal antibody against 7S collagen and a sandwich enzyme immunoassay for serum central triple-helix of type IV collagen (IV collagen) using two monoclonal antibodies against the pepsin-solubilized type IV collagen may be used as diagnostic aids for liver fibrosis in clinical medicine. We compared the clinical usefulness for assessing liver fibrosis of serum 7S collagen and IV collagen tests in chronic viral liver diseases, and also examined the elution pattern of 7S collagen- and IV collagen-related antigens in serum by gel filtration analysis. METHODS: Serum 7S collagen and IV collagen levels were assayed in 151 patients with chronic viral liver disease and 30 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: Gel filtration on the Sephacryl S400HR column revealed that the 7S collagen antigenicity in serum was heterogeneous, whereas the IV collagen antigen in serum was uniform in size. Serum levels of 7S collagen and IV collagen showed increases closely correlated with the severity of liver disease. The abnormal percentage of 7S collagen in three patient groups was similar to that of IV collagen in the corresponding groups. Serum 7S collagen and IV collagen levels were strongly correlated with the histological degree of liver fibrosis; the correlation coefficients were r = +0.675 for 7S collagen and r = +0.665 for IV collagen. When we assessed the ability of each test to detect cirrhosis with a receiver operating curve, the serum 7S collagen test was a slightly better marker than the serum IV collagen test. For the detection of cirrhosis, serum 7S collagen was 83% sensitive and 88% specific at a cutoff value of 9 ng/ml, and serum IV collagen was 80% sensitive and 81% specific at a cutoff value of 160 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that serum 7S collagen and IV collagen tests are similarly useful for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral liver disease, although the former is slightly better for diagnosing cirrhosis than the latter.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Serum markers for fibrosis and plasma transforming growth factor-beta 1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in comparison with patients with liver cirrhosis.

In order to elucidate collagen metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue, we compared levels of different potential markers of collagen metabolism and plasma transforming growth factor-beta 1 in patients with HCC and in patients with liver cirrhosis. Serum levels of prolyl hydroxylase and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in patients with HCC were significantly higher than those in patients with liver cirrhosis and increased with the size of the HCC tumour, whereas the serum levels of procollagen type III propeptide and type IV collagen 7S domain were similar in the two groups. In HCC, the increased plasma transforming growth factor-beta 1 levels were closely correlated with serum levels of prolyl hydroxylase and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. These findings suggest that, in HCC tissue, the intracellular biosynthesis of collagen is enhanced, whereas the secretion of procollagen is disturbed and the degradation of collagen is suppressed by the excess production of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. The results also suggest that plasma transforming growth factor-beta 1 plays an important role in the altered metabolism of collagen in HCC.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Clinical significance of serum hyaluronan in patients with chronic viral liver disease.

In order to elucidate the clinical significance of serum hyaluronan in chronic viral hepatitis, serum hyaluronan concentrations were measured using a sandwich enzyme binding assay in 115 patients with chronic viral hepatitis. These findings were examined in relation to the results of laboratory liver tests, levels of serum markers for fibrosis and liver histological findings. Serum hyaluronan levels increased with the progress of liver disease, particularly in liver cirrhosis. There were no significant differences in serum hyaluronan levels among the cirrhotic patients according to Child's grade. Multivariate analysis showed that the significant independent predictors of serum hyaluronan were serum aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.020), serum alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.008), serum cholinesterase (P < 0.001), particularly serum type IV collagen 7S domain (P < 0.0001), and the histological degree of liver fibrosis (P < 0.0001). These findings suggest that elevated serum hyaluronan levels are closely related to the severity of liver fibrosis. We assessed the predictive value of serum hyaluronan in differentiating cirrhosis from chronic hepatitis, constructing receiver operating curves; we found that serum hyaluronan was a better test for diagnosing cirrhosis than serum type IV collagen 7S domain and laboratory liver tests.

Adult↗