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Biomedical subjects

M Kojima

Publications and source records attributed to M Kojima.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Structural organization and chromosomal assignment of the swine endothelin-1 gene.

Cosmid clone containing swine endothelin-1 (EDN1) gene, cosEDN1, was isolated from swine cosmid library using swine EDN1 cDNA as a probe. The sequence analysis of cosEDN1 DNA revealed that the swine EDN1 gene consists of 5 exons, spanning approximately 6.5 kb. In the 5'-upstream region of the EDN1 gene, AP-1 and NF-1 elements were found, suggesting the possibility that the expression of swine EDN1 gene is controlled by protooncogene products Fos and Jun, and TGF-beta. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using cosEDN1 DNA as a probe demonstrated that EDN1 gene resides on swine chromosome 7p13- > pter.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Ultrasonic power Doppler imaging for prostatic cancer: a preliminary report.

This study was conducted to characterize Doppler blood flow signals in prostatic cancer using power Doppler imaging with a transrectal probe. Both the localization and vascularity of blood flow in the prostate were compared between patients with prostatic cancer and those with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prominent accumulation of blood flow signals (hypervascular lesion) was recognized in all the cases with prostatic cancer, compared to only 2 (4%) of 47 with BPH (p < 0.001). Power Doppler imaging is promising for the detection of prostatic cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Transrectal ultrasonic planimetry of the prostate in relation to age and lower urinary tract symptoms among elderly men in Japan.

The aim of the present study is to correlate transrectal ultrasonic planimetric parameters of the prostate in relation to age and urinary symptoms as evaluated by the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom index score for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In 647 examinees on a mass screening program for prostatic diseases using transrectal sonography (TRS) in Japan, prostatic volume, transition zone volume, transition zone index (transition zone volume/prostatic volume) and presumed circle area ratio (PCAR) were determined using transrectal ultrasonic planimetry and compared with age and AUA symptom score. Increase in age, prostatic volume, transition zone volume and PCAR were significantly correlated with AUA symptom score. However, multiple regression analysis demonstrated that age and PCAR were the only significant independent determinant of symptom score. In particular, PCAR was the only significant determinants of symptom score in men with an intermediately enlarged prostate (20-30 ml in volume). The most significant difference in AUA symptom score was found between subgroups divided by PCAR with a cutoff point of 0.8. Among the planimetric parameters obtained by TRS, PCAR was the most powerful for evaluating BPH in terms of the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

A selective pulmonary thrombosis associated with sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a pathologic condition associated with critical illnesses, including sepsis. Recent studies have suggested that endogenous cytokines and leukocytes are involved in major roles of its pathophysiology. We report a case of sepsis-induced DIC due to pneumonia that was associated with diffuse and selective thrombosis in pulmonary arteries, yielding to sudden death from pulmonary massive embolism. This report suggests that the selective and lethal pulmonary thromboembolism progresses under the standard therapies in sepsis-induced DIC.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Estimated prevalence and incidence of adult Still's disease: findings by a nationwide epidemiological survey in Japan.

To estimate prevalence and incidence of adult Still's disease in Japan, and to describe the epidemiological features of the patients, a nationwide epidemiological survey was conducted in 1994. The study consisted of two questionnaires which were distributed to the heads of the relevant departments, randomly sampled, in hospitals throughout Japan. Following major epidemiological findings emerged from the study: (a) The total annual number of patients treated for adult Still's disease was estimated as 1,100 in 1993 in Japan. The estimated crude prevalence among those aged 16 years or older were calculated as 0.73 and 1.47 per 100,000 population for males and females, respectively, with the corresponding crude incidence rate of 0.22 and 0.34. (b) The sex ratio (female to male) of the reported patients was 2.1. This female predominance might be specific to Japan, though additional surveys in other countries will be warranted. The mean age of the patients was 38.1 years, and female patients tended to be older than male ones; 50% of the female patients aged 40 years or older, while so did only 28% of the male patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Smoking habits, local brand cigarettes and lung cancer risk in Okinawa, Japan.

To disclose the association between smoking habits and lung cancer in Okinawa, Japan, we analyzed the data from a case-control study conducted from 1988 to 1991. The analysis, based on 333 cases and 666 age-, sex- and residence-matched population controls, provided the following major findings. (a) The odds ratios (ORs) for current smokers relative to nonsmokers were much greater for squamous cell carcinoma than for adenocarcinoma. The OR was 9.82 for squamous cell carcinoma and 2.18 for adenocarcinoma in males, 28.2 and 1.14, correspondingly, in females. (b) Males who quit smoking for 20 years or more demonstrated no elevated lung cancer risk. (c) Among male current smokers, the more the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the higher the lung cancer risk for both cell types, but particularly for squamous cell carcinoma. In contrast, deep smoke inhalation significantly increased the risk for adenocarcinoma in particular. (d) Okinawan brand cigarettes were more strongly associated with the risk, compared with other brand ones. This finding might partly explain the higher frequency of lung cancer in males with the relatively lower smoking rate in Okinawa.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

[A pilot study of mass screening program for prostatic cancer by means of prostate specific antigen (PSA) filter paper method].

BACKGROUND: Mass screening program for prostatic cancer (PC) using prostate specific antigen (PSA) filter paper method was performed in an urban area of Kyoto in 1995. METHODS: In the primary study, males more than the age of 55 years were examined by PSA (Delfia PSA kit) with blood samples on a filter paper. The cut-off values were set at 4 and 10 ng/ ml. Subjects whose PSA level ranged from 4.1 to 10.0 ng/ml (gray zone) were examined by digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal sonography (TRS) and PSA density (PSAD; more than 0.15) in the secondary study, then the suspected subjects of PC underwent 6 sextant biopsies under interventional ultrasound. Subjects whose PSA level were more than 10.1 ng/ml were biopsied directly. RESULTS: Of 3,749 males who took the annual health checkup system organized by the government, 2,387 males wished to submit this screening. Among them, 2,217 (92.9%) showed a negative PSA, 107 belonged to the gray zone and 43 had a PSA more than 10.1 ng/ml. Of these, 102 subjects underwent biopsy. PC was finally detected in 28 (1.2%). The positive predictive value for positive PSA and gray zone PSA was 46.3% and 8.4%, respectively. In the detected cancers, 17 cases (60.7%) belonged to Stage B, 5 (17.9%) to Stage C and 6 (21.4%) to Stage D. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that this system of mass screening program for PC combined with the annual health checkup was suitable for the future "national-level" screening.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Clinical evaluation of scintigraphy and tumor biopsy for incidentally detected adrenal masses].

PURPOSE: A decision tree in diagnosis of incidentally detected adrenal masses (incidentaloma) was made on the basis of these results. METHODS: The clinical usefulness of adrenal scintigraphy with 131I-adosterol and ultrasonically guided tumor biopsy was investigated in 44 patients. RESULTS: Adrenal scintigraphy was performed in 32 patients, of whom 21 were found to have an increased uptake in the tumor, including 19 cases of cortical adenoma and 2 of hematoma. No abnormal uptake was found in the remaining 11 patients, including 2 of cortical adenoma, 1 of adrenocortical oncocytoma and 8 of non-cortical tumors. Adrenal scintigraphy was thus thought to be useful in the differentiation of cortical tumor from non-cortical tumor, showing the sensitivity of 86%, the specificity of 80% and the diagnostic accuracy of 84%. Cytological or histological study on specimens obtained by percutaneous adrenal tumor biopsy was performed in 19 patients, of whom 18 (95%) were correctly diagnosed in terms of the malignancy of incidentaloma. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the differential diagnosis and the surgical indication of adrenal incidentaloma could be made successfully based on adrenal scintigraphy and tumor biopsy.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1997

Noninvasive quantitative estimation of infravesical obstruction using ultrasonic measurement of bladder weight.

PURPOSE: Ultrasound estimated bladder weight was compared to pressure-flow studies to test the ability of ultrasound estimated bladder weight to predict infravesical obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 65 men with urinary symptoms underwent ultrasonic measurement of bladder weight and pressure-flow studies. Assuming the bladder is a sphere, ultrasound estimated bladder weight was calculated from bladder wall thickness measured ultrasonically and intravesical volume. RESULTS: Ultrasound estimated bladder weight correlated significantly (p < 0.0001) with the Abrams-Griffiths number, urethral resistance factor and the Schäfer grade of obstruction. A cutoff value of 35 gm. for ultrasound estimated bladder weight revealed a diagnostic accuracy of 86.2% (56 of 65 cases) for infravesical obstruction with 12.1 (4 of 33) and 15.6% (5 of 32) false-positive and false-negative rates, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound estimated bladder weight can be measured noninvasively at the bedside and it is promising as a reliable predictor of infravesical obstruction.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Early ocular changes in a tree shrew model of diabetes].

We developed a tree shrew model of diabetes using streptozotocin (STZ), and studied early ocular changes of diabetes (after one week of diabetes) by fluorophotometry. STZ was injected intraperitoneally at doses of sixty to 400 mg/kg body weight. Animals injected with more than 300 mg/kg of STZ developed diabetes. Corneal autofluorescence was significantly increased one week after STZ injection. These changes may be related to impairment of the ocular homeostatic mechanisms due to the onset of diabetes. Using this model, we might be able to obtain diabetic ocular impairment data closer to human data than in previous models of diabetes, because tree shrews are primates.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The expression of murine cutaneous late phase reaction requires both IgE antibodies and CD4 T cells.

BACKGROUND: Exposure of atopic patients to a specific allergen evokes an immediate response which is followed, in many cases, by a late phase reaction (LPR) some hours later. Here we have examined the immunological mechanisms required for the expression of cutaneous LPR in mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice were immunized by i.p. injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and alum actively or by i.v. injection of anti-OVA IgE monoclonal antibody (mAb) passively. After challenge by intradermal injection of OVA into ears, the changes in ear thickness, the number of eosinophils, and the levels of IL-4 and IFN-gamma protein at the site of antigen challenge were examined. RESULTS: Actively immunized mice developed a biphasic response at the site of OVA injection, while mice passively immunized with IgE anti-OVA mAb displayed a strong early response but no LPR. Cell transfer experiments using BALB/c nu/nu mice revealed that both OVA-specific IgE mAb and OVA-primed CD4 T cells were required to evoke LPR. Moreover, LPR was associated with increased levels of IL-4 production concomitant with reduced IFN-gamma production and was abolished by pretreatment with anti-IL-4 neutralizing mAb. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that murine cutaneous LPR against OVA is a type 2 inflammatory response in which both IgE antibodies and CD4 T cells play an obligatory role.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Frequency of hepatitis GB virus C in patients on maintenance hemodialysis].

Hepatitis GB virus C(HGBV-C) RNA was detected in 10(4.5%), among the 223 patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Of the 10 patients with HGBV-C RNA, 4(40%) were also infected with HCV. All patients with HGBV-C RNA had a history of blood transfusion. HGBV-C is suspected to be transmitted by blood transfusion. And also, none of the 10 HGBV-C RNA positive-patients had evidence of liver dysfunction. All patients are asymptomatic HGBV-C carrier. The patients on maintenance hemodialysis are high risk group for HGBV-C infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Infection with hepatitis GB virus C in intravenous drug abusers with type C chronic liver diseases].

Hepatitis B virus(HBV), hepatitis C virus(HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) infections are common among intravenous drug abusers, with a global distribution. The recently discovered hepatitis GB virus C(HGBV-C)/hepatitis G virus(HGV) has been linked to blood-borne non-A-E hepatitis. HGBV-C RNA was determined by the polymerase chain reaction with primers deduced from a helicase-like region in 189 patients with type C chronic liver diseases. Overall, HGBV-C RNA was detected in 22(11.6%) patients. The prevalence of HGBV-C RNA was estimated according to the suspected transmission routes(blood transfusion, intravenous drug abuse, tattooing and unknown) of HCV. 22.7-25.0% of type C hepatitis patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse were positive for HGBV-C RNA. These results indicate that HGBV-C is transmitted frequently in intravenous drug abusers coinfected with HCV.

Adult↗