Biomedical subjects

M Ohe

Publications and source records attributed to M Ohe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Population research of genetic polymorphism at amino acid position 631 in chicken Mx protein with differential antiviral activity.

A single amino acid substitution between Asn and Ser at position 631 in the chicken Mx protein has been reported to determine resistant and sensitive antiviral activity. In this study, we investigate whether various kinds of chicken breeds and jungle fowls carry the resistant or sensitive Mx allelic gene by using the mismatched PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique. In total, 271 samples from 36 strains of 17 chicken breeds and from 3 kinds of jungle fowls were examined. The rates of the resistant Mx gene and sensitive gene were 59.2% and 40.8%, respectively. Only a Red jungle fowl captured in Laos carried the resistant Mx gene, and the other three Red jungle fowls from Indonesia and Gray and Green jungle fowls all had the sensitive Mx gene. These results were confirmed by the determination of amino acid sequences in the GTPase effector domain of jungle fowls.

Alleles↗

PubMed2000

[Community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia: a comparative study of bacteremic and nonbacteremic patients].

We analyzed the clinical and laboratory features of 37 adult patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization. Blood culture was positive in 11, and negative in 26. The average age of the 37 patients was 70.2 years, and 28 were male. Compared with the patients with negative blood culture, the patients with positive blood culture were more likely to have liver cirrhosis, less sputum production, lower body temperature, and higher respiratory rate on physical examination. In the laboratory data on admission, the values for serum total protein, albumin, and glucose were significantly lower in the patients with positive blood culture. Thirty-two percent of the pneumococcal isolates were resistant to penicillin G (MIC > or = 0.12 microgram/ml). There was no difference in the frequency of drug-resistant pneumococci in the two groups. The use of mechanical ventilation was more frequent in the patients with positive blood culture than in the patients with negative blood culture (27.3% vs 3.8%). Moreover, mortality was higher (27.3% vs 7.7%) and the duration of hospitalization was longer in the bacteremic group. However, from a univariate analytical perspective, these differences were not significant. We concluded that blood culture can be a highly valuable diagnostic aid and useful for the prognostic evaluation of patients with community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

[Mortality and prognostic factors in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: an analysis of 231 cases].

We prospectively analyzed the mortality and prognostic factors in 231 patients with community-acquired pneumonia. The patients were enrolled between May 1996 and April 1998. The average patient age was 67.6 +/- 17.5 years, and 68% were male. The mean hospital length of stay was 21.9 +/- 21.7 days. The mortality was 6.5% at the 30th day, 13.9% at hospital discharge, and 19.9% at 1 year later. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that liver cirrhosis, diastolic hypotension (< 60 mmHg), hypoxemia (< 50 Torr) were significantly correlated with death at the 30th day, and that alcoholism, malignancy, diastolic hypotension, hypoxemia, hypoalbuminemia (< 3.0 g/dl), and increased creatinine (> 1.2 mg/dl) were significantly correlated with discharge mortality. Furthermore, the prognostic factors at 1 year later were the same as those at hospital discharge, with the exception of alcoholism, which was replaced by ischemic heart disease in the 1-year mortality. We conclude that liver cirrhosis, diastolic hypotension, and hypoxemia are very important prognostic factors during the acute stage of pneumonia, and that alcoholism, malignancy, hypoalbuminemia and renal complications are significantly correlated with hospital death and 1-year mortality.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[Comparative study of clinical features of typical and atypical pneumonias].

We prospectively analyzed the clinical and laboratory features of 74 patients with community-acquired pneumonia who required hospitalization between May 1996 and October 1997. Typical pathogens were identified in 47, and atypical pathogens in 27. The average age was higher in patients affected by typical pathogens (73.9 years), than in patients affected by atypical pathogens (50.9 years). Univariable analysis found that atypical pneumonias were more frequent in healthy patients than typical pneumonias. Moreover, the presence of relatives with symptoms of airway infection, headache, and earache was more common among the patients with atypical pneumonias, while leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein levels were more frequent among patients with typical pneumonias. Typical pathogens accounted for up to 79.6% of the cases of pneumonia with in older patients (aged 60 years or more), whereas atypical pathogens accounted for up to 80% of the cases of pneumonia in younger patients (aged under 60 years). This difference was statistically significant. Of all 74 patients, 39 (52.7%) were afflicted by severe community-acquired pneumonia, as categorized by American Thoracic Society guidelines. The most common pathogen among these patients was Streptococcus pneumoniae. Legionella was one of the top four. Selection of the initial antimicrobial treatment is an important clinical decision that should be made on the basis of clinical features at admission, age, and severity of the patient's illness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

[Emergency room visits by patients with exacerbations of asthma].

We retrospectively analyzed patterns of emergency room visits by patients with exacerbations of asthma from December 1995 through November 1996. A total of 591 episodes in 198 patients were reviewed. The average age was 35.8 years, ranging from 15 to 71. The largest number of visits occurred in September. The number of visits per year ranged from 1 to 22; the mean was 2.9 per year. In patients who were followed on a regular basis at our institution, serve attacks accounted for 7.1% of the total, compared with 21.6 percent at other hospitals or outpatient clinics. We suspect that this difference was related to differences in the use of inhaled steroids. At our institution, 89% of patients were taking inhaled steroids; at other hospitals or clinics, only 21% were taking inhaled steroids. Of the 198 patients, 33 fulfilled one of the following criteria: (1) endotracheal intubation for respiratory failure or respiratory arrest, (2) respiratory acidosis (pH < 7.35) without endotracheal intubation; 27% of those patients had been given a diagnosis of mild asthma before the acute exacerbation. We conclude that patient education and standard guidelines for treatment of asthma, are very important for appropriate management of asthma, to prevent exacerbations and asthma-related deaths.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed1997

Pulmonary dysanapsis, methacholine airway responsiveness and sensitization to airborne antigen.

Whether the disproportional growth of airways relative to lung parenchyma (dysanapsis) has any relationship to the development of non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy was investigated in 45 family members of the patients with atopic asthma. As indices of pulmonary dysanapsis, forced expiratory flow25-75/forced vital capacity (FEF25-75/FVC) and the tracheal cross sectional area divided by the forced expiratory volume (X-SA/FVC) were examined. As an index of non-specific airway responsiveness, the cumulative dose of inhaled methacholine needed to induce 35% reduction of respiratory conductance (PD35) was determined by continuous respiratory resistance measurement. For examination of atopy, skin prick tests were conducted, and total serum IgE and IgE specific to common inhaled antigens were measured. FEF25-75/FVC showed no significant correlation to FVC but showed a significant correlation to log(PD35). When the analysis was done in the subjects whose FEV1/FVC was more than 0.8, FEF25-75/FVC showed a significant negative correlation to FVC but lost its correlation to log(PD35). X-SA/FVC showed a significant negative correlation to FVC but had no significant correlation to log(PD35). These relations were conserved when the analysis was done in subjects without airway obstruction. In addition, FEV1/FVC had a significant correlation to log(PD35) and FEF25-75/FVC. However, subjects who had a positive IgE(MAST) had a significantly smaller X-SA/FVC than those with a negative IgE(MAST) (0.60 +/- 0.14[SD] and 0.72 +/- 0.18, respectively, P < 0.02). These results suggest that although pulmonary dysanapsis does not have a significant relation to airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine, it may be associated with sensitization to airborne antigens.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

[A case of primary endobronchial mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma with middle lobe atelectasis].

A 60-year-old woman was admitted for evaluation of an abnormal shadow in her chest X-ray. A chest roentgenogram revealed middle lobe atelectasis and a tomogram showed masses mainly in the right intermediate bronchus. In bronchoscopy, the bronchus was severely narrowed by irregularly surfaced masses. Microscopic examinations of transbronchial biopsy specimen showed the mucosal and submucosal tissue diffusedly infiltrated mainly by lymphocytes composed of small lymphocytes, centrocyte-like cells and monocytoid cells. The B-cell origin was suggested by a positive L-26 stain. Monoclonality of lymphocytes was proven by Southern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. The diagnosis was primary endobronchial lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The case was treated with chemotherapy protocol (CAMBO-VIP) and has been in complete remission for 20 months.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed1996

Rates of ethylene release, photosynthesis and transpiration of rice measured in closed-type chamber.

To obtain the basic data of gas exchange of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare), rates of ethylene release, photosynthesis and transpiration of the rice plant were measured by using a closed-type chamber. Each rate increased until the heading stage and thereafter decreased. Ethylene release rate (E) gradually increased with day after seeding and rates of photosynthesis (P) and transpiration (T) did exponentially. At the heading stage, E, P and T were maximum and had values of about 2.0 mmol plant-1 h-1, 3.0 mmol plant-1 h-1 and 0.60 mol plant-1 h-1, respectively. E in the light period was 1.5-3 times as much as that in the dark period, whereas T in the light period was 5-6 times as much as that in the dark period. E of rice per plant was lower than those of lettuce and Brassica genera which were reported previously. Especially, the rate of rice was about one-tenth that of lettuce. However, when ethylene release rates were estimated on a growth area basis, the rate of rice was about half that of lettuce, and was more than those of Brassica genera.

Ecological Systems, Closed↗

PubMed1996

[Three siblings with interstitial pneumonia].

Patient 1: A 64-year-old woman was admitted for further examination after reticulonodular shadows were found on a chest X-ray film. Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) was diagnosed. Patient 2: The 60-year-old sister of patient 1 was admitted for further examination after reticulonodular shadows were found on a chest X-ray film. IIP was diagnosed. About half a year later, her proximal interphalangeal joints had become swollen and the result of a rheumatoid hemagglutination test was positive. Therefore, the pneumonia was suspected to have been caused by a collagen-vascular disease (CVD), rheumatoid arthritis. Patient 3: The 64-year-old brother of patient 1 was examined. A chest X-ray film revealed reticulonodular shadows that were strongly suggestive of IIP. The remaining three siblings were examined. In a 62-year-old sister, the chest X-ray film was normal, but the level of anti-nuclear antigen was elevated. The fact that the level of this antigen was high in these four siblings and that the 60-year-old sister later suffered from rheumatoid arthritis suggested the presence of a factor predisposing to CVD in these siblings. The interstitial pneumonia in these siblings may have been related to CVD.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMed1996

[Genetic analysis of bronchial asthma in Japanese population--Fc epsilon RI beta gene and beta 2 adrenergic receptor gene].

Atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness are important elements for the development of bronchial asthma. On the basis of the progression of molecular biology, the genetic regulations of asthma are being examined extensively and, recently, the gene encoding a beta subunit of the high affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RI beta) and the gene encoding beta 2 adrenergic receptor (beta 2ADR) are considered to be responsible for asthma. The mutation in the Fc epsilon RI beta gene on chromosome 11q13 is reported to be associated with atopy in British families with maternal inheritance of atopy. However there is no such an association between atopy and 11q13 in Japanese families. The polymorphisms in the beta 2 adrenergic receptor gene are reported to be related to the degree of agonist promoted downregulation of the receptor, and these polymorphisms are found to affect the severity of asthma. There is also evidence which supports a relationship between the polymorphism of the receptor and airway hyperresponsiveness in Japanese families.

Asian People↗

PubMed1996

[Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and TNF gene restriction fragment length polymorphism].

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and lymphotoxin (TNF beta) are cytokines with numerous similar immunoregulatory effects. In pulmonary fibrosis, TNF alpha/beta appears to play a critical role in the regulation of the fibroproliferative response. The human TNF alpha/beta genes are located between the HLA-B and the HLA-DR region. In man 5.5 kb and 10.5 kb of TNF alpha/beta restriction fragment length polymorphic (RFLP) bands have recently been identified by means of enzyme NcoI. TNF alpha/beta production is reported to be correlated to the NcoI RFLP. In some collagen diseases, a decreasing frequency of the 10.5 kb band is reported. The two allele NcoI RFLP of the TNF alpha region, yielding bands of 5.5 kb and 10.5 kb, was investigated in normal Japanese subjects and patients with IIP. The frequency of these bands was not different between normal subjects and patients with IIP. However, in female patients, the frequency of the 5.5 kb band was significantly increased compared with those in the male patients and normal subjects. The increase of this band may have some relation to the pathogenesis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.

Female↗

PubMed1995

Three cases of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia with bullae seen in schoolteachers.

We encountered three patients with chronic interstitial pneumonia with many bullae in the lower lung fields whose lifetime occupation was teaching school. Pathological examination of autopsy lungs of these patients revealed interstitial pneumonia and multiple bullae throughout the lungs, including the lower lobe. Since blackboard chalk has been used as a popular writing material among teachers in Japan, the mineral contents in the lungs of two of the three cases and four control cases with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) (whose occupations were not teaching) were analyzed. The amount of deposition of total dust, inorganic dust, non-SiO2 inorganic dust, and calcium was significantly higher in the lungs of two schoolteachers compared with those of the control lungs. The amount of free silica in case 1 and alpha-quartz in case 3 were also significantly higher than in the controls. Two thirds of the chalk produced in Japan is still made from gypsum and involves small amounts of silica and other minerals, in addition to calcium. These findings indicated the deposition of chalk in the lungs of these patients with interstitial pneumonia and multiple bullae.

Blister↗

PubMed1995

Association between high serum total IgE levels and D11S97 on chromosome 11q13 in Japanese subjects.

The genetic linkage of atopy to chromosome 11q13 through maternally derived alleles has been previously reported. Linkage analysis in Japanese families did not confirm the existence of a major gene for atopy at this locus under the model of autosomal dominant inheritance. However, we observed a significant association between serum total IgE levels and genetic markers at this locus both in 14 Japanese atopic families and in 120 unrelated Japanese subjects. We detected eight alleles at the D11S97 locus and eight alleles in the CA/GT repeat region in the fifth intron of the Fc epsilon RI beta gene. A significantly increased frequency of the D11S97/PstI 0.96 kb allele was observed in the chromosomes of the subjects with high serum total IgE levels both in the family study (p < 0.001) and in the population study (p < 0.05). However, multipoint linkage analysis again did not show any evidence for the existence of a major gene regulating atopy on chromosome 11q13 with location scores to -35 under the model of maternal inheritance. Evidence against linkage was confirmed by the non-parametric linkage analysis, using the affected pedigree member method. Also, there was no substitution of isoleucine for leucine in the fourth transmembrane domain of Fc epsilon RI beta (Leu181), which was reported to be responsible for a subset of atopy in the British population. Therefore, the association of serum total IgE levels with chromosome 11q13 indicates that a gene or genes at this locus may contribute to the expression of high IgE levels in the Japanese population as well as in the British population, but the heterogeneity of the genetic regulation of serum total IgE levels is evident between the two populations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Beta 2 adrenergic receptor gene restriction fragment length polymorphism and bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND: Beta 2 adrenergic dysfunction may be one of the underlying mechanisms responsible for atopy and bronchial asthma. The gene encoding the human beta 2 adrenergic receptor (beta 2ADR) has recently been isolated and sequenced. In addition, a two allele polymorphism of this receptor gene has been identified in white people. A study was carried out to determine whether this polymorphism is functionally important and has any relation to airways responsiveness, atopy, or asthma. METHODS: The subjects studied were 58 family members of four patients with atopic asthma. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with Ban-I digestion of the beta 2ADR gene was detected by a specific DNA probe with Southern blot analysis. Airways responses to inhaled methacholine and the beta 2 agonist salbutamol, the skin prick test, and serum IgE levels were also examined and correlated to the beta 2ADR gene RFLP. In addition, measurements of cAMP responses to isoproterenol in peripheral mononuclear cells were performed in 22 healthy subjects whose genotype for beta 2ADR was known. RESULTS: A two allele polymorphism (2.3 kb and 2.1 kb) of the beta 2ADR gene was detected in the Japanese population. Family members without allele 2.3 kb (homozygote of allele 2.1 kb) had lower airways responses to inhaled salbutamol than those with allele 2.3 kb. The incidence of asthma was higher in those without allele 2.3 kb than in those with allele 2.3 kb. The beta 2ADR gene RFLP had no relation to airways responses to methacholine and atopic status. cAMP responses in peripheral mononuclear cells of the subjects without allele 2.3 kb tended to be lower than those of the subjects with allele 2.3 kb. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that Ban-I RFLP of the beta 2ADR gene may have some association with the airways responses to beta 2 agonists and the incidence of bronchial asthma.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Dairy farmers have increased methacholine bronchial responsiveness independent of sensitization to mold antigens.

Patients with farmer's lung disease (FLD) and dairy farmers have nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. To examine the factors determining bronchial hyperresponsiveness among dairy farmers, we studied airway functions, airway responses to inhaled methacholine, serum total IgE levels, and antigen-specific IgE levels in 37 dairy farmers and 11 local control subjects. The 37 dairy farmers consisted of three groups; 12 farmers with episodes of FLD (FLD group), 13 farmers with serum antibody to Micropolyspora faeni (MF) and/or Thermoactinomyces vulgaris (TV) but without episodes of FLD (Ab(+) group), and 12 farmers without serum antibodies to MF and TV and without episodes of FLD (Ab(-) group). Pulmonary function tests showed small airways disorders among farmers (each of the three groups versus control subjects; p < 0.05). Methacholine provocation test, utilizing PD35Grs (a cumulative dose of methacholine that induces 35% reduction in respiratory conductance [Grs]), showed bronchial hyperresponsiveness in each group of dairy farmers compared with that in control subjects (Log PD35Grs, mean +/- SEM: 1.22 +/- 0.18, 1.00 +/- 0.17, and 1.20 +/- 0.20, respectively, versus 2.10 +/- 0.09; p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in bronchial responsiveness among the three groups of dairy farmers. In addition, there was no significant difference in serum total IgE levels and specific IgE antibodies among the four groups. These results suggest that the bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine among dairy farmers is not due to past episodes of FLD or sensitization to MF and/or TV, but is possibly due to the occupational environment of dairy farming.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

PubMed1995

Smoking promotes insidious and chronic farmer's lung disease, and deteriorates the clinical outcome.

Although the prevalence of serum precipitating antibodies for farmer's lung disease (FLD) is lower in smokers than in nonsmokers and FLD predominates in nonsmokers, the affects of smoking on the clinical course of the disease is not known. We compared the clinical findings and the prognosis between 12 smokers (SM-FLD) and 31 non-smokers with FLD (NS-FLD). There was no difference in age, sex, working years on farm, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, radiographic findings, between the two groups. However, for the type of onset on the first visit for FLD, "acute single episode" type was less common, and "recurrent" and "insidious onset" types were more common in SM-FLD than in NS-FLD (8.3 vs 58.1, 91.7 vs 41.9%, respectively, p < 0.05). Although working status and mask wearing status were not significantly different between the two groups after the diagnosis of FLD, patients with symptoms and/or radiographic abnormalities of FLD of more than 6 months were found more frequently in SM-FLD than in NS-FLD (66.7 vs 19.4%, p < 0.005). And also SM-FLD had more recurrences of FLD than NS-FLD after the initial diagnosis of FLD (1.58 +/- 1.56 vs 0.47 +/- 1.07, p < 0.05). SM-FLD tended to have lower % VC than NS-FLD (73.6 +/- 7.4 vs 88.5 +/- 3.9%, respectively, p = 0.06). Regarding the prognosis, the 10-year survival rates were 70.7% in SM-FLD, and 91.5% in NS-FLD (p < 0.05). These results suggest that smoking may make FLD insidious and chronic, and deteriorates the clinical outcome.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Clinical characteristics of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) with bullae.

Multiple bullae have often been observed in the lungs of patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). The etiology of bullae has been considered to be distinct from that of interstitial pneumonia and honeycomb lesions seen in IIP. The incidence of bullae was evaluated in 27 IIP patients (male; 23 cases, female; 4 cases) and clinical factors which are related to the development of bulla were analyzed. Of the 27 patients, 16 (59%) had bullae. All 16 were male smokers, and had higher smoking indices (p < 0.01) than patients without bullae. Eleven of the 16 IIP patients with bullae had clubbed fingers (69%, p < 0.05). Roentgenologically, cysts (75%, p < 0.05), low attenuation area (56%, p = 0.06), and honeycomb appearance (94%, p = 0.07) were observed more often in IIP patients with bullae. These results suggest that smoking habits may have a close relationship to the development of bullae seen in patients with IIP.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

A rare case of Young's syndrome in Japan.

A 56-year-old man was admitted for the evaluation of recurrent pulmonary infections. Since the patient presented with the combination of diffuse cystic bronchiectasis, chronic sinusitis and obstructive azoospermia, the diagnosis of Young's syndrome was made. Because the sweat chloride value, pancreatic function and ciliary ultrastructure were normal, this case could be clearly differentiated from cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia. There have been only a few reported cases of Young's syndrome in Japan.

Bronchiectasis↗