Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Toba

Publications and source records attributed to M Toba.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chondroblastoma of the temporal bone.

A rare case of chondroblastoma arising from the temporal bone that occurred in a 60-year-old woman is reported. The tumor appeared well demarcated and osteolytic on the radiographs. CT scan clearly depicted marginal and central calcification in the tumor. MR imaging demonstrated two components in the tumor: a solid component with predominantly low signal intensities on both T1- and T2-weighted sequences, and a multilocular cystic component with T1- and T2-elongation and fluid-fluid levels on the T2-weighted images. Postcontrast MR imaging revealed marked enhancement in the solid component and the septa of the cystic component.

Chondroblastoma↗

Introduction of DT40 cells into chick embryos.

AIM: To examine the transfection of exogenous genes into chick embryos, applying the characteristics of avian leukosis virus (ALV)-induced chicken B cell line DT40 to the production of chimeric birds. METHODS: The DT40 cells incorporated with exogenous gene ( lacZ constructs encoding Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase: beta-gal) were introduced into chick embryos by the injection of cells into stage X blastoderm. Manipulated eggs were incubated for 3 (trial 1) or 6 (trial 2) days, and the expression of lacZ DNA was detected by a histochemical staining method of beta-galactosidase and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. RESULTS: The survival rates of the manipulated embryos incubated for 3 days (stage 18-20: trial 1) and 6 days (stage 28, 30: trial 2) were about 42% and 38%, respectively. The expression rates of the lacZ gene in the embryos in the trials 1 and 2 were about 60% and 23%, respectively, for the survived embryos. CONCLUSION: The rate of embryonic viability and expression rate of introduced genes were not so high, but it suggested the possibility of utilizing the DT40 cells as a vector for carrying exogenous genes into chick embryos.

Animals↗

[Assessment of left ventricular function with the solid-state digirad 2020tc Imager].

Multigated equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography from best septal position (LAO view) was performed in 17 patients with cardiac disease with a single detector Anger-type gamma camera (GCA 602A, Toshiba), then immediately imaged with a solid-state, multi-crystal gamma camera (Digirad 2020tc Imager). Acquisition times were the same of 10 minutes. The solid-state gamma camera uses CsI(Tl) as the scintillation material and a Si photodiode. CsI(Tl) has a higher density and higher atomic number than NaI(Tl), so that its efficiency for detecting gamma rays is higher. To confirm this, total acquisition counts in 17 patients obtained from the 2020tc Imager were significantly higher than those obtained from the Anger-type camera (7847 +/- 2061 K vs. 4427 +/- 1162 K counts, p < 0.0001). In comparing left ventricular ejection fractions obtained from the Anger-type camera and the 2020tc Imager data, an excellent correlation was revealed with a correlation coefficient of 0.97 (p < 0.0001). Again, peak ejection rate and peak filling rate obtained from the 2020tc Imager data correlated well with those obtained from the Anger-type camera data (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.80, p < 0.001, respectively). These data reveal that the 2020tc Imager has an excellent data collection efficiency and a high reliability in assessment of left ventricular function. Thus, the solid-state gamma camera was thought to be a useful hardware in nuclear cardiology.

Aged↗

[Examination concerning dissociation of left ventricular volume calculation value based on difference of analytical algorithm and perfusion tracer in gated myocardial SPECT].

According to improvement of SPECT system, ECG-gated SPECT with 201TlCl have been applied to the left ventricular volumetry. In this study 24 patients without ischemia demonstrated by stress (99mTc-TF) and rest (201TlCl) dual-isotope ECG-gated myocardial SPECT were enrolled. To evaluate left ventricular volumetry using 201Tl ECG-gated SPECT data, the left ventricular end diastolic volumes (EDV) were compared between Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS) and Emory Cardiac Toolbox (ECT) as well as between dual-isotopes based on the same ECG-gated data. The EDV values with 99mTc data (EDVTc) using QGS were well correlated with those using ECT (r = 0.96, p < 0.0001). Both QGS and ECT demonstrated well correlation between EDVTc (r = 0.98, p < 0.0001) and the EDV value with 201Tl (EDVTl) (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). However, QGS processing induced significantly lower EDVTl compared with EDVTc. In contrast, EDVTl were significantly higher than EDVTc in ECT performance. The QGS errors subtracting EDVTl from EDVTc were more evident according to the left ventricular volume increase. On the other hand, ECT error showed no tendency associated with the left ventricular volume. From these results, a careful strategy for selection of tracers and softwares should be necessary to assessment of quantitative values derived from ECG-gated SPECT data because of interaction with softwares, tracers, and subjects.

Adult↗

Comparison of Emory and Cedars-Sinai methods for assessment of left ventricular function from gated myocardial perfusion SPECT in patients with a small heart.

To evaluate the effect of left ventricular (LV) size on the calculation of LV function from gated myocardial SPECT with Emory and Cedars-Sinai programs, we performed 99mTc-tetrofosmin gated SPECT on 49 patients with ischemic heart disease. End-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and ejection fraction (EF) were semi-automatically calculated by each program. All patients underwent left ventriculography (LVG) within 3 months before and after the SPECT study. We grouped the patients into 22 with a calculated ESV obtained from LVG of over 50 ml (group A) and 27 with an ESV value of 50 ml or below (group B). We then compared the ESV values from gated SPECT with those from LVG in each group. In group A, the ESV from both Emory and Cedars-Sinai programs similarly correlated well with those from LVG (r = 0.92 and r = 0.93, respectively), but in group B, the ESV calculated from the Cedars-Sinai program correlated less with those from LVG (r = 0.53) than those from the Emory program did (r = 0.70). The calculated LV volumes had more errors in the Cedars-Sinai program than in the Emory program, when a patient had a small heart.

Adult↗

Simultaneous assessment of Tc-99m-sestamibi and I-123-BMIPP myocardial distribution in patients with myocardial infarction: evaluation of left ventricular function with ECG-gated myocardial SPECT.

123I-labeled 15-(p-iodophenyl)-3R,S-methyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) is a branched-chain free fatty acid that is used to evaluate various cardiac diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between myocardial perfusion (99mTc-sestamibi) and BMIPP uptake, and to correlate perfusion and metabolic alterations with regional left ventricular dysfunction in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). ECG-gated dual-isotope myocardial SPECT was performed on 130 patients with MI with sestamibi (555 MBq) and BMIPP (148 MBq). The patients were classified into 3 groups according to PTCA therapy and the interval between the onset of infarction and RI injection (OR time). Group A (n = 56) included patients whose OR time was less than one month and who had undergone successful PTCA, Group B (n = 36) had OR times of less than one month and had conservative medical therapy, and Group C (n = 38) had OR times of over one month. The severity scores of the dual-isotope images were calculated from the defect scores in 9 segments. From the ECG-gated SPECT data with sestamibi, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; %) and regional wall motion were determined automatically using the QGS program LVEF obtained from gated SPECT correlated well with the severity scores for sestamibi and BMIPP (r = -0.68 and -0.76, respectively). The delta severity scores (BMIPP scores - sestamibi scores) of Group A were significantly higher than those of the other two groups (3.6 +/- 3.0 vs. 1.5 +/- 1.7 and 1.0 +/- 1.4, p < 0.001 ). The rate of dysfunctional segments with normal sestamihi distribution was significantly higher in Group A than in Group C (20.7% vs. 6.7%, p < 0.001). ECG-gated dual-isotope SPECT is useful since myocardial perfusion, fatty acid metabolism and left ventricular function can be analyzed during a single examination, so that this procedure has the potential to provide comprehensive information when evaluating patients with ischemic heart disease.

Adult↗

Use of ECG-gated SPET to assess the evolution of perfusion after acute myocardial infarction.

Serial improvement in myocardial perfusion images from the acute or subacute to the chronic stage of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been attributed to improved coronary microcirculation or cell function after acute ischaemia and reperfusion. However, conventionally used non-gated imaging cannot eliminate the effect of improved regional contraction. We studied the possibility that such scintigraphic improvement reflects the functional recovery by using ECG-gated myocardial perfusion imaging with technetium-99m sestamibi. Nineteen AMI patients who received acute reperfusion therapy underwent ECG-gated myocardial single-photon emission tomography (SPET) in the subacute and chronic stages. Serial changes in regional image count distributions were analysed on the non-gated, end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) images by using segmental mean percent peak activity (MPA) and AMPA (MPA in chronic stage - MPA in subacute stage) on bull's-eye polar maps. These changes were compared with those in regional wall motion on biplane left ventriculography (LVG) from the acute (just after reperfusion) to the chronic stage. During the follow-up, regional wall motion remained the same in 42 (group A) but improved in 17 (group B) of the 59 ischaemically compromised segments. MPA showed no improvement in group A but significant improvement in group B on the non-gated and ES images (P<0.0001 and P<0.001, respectively). However, MPA on the ED images showed no improvement in either group. In the follow-up study of AMI, the scintigraphic improvement documented on the non-gated myocardial images appears to be mainly related to the recovery of wall thickening and not to a real improvement in myocardial perfusion. Therefore, ECG-gated myocardial imaging, which enables simultaneous assessment of changes in perfusion and contraction, is preferable to conventional non-gated imaging for follow-up of AMI.

Acute Disease↗

Attenuation correction for cardiac dual-head gamma camera coincidence imaging using segmented myocardial perfusion SPECT.

UNLABELLED: The diagnostic accuracy of cardiac FDG imaging obtained with the dual-head coincidence gamma camera (DHC) is impaired by artifacts induced by nonuniform attenuation. This study proposed a new method (registration and segmentation method for attenuation correction [AC-RS]) to correct these attenuations in the chest region without the need for additional hardware or expensive transmission scanning equipment. METHODS: Before DHC imaging, 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT was performed using dual-energy acquisition from both the photopeak and Compton scatter windows. The scatter window images of the 99mTc-tetrofosmin were then registered 3-dimensionally with the cardiac DHC images and segmented into anatomic regions to obtain body and lung contours by applying the optimal threshold method on localized histograms. Theoretic attenuation coefficient values were assigned to the corresponding anatomic regions, and the DHC emission images were reconstructed using these attenuation correction factors. The results were quantitatively evaluated by imaging a cardiac phantom filled with a uniform solution and placed in a chest phantom. Eight nondiabetic subjects were also examined using this technique, and the results were compared with those of measured attenuation-corrected PET images. RESULTS: Use of this technique in phantom and clinical studies decreased the degree of artifacts seen in the inferior wall activity and corrected the emission images. When the results were compared with those of PET scans, the regional relative counts of the uncorrected DHC scan did not correlate with the results of the PET scan. However, the regional relative counts of the AC-RS-corrected DHC scan exhibited a linear correlation with the results of the PET scan (r = 0.73; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Reasonably accurate attenuation-corrected cardiac DHC images can be obtained using AC-RS without the need for transmission scanning.

Aged↗

Estimation of myocardial perfusion and viability using simultaneous 99mTc-tetrofosmin--FDG collimated SPECT.

UNLABELLED: This study was designed to elucidate the usefulness of crosstalk correction for dual-isotope simultaneous acquisition (DISA) with 99mTc-tetrofosmin and FDG in estimating myocardial perfusion and viability. METHODS: Eighteen patients with coronary artery disease were studied. First, SPECT was performed with a low-energy high-resolution collimator after a single injection of 99mTc-tetrofosmin (single 99mTc-tetrofosmin). Second, PET and DISA with an ultra-high-energy collimator were performed after glucose loading and an injection of FDG. DISA was designed to operate with simultaneous 3-channel acquisition, and weighted scatter correction of crosstalk from the 18F photopeak to the 99mTc photopeak was performed by modification of an existing dual-window technique. The FDG SPECT images were compared with the images obtained by PET. Both crosstalk-corrected and uncorrected 99mTc-tetrofosmin images were generated and compared with the single 99mTc-tetrofosmin images. RESULTS: Regional percentage uptake of FDG agreed well between DISA and PET. However, regional percentage uptake of 99mTc-tetrofosmin was generally higher on the uncorrected 99mTc-tetrofosmin images than on the single 99mTc-tetrofosmin images, especially in areas of low flow (percentage count of 99mTc-tetrofosmin > or = 50%). The crosstalk correction contributed to improving the agreement between regional percentage uptakes and significantly improved the detectability of myocardial perfusion-metabolism mismatching. CONCLUSION: With 3-channel acquisition and weighted-scatter correction of crosstalk from the 18F photopeak to the 99mTc photopeak, DISA with 99mTc-tetrofosmin and FDG is feasible for assessing regional myocardial perfusion and viability.

Aged↗

Sclerotherapy plus ligation versus ligation for the treatment of esophageal varices: a prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND: We devised a new combined method of endoscopic variceal ligation and injection sclerotherapy, namely, endoscopic scleroligation, for the treatment of esophageal varices. The aim of this prospective randomized trial was to compare endoscopic scleroligation with endoscopic variceal ligation alone with regard to efficacy, complications, variceal recurrence, and survival. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices were randomly assigned to be treated by endoscopic scleroligation (n = 25) or endoscopic variceal ligation (n = 26). In the initial session in the endoscopic scleroligation group, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was performed with injection of 5% ethanolamine oleate around the lower esophagus to obliterate the feeding veins. This was followed by endoscopic variceal ligation from the injection site to the most orad varix. In subsequent sessions, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was performed with 1% polidocanol. In the endoscopic variceal ligation group, that procedure was performed in all treatment sessions. RESULTS: Both methods were equally effective in achieving complete eradication of esophageal varices. Among the cases in which complete eradication was achieved, the 1- and 3-year cumulative recurrence rates in the endoscopic scleroligation group (9.5%, 22.1%) were significantly lower than those in the endoscopic variceal ligation group (61.9%, 72.2%) (p < 0.01). The survival rates and incidences of treatment-related complications have been similar among patients treated by both methods. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic scleroligation is superior to endoscopic variceal ligation in preventing variceal recurrence.

Aged↗

Dietary soybeans intake and bone mineral density among 995 middle-aged women in Yokohama.

To investigate relationship of dietary factors, especially source of calcium intake, to bone mineral density (BMD) among Japanese middle-aged women, a total of 995 healthy women age of 40 to 49 (mean +/- SD, 45 +/- 3), who lives in Yokohama-city, were recruited through convenience sampling by the municipal information paper and health announcement at each 18 public health center in 18 wards for the three-day course on prevention of osteoporosis from October 1996 to March 1998. The BMD of the 2nd metacarpal bone was measured using Computed X-ray Densitometry (CXD) method, by a trained radiologist. Dietary intake of calcium was assessed by self-reporting food frequency questionnaire on calcium dietary sources such as milk, dairy products, small fish, vegetables, and soybeans and carefully checked by trained dietician. An independent gradient of non-adjusted and adjusted BMD for age and weekly calcium intake, through soybeans intake frequency (p = 0.03) was noted. This study suggest soybeans, through possible beneficial effects of vitamin-K, soyprotein, and isoflavonoid, may affect BMD of middle aged women.

Adult↗

[Assessment of left ventricular function by 201Tl ECG-gated myocardial SPECT].

We applied the QGS program for LV function analysis (described by Germano, 1995) to a 201Tl SPECT study at rest, and estimated its accuracy. We performed 201Tl ECG-gated myocardial SPECT in 25 patients with ischemic heart disease under an acquisition time used in the routine 99mTc ECG-gated SPECT study. The quality of the gated images was visually assessed with a 4-point grading system. LVEDV, LVESV, LVEF determined by the QGS program were compared with those by Simpson's method on biplane LVG in 25 patients. Regional wall motion scores in 7 myocardial segments were assessed on the three-dimensional display created by the QGS program and the cine display of biplane LVG with a 5-point grading system. Wall motion scores obtained by the QGS program were compared with those by LVG. Although 72.0% of 201Tl ECG-gated SPECT images were fair or poor in image quality, there were good correlations between the values obtained by the QGS program and LVG (LVEDV: r = 0.82, LVESV: r = 0.88, LVEF: r = 0.89). In addition, wall motion scores by the QGS program were correspondent to those by LVG in 77.1% of all 175 myocardial segments. We conclude that the QGS program provides high accuracy in evaluating left ventricular function even from 201Tl ECG-gated myocardial SPECT data.

Aged↗

The role of annexin II tetramer in the activation of plasminogen.

Annexin II tetramer (AIIt) is a major Ca2+-binding protein of endothelial cells which has been shown to exist on both the intracellular and extracellular surfaces of the plasma membrane. In this report, we demonstrate that AIIt stimulates the activation of plasminogen by facilitating the tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)-dependent conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. Fluid-phase AIIt stimulated the rate of activation of [Glu]plasminogen about 341-fold compared with an approximate 6-fold stimulation by annexin II. AIIt bound to [Glu]plasminogen(S741C-fluorescein) with a Kd of 1. 26 +/- 0.04 microM (mean +/- S.D., n = 3) and this interaction resulted in a large conformational change in [Glu]plasminogen. Kinetic analysis established that AIIt produces a large increase of about 190-fold in the kcat, app and a small increase in the Km,app which resulted in a 90-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of t-PA for [Glu]plasminogen. AIIt also stimulated the t-PA-dependent activation of [Lys]plasminogen about 28-fold. Furthermore, other annexins such as annexin I, V, or VI did not produce comparable activation of t-PA-dependent conversion of [Glu]plasminogen to plasmin. The stimulation of the activation of [Glu]plasminogen by AIIt was Ca2+-independent and inhibited by epsilon-aminocaproic acid. AIIt bound to human 293 cells potentiated t-PA-dependent plasminogen activation. AIIt that was bound to phospholipid vesicles or heparin also stimulated the activation of [Glu]plasminogen 5- or 11-fold, respectively. Furthermore, immunofluorescence labeling of nonpermeabilized HUVEC revealed a punctated distribution of AIIt subunits on the cell surface. These results therefore identify AIIt as a potent in vitro activator of plasminogen.

Annexin A2↗

Increased bone mineral turnover without increased glucose utilization in sclerotic and hyperplastic change in fibrous dysplasia.

Fibrous dysplasia is a benign bone disorder. It is diagnosed by distinctive X-ray radiography, CT, and MRI findings. Although bone scintigraphy helps to identify the tumor origin according to accelerated bone turnover, the glucose metabolism in fibrous dysplasia has not yet been investigated. We reported a case of fibrous dysplasia in craniofacial bone which showed signs of the acceleration of bone mineral turnover without elevated glucose utilization by Technetium-99m-HMDP SPECT and Fluorine-18-FDG PET. We concluded that the growth of fibrous dysplasia needed the acceleration of bone mineral turnover without an increase in glucose metabolism.

Bone Density↗

Baumkuchen map analysis to detect postural cerebral hypoperfusion with upright 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPET.

We have evaluated a polar cortical flow Baumkuchen map (BK map), constructed from projection data by inwardly layering cortical flow stripes from the base to the apex, to detect postural cerebral hypoperfusion using 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPET. A circular cortical perfusion outline was constructed from sinogram data at a 20% threshold; a ring was then formed by constructing an inner line with a radius equal to half that of the outer line. This ring on the transaxial image was superimposed onto the cortical image, then divided into 60 portions at 6 degrees intervals from the centre. The maximal number of counts per pixel within each sector was determined, translated into polar coordinate profiles and displayed as a polar map. We studied 11 patients with unilateral stenosis of the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery (MCA) and 7 patients without stenosis, using upright and supine (rest) 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPET Cerebral perfusion was visibly altered on the BK maps of all 11 patients with arterial stenosis and on the transaxial images of 8 of them. A semi-quantitative analysis of the BK maps using a ratio of the counts in the regions of interest over the right and left MCA areas, showed that the mean of the ratios was significantly lower in the upright images than in the upright + rest and rest images (P = 0.0044 and 0.0033, respectively). Although the difference in the means of the ratios between the upright and upright + rest images was significant for both the BK map and transaxial image data (P = 0.0044 and 0.0051, respectively), the BK map was accurate in detecting changes in perfusion in the upright position. We conclude that BK map analysis is useful for detecting changes in patients examined using upright brain SPET.

Adult↗

Epidemiological study of a food-borne outbreak of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli O25:NM by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis.

This study investigated the applicability of molecular epidemiological techniques to the identification of the causal agent of an outbreak of diarrhea caused by ingestion of food contaminated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). The outbreak occurred at four elementary schools in July 1996 and affected more than 800 people. Illness was most strongly associated with eating tuna paste (relative risk, 1.79; 95% confidence interval = 1.16 to 2.79; P = 0.0001). To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of the pathogen, the DNAs from numerous isolated ETEC strains were subjected to randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of nuclease S1-treated plasmid DNA, and analysis of genomic DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms. All ETEC isolates were of the O25:NM (nonmotile) serotype, which carries a heat-stable enterotoxin Ib gene. Genotypic analysis demonstrated that the strains isolated from the patients at all four schools were identical. The isolates of ETEC O25:NM obtained from the tuna paste that had been served for lunch at these schools were genetically indistinguishable from those isolated from the patients. Results suggest that this outbreak was food borne. The molecular biology-based epidemiological techniques used in this study were useful in characterizing the causal agent in this food-borne epidemic.

Animals↗

[Usefulness of ECG-gated 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT in the follow-up study of patients with acute myocardial infarction].

To clarify the background of the scintigraphic improvement in non-gated myocardial perfusion imaging for patients with acute myocardial infarction, we performed serial ECG-gated 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT in 17 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) receiving successful reperfusion therapy. ECG-gated myocardial SPECT and left ventriculography were performed at 1 week (acute phase) and 1 month (subacute phase) after the onset of AMI. Regional %uptake (regional count x 100/maximal count) was determined for each of 8 myocardial segments of the Bull's eye map. We analyzed the data in 53 AMI segments out of total 136 myocardial segments, on the non-gated (NG), end-diastolic (ED), and end-systolic (ES) images. In addition, the delta %uptake (%uptake in subacute phase--%uptake in acute phase) was also determined as an index representing the improvement of myocardial tracer uptake on each image. In 17 segments (group A) with wall motion recovery assessed by serial left ventriculography, the %uptake on the NG image was significantly improved (61.6 +/- 10.0 to 75.7 +/- 10.1, p < 0.0001). However, in 36 segments (group B) without wall motion recovery, the change of %uptake on the NG image was small. There was no significant change in the %uptake on the ED image in groups A and B. On the contrary, the %uptake on the ES image showed a significant increase in group A (58.4 +/- 11.8 to 68.9 +/- 11.8, p < 0.001), but did not in group B. Thus, this change on the ES image reflects the wall motion recovery. Furthermore, in group A, there was a significant correlation between the delta %uptake on the NG image and those on the ES image (p < 0.02), but was not between those on the NG and the ED images. Thus, the change in the %uptake on the NG image was more related to those on the ES image which is more affected by the change in regional wall motion than those on the ED image which reflects improved myocardial perfusion. These results suggest that ECG-gated myocardial 99mTc-MIBI SPECT is more useful to assess the serial change in myocardial perfusion and contraction than the conventional non-gated SPECT in the follow-up study of patients with AMI.

Aged↗