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Biomedical subjects

M Uchiyama

Publications and source records attributed to M Uchiyama.

At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

Acquired chronic pure red cell aplasia successfully treated with intravenous pulse methylprednisolone therapy.

A 65-year-old male patient developed acquired chronic pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) associated with hypergammaglobulinemia and positive Coombs' test during the treatment of eosinophilic pneumonia with prednisolone (PSL). His PRCA was treated with oral PSL at a dose of 60 mg/day for 3 weeks, but anemia further progressed. Immediately after high-dose intravenous pulse methylprednisolone therapy (1 g/day for 3 days) however, reticulocyte crisis occurred and his anemia rapidly improved. He has been in complete remission under a maintenance dose of PSL for more than 2 years. This patient indicates that high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone therapy is one of the useful treatments, not only for constitutional PRCA, but also for acquired chronic PRCA.

Aged↗

Significant difference in the effect of acute saline loading on plasma Na-K ATPase inhibitor and blood pressure between children and adults with essential hypertension.

Twenty-one male children and 3 male adults with essential hypertension were infused with physiological saline solution (15 ml/kg/hr) for 1 hr after they had been supine for 90 min. The blood pressure and heart rate were monitored, and blood was taken twice before and after the infusion to measure the plasma Na-K ATPase inhibitor. After saline infusion, both the plasma Na-K ATPase inhibitor and blood pressure increased significantly in the hypertensive adults, and the number of Na pump sites decreased. However, such changes were not observed in the hypertensive children. These findings suggest that circulating Na-K ATPase inhibitor may not appear following acute saline infusion in hypertensive children unlike in hypertensive adults, and that the mechanisms regulating cell membrane sodium transport and high blood pressure may differ between hypertensive children and adults.

Adolescent↗

Maximum binding of ouabain to erythrocytes in relation to a family history of essential hypertension, sodium balance and body weight in normotensive children.

The number of sodium pump receptors in erythrocytes (maximum binding of ouabain to erythrocytes; Bmax) was examined in relation to a family history of essential hypertension (FH-HT), the body mass index (BMI), urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure in 71 normotensive children (13 to 15 years of age), and in relation to sodium intake in 6 children who had various kidney diseases but displayed a normal renal function (6 to 13 years of age). Bmax was significantly lower in children with FH-HT than in those without FH-HT. However, the BMI, urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure showed no significant differences between the groups. Bmax was not significantly different between the top 20% tile group of BMI or urinary sodium excretion and the bottom 20% tile group of BMI or urinary sodium excretion. Furthermore, Bmax was unchanged during and after restriction of sodium intake in children with nephropathy. These findings suggest that Bmax may be a genetic marker for essential hypertension, since it was suppressed regardless of the BMI or urinary sodium excretion in normotensive children with FH-HT, and since it did not change according to sodium intake in children with renal diseases.

Adolescent↗

Lack of deletion of complement C4 and steroid 21-hydroxylase genes in Japanese patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

A null allele at C4A (C4AQO) is associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in Japanese. Since a deletion of the C4A and CyP21A genes is reported to account for C4AQO in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Caucasians, we studied the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of genomic DNA to determine whether similar deletions of the C4A and CyP21A genes occur in Japanese patients with SS. Patients with C4AQO did not show the extensive deletion of C4A and CyP21A, which would be recognized by the appearance of 8.5 kb/HindIII and 6.4 kb/TaqI fragments hybridizing with a C4 probe. It is yet to be shown whether the lack of expression of C4A genes in Japanese patients with primary SS is due to point mutations, or to small deletions or insertions that were not detected by the RFLP approach.

Alleles↗

Rectal administration of perforated nifedipine capsules in acute severe hypertension in children.

Nine hypertensive children (mean age: 5.0 years (SD: 4.5), range: 10 months to 15 years) were administered nifedipine (capsule) rectally (0.2 to 0.5 mg/kg) when their blood pressures were over 170 mmHg systolic and/or over 110 mmhg diastolic, independent of their ages. The causes of hypertension were acute glomerulonephritis (n = 2), chronic glomerulonephritis (n = 2), renovascular hypertension (n = 4), and polycystic kidney (n = 1). Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures fell in all children after rectal administration of nifedipine, although the response of blood pressure was weak in one child with renovascular hypertension. Blood pressures were lowest at 30 to 60 minutes, and remained under 140 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic at least for three hours. Side-effects were headache in one child, palpitations in two children, and facial flushing in three. All of these symptoms were mild, and no special treatment was required. These findings suggest that rectal administration of nifedipine may be effective and the most reliable way to treat young children with severe or urgent hypertension.

Acute Disease↗

[Continuous intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients with nonresectable metastatic liver cancer].

Five colorectal cancer patients with nonresectable metastatic liver cancer underwent continuous intraarterial chemotherapy in our institute from January to December 1991. Patients included four rectal cancers and one colonic cancer. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was infused continuously through an Infuse-A-Port; 360 mg/m2/day for one week after operation, and 180 mg/m2/day for the following three weeks. Since the fifth week after operation, two weeks without infusion and two weeks of infusion (180 mg/m2/day) were alternated as long as possible. Total periods of 5-FU infusion therapy were from one to 11 months and total doses of 5-FU ranged from 8,750 mg to 25,650 mg. Three patients showed partial response (PR) and two patients progressive disease (PD) (response rate; 60%). In three cases of PR, lengths of infusion therapy and total doses of 5-FU before PR was first observed was 8 weeks, 10,750 mg, 6 weeks, 9,250 mg, and 4 weeks, 8,750 mg, respectively. Four patients presented nausea, appetite loss or abdominal pain, which were considered to be side effects of 5-FU. In one of these four patients, infusion could not be continued because symptoms were so severe. However, catheter troubles were not noticed among all cases.

Colonic Neoplasms↗

[Anesthetic management of a patient with diffuse pulmonary hamartoangiomyomatosis associated with spontaneous pneumothorax].

We reported successful anesthetic management of a 34 year-old woman with diffuse pulmonary hamartoangiomyomatosis associated with spontaneous pneumothorax. She had recurrent pneumothorax and chest X-ray film showed reticulo-granular shadow, and chest CT revealed multiple bullae. Induced by thiopental and succinylcholine, anesthesia was maintained safely with enflurane in oxygen. Nitrous oxide was used after thoracotomy. This disease accompanies multiple bullae in the lung and some patients have complications such as tuberous sclerosis or hemangioma of the kidney. Therefore, we have to pay attention to both bullae and other complications.

Adult↗

[Studies on changes in low esophageal sphincter function after esophageal transection or esophago-esophagostomy in children].

An aim of the present study is to clarify the changes of esophageal function after surgical treatments of the esophageal varices or the congenital esophageal stenosis in children. Esophageal manometric studies were performed in sixteen children undergoing the esophageal transection with paraesophageal devascularization or the esophago-esophagostomy with partial esophagectomy before, within 1 month and over 7 months after the operation. The pressure of lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the length of LES, the LES relaxation test and the gastroesophageal reflux (GER) inducing test were measured. 1) Esophageal transection; The pressure dropped within 1 month and returned to the preoperative level over 11 months after the operation. Temporal deterioration of LES function was observed during the early postoperative days. However, return to the preoperative state was gained over 1 year. 2) Esophago-esophagostomy; The pressure and the length of LES were not changed after the operation. The LES function was disturbed preoperatively and moreover long postoperatively, in the case when congenital stenosis closely existed to the esophago-gastric junction. Degree of the postoperative disturbance of the LES function may be influenced by the distance to the part of the transection or the partial esophagectomy from the E-C junction.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

Surface and subsurface structures of neuromasts in tadpoles of the crab-eating frog, Rana cancrivora.

Neuromast structure in Rana cancrivora larvae was observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Neuromast units, each being composed of two or three neuromasts, are arranged in several well-defined lines in the head, body, and tail regions. The structure of neuromasts in these three regions is basically identical. The neuromast is composed of sensory, sustentacular, and mantle cells. The top of each neuromast has a hillocklike appearance, and is surrounded by four to six epidermal cells with tight intercellular junctions. Long kinocilia and many stereocilia occur in the apex of the neuromasts and are surrounded by numerous microvilli. Numerous granules are present on the apical portions of the mantle and the sustentacular cells. Four or five trapeziform mantle cells are connected closely with each other to form the shell of the neuromast. Large intercellular spaces occur between the mantle cells and the cells of the inner epidermal layers, and between the cells of the inner epidermal layer. Thus, at the apical parts of the neuromast intercellular junctions are tight and the intercellular spaces are more dilated in more basal areas. Morphologically the neuromasts of R. cancrivora larvae resemble those of generalized pond anurans, based on the grouping of Lannoo (Journal of Morphology 191:115-129, 1987a), although larvae of this species inhabit brackish water.

Animals↗

MR imaging of adrenoleukodystrophy.

We performed MRI in 7 cases with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), including 3 cases with childhood ALD, 3 cases with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) and one symptomatic heterozygote. The symptomatic heterozygote was the mother of the patient with AMN. High-field-strength (2.0T) MRI was used in two cases with childhood ALD. In all 3 cases of childhood ALD, MR showed widespread lesions in both cerebral hemispheres. Areas of low intensity in the diencephalon or striatum on heavily T2-weighted images at 2.0T were seen in 2 cases with childhood ALD. Cerebral lesions confined to the internal capsule, cerebral peduncle and optic radiation in the adult onset ALD including AMN and symptomatic heterozygote, have not been reported and this confinement may indicate an early stage of the disease.

Adrenoleukodystrophy↗

Organochlorine chemicals in skin lipids as an index of their accumulation in the human body.

Application of a noninvasive method of analyzing skin lipids was considered as a means of monitoring human exposure to organochlorine pesticides. Skin lipids were collected by wiping the face with cotton and purified by gel permeation chromatography and treatment with H2SO4. Organochlorine chemicals were determined by electron capture gas chromatography with a fused silica capillary column. p,p'-DDE, beta-HCH and chemicals related to chlordane were detected in the skin lipids. Residue levels of p,p'-DDE, beta-HCH and oxychlordane in the skin lipids correlated with those in the adipose tissue; correlation coefficients for p,p'-DDE, beta-HCH and oxychlordane were 0.93, 0.92, and 0.68, respectively. The correlation between skin lipids and adipose tissue for trans-nonachlor was poor (gamma = 0.46). The component pattern of chlordanes in skin lipids was similar to that of technical chlordane. The results suggested that chemicals in the skin lipids reflected both their accumulation in the body burden and dermal exposure. Skin lipids collected during 1986 to 1988 in Japan were determined for p,p'-DDE, beta-HCH and the chlordanes. Residue levels of p,p'-DDE and beta-HCH in the aged were high compared with those in the young (gamma = 0.31-0.45). Chlordanes were detected from inhabitants in the southern area of Japan where chlordane had been used for termite control.

Female↗

Flow cytometric DNA analysis of neuroblastoma: prognostic significance of DNA ploidy in unfavorable group.

Flow cytometric DNA content analyses were performed on samples of 54 patients with neuroblastoma. DNA aneuploidy was detected in 55.6% of the 54 patients. A high incidence of DNA aneuploidy was observed in patients with prognostically favorable variables such as age (less than 1 year), clinical stage (I, II, or IVs), and primary site (extraadrenal sites). DNA aneuploidy was predominant in surviving patients, even in those with unfavorable variables. In patients 1 year old or more, the survival rate among those with DNA aneuploidy was 58.8% compared with 28.6% in patients with diploidy. Likewise, in patients with advanced stage (III or IV) neuroblastoma, the survival rate among those with DNA aneuploidy was 63.2% compared with 30.4% in patients with DNA diploidy. It is concluded that DNA content analysis is of value in predicting the prognosis of patients with neuroblastoma.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗