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Biomedical subjects

M Watanabe

Publications and source records attributed to M Watanabe.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Efficacy of ecabet sodium for Helicobacter pylori eradication triple therapy in comparison with a lansoprazole-based regimen.

BACKGROUND: The cytoprotective agent, ecabet sodium, inhibits urease activity and growth of Helicobacter pylori. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ecabet sodium-based eradication of H. pylori infection, compared with a lansoprazole-based regimen, in a randomized multicentre study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 120 H. pylori-positive patients were assigned to one of two treatment regimens for 2 weeks: ecabet sodium 1 g b.d., amoxicillin 500 mg t.d.s. and clarithromycin 400 mg b.d. (EAC: 60 patients); or lansoprazole 30 mg (o.m.) with the same antimicrobial agents (LAC: 60 patients). Cure of infection was assessed by a 13C-urea breath test 1 month after completion of treatment. RESULTS: One patient in the EAC group and two in the LAC group did not complete therapy because of an adverse event, and three did not undergo the 13C-urea breath test. Cure rates for the intention-to-treat, all-patients-treated and per protocol analysis in the EAC group were 85%, 86% and 88%, respectively, whereas those in the LAC group were 85%, 88% and 91%. There were no significant differences in cure rate or adverse events between the two regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Ecabet sodium in combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin is as effective as lansoprazole-based eradication therapy for H. pylori.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗
PubMed2001

Selective enhancement of thrombopoietic activity of PEGylated interleukin 6 by a simple procedure using a reversible amino-protective reagent.

We developed a novel method for the chemical modification of cytokines with synthetic polymers to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the former in vivo. A pH-reversible amino-protective reagent, dimethylmaleic anhydride (DMMAn), was used for modification of interleukin-6 (IL-6) with polyethylene glycol (PEG). The novel PEG-conjugated IL-6 (DmPEG-IL-6), which had been pretreated with DMMAn before PEGylation, showed up to a 140% increase in in vitro specific activity compared with PEG-IL-6 that had been synthesized by the previous method. Moreover, DmPEG-IL-6 caused thrombopoiesis more potently in mice than PEG-IL-6. The DmPEG-IL-6 Fr.1, having 3-4 PEG chains attached to the cytokine, showed the strongest thrombopoietic effect among the DmPEG-IL-6s with different molecular sizes that were tested. PEG-IL-6 Fr.1 had a 500-fold higher potency in stimulating thrombopoiesis than native IL-6 and DmPEG-IL-6 Fr.1 achieved a threefold higher thrombopoietic effect than PEG-IL-6 Fr.1. In addition, side-effects, such as an increase in the plasma fibrinogen level, were not observed after injection of either PEG-IL-6s or DmPEG-IL-6s. These results suggest that PEGylation with DMMAn pretreatment may become a useful means for clinical cytokine delivery.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

IFN-gamma production in response to IL-18 or IL-12 stimulation by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of atopic patients.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) are important for the regulation of immunoglobulin E (IgE) production and that IL-18 and IL-12 induce IFN-gamma. OBJECTIVE: IFN-gamma production in response to IL-18 or IL-12 stimulation was investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of atopic patients with various levels of serum IgE. METHODS: Cytokine production from PBMCs was measured following stimulation with a non-specific stimulator (phytohemagglutinin: PHA), IL-18 or IL-12 in 12 healthy controls and 26 atopic patients with various serum IgE levels. RESULTS: IFN-gamma production by IL-18-stimulated PBMCs was positively correlated with IFN-gamma production by IL-12-stimulated PBMCs (P < 0.05). However some atopic patients showed discrepancy between the levels of IFN-gamma production stimulated by IL-12 and by IL-18. CONCLUSIONS: The results shown here suggest the presence of abnormalities in the IL-12 and/or IL-18 signalling pathways, such as genetic defects in the atopic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

In situ observation of oxygen deficiency occurring during electron irradiation in high Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3Oy.

The decreasing process of oxygen in YBa2Cu3Oy is investigated through high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED). Measurements of the axial length in HREM images show that oxygen content y decreases faster near a twin boundary than at the inner part of a twin lamella. The transformation from an orthorhombic to a tetragonal phase starts at a twin boundary and the transformed region propagates to an inner region of lamella. Lattice strains are observed near boundaries between transformed and non-transformed regions. The transformation is almost complete within 30 s during observation of HREM images at 400 kV and at room temperature. A value of y was quantitatively measured by analysing observed intensities of energy-filtered CBED patterns with the dynamical theory. The value of y decreases from 6.9 to 6.5 when 200 kV electrons are irradiated for 160 s in a microscope at 108 K. More precise analysis of the intensities provides information on charge distribution along the c-axis as well as local oxygen content at a spatial resolution of several nanometres.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Activity of jaw-opening and jaw-closing muscles and their influence on dentofacial morphological features in normal adults.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the dentofacial morphology and the function of masticatory muscles estimated by kinesiological measurements during isotonic jaw-opening (O) and closing (C) muscle contractions. We examined 26 male adult subjects who had no history of masticatory dysfunction. Three kinesiological parameters, the maximum force (F(max)), maximum velocity (V(max)) and maximum power (P(max)) were measured in both O and C muscles. Correlation analysis was performed between these parameters and dentofacial morphological features determined on lateral roentgenographic cephalograms. The F(max) (C), V(max) (O), log O/C of V(max), and P(max) (O) significantly correlated with anterior overbite. P(max) (C) significantly and negatively correlated with SN-ArG. Furthermore, log O/C of P(max) significantly and negatively correlated with SNA, SNB and ArG/GMe, and positively with SN-ArG. These results, combined with our previous findings that electromyographic muscle activity during isometric contraction correlated significantly with mandibular morphology, indicate that the dentofacial morphology is influenced by the function of both O and C muscles.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Influences of occlusal and skeletal discrepancies on biomechanical environment in the TMJ during maximum clenching: an analytic approach with the finite element method.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of occlusal and skeletal discrepancies on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) stresses during maximum clenching. A three-dimensional (3-D) finite element model of the mandible including the TMJ was developed as a standard model. Furthermore, nine modified models were established; one dentoalveolar open bite model and eight skeletal open bite models with varying gonial angles or mandibular plane angles (FMAs). For the dentoalveolar open bite model, the TMJ stresses were larger than those for the standard model, although the distribution pattern was not essentially varied. In the skeletal open bite model with greater gonial angle or FMA, the TMJ stresses were significantly larger than those in the dentoalveolar open bite model. In conclusion, the TMJ stress was affected by occlusal and/or skeletal discrepancies, if coexisted in particular, indicating the association with degenerative changes of the TMJ components.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

The S receptor kinase gene determines dominance relationships in stigma expression of self-incompatibility in Brassica.

Self-incompatibility (SI) in Brassica is sporophytically controlled by the multi-allelic S locus. SI phenotypes of the stigma and pollen in an S heterozygote are determined by the two S haplotypes it carries; the two haplotypes may be co-dominant or exhibit a dominant/recessive relationship. Because the S receptor kinase (SRK) gene of the S locus was recently shown to determine the S haplotype specificity of the stigma, we wished to investigate whether SRK also plays a role in the dominance relationships between S haplotypes. We crossed plants carrying an SRK28 transgene with plants homozygous for one of five S haplotypes that are either co-dominant with, or recessive to, S28 haplotype in the stigma, and analyzed the SI phenotypes of the progeny. In all cases, the SI phenotype of the stigma of plants carrying the SRK28 transgene could be predicted by the known dominance relationships between the S haplotype(s) and the S28 haplotype. Moreover, in the S43 homozygote carrying the SRK28 transgene where the S43 phenotype in the stigma was masked by the presence of the SRK28, the transcript level of SRK28 was found to be much lower than that of SRK43. All these results suggest that the dominance relationships between S haplotypes in the stigma are determined by SRK, but not by virtue of its relative expression level.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed2001

Role of hiatus hernia and gastric mucosal atrophy in the development of reflux esophagitis in the elderly.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The pathogenetic mechanism responsible for the increased prevalence of reflux esophagitis in the elderly remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine if an increased occurrence of hiatus hernia (HH) and/or a lower rate of gastric mucosal atrophy (GMA) are the main causes of the increased prevalence of reflux esophagitis in elderly patients. METHODS: The prevalence of HH, GMA, and reflux esophagitis was investigated by reviewing the endoscopic films of 2788 consecutive patients examined during a 3-year period. RESULTS: The prevalence of esophagitis in males was higher than in females (11.6% vs 7.6%, P< 0.0005). The prevalence of reflux esophagitis and HH was found to increase with age in females, but not in male patients. The prevalence of reflux esophagitis in hernia-positive patients also increased with age in women, but not in men. Age, male gender, presence of HH, and closed-type of GMA were significant risk factors for the prevalence of esophagitis (P=0.0001, 0.0229, <0.0001, <0.0001, respectively). In addition, the risk ratios of HH and low-grade GMA for reflux esophagitis increased with age, and this tendency was higher in female patients than in males. CONCLUSIONS: Aging, male gender, HH and closed-type GMA are most likely the risk factors of endoscopically proven reflux esophagitis in Japanese patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of functional dyspepsia and its relationship with Helicobacter pylori infection in a Japanese population.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of functional dyspepsia and Helicobacter pylori infection and their relationship in a Japanese population. METHODS: Two thousand five hundred people who visited Shimane Institute of Health Science for their annual medical check-up from September 1998 to August 1999 were prospectively enrolled in the study. After routine medical examination, including an upper gastrointestinal study and an ultrasonographic examination, all subjects were asked standard questions to check for the presence of any symptoms that suggested dyspepsia. Helicobacter pylori infection was determined by using a serum IgG antibody concentration with an ELISA. RESULTS: Of the 2,500 persons investigated, 2,263 showed no abnormal finding in any medical examination. The presence or absence of symptoms and H. pylori infection was investigated in these 2,263 cases. Of these, 201 people (8.9%) experienced nausea, fullness and/or early satiety and were diagnosed as having dysmotility-like dyspepsia, while 118 people (5.2%) experienced pain localized to the epigastrium and were diagnosed as having ulcer-like dyspepsia. The frequency of these symptoms had a tendency to decline with age, although this was not statistically significant. In contrast, the rate of H. pylori infection increased with age. There was no significant relationship between H. pylori infection and any type of functional dyspepsia. CONCLUSIONS: Helicobacter pylori infection does not influence the prevalence of the dysmotility-like and ulcer-like dyspeptic symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

TT virus is shown in the liver by in situ hybridization with a PCR-generated probe from the serum TTV-DNA.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It has been a conflicting issue whether TT virus (TTV), a newly isolated DNA virus from a patient with liver injury of unknown cause, is a causative agent of acute and/or chronic hepatitis. TT Virus DNA titers were shown to be 10-100-fold greater in liver tissue than in serum, whereas the majority of TTV-positive cases had no biochemical or histological evidence of significant liver damage. We therefore attempted in situ hybridization to investigate whether TTV is hepatotropic. METHODS: Because of the marked divergence in TTV genome types, a template for TTV-DNA (coding region for N22 clone) was amplified and labeled with digoxigenin-dUTP by using hemi-nested PCR from the serum, then DNA probes were applied to the liver sections of the same case. After hybridization, the probes were visualized immunohistochemically. Besides TTV-DNA-negative cases, competitive inhibition experiments with unlabeled probes were performed to confirm the specificity. RESULTS: There were no positive signals in the negative controls, and the intensity of positive signals was markedly diminished in the competitive inhibition experiments. No cross-hybridization with different genotype probes also confirms the specificity. Under the optimal conditions, the positive signals were located in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes in eight of nine TTV-DNA-positive cases. The signals were not seen in non-parenchymal cells of the liver. CONCLUSION: TT Virus is proved to be hepatotropic by in situ hybridization.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed2001

Influence of climatic factors in the incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Previous reports have indicated seasonal fluctuations in the incidence of peptic ulcer activity, but the reasons for the seasonal pattern are not clear. We assessed the seasonal incidence of hematemesis caused by peptic ulcers or gastroesophageal varices, and the correlations between those and climatic factors. METHODS: We examined the number of cases of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding caused by gastric ulcer (GU), duodenal ulcer (DU), or gastroesophageal varices (varix) diagnosed by urgent endoscopies between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1999 in our hospital (Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutou Hospital). We evaluated the monthly and seasonal incidence of them and investigated correlations among the incidence and climatic factors. RESULTS: Four hundred and forty-one patients participated in this study, including 275 patients with GU (62.4%), 51 (11.6%) with DU, and 115 (26.0%) with varix. The number of cases of hematemesis caused by GU showed significant monthly and seasonal fluctuations (P = 0.0002, P = 0.0018): it decreased in summer and increased in autumn-winter. Moreover, there were inverse relations between the monthly number of cases of hematemesis caused by GU and the mean temperature (P = 0.0016) and vapor pressure (P = 0.0013), and a parallel relation to the mean atmospheric pressure (P = 0.0057). In contrast, the number of cases of hematemesis caused by DU and varices did not show any monthly or seasonal fluctuations. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the incidence of hematemesis because of GU had an inverse relationship to temperature and vapor pressure, and had a parallel relation to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, climatic factors may play an important role in hemorrhage from GU.

Climate↗
PubMed2001

High risk of Helicobacter pylori infection in young Japanese dentists.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The route of person-to-person transmission of Helicobacter pylori may be either fecal-oral or oral-oral, because the bacterium is found in both dental plaque and feces. We assessed the prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity, which reflects present or past infection, in Japanese dentists exposed occupationally to dental plaque. METHODS: We examined the sera of 60 dentists (34 who were 20-29 years or older, and 26 who were over 30 years of age) and 60 age-matched controls by using quantitative ELISA for antibodies of the immunoglobulin G class to H. pylori. RESULTS: The proportion of dentists seropositive for H. pylori (42 of 60, 70%) was higher than in controls (23 of 60, 38%). The odds ratio for H. pylori seropositivity (3.8; 95% CI, 1.76-8.02) was high in the dentists. When dentists were classified in terms of the length of their practice, the odds ratio for seropositivity (10.4; 95% CI, 3.26-32.85) was high in the dentists practising for fewer than 4 years. The proportion of dentists in their 20s who were seropositive was greater than that in the group of age-matched controls. CONCLUSION: Japanese young dentists are at a high risk for H. pylori infection, with the oral-oral transmission route being possibly the most common.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Influence of Helicobacter pylori infection and cetraxate on gastric mucosal blood flow during healing of endoscopic mucosal resection-induced ulcers.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is known to affect the gastric microcirculation, and cetraxate is reported to accelerate gastric ulcer healing, possibly by augmenting gastric mucosal blood flow (MBF). The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of H. pylori infection and cetraxate on MBF during gastric ulcer healing. METHODS: Forty-two patients who had undergone endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) were studied. Mucosal blood flow was measured by the use of a laser Doppler flowmeter in the surrounding mucosa and at the ulcer margin, before, 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks after EMR. Helicobacter pylori infection was confirmed by the use of bacterial culture and histology. After EMR, patients were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg lansoprazole (u.i.d; L-regimen) or 30 mg lansoprazole (u.i.d.) with 200 mg cetraxate (q.i.d; LC-regimen) for 4 weeks. RESULTS: The MBF ratio (MBF at ulcer margin/MBF in surrounding mucosa) 1 week after EMR was significantly lower than that before or 4 weeks after EMR only in H. pylori-positive patients treated with the L-regimen. No such decrease in MBF was observed after 1 week in H. pylori-positive patients treated with the LC-regimen or in H. pylori-negative patients. CONCLUSION: A transient decrease in MBF was detected at the ulcer margin during healing of EMR-induced ulcers in H. pylori-infected patients. Cetraxate seemed to prevent this decrease in MBF.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗
PubMed2001

Predominant nocturnal acid reflux in patients with Los Angeles grade C and D reflux esophagitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nocturnal gastric acid breakthrough (NAB) is defined as an intragastric pH < 4.0 lasting more than 1 h during the night in patients taking a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients with nocturnal gastroesophageal acid reflux accompanied by NAB are thought to be refractory to PPI treatment. The aim of this study was to endoscopically identify the patients with predominant nocturnal gastroesophageal acid reflux. METHODS: The subjects were 37 patients with erosive reflux esophagitis (Los Angeles classification (LA) grade A, 12; B, 10; C, eight; and D, seven cases) and a control group of 20 patients without esophagitis. The results of ambulatory 24 h gastric and esophageal pH monitoring were compared among different grades of esophagitis. RESULTS: Gastroesophageal reflux during 24 h in patients with high-grade esophagitis was more frequent than for patients with low-grade esophagitis or no esophagitis. Although the length of esophageal acid exposure (percentage time with pH < 4.0) in patients with grade A or without esophagitis was longer in the daytime, that in patients with grades C and D was longer during the night. The reason for the delayed nocturnal acid exposure was the longer nocturnal acid clearance in high-grade reflux esophagitis. CONCLUSIONS: Nocturnal exposure of the esophagus to acid occurs frequently in patients with LA grades C and D esophagitis. Thus, the existence of NAB with resulting nocturnal acid reflux should be considered when the patient with high-grade esophagitis shows resistance to PPI treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Synchronization between hippocampal theta waves and PGO waves during REM sleep.

We investigated the temporal relationship between hippocampal theta waves (referred to as 'theta waves') and ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves in cats. We measured the time intervals between an occurrence of a PGO wave and the prior and posterior adjacent positive peaks of the theta wave. The unimodal distributions of these intervals suggested a close temporal relationship between PGO and theta waves (i.e. synchronization). In addition, the period of a theta wave during which a PGO wave occurred was not statistically different from that without a PGO wave. This result suggests that the synchronization found here is characterized by phase-locking rather than phase-resetting. Common mechanisms are suggested to underlie the generation of PGO and theta waves.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection within Warthin's tumor: report of two cases.

We report two patients with Warthin's tumor who were also infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Case 1 was a 75-year-old woman with Warthin's tumor and multiple small epithelioid granulomas with caseous necrosis involving the submandibular gland. This patient died of tuberculous meningitis 4 months after biopsy. Case 2 was a 78-year-old man with a 10-year history of a parotid mass which had enlarged rapidly over 2 months. Surgical excision revealed Warthin's tumor and epithelioid granulomas involving the left parotid gland. DNA extracted from paraffin sections was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primer sets for the mycobacterial 65-KDa antigen gene. Restriction enzyme digestion of the PCR products could differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis from other mycobacteria in both cases. Although the histogenesis of lymphoid components of Warthin's tumor is controversial, the frequent prevalence of inflammation or necrosis and our present findings suggest these components have a similar behavior to regional lymph nodes.

Adenolymphoma↗
PubMed2001

Interventional treatment for fetus and newborn infant with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Catheter intervention has become popular not only in adult patients but in younger patients with congenital heart disease. The early neonatal catheter interventional treatment has also been attempted in conjunction with the development of prenatal diagnosis of the congenital heart disease. METHOD: Recent articles concerning several severe structural cardiac diseases in newborns, such as critical aortic stenosis, complete transposition of the great arteries, premature constriction of the ductus arteriosus, and pulmonary stenosis or atresia with intact ventricular septum are introduced with consideration. RESULTS: This study investigated our own experiences of early neonatal balloon valvuloplasty in a patient with critical aortic stenosis carried out immediately after the delivery following prenatal diagnosis. A case with prenatal diagnosis of premature constriction of ductus arteriosus which could prevent persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn by early delivery at 39 weeks and 1 day of gestation were reported. CONCLUSION: Several cardiac interventional treatments performed in the present time during the perinatal period and some prospects in the near future are described in the discussion.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗