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Biomedical subjects

N Ikegami

Publications and source records attributed to N Ikegami.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Health technology development in Japan.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the social, cultural and economic factors which have led to the present pattern of technology utilization in Japan. It is divided into five sections. The first provides the historical framework; the second, an overview of the health care delivery context and its economic incentive structure; the third, an analysis of the various contenders involved in the process of resource allocation; the fourth, a description of the technology areas which have been emphasized in Japan; and the fifth, an examination of future issues.

Communication↗
PubMed1988

Occurrence of changes in human rotavirus serotypes with concurrent changes in genomic RNA electropherotypes.

To investigate the serotypic and genetic diversity of human rotavirus strains, we have tested 513 and 519 fecal rotavirus specimens, respectively, by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the segmented RNA genome. Of the 513 specimens, 375 were typed as serotype 1 (47.3%), serotype 2 (2.9%), serotype 3 (2.9%), or serotype 4 (17.7%). In addition, a presumptive new human serotype, tentatively referred to as serotype X in this paper, was found in 1.6% of the specimens tested. The remaining 138 specimens (26.9%) were untypeable. Considerable variation in relative frequency of circulating serotypes was observed with respect to geographic locations and observation periods. Rotavirus RNAs were visualized in 481 of 519 specimens tested. Of these, 415 were typed as 33 electropherotypes, many of which were infrequently detected and were restricted to single epidemics. Analysis of the 291 specimens whose electropherotypes and serotypes were available indicated clearly that a given RNA pattern always corresponded to a particular serotype. Heterogeneity of electropherotypes within a serotype was similarly observed in strains belonging to the four previously established serotypes. The results obtained in this study indicated that antigenic changes on the major neutralization antigen occurred always with concurrent changes of genomic RNA electropherotypes. On the other hand, serotypic changes could not be predicted from the changes in RNA electropherotypes.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

cDNA probes of individual genes of human rotavirus distinguish viral subgroups and serotypes.

The use of cDNA probes for detection of rotaviruses has been investigated using plasmids containing inserts specific for each of the eleven genes of human rotavirus strain Wa. In a dot-blot detection system in which radioactive DNA probes were hybridized to viral RNA extracted from cultivatable rotavirus strains, cDNAs of genes 7, 8, 10 and 11, were found to be the most reliable probes for detecting a range of rotavirus strains. Unexpectedly, rotaviruses could be distinguished with respect to subgroup and subtype specificities when cDNAs of genes 6 and 9, which encode the immunologically relevant proteins VP6 (group-specific antigen) and VP7 (type-specific antigen), were used as probe, even though the nucleic acid sequences of these genes are known to have a high degree of sequence homology.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1987

Patient satisfaction and hospital management policy.

A cross-sectional study of 119 hospitals in Japan was made to find out which factors were related to patient satisfaction. The patient's overall satisfaction was found to be a reliable and valid evaluation of hospital performance and was unrelated to patient characteristic or hospital size, ownership and location. To improve patient satisfaction, it would seem that there is need to improve not only the nursing level, but also to well inform employees, to have a clear management policy, to have a good labour-management relationship and to initiate the newly employed.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1987

Serological follow-up study on the antibody levels to Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiation therapy.

Serological follow-up studies for up to 4 years on the levels of IgG antibody to EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) were carried out on 36 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The serum levels of IgA antibody specific to EBV capsid antigen (VCA) were also measured in some of the patients. The titers of EBNA antibody were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and those of IgA antibody to VCA were measured by the indirect immunofluorescence method. The EBNA antibody titers in most sera from the patients before radiation therapy were found to be at least 4 times the mean values in the sera of healthy control adults. Within 2 to 8 months after completion of therapy by 4-MV liniac X-ray irradiation with total doses of 60 to 80 Gy, the titers of EBNA antibody in the sera of 6 patients had returned to normal levels, and low levels of EBNA antibody were maintained for a long time after therapy. These serological data were associated with a good clinical prognosis without recurrence or metastases. But in 6 patients, the patterns of change in the EBNA antibody levels were different: the levels remained high after therapy or first decreased to the normal level and then rose to at least 4 times this level. These 6 patients showed recurrence or metastases. The patterns of change in the EBNA antibody levels were well correlated with those of change in the levels of IgA antibody specific to VCA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Prevalence of antibodies to AIDS-associated retrovirus in in- and out-patients in Japan.

Serum specimens from 252 recipients of factor VIII and/or factor IX (237 hemophiliacs and 15 nonhemophiliacs), 99 blood transfusion recipients, 269 chronic diseases, and 366 healthy subjects (included blood donors, hospital personnel and family members of hemophiliacs) were tested for reactivity to lymphadenopathy-associated virus/T-lymphotropic retrovirus type III (LAV/HTLV-III) by ELISA test kit (Abbott), and the presence of the antibodies to LAV/HTLV-III was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Seropositivity rates were 38.4% (91 of 237) in hemophiliacs, 13.3% (2 of 15) in nonhemophiliac recipients of factor VIII and/or factor IX, and 8% (2 of 27) in male homosexuals. None of the other patients and healthy individuals had antibodies to LAV/HTLV-III. In serological follow-up study on 40 seronegative and 10 seropositive hemophiliacs, 4 of the seronegative hemophiliacs converted to seropositive, and 7 of seropositive hemophiliacs had the antibody titers elevated by 2 to 4 fold within the period for 3.5 to 13 months after first blood samplings. Comparative analysis of the absolute numbers of T helper (T4) and T suppressor (T8) lymphocytes between the seropositive and seronegative hemophiliacs revealed that more than 50% of both seropositive and seronegative hemophiliacs had lower T4 lymphocyte numbers and higher T8 lymphocyte numbers than those of normal subjects. Particularly, over 80% of seropositive hemophiliacs had lower T4 lymphocyte numbers. Two Japanese AIDS cases (a hemophiliac B and a male homosexual) were found in the present study. Both died of pneumonia, and were confirmed officially as AIDS cases.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1985

The concept of Gemeinschaft in health planning and management: a Japanese perspective.

The rationale for public involvement in the health sector lies mainly in realizing equity values. As the Gesellschaft relationship of utility maximization cannot be relied upon to arrive at a level of health care regarded as equitable in geographic and other terms, this article argues that there is need to focus on the Gemeinschaft relationship of humanitarian concern. Policy-makers would, firstly, have to define explicitly the objectives at each policy level; and, secondly, to convince and educate the public and the health providers that such is the way forward. At the operational level, the Japanese-style management with its emphasis on the mutual commitment of the management and the workers to the organization, would seem to offer a way to unify the fragmented interests within the hospital setting. A comparative study of the health systems of the UK, Japan and the US is made to evaluate the constraints and opportunities each country faces, or would face, in realizing the Gemeinschaft concept at the policy and operational levels. The conclusion reached is that, despite the difficulties, this concept appears to offer a viable alternative to the intensified conflict for resources in the health sector.

Health Policy↗
PubMed1985

Diagnosis of rotavirus infection with cloned cDNA copies of viral genome segments.

The diagnostic potential of cloned cDNA copies of human rotavirus (strain WA) genome segments for the detection of rotavirus in clinical specimens has been determined. A hybridization assay in which a mixture of 32P-labeled cDNAs representing the 11 rotavirus segments was used as a probe compared favorably with three frequently used diagnostic tests for rotavirus in terms of both specificity and sensitivity. Significantly, clinical isolates could be readily distinguished when cloned cDNA copies of individual genome segments were used independently as a probe. In assays in which genome RNA from rotaviruses of known subgroups and serotypes were tested, cloned probes that encode nonstructural viral proteins hybridized efficiently to genome RNAs of all strains, whereas cloned probes corresponding to genome segments 6 and 9 exhibited the potential for differentiating strains of different subgroups and serotypes. Cloned cDNA copies of rotavirus genome segments therefore offer considerable potential for improved general diagnosis of rotavirus in clinical specimens, as well as for epidemiological studies in which virus isolates can be distinguished on the basis of nucleotide sequence homology of individual genome segments.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1985

Biological effect of PCBs, PCQs and PCDFs present in the oil causing yusho and yu-cheng.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were daily given orally for 22 days a regimen consisting of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 1 mg/day; polychlorinated quaterphenyls (PCQs), 1 mg/day; polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), 10 micrograms/day; or a mixture of PCBs, PCQs and PCDFs (Mix-1, 1 mg + 1 mg + 10 micrograms/day). Female Cynomolgus monkeys were daily administered PCBs (5 mg), PCQs (5 mg) or a mixture (Mix-2) containing 5 mg PCBs + 20 micrograms PCDFs for 20 weeks. The PCBs, and PCDFs had the components of PCBs, PCQs and PCDFs similar to those contained in Japanese yusho oils, respectively. The PCB-treated rats and monkeys showed hepatic hypertrophy, immunosuppression and increased drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in hepatic microsomes, but were devoid of the dermal symptoms characteristic of yusho. PCQs caused an increase in drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in hepatic microsomes and immunosuppression in monkeys, but these effects were much smaller than those found with PCBs treatment. On the other hand, treatment with PCDF or Mix-1 or Mix-2 caused hypertrophy of the liver, immunosuppression, increase in drug-metabolizing enzyme activities of hepatic microsome to much greater extent than observed with PCBs, being more than 100 times as effective as PCBs. In addition PCDFs and the mixtures containing PCDFs caused weight loss and thymic atrophy. PCDFs and Mix-2-treated monkeys showed the dermal symptoms that are characteristic of yusho patients but were not observed in monkeys treated with PCBs and PCQs alone. These results suggest that PCDFs are the primary causative agent of yusho.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Quality circles: the myth and reality of hospital management.

Although quality circles have been successfully introduced into U.S. hospitals, they have not fared well in Japan. In light of the fact that Japanese hospitals have within their organizational structures many elements considered a precondition for the success of quality circles, their hesitance in adopting this innovation deserves attention. It is useful to examine the reasons quality circles may be more feasible in the United States than in Japan.

Ethics, Professional↗