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Biomedical subjects

N Kasai

Publications and source records attributed to N Kasai.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

[Nodal psammoma body in thyroid cancer as an indicator of cancer metastasis to the lymph node].

A 64-year-old woman underwent subtotal thyroidectomy and cervical lymphadenectomy for thyroid carcinoma. In 5 of 15 resected nodes, histologic examination revealed metastasis. The other 10 nodes showed no metastasis, though psammoma bodies were seen in 3 nodes. To clarify the relationship between psammoma bodies and metastasis, 10 cancer-negative nodes were serially sectioned (4 microns in thickness). This disclosed cancer cells and psammoma bodies in 2 to 3 psammoma body-positive nodes. We suggest that the presence of psammoma bodies in the lymph node may indicate metastasis.

Carcinoma, Papillary↗
PubMed1983

[Multiple primary malignancies associated with thyroid cancer].

The characteristics of multiple primary carcinomas associated with thyroid carcinoma were studied in 35 patients (35/362; 9.7%) who met the clinicopathological criteria of Warren and Gate. The frequency of the association was similar in papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas. The average patient age at the time of initial carcinoma detection was 60.3 years for males and 51.5 years for females. The most frequent sites of the associated cancers were breast, uterine cervix and uterine body in females, and stomach and larynx in males. Patients should be followed closely for recurrence and second cancer detection in the early stage.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1983

[Malignant transformation of thyroid cancer; poorly differentiated cancer and anaplastic cancer transformation].

The prognosis of thyroid cancer depends largely on histological differentiation and clinical stage. The prognosis in anaplastic cancer is worst, in well differentiated cancer it is best; poorly differentiated cancer takes a middle position. The prognosis of patients with differentiated cancer is generally good, however, there are cases with malignant transformation such as poorly differentiated, anaplastic and squamous-cell cancer transformation. We studied the frequency and the inducement factors of malignant transformation in patients with thyroid cancer. The frequency of poorly differentiated, anaplastic and squamous-cell cancer transformation was 13.6%, 6.4% and 0.7%, respectively. In anaplastic cancer transformation, irradiation is an important factor.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[New approach to diagnosis of minute and small thyroid cancer].

Between 1978 and 1981, 130 patients with primary thyroid cancer were treated and 39 cases (30%) of them were diagnosed as thyroid cancer with less than 10 mm diameter. Here, I defined cancer with a diameter less than 5 mm as minute cancer, that with a 5-10 mm diameter as small, and that with a diameter more than 10 mm as clinical cancer. Although diagnosis of minute and small thyroid cancer has been reportedly difficult to be done, a progress in diagnosis technology has made these cancers detectable to some extent. Diagnosis of the minute cancer, however, is still difficult task. The pursuit lesion was identified only in 29% of the minute cancer cases and a high risk of hazardous coexisting minute cancers was observed in patients with adenomatous goiter and follicular adenoma which showed multiple calcification images. Most of the small cancer could be diagnosed by xeroradiography, aspiration cytology. The presence of lymph node metastases was found in 14% of minute cancer, in 44% of the small cancer and in 75% of the clinical thyroid cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Electrolyte metabolism and emergency].

In outlining the pathology of various electrolyte metabolism abnormalities in cancer patients we considered the main clinical points between pathologies and emergency treatment. In regard to sodium (Na+) metabolism, one pathologic state that requires our attention is hypernatremia. Hypernatremia is accompanied with dehydration and is due to water loss, vomiting, diarrhea and renal insufficiency. One of the major causes of this condition is lack of the antidiuretic hormone due to intracranial metastasis of the tumor. When hypernatremia becomes severe, it is accompanied with circulatory failure, muscular asthenia, disorientation, convulsions, coma and other cerebral symptoms. Treatment consists of replenishing the water content by infusion of electrolyte solutions which should be carefully conducted after complete diagnose of the severity of the patient's pathological condition. Hyponatremia, like sick cell syndrome, is observed relatively frequently in cancer patients. When the serum Na level falls markedly, it induces cerebral edema and causes disorders of consciousness. The major treatment consists of providing both water and sodium supplements. Hyperkalemia is observed at the time of renal insufficiency, tissue lesions, vomiting, and diarrhea. When serum potassium level rises, it causes bradycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or cardiac arrest. It is important to diagnostically apprehend the severity of this condition using EKG and determining the serum K1+ level. For emergency treatment injection of calcium gluconate is very effective. Hypokalemia is often manifested by the loss of intestinal fluids due to diarrhea or during administration of diuretic agents. Clinical symptoms include neural paralysis but emergencies occur relatively infrequently. K C1 injections are used in treating this condition. Hypercalcemia is manifested in cancer patients during hyperparathyroidism. Its clinical symptoms include lassitude, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, and renal dys-function, leading to neural symptoms in severe cases. The main treatment consists of injection of physiological saline solution and administration of calcitonin, mithramycin. Hypocalemia is manifested during renal insufficiency, lack of vitamin D, and hypothyroidism. In classic cases it causes tetanic spasms. Injection of calcium is an effective treatment but since during tetanic spasms alcalosis may easily occur, treatment should only be provided after obtaining a complete understanding of the patient's condition. The pathological conditions described above can not be said to specific to cancer but it should be kept in mind that one of their main causative factors is the involvement of mechanism which produces ectopic hormones from cancerous tissues.

Emergencies↗
PubMed1982

Preparation of anti-GM4 antiserum and its assay by a solid-phase radioimmunoassay.

Anti-GM4 antiserum was prepared from rabbits by immunization with pure human brain GM4 ganglioside in complete Freund's adjuvant and methylated bovine serum albumin. None of the immunized animals developed any clinically apparent neurological dysfunction. The antiserum titer and specificity were analyzed by double immunodiffusion and a novel solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA). In the latter procedure, microtiter plate wells were coated first with the glycolipid antigen, followed by sequential application of antiserum and [125I]-Staphylococcal Protein A. The absorbed radioactivity in the well was then counted. Employing the RIA procedure, anti-GM4 antibody achieved a titer of 1:1600. The antiserum also exhibited a high degree of specificity to GM4; cross-reactivity with glycolipids of similar structure was negligible. The production of highly specific antiserum to GM4 and the feasibility of detecting antibodies to glycolipid antigens by a convenient solid-phase RIA should be useful to further study the biological and immunological roles of GM4 and other glycolipids in the central nervous system.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Effect of endotoxin and its degradation products on hepatic mixed-function oxidase and heme enzyme systems in mice.

Effect of Salmonella minnesota R595 endotoxin (R595 GL) and its chemical degradation products on hepatic cytochrome P-450, delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthetase and heme oxygenase activity in mice was examined. The levels of cytochrome P-450 and ALA synthetase activity were significantly decreased following the administration of R595 GL, whereas heme oxygenase activity was markedly increased. The effects of endotoxin were dose-dependent for the range of about 1 to 2 micrograms per mouse. The result of a comparative study using R595 GL and its degradation products suggested that intact lipid A moiety plays an important rôle in the activity of endotoxin. In addition, it was found that the depressant effect of endotoxin on the hepatic mixed-function oxidase system in mice was abrogated by treatment with cortisone.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMed1982

Hereditary high concentration of glutathione in canine erythrocytes associated with high accumulation of glutamate, glutamine, and aspartate.

We have found a dog family in which there were five cases of increased red cell glutathione corresponding to four to five times the normal concentration without any clinical signs. In the present study, we mainly examined the concentrations of free amino acids in the erythrocytes, plasma, and urine of two of the dogs, and we demonstrated that the concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, and glutamine in their erythrocytes increases to 92, 63, and 13 times the mean value in the normal blood, respectively. There were no changes observed in the other amino acids as compared to normal, although the glycine and histidine in the erythrocyte showed slight increases. The concentrations of amino acids in the plasma and urine of the dogs were almost equal to normal ones. The activities of some of the enzymes involved in the glutathione metabolism in the erythrocytes from the two dogs were all within the normal range. The increased level of glutathione could be explained by the fact that the feedback inhibition of gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase by glutathione was released by the high levels of glutamate in the erythrocytes.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1981

Xeroradiography of the thyroid.

In a study of 726 patients, xeroradiography of the thyroid using a modified oblique projection was found to be superior to conventional soft-tissue radiography in detecting calcification in thyroid tumors because of edge enhancement. This facilitated a diagnosis of carcinoma in 75% of 68 primary tumors and 55% of 33 recurrent lesions. When other diagnostic criteria were included, the level of accuracy was 85% for primary tumors and 79% for recurrences. Examination with 131I was positive in 57 primary tumors (83%) and 4 recurrences (12%). The authors recommend routine combination of the two methods.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1981

Platelet-aggregating immune complexes and intraplatelet serotonin in idiopathic glomerulonephritis and systemic lupus.

Immune complex-like material was studied using the platelet-aggregation test (PAT) in 114 patients with idiopathic glomerulonephritis and 55 patients with SLE nephritis, and the results obtained compared with Raji cell and Clq-binding assays. The platelet-aggregating material was not thrombin, and eluted from Sepharose CL/6B columns with a molecular weight of greater than 500,000 daltons. Sera from 17 of 55 patients with SLE nephritis were positive in all three assays, 50/55 in at least one assay. No circulating material was detected by the Raji cell assay in idiopathic glomerulonephritis patients, but both the Clq-binding and PAT assays detected material in patients with acute post-infectious nephritis and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis. Patients with membranous nephropathy and Henoch-Schönlein purpura were positive in the PAT, although generally negative in the other assays of immune complexes. The amount of platelet-aggregating material (PAM) found in the sera of patients with both idiopathic glomerulonephritis and SLE nephritis correlated closely with the depletion of intraplatelet serotonin, suggesting that this material is a major mechanism of in vivo platelet activation in these patients.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗