Analyses of chemical composition in whole cells of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi were performed and compared with those of the other rickettsiae and gram-negative bacteria. The results indicated that R. tsutsugamushi does not contain detectable amounts of 3-deoxy-D-mannooctulosonic acid, heptose, muramic acid, or glucosamine (less than 2, less than 2, less than 3, and less than 3 nmol/mg, respectively). The microorganism was found to contain four kinds of fatty acids (16:0, 18:0, 18:1, and 18:2), but not hydroxy fatty acids. Furthermore, in analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver or Coomassie blue staining, lipopolysaccharide bands were not detected in preparations treated with proteinase K. It is concluded that R. tsutsugamushi has little or no peptidoglycan or lipopolysaccharide.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed1987

Clinical features of cisplatin vestibulotoxicity and hearing loss.

Patients treated with cisplatin were observed in an otoneurological study with special reference to cochlear and vestibular toxicity. Toxicity-related symptoms appeared to be almost all transient. As with leukopenia, hearing loss and dizziness often occurred after several weeks of administration. In the equilibrium examinations, some abnormal findings such as spontaneous nystagmus and positional nystagmus were seen. Caloric tests and body sway tests detected abnormal findings in the early stages of cisplatin-related vestibulotoxicity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

An application of the microcomputer as a generator of target movements for the eye tracking test (ETT).

We have developed a new system to produce target movements for our particular purposes using a microcomputer and 9-bit digital-to-analog converter. A continuously changing sinusoidal wave was produced to examine the relationship between the frequencies of target movements and smooth pursuit. A random sinusoidal wave was produced to make clear the predictive function of smooth pursuit.

Computers↗

PubMed1986

Gain of slow-phase velocity of optokinetic nystagmus.

Although slow-phase velocity of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) increases according to the increase of stimulus velocity, it is not obvious whether both are quite equal or not. In this study, gain of slow-phase velocity in OKN response to stimulation velocity was analyzed by two methods of stimulation, constant acceleration, and constant velocity stimulation. In our observation, the gain of slow-phase velocity was not equal to 1.0 even at low-speed stimulation. On the other hand, the number of nystagmus almost corresponded to the number of stimulation stripes passing through the center of an OK-drum up to high-speed stimulation. The results of this study indicate that pursuit eye movement of slow-phase OKN should not be quite equal to that of the eye tracking test, i.e. being required to continuously look at a moving spot.

Acceleration↗

PubMed1986

Equilibrium disorders and R-R intervals in ECG.

We have measured RR intervals on patients with equilibrium disorders to check the function of the autonomic nervous system. And we have obtained two parameters (coefficient of variation "CV%" (the static function of the autonomic nervous system] and "A-B" (the dynamic function of the autonomic nervous system). The dynamic function of the autonomic nervous system (A-B) further deteriorated in elderly patients with central nervous system disorders. We concluded that disorders in the dynamic function of the autonomic nervous system affected the autoregulation which caused the central nervous system disorders, especially in elderly patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Production and characterization of monoclonal strain-specific antibodies against prototype strains of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi.

We have developed 18 hybridoma cell lines which secrete murine monoclonal strain-specific antibodies to prototype strains of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi: nine anti-Gilliam, four anti-Karp and five anti-Kato antibodies. All the monoclonal antibodies reacted only with their homologous strains in direct and indirect immunofluorescence (IF), or indirect immunoperoxidase (IP) test. By IF and IP tests with the monoclonal antibodies, 22 strains of R. tsutsugamushi, which were newly isolated from mites, field rodents and patients with Tsutsugamushi disease (scrub typhus) in Japan, were all clearly identified as either Gilliam or Karp type. Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting techniques revealed that the monoclonal antibodies recognized primarily the polypeptides of an apparent molecular weight of 54 to 56 kilodaltons of the homologous rickettsial surface. The monoclonal antibodies produced in the present study should enhance the serotyping and further analytical investigation of the rickettsial antigens since they recognize the strain- or type-specific polypeptides and do not show any cross-reaction among strains.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Immunological properties of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, Kawasaki strain, isolated from a patient in Kyushu.

Nine isolates of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi were obtained from patients with Tsutsugamushi disease (scrub typhus) in Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu. Immunological analyses of these patients' sera and the isolates were performed by indirect immunofluorescence, indirect immunoperoxidase or immunoblotting techniques. In the analysis of reactions of the patients' sera with the prototype strains Gilliam, Karp, and Kato and with the isolates, sera from two patients, including Kawasaki, showed similar profiles and cross-reaction with the two isolates recovered from the corresponding patients, but reacted only weakly with the prototype strains. With guinea pig polyclonal antibodies against the isolate and prototype strains, Kawasaki strain showed some degree of cross-reaction with Gilliam strain but not with either Karp or Kato strain, nor with Shimokoshi strain which is known to be different antigenically from the prototype strains. Additionally, strain-specific murine monoclonal antibodies against Gilliam, Karp, and Kato strains did not react at all with Kawasaki strain. These results suggest that the Kawasaki strain may be different antigenically from the prototype strains and Shimokoshi strain. The finding two strains of the same antigenic type (Kawasaki) among only nine isolates suggests the presence of Kawasaki-type rickettsiae in Miyazaki Prefecture. Shimokoshi strain also did not react with these strain-specific monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that strains of R. tsutsugamushi antigenically distinct from the prototype strains, such as Kawasaki and Shimokoshi strains, may easily be recognized by their nonreactivity with these monoclonal antibodies.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Characterization of polypeptides in Rickettsia tsutsugamushi: effect of preparative conditions on migration of polypeptides in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The polypeptide compositions and antigenic components of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi were analyzed by modifying the solubilization conditions prior to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by using monoclonal antibodies in immunoblotting experiments. Several polypeptides were converted to larger or smaller molecules by using various conditions for rickettsial sample preparation. Solubilization of a sample in 2-mercaptoethanol-containing buffer resulted in conversion of high-molecular-weight polypeptides to smaller polypeptides and conversion of some of the 43-kilodalton (43K) polypeptide to a 46K polypeptide. The heat modifiability of selected polypeptides was shown by heating samples at 100 degrees C. A major polypeptide on the rickettsial surface which showed strain-specific antigenicity appeared at the 43K position in samples solubilized at 37 degrees C but moved to the 56K position after samples were heated at 100 degrees C. Immunoblotting with an anti-56K polypeptide monoclonal antibody demonstrated that the reactive antigens existed predominantly as the higher-molecular-weight polypeptides. These polypeptides were converted to 43K polypeptides at 37 degrees C or the 56K polypeptides at 100 degrees C by cleavage of disulfide linkages with 2-mercaptoethanol treatment.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed1986

[Prophylactic chemotherapy of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: the efficacy of long-term bladder instillation].

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Administration, Intravesical↗

PubMed1986

[Non-invasive estimation of aortic flow by local electrical impedance changes].

Aortic flow velocity was measured by catheter-tip flow transducer in 25 patients who underwent left cardiac catheterization for non-invasive estimates by the impedance method. Disk electrodes were attached to the skin at the levels of the second thoracic vertebra in the posterior median line and the V8 lead position for electrocardiography. Alternating current, 350 micro-amperes, 50 KHz constant, was applied to the outer electrode, and impedance changes were detected via the inner electrode. The e wave, or height of the first derivative dz/dt wave of the electrical impedance was lower in cases of old myocardial infarction and higher in cases of aortic valve regurgitation, as compared with the values of the healthy control group. The time lag between the start of the upward deflection and the peak value of the dz/dt wave coincided with that of the aortic flow curve as measured at the aortic arch and descending aorta. These time lags were about 20 to 30 msec as compared with the ascending aortic flow curve, and were -20 to -30 msec as compared with the abdominal aortic flow curve. There was a close correlation between the maximum flow velocity measured at the aortic arch and the height of the e waves. The regression equation was: Y = 0.21X - 1.53, r = 0.88, p less than 0.01. These data suggest that the first derivative of electrical impedance change as obtained by the disk electrode method reflects aortic flow at the arch and descending aorta.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Analysis of polypeptide composition and antigenic components of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of lysates of purified Rickettsia tsutsugamushi revealed as many as 30 polypeptide bands, including major bands corresponding to molecular sizes of 70, 60, 54 to 56, and 46 to 47 kilodaltons. Compared with the polypeptide composition of the rickettsiae of Gilliam, Karp, and Kato strains and a newly isolated Shimokoshi strain, the major polypeptide in the Kato strain (54-56K) and in the Karp strain (46-47K) migrated a little faster and slower, respectively, than the corresponding polypeptides in the other strains. The largest major polypeptide (54-56K) was digestible by the treatment of intact rickettsiae with trypsin and variable in content in separate preparations, suggesting that the polypeptide exists on the rickettsial surface and is easily degraded during the handling of these microorganisms. Several surface polypeptides of rickettsiae, including the 54-56K and 46-47K polypeptides, were detected by radioiodination of intact rickettsiae followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the lysate; however, the 70K and 60K polypeptides were not labeled. Immunoblotting experiments with hyperimmune sera prepared in guinea pigs against each strain demonstrated that the 70K, 54-56K, and 46-47K polypeptides showed antigenic activities. The 54-56K polypeptide appeared to be strain specific, whereas the 70K and 46-47K polypeptides cross-reacted with the heterologous antisera.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Hazard to endotracheal tubes by CO2 laser beam. Experimental report.

Ignition or combustion of the endotracheal tube during CO2 laser microlaryngo surgery may cause fatal lung disorders. We undertook an experiment on ignition and combustion of endotracheal tubes by CO2 laser beam and came to the following conclusions: (a) the silicon endotracheal tube was nonflammable; (b) the spiral endotracheal tube was also nonflammable; (c) a pulse wave was recommended and 3-second intervals were necessary; (d) four sheets of moist gauze were necessary to prevent cuff trouble, and (e) it was advisable to set the O2 concentration below 25% when using the silicon endotracheal tube.

Carbon Dioxide↗