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Biomedical subjects

N Shigematsu

Publications and source records attributed to N Shigematsu.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Prognostic factors of stage I and II non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the head and neck: the value of the working formulation and need for chemotherapy.

From 1966 through 1984, 142 patients with early stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the head and neck were treated. Histologic slides were reviewed and reclassified according to Rappaport's classification and the Working Formulation. Patients were clinically staged; 82 Stage I, and 60 Stage II. Five-year freedom from relapse was 53% for Stage I and 48% for Stage II patients with no statistically significant difference. No patients with favorable histologies of Rappaport's classification or low grade malignancy of the Working Formulation relapsed. By univariate analyses, stage, primary site, the Working Formulation, Rappaport's classification, extent of radiation field, radiation dose, tumor bulkiness and addition of multiple-agent chemotherapy seemed to be prognostic factors for predicting relapse. Multivariate regression analyses (MVA) showed primary site and multiple-agent chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors. Tumor bulkiness provided marginal prognostic significance. Waldeyer's ring lymphomas fared better than nodal or extralymphatic lymphomas; it seems necessary to report Waldeyer's ring lymphomas independently from nodal or extralymphatic lymphomas. Patients receiving more than 3 chemotherapeutic agents had better prognosis than those receiving 3 or less agents, or no chemotherapy. Pathologic grade was another prognostic factor when the Working Formulation was used in MVA. When Rappaport's classification was used, division of unfavorable histologies into histiocytic and non-histiocytic groups provided only marginal significance in MVA. We conclude that Stage I-II non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the head and neck with favorable histologies of Rappaport's classification or low grade malignancy of the Working Formulation be treated with radiation therapy only; and patients with other histologies should be treated with multiple-agent chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

A possible role of airway epithelium in modulating hyperresponsiveness.

1. In order to examine the role of airway epithelium in the responsiveness of smooth muscle in man, we measured the contractile responses to acetylcholine (ACh), histamine, and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and the relaxation response to isoprenaline (Isop), in 48 bronchi obtained from 10 patients who received surgery. Responses were measured in the presence and absence of the epithelium. 2. Removal of epithelium (by rubbing the mucosa gently with forceps) significantly increased the contractile responses evoked by ACh, histamine and PGF2 alpha. 3. In contrast, removal of epithelium did not alter the relaxation response to Isop. 4. To clarify the mechanism underlying this epithelial inhibitory effect on smooth muscle contraction, we measured the contractile responses of dog trachea with the epithelium removed to increasing concentrations of ACh. After measuring the control response, we added about 0.1 g of the chopped epithelium in the organ chamber, and measured the response again. 5. After adding airway epithelium and incubating with tracheal strips, the contractile response of tracheal strips decreased significantly as compared to the control response. 6. These results show that airway epithelium possesses the ability to decrease the smooth muscle contraction to ACh, histamine and PGF2 alpha in man and dogs. 7. The mechanism of this inhibitory effect of the airway epithelium is not explained by a change in mechanical property of the airway nor the change in diffusion of these drugs to the smooth muscle across the epithelium. Thus, these results suggest that airway epithelium may have an important role in modulating smooth muscle tone, possibly by inactivation of these mediators, or by releasing an epithelium-derived relaxing factor.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1988

Physiological analysis of bicozamycin high-producing Streptomyces griseoflavus used at industrial level.

Streptomyces griseoflavus, a bicozamycin-producing wild type strain and its high-producing one derived from it by multiple (greater than 15) mutagenic treatments, were analyzed physiologically and biochemically. The high-producing strain was characterized by: (1) An increased pool size of amino acids including leucine and isoleucine, precursors for bicozamycin synthesis, (2) an earlier and greater accumulation of intracellular ppGpp, (3) a more accentuated decrease in GTP pool size, (4) a higher specific activity of ornithine transcarbamylase which produces citrulline, (5) an increased ability to form aerial mycelium, and (6) an increased resistance to its own antibiotic. We propose that (1), (2) and (4) may be responsible for the high yields of bicozamycin and, possibly, of some other antibiotics produced by Streptomyces sp.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1988

Expression of Fc receptors is suppressed in alveolar macrophages from patients with sarcoidosis.

To study the expression of Fc receptors in human alveolar macrophages (AM), the cells were collected from 12 healthy controls and 22 patients with sarcoidosis and the activity involved in binding to 125I-soluble immune complexes (IC) was investigated. The binding of 125I-IC was significantly suppressed in cells from the patients. A Scatchard plot analysis revealed that this suppression was due to a reduction in the number of Fc receptors on the surface membrane and not the result of a decrease in the binding affinity of the receptors. Rosette formation was observed by incubating AM with antibody-coated ox red blood cells. The presence of rosette forming cells was about 70% in the AM from healthy controls, while, a rate of only 50% was seen in those with sarcoidosis. These results indicate that the decrease of the 125I-IC binding in the AM from patients with sarcoidosis is to some extent the result of an increase in the population of the Fc receptor negative macrophages.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Restoration of Fc receptor-mediated desensitization of superoxide generation in human PMN by PMA.

The superoxide (O2-) generating activity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was suppressed more than 50% compared with control cells by preincubation of the cells with soluble immune complexes (Fc receptor-mediated desensitization). The suppression was observed when wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) or N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) was used as stimuli for O2- generation. However, the desensitized cells could produce as much O2- as control cells when they were stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The desensitized cells were pre-exposed to a small dose of PMA for a short period (2-3 min). By this procedure, the activity of the cells for WGA or fMLP induced O2- generation was almost completely restored. Similarly, the inhibitory effect of 3'-deazaadenosing on WGA, fMLP or immune complexes (IC) induced O2- generation was abolished by the short-term pre-exposure of the cells to a small dose of PMA.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1987

Superoxide (O2-) assay monocyte adherence test for the detection of cell-mediated immunity in cancer patients.

The reactivity of mononuclear cells from patients with breast cancer to the 3 M KCl extract of breast tumor was tested using the superoxide (O2-) assay monocyte adherence test. The mononuclear cells were incubated with the 3 M KCl extract of breast tumor or normal breast tissues in a microcell for spectrophotometer analysis. After 2 h incubation, the nonadherent cells were removed, and the O2- generated from the monocytes adherent to the intersurface of the microcell was assayed. Thirty of 36 patients with breast cancer before treatment reacted to the extract of breast tumor. Sixteen patients showed adherence inhibition and 14 adherence stimulation. None of 8 patients with breast cancer reacted to the extract of lung tumor. Of 31 control donors (19 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with cancer of other organs), only 3 reacted to the extract of breast tumor.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Small airways disease in patients without chronic air-flow limitation.

We measured airway diameter and quantitated airway pathology scores in respiratory bronchioles (RB) and membranous bronchioles (MB) in 37 patients undergoing resection for solitary pulmonary nodules. The patients had FEV1 greater than 75% of the predicted. Measurements of FEV1, nitrogen washout curve (delta N2/L), closing volume as a percentage of vital capacity (CV/VC%), and maximal flow at 50% of VC (V50) were made prior to surgery. There were 22 smokers and 15 nonsmokers. There were more MB per cm2 of tissue than RB (0.74 versus 1.02). The mean internal diameter for MB was 0.55 +/- 0.27 mm; for RB it was 0.47 +/- 0.15 mm. There were more MB greater than 1.0 mm in internal diameter than RB greater than 1.0 mm, and the mean diameter of MB was less than that noted in autopsy specimens. The total pathology scores for all airways were less than those found in Caucasian populations. Pathology scores were higher for MB than for RB, except for pigment deposition. Inflammation scores were higher in patients with FEV1 less than 100% predicted both for RB (p less than 0.05) and for MB (p less than 0.05). FEV1 values correlated with goblet cell metaplasia scores (p less than 0.05) for MB and with fibrosis (p less than 0.05), pigment deposition (p less than 0.05), and intraluminal macrophages (p less than 0.05) for RB. Tests specific for small airways (delta N2/L, V50, CV/VC%) did not correlate with the pathology scores.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Increased anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents combined with direct current against murine transplanted tumors].

The antitumor activity of direct current was studied in mice which were transplanted fibrosarcoma (FSa) into the right thigh. Mice were inserted electrodes into tumor and normal tissue surrounding the tumor, and treated with constant current. The direct current therapy (D.C.T.) (0.6 mA, 120 min) alone was effective to regress tumor, but tumor was not eradicated by D.C.T. alone. Cyclophosphamide (CPA, 100 mg/kg) could markedly reduce the FSa tumor size, but all tumor regrew finally. When D.C.T. was combined with CPA (100 mg/kg), the therapeutic response of FSa tumor was enhanced in mice which were inserted cathode into tumor. For example, in mice receiving direct current (0.6 mA, 120 minutes), the cure rate was 70% compared with 30% by the anode in tumor. Using cure rate assay, D.C.T. and about half dose of CPA could give the similar treatment results as the full dose of CPA alone. That is, D.C.T. will be able to reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic agents. Combination of D.C.T. and doxorubicin was not so effective as CPA, but showed the similar results. The experimental results suggest that D.C.T. alters the drug distribution in the tumor and makes the drugs more effective.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Value of gallium scans and lymphangiography in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the Waldeyer's ring.

In 37 patients with seemingly localized non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the Waldeyer's ring (WR-NHL), lymphangiography (LAG) and/or gallium-67 scans (Ga-67 scans) were done. Before these procedures, 20 patients were diagnosed as Stage I, and 17 as Stage II. LAG was done for 30, and Ga-67 scans for 32, 25 of whom had both. Five patients (16%) were upstaged to Stage III or IV by Ga-67 scans. Only one (3%) had abnormal LAG findings, in whom Ga-67 scans also showed abnormal accumulation in the para-aortic region. Because of this low positive rate, LAG is not recommended for staging of WR-NHL.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗