Biomedical subjects

N Yano

Publications and source records attributed to N Yano.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Inhibitory action of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate on radiation-induced mouse oncogenic transformation.

The anticarcinogenic activity of a major component of green tea, (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was examined by using the radiation-induced oncogenic transformation in C3H10T1/2 cells. EGCg substantially suppressed the radiation-induced transformation so that the transformation frequency with 15 microM of EGCg was reduced nearly to spontaneous levels. This effect of EGCg was in a dose-dependent manner and significant suppression of transformation was observed even in treatment of cells with 5 microM of EGCg concentration where the cytotoxicity was mild. The inhibitory effect of EGCg was maximal when it was present during the entire incubation period. However, neither treatment prior to nor concurrent with radiation was effective, suggesting that EGCg action is mainly involved in the promotional stage of C3H10T1/2 cell transformation.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Glomerular Fc alphaR expression and disease activity in IgA nephropathy.

In this study, we examined the receptors for the Fc portion of immunoglobulin A (IgA) (Fc alphaR) in the glomeruli as well as circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes at the mRNA level by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and at the protein level by an immunohistochemistry/flow cytometry technique using a specific anti-Fc alphaR monoclonal antibody (My 43). Glomeruli were isolated from biopsy specimens of renal tissues from IgA nephropathy (IgAN; 20 cases) and non-IgA mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (PGN; 13 cases) patients, and from normal renal tissue specimens obtained from kidneys removed because of malignancies (five cases) applying the microdissection method. There was a relative increase in Fc alphaR in the circulating phagocytes from IgAN patients compared with those from PGN and healthy controls. Fc alphaR expression was present in approximately 40% of glomeruli samples from IgAN patients at the message levels. Fc alphaR-positive specimens were also strongly positive for expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6 mRNA. Specimens from PGN patients and healthy controls did not show any detectable Fc alphaR message. Serum IgA levels and severity of hematuria were significantly higher in patients with positive Fc alphaR expression. A message for Fc alphaR was detected in the tissues that were more damaged histologically. Our data suggest that there is some in vivo induction of glomerular Fc alphaR expression, possibly mediated by a synergistic stimulus from IgA and inflammatory cytokines, and the expressed receptor is likely to be involved in the disease process of IgAN.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed1997

Phenotypic characterization of cytokine expression in patients with IgA nephropathy.

To identify the cytokines that play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy, we analyzed and compared the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines, immuno-regulatory cytokines, and growth factors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Expression of IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-gamma, TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, and PDGF was examined in 28 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), 20 patients with non-IgA mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (mesPGN), and 19 healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, a significant number of IgAN and mesPGN patients showed increased expression of IL-1 beta, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-gamma. The cytokine profile of renal tissue of 10 IgAN and 5 mesPGN biopsies was simultaneously analyzed and compared with that of PBMC. The proinflammatory IL-1 alpha and growth factor PDGF-B were expressed more in renal tissues than in PBMC. Furthermore, the renal profile of IL-alpha, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha expression was associated with the expression of IFN-gamma in PBMC. The serum level of IFN-gamma of IgAN correlated significantly (P = 0.0003) with that of IL-12, suggesting a potential role for cross-stimulation. More importantly, expression of IFN-gamma in PBMC and the elevated serum level correlated with the decline in glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.0012) and severity of renal histopathologic grade. To elucidate the role of leukocytes in renal cytokine expression, surface markers of T cells (CD3), monocytes (CD14), natural killer cells (CD16), and B cells (CD19) were also examined in renal tissues. The prominent renal expression of CD3, CD14, and CD16 implicates the leukocytes as the major source of proinflammatory cytokines in IgAN. Collectively, these findings indicate that IFN-gamma plays a prominent role in an interactive network of cytokines that contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Genetic mapping using microcell-mediated chromosome transfer suggests a locus for Nijmegen breakage syndrome at chromosome 8q21-24.

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by microcephaly, short stature, immunodeficiency, and a high incidence of cancer. Cultured cells from NBS show chromosome instability, an increased sensitivity to radiation-induced cell killing, and an abnormal cell-cycle regulation after irradiation. Hitherto, patients with NBS have been divided into the two complementation groups V1 and V2, on the basis of restoration of radioresistant DNA synthesis, suggesting that each group arises from a different gene. However, the presence of genetic heterogeneity in NBS has been considered to be controversial. To localize the NBS gene, we have performed functional complementation assays using somatic cell fusion between NBS-V1 and NBS-V2 cells, on the basis of hyper-radiosensitivity, and then have performed a genomewide search for the NBS locus, using microcell-mediated chromosome transfer followed by complementation assays based on radiosensitivity. We found that radiation resistance was not restored in the fused NBS-V1 and NBS-V2 cells and that only human chromosome 8 complements the sensitivity to ionizing radiation, in NBS cell lines. In complementation assays performed after the transfer of a reduced chromosome, merely the long arm of chromosome 8 was sufficient for restoring the defect. Our results strongly suggest that NBS is a homogeneous disorder and that the gene for NBS is located at 8q21-24.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed1997

Effect of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs on the rat ovarian follicle development.

Our objective was to study the direct action of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist buserelin and LHRH antagonist Cetrorelix (SB-75) on cell proliferation and differentiation in the rat ovarian follicle. Preovulatory follicles were isolated from PMSG-primed immature rats and incubated in the presence or absence of hCG (10 IU/ml), buserelin (10(-9)-10(-6) M) or Cetrorelix (10(-9)-10(-6) M) for 12 h in vitro. Buserelin induced meiotic maturation of the follicle-enclosed oocytes dose-dependently. The percentage of oocytes with germinal vesicle breakdown at 10(-6) M buserelin (73.3%) did not differ from that of hCG-treated control (73.3%). Buserelin also significantly stimulated prostaglandin E2 and progesterone production by follicles, but not estradiol production. Granulosa cells were obtained from the preovulatory follicles and cultured for 5 days. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulated granulosa cell growth at concentrations of 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml. In contrast, both buserelin and Cetrorelix inhibited granulosa cell growth dose-dependently in the range of 10(-10)-10(-5) M, with Cetrorelix inducing a greater growth inhibition than buserelin. Electrophoretic analysis of genomic DNA extracted from granulosa cells treated with 10(-6) M concentration of either LHRH analog revealed a definitive ladder pattern of oligonucleosomal length DNA fragments characteristic of apoptosis. Western blotting detected that EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation was not affected by either analog. These results demonstrate that LHRH agonist and antagonist inhibit directly proliferation of granulosa cells through apoptosis, without interference with EGF receptor phosphorylation, whereas LHRH agonist stimulates cell differentiation in the preovulatory follicle.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Organization and partial sequence of the hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 alpha/MODY1 gene and identification of a missense mutation, R127W, in a Japanese family with MODY.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 alpha (HNF-4 alpha) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, a class of ligand-activated transcription factors. A nonsense mutation in the gene encoding this transcription factor was recently found in a white family with one form of maturity-onset diabetes of the young, MODY1. Here, we report the exon-intron organization and partial sequence of the human HNF-4 alpha gene. In addition, we have screened the 12 exons, flanking introns and minimal promoter region for mutations in a group of 57 unrelated Japanese subjects with early-onset NIDDM/MODY of unknown cause. Eight nucleotide substitutions were noted, of which one resulted in the mutation of a conserved arginine residue, Arg127 (CGG)-->Trp (TGG) (designated R127W), located in the T-box, a region of the protein that may play a role in HNF-4 alpha dimerization and DNA binding. This mutation was not found in 214 unrelated nondiabetic subjects (53 Japanese, 53 Chinese, 51 white, and 57 African-American). The R127W mutation was only present in three of five diabetic members in this family, indicating that it is not the only cause of diabetes in this family. The remaining seven nucleotide substitutions were located in the proximal promoter region and introns. They are not predicted to affect the transcription of the gene or mRNA processing and represent polymorphisms and rare variants. The results suggest that mutations in the HNF-4 alpha gene may cause early-onset NIDDM/MODY in Japanese but they are less common than mutations in the HNF-1 alpha/MODY3 gene. The information on the sequence of the HNF-4 alpha gene and its promoter region will facilitate the search for mutations in other populations and studies of the role of this gene in determining normal pancreatic beta-cell function.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed1997

Expression of thromboxane synthase in kidney tissues from patients with IgA nephropathy.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is a potent vasoconstrictor which is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of experimental glomerulonephritis, although its exact pathogenic significance is not clear in human glomerulonephritis. We have investigated the expression of thromboxane synthase (TXS) in kidney tissues from patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical methods. Biopsied renal tissues from thirty-four patients with IgAN (24 whole tissues and 10 isolated glomeruli) and normal renal tissues from 11 nephrectomized kidneys (control, eight whole tissues and three isolated glomeruli) were included in this study. TXS mRNA expression was observed in 10 out of 24 (42%) whole tissue specimens from IgAN, but no such message was disclosed in the control tissue. There was no detectable TXS mRNA expression in the isolated glomeruli either from IgAN patients or controls, although constant mRNA expressions for GAPDH and VPF/VEGF were observed. IgAN patients with positive TXS mRNA had significantly reduced GFR with elevated serum creatinine and serum beta 2-microglobulin levels. Immunostaining, using a monoclonal anti-TXS antibody, identified the localization of the TXS protein in the interstitial areas where monocyte/macrophage infiltration was abundant, as well as in the arterioles of the kidney tissues with advanced tissue damage. It was concluded that TXA2 produced by the interstitial infiltrating cells during the inflammatory process might be involved in the progression of IgA nephropathy.

Creatinine↗

PubMed1997

Mechanisms associated with defective TH1 cytokine production in HIV infection.

Qualitative and quantitative changes in immune functions of different T-cell subsets associated with infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) were analyzed by flow cytometric assessment of intracytoplasmic cytokines. The T(H)1 cytokines, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), were produced by both CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets. When normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were activated in culture, both cytokines were produced predominantly by CD4 (CD4) cell and only a minor fraction of normal CD8 cells produced these cytokines. In the cultures of PBMC from HIV-1-infected individuals (HIV+PBMC), more HIV+CD8 cells produced IL-2 and IFN-gamma. Production of IFN-gamma by HIV+CD4 cells was markedly reduced, while IL-2nd tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production by HIV+CD4 remained relatively intact until the disease progressed further. Normal CD4 cells which were isolated by using a cell sorter, FACSCalibur was still able to produce IL-2 and TNF-alpha. But for full production of IFN-gamma, normal CD4 required some accessory cells, the identity of which could not yet be established.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

PubMed1996

An increase of acidic isoform of catalase in red blood cells from HIV(+) population.

A systemic oxidative stress of HIV (+) individuals has been recognized from a low glutathione level and a high level of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF alpha. Previously, we demonstrated that the catalase enzyme activity in HIV (+) population is significantly altered depending on the cell types; the level was significantly high in red blood cells while the enzymes in white blood cells were remarkably low (Res Commun Subs Abuse 16: 161-176, 1995). In this study, we further characterized the difference in RBC catalase molecules between HIV (+) and control population. We have found that RBC from HIV (+) population, whether they were asymptomatic or symptomatic, contained a significantly elevated catalase protein accompanied by the enzyme activities, and that the majority of the elevated protein were acidic pI of the molecules with an identical subunit mass of approximately 60 KDa. These results suggest that catalase is induced prior to and/or during erythroid differentiation lineage in HIV (+) population as a somatic defense to respond and compensate for a systemic oxidative stress and for an anemic condition.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Altered synthesis of interferon-gamma and expression of interferon-gamma receptor by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with IgA nephropathy and non-IgA proliferative glomerulonephritis.

Previously we reported disease-specific interaction between interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), suggesting the existence of unusual T cell behavior in this disease. In the present study, we investigated characteristic synthesis of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and expression of IFN-gamma receptor (IFN-gamma R) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with IgAN and other chronic proliferative glomerulonephritis (PGN). Heparinized peripheral blood samples were obtained from 38 patients with chronic mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (CGN; including 24 with IgA nephropathy) and 20 healthy controls. PBMC were isolated by gradient centrifugation and fragments were cultured in Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium (IMDM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) for 72 hr. IFN-gamma concentrations in supernatants were evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Other parts of PBMC pellets were reacted with anti-human IFN-gamma R monoclonal antibody and FITC-labeled anti-mouse second antibody for analysis of IFN-gamma R expression on these cells by FACScan. The remaining PBMC were fractionated into CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, NK, cells and macrophages using the MACS cell sorting system. The isolated cells were evaluated for IFN-gamma or IFN-gamma R mRNA expression by the semiquantitative RT-PCR method. In vitro IFN-gamma synthesis was enhanced in patients with CGN, and NK cells were revealed to be responsible for such enhancement. On the other hand, the expression of IFN-gamma R on macrophages was suppressed in CGN patients. These results suggest that impairment of regulation of the IFN-gamma system might be involved in the development of CGN.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed1996

Increase of HLA-DR-positive natural killer cells in peripheral blood from patients with IgA nephropathy.

Previous in vivo and in vitro studies have presented various abnormalities of cellular immunity in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). In the present study, we described increased expression of HLA-DR antigens on peripheral natural killer cells (NK cells) in relation to altered cytokine interactions. The numbers of HLA-DR expressing NK cells were enumerated by two-color flow cytometry and found to be significantly increased in patients with IgAN. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were then fractionated into pure NK cells by a magnetic cell-sorting system and analyzed concerning expression of messages of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interferon (IFN)-gamma by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Among the four cytokines, only the IFN-gamma message was significantly increased in patients' NK cells. Furthermore, intensity of the IFN-gamma message in NK cells showed positive correlation with the percentage of HLA-DR-positive NK cells from the same patient. Then we assayed serum levels of IL-2, IL-12, and IFN-gamma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the levels of IL-12 and IFN-gamma showed positive correlations with HLA-DR expression on NK cells. Creatinine clearance of the patients was reevaluated 36 months later, and patients with high HLA-DR on NK cells tended to show faster deterioration of renal function than patients with lower HLA-Dr expression. On the basis of these findings, we suggested that HLA-DR-positive NK cells in patients with IgAN form an "activated" population that produces IFN-gamma, and this unique cell population may be maintained by multiple factors and be involved in the development and progression of IgAN.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Superoxide dismutase activity in human glomerulonephritis.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in renal tissue biopsy specimens obtained from patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (13 cases) and non-immunoglobulin A mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (nine cases) was studied at the protein level by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and at the mRNA level by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Total SOD activity in the tissue supernatant was measured by applying an electron paramagnetic resonance/spin trapping method. Normal renal tissues obtained from kidneys removed for malignancies (six cases) were included as healthy controls. The copper and zinc form of SOD (Cu,Zn-SOD) activity at both the protein and mRNA levels was lower in the moderately or severely damaged tissues compared with that in the normal or mildly damaged tissues. On the other hand, manganese SOD (Mn-SOD) values at either the protein level or the mRNA level did not differ significantly between control and patient samples. In the histochemical study using a polyclonal rabbit anti-Cu,Zn-SOD antibody, the staining intensity for Cu,Zn-SOD antigen was lower in the areas with advanced histologic damage than in the intact tissues. A follow-up study showed that renal function deterioration was proportionately slower in patients whose SOD activity was within the range of healthy tissue levels at the time of biopsy. Our data suggest that a lower level of SOD activity, whether as a cause or a consequence of the disease process, might induce a decrease in the scavenger reaction of superoxide (O2-) thus causing the tissue to become more vulnerable to oxidative stress.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Expression of inducible-NOS in human glomerulonephritis: the possible source is infiltrating monocytes/macrophages.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a biological mediator which is synthesized from L-arginine by a family of nitric oxide synthases (NOS). In this paper, we have studied the expression of the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in the tissues of the human kidney at the mRNA level by RT-PCR assay and at the protein level by an immunohistochemistry technique using a specific anti-macrophage NOS monoclonal antibody. Biopsied renal tissues from patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN; 28 cases) and with non-IgA mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (PGN;12 cases), and normal renal tissues obtained from kidneys removed for malignancies (11 cases) were included in this experiment. iNOS message was present in about 73% tissues from IgAN and PGN patients, which was supported by histochemical findings and the iNOS positive cells were predominantly in the tubulointerstitial areas where infiltration of monocytes/macrophages was abundant. The iNOS positive tissues were also strongly positive for CD14, INF-gamma and TNF-alpha mRNA expression. In our in vitro study, iNOS expression was found only in cytokines (INF-gamma and TNF-alpha) stimulated monocytes/macrophages but not in lymphocytes and neutrophils. Normal renal tissues did not show any iNOS expression either at the mRNA level or at the protein level in this study. Clinical and histological data showed that decreased renal function and tubulointerstitial damage were greater in the iNOS expressing patients. This study demonstrates that there is some in vivo induction for iNOS expression, likely to be mediated by cytokines, for local NO production that might be involved in the initiation and/or progression of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Allelic loss of chromosome 16q in endometrial cancer: correlation with poor prognosis of patients and less differentiated histology.

Deletion of certain chromosomal regions can be demonstrated in malignant cells. Chromosome 16q is one of the regions where allelic loss is frequently detected in carcinoma of the breast and many other tumors, suggesting that gene(s) which retard tumor growth may exist here. To elucidate the clinicopathological significance of chromosome 16q, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was investigated using microsatellite polymorphism analysis in 58 patients with endometrial lesions (50 with endometrial carcinoma and 8 who had hyperplasia with or without atypia). When 11 regions of chromosome 16q were examined, LOH was found in 20 patients with carcinoma (40%) and none of the patients with hyperplasia. The tumors of 9 of the 20 patients (45%) showed total loss of 16q, while the others (55%) showed partial deletion. Tumors with LOH were histologically less differentiated than those without LOH (P = 0.038, chi2 test). Patients with tumors showing LOH of 16q had a worse prognosis than those without LOH according to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (P=0.0158, log-rank test). In addition, LOH of 16q showed a significant relationship to prognosis by Cox regression analysis. Deletion mapping of 16q demonstrated that two regions (16q22.1 and 16q22.2-23.1) were frequently involved. Patients with 16q22.1 LOH had a poorer prognosis than those with intact 16q22.1 (P=0.0003, log-rank test). These findings suggest that gene(s) of which defect is possibly related to the aggressiveness of endometrial cancer are localized on a limited region of 16q that includes 16q22.1.

Alleles↗

PubMed1996

Involvement of interleukin-4 and soluble CD23 in hypersynthesis of immunoglobulins A and E in patients with IgA nephropathy.

To determine the cytokines responsible for the increase in production of IgA in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the roles of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and soluble CD23 (sCD23) were examined. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum were obtained from 24 patients with IgAN and 14 patients with non-IgA proliferative glomerulonephritis. Twenty healthy adults served as controls. Concentrations of IgA and IgE in 10-day culture supernatants of PBMCs were measured by the sandwich ELISA method. Levels of sCD23 and activities of IL-4 in 4-day (96-hour) culture supernatants and serum were measured by ELISA and bioassay, respectively. Activities of IL-4 both in culture supernatants and serum were significantly elevated in patients with IgAN compared with controls (1.26 +/- 0.53 vs. 0.68 +/- 0.37 U/ml in culture supernatants, p < 0.05; 1.35 +/- 1.34 vs. 0.89 +/- 0.82 U/ml in serum, p < 0.05). Levels of sCD23 in IgAN patients' serum were also significantly elevated (521.7 +/- 514.9 vs. 173.0 +/- 166.2 U/ml, p < 0.01). In vitro IgA and IgE synthesis were suppressed by anti-IL-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) only when the antibody was added on the day when the culture was started (day 0). No suppression of IgA or IgE synthesis was observed when the antibody was added on day 4. IgE but not IgA synthesis was suppressed by anti-CD23 mAb when added on both days 0 and 4. Serum levels of IgE showed positive correlations with serum activities of IL-4 and with levels of serum sCD23. It is concluded that IL-4 and sCD23 might play decisive roles in in vitro and in vivo hyperproduction of IgA and IgE in patients with IgAN, and that sCD23 seemed to control IgE but not IgA synthesis through a unique pathway.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Mutation and allelic loss of the p53 gene in endometrial carcinoma. Incidence and outcome in 92 surgical patients.

BACKGROUND: Alterations of the p53 gene are involved in the development of diverse human malignancies, but their incidence and clinicopathologic features are still not well characterized for endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: To investigate the clinicopathologic significance of p53, mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in endometrial carcinoma in 92 patients with this disease were examined. RESULTS: Mutations of p53 were detected in 20 (22%) of the 92 patients with carcinoma, and LOH was detected in 23 (32%) of the 72 patients in whom heterozygosity of the gene was available. There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of mutation and LOH. Mutations and LOH were more frequent in patients with Grade 3 tumors than in those with Grades 1 and 2 tumors (P = 0.0498, P = 0.0051, respectively). Patients with LOH had a poorer postoperative survival than those without LOH (P = 0.0022, log-rank test), and patients with both LOH and mutation showed the worst prognosis (P < 0.0001, log rank test). Loss of heterozygosity of the p53 gene showed a significant relation to prognosis that was independent of tumor stage, histologic grade, and muscular invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Mutation and LOH of the p53 gene are prognostic indicators in patients with endometrial carcinoma, suggesting that alterations of p53 may play an important role in the development of this cancer.

Alleles↗

PubMed1995

Urinary albumin fragments as a new clinical parameter for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy.

Urinary albumin fragments (uAF) from patients with NIDDM were analyzed as a possible factor in the early discovery of diabetic nephropathy before emergence of microalbuminuria. SDS-PAGE and immunoblot assay were employed for detection of uAF. Samples from 252 patients with NIDDM, 158 patients with non-diabetic diseases, and 48 healthy volunteers were examined; uAF were detected in 139 (55.2%), 94 (59.5%), only one (2.1%), respectively. In diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria, uAF were detected in 48 out of 159 cases (30.2%). Two years after the initial study, 3 of the 17 diabetic patients (17.6%) with normoalbuminuria and uAF showed micro- or macroalbuminuria. It was concluded that detection of uAF might be useful for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy in NIDDM.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

A new flow cytometric method for quantitative assessment of lymphocyte mitogenic potentials.

A new flow cytometric method was developed to quantitatively assess lymphocyte proliferation simultaneously for different subsets. The cells were stained with a fluorescent dye, PKH-26 and were stimulated with mitogens. The fluorescence intensities (FL2) of proliferating cells were measured by flow cytometry; and each subset was identified by the use of a monoclonal antibody (Mab)-fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) (FL1). FL2 histograms were then analyzed by the cell proliferation model based on the ModFit software (Verity). This new method revealed information which could not be obtained by conventional mitogen assays. For example, the CD4+ and the CD4- T-subsets responded to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) quite differently from each other and it was indicated that activation of one population could significantly alter the response of the other. In addition, even within a subset, all activated cells did not proliferate uniformly. Some cells divided only once while others underwent further cellular division during the same time period. The method is, therefore, invaluable for studying the nature and the extent of interactions between different cellular subsets within a culture.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗