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Biomedical subjects

Nobuyuki Amino

Publications and source records attributed to Nobuyuki Amino.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Usefulness of thyroglobulin measurement in fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens for diagnosing cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

The diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer is an important factor when deciding to perform neck dissection at the initial surgery, as well as for evaluating the lymph node swelling after surgery. Ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNAB-C) is the most useful technique for diagnosing lymph node metastasis. Recently, however, measurement of thyroglobulin in the wash-out of the needle (FNAB-Tg) has been proposed for early detection of neck lymph node metastasis in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of FNAB-Tg in detecting lymph node metastasis prior to initial or reoperative thyroid surgery. US-guided FNAB-C was performed on 129 enlarged lymph nodes of 111 patients before surgery. All of them were later histologically confirmed to contain metastasis. Immediately after obtaining an FNAB-C specimen, the needle was rinsed with 0.5 ml of normal saline solution, and the wash-out was subjected to measurement of the Tg level (FNAB-Tg). If the FNAB-Tg level was higher than the serum Tg of the patient, we diagnosed the lymph node as positive (metastatic lymph node). FNAB-Tg sensitivity was 81.4%, and FNAB-C sensitivity was 78.0%. Altogether, 4 (36.4%) of 11 cases judged "benign" and 6 (37.5%) of 16 cases judged "inadequate" by FNAB-C were positive by the FNAB-Tg measurement. Thyroglobulin measurement in fine-needle aspiration biopsy wash-out is thus a useful technique for diagnosing lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer.

Biopsy, Fine-Needle↗
PubMed2005

Stretching exercises to reduce symptoms of postoperative neck discomfort after thyroid surgery: prospective randomized study.

Patients who undergo thyroid surgery frequently suffer from unpleasant symptoms such as a stretching, choking, or pressing feeling or discomfort in the neck for a long time. The usefulness of rehabilitation (i.e., a stretching exercise) for reducing these symptoms after surgery has never been studied. In the present study, attempts were made to evaluate the usefulness of the stretching exercise in reducing disagreeable postoperative symptoms in the patients who had undergone thyroid surgery. A total of 409 patients, including 234 thyroid cancer patients, were randomly divided into a stretching group (n = 204) and a control group (n = 205). Patients in the stretching group were instructed that the stretching exercise was to be performed three times a day beginning the morning following surgery. A questionnaire survey was performed before surgery and then 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Total symptom scores obtained from the questionnaire survey from the control group and the stretching group were compared. The use of analgesics was also investigated. Postoperative neck symptoms declined gradually over the course of a year, and the total symptom scores were significantly (p < 0.001) lower in the stretching group than in the control group at all points throughout the year (1 week, 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year). The mean requirement for the use of analgesics during hospitalization was significantly (p < 0.0001) less in the stretching group (1.6 +/- 2.3 tablets, mean +/- SD) than in the control group (3.1 +/- 3.8 tablets). The stretching exercise had effectively reduced postoperative neck symptoms and also reduced the use of analgesics after thyroid surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Favorable surgical results in 433 elderly patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has a good prognosis among patients younger than 45 years old, but the prognosis in elder is worse and treatment strategy is not well established. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features and outcomes of 433 patients with PTC aged 70 years or older. The patients consisted of three groups: group A (n = 327); patients receiving surgical treatment, group B (n = 51); patients with microcancer (maximal diameter, < or = 1.0 cm) who did not undergo surgical treatment, group C (n = 55); patients in whom surgery was contraindicated due to age, high surgical risk or complication by other illnesses. In group A, the mean tumor size was 2.6 +/- 1.5 cm, and 218 patients (66.7%) had pathologically confirmed lymph node metastasis; 110 patients (33.6%) had extrathyroidal invasion. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates (OSR) in group A were 97.2% and 85%, respectively, which was significantly higher than the 5-year OSR in group C (62.6%). The 5- and 10-year disease-specific survival rates (DSSR) in group A were 98.5% and 91.3%, respectively, which was also significantly higher than the 5-year DSSR in group C (81.8%). Although the patients in group B did not receive any treatment, none of them demonstrated cause-specific death or progression of disease. Papillary thyroid cancer in elderly patients, except for microcancers, may be biologically aggressive. Thus surgery is recommended for these patients, if their general status is judged able to tolerate the stress of anesthesia and surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Acute suppurative thyroiditis after fine-needle aspiration causing thyrotoxicosis.

A case of thyrotoxicosis caused by acute suppurative thyroiditis after repeated fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is described. A 39-year-old woman with atopic dermatitis showed rapid enlargement of a left thyroid cyst after a third FNA. She had a high fever, painful swelling of the left thyroid, and elevated thyroid hormone levels. Ultrasonography revealed abscess formation in the left thyroid cyst. The cytologic examination of an FNA specimen showed abundant neutrophils, and culture of the aspirate yielded Staphylococcus aureus. Because antibiotic treatment for 1 month failed to improve the inflammatory findings, the patient subsequently underwent left thyroid lobectomy, which resulted in the normalization of thyroid function and the resolution of inflammation. Thyroid infection had possibly been induced by needle-track seeding, because atopic skin favors colonization by S. aureus because of local immunologic deficiency. FNA is a useful and safe technique for aspirating fluid from thyroid cysts, but special care is required in patients with atopic dermatatis to avoid bacterial infection.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Successful use of iodine and levothyroxine to treat Graves' disease in a pregnant patient with allergy to antithyroid drugs and high thyrotropin-binding inhibitor immunoglobulin after radioiodine therapy.

High titer of thyrotropin-binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) in patients with Graves' disease can cause fetal hyperthyroidism during pregnancy. Prevention of fetal hyperthyroidism by administration of antithyroid drug (ATD) and levothyroxine (LT(4)) to pregnant patients who previously received ablative therapy has been reported. We administered iodine and LT(4) to a patient during gestation, because she had a severe adverse reaction to ATD. Although gestation proceeded normally, the infant showed transient neonatal hyperthyroidism right after birth. We believe that the fetus would have developed hyperthyroidism if we had not administered iodine to the mother. Administration of iodine and LT(4) to a pregnant patient with Graves' disease showing a high TBII after ablative therapy should be considered in rare patients with allergy to ATD.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Successful treatment for recurrent painful Hashimoto's thyroiditis by total thyroidectomy.

Painful Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an atypical variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis characterized by thyroid pain and fever. In patients with this condition, anti-inflammatory agents are not always effective as in those with subacute thyroiditis. Therefore, long-term pain management is an important issue. We report herein four cases of painful Hashimoto's thyroiditis requiring total thyroidectomy to relieve thyroid pain and histologic findings of the thyroid gland. All patients had high titers of anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin antibodies. Three were hypothyroid, and the other was euthyroid. During the first visit, four patients had fever and/or thyroid pain with elevated C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and they were treated with oral corticosteroids given continuously or intermittently for 9 to 48 months. Because a reduction or discontinuation of corticosteroids caused recurrent painful attacks, the decision was made to perform surgery. After total thyroidectomy, their symptoms disappeared. The histopathologic characteristics of these hypothyroid cases were advanced fibrosis and destructive thyroid architecture. One euthyroid case showed a mild fibrous change and the presence of foreign body type giant cells. In conclusion, total thyroidectomy is the effective and reliable treatment for patients with recurrent painful Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Pathologic characteristics include advanced fibrosis and destructive thyroid architecture.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Fetal cell carcinogenesis: a new hypothesis for better understanding of thyroid carcinoma.

Modern advances in molecular technology have given us the chance to establish a new insight into thyroid carcinogenesis. Gene expression in thyroid malignancies usually reveals highly consistent profiles, which leads to questioning of the classic concept of multistep carcinogenesis, in which cancer cells are produced from well-differentiated benign cells by transformation caused by accumulating damage to their genome. We propose a novel hypothesis of thyroid carcinogenesis, the fetal cell carcinogenesis hypothesis, in which cancer cells are derived from the remnants of three types of fetal thyroid cells, instead of normal thyroid follicular cells. This hypothesis explains well the clinical and biologic features and recent molecular evidence of thyroid carcinoma. It suggests the importance of clarifying the molecular mechanism of thyroid development and the identification of fetal thyroid cells, especially thyroid stem cells (TSCs), because such data will lead to better understanding of thyroid carcinogenesis and thyroid regeneration.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Transcutaneous iodine absorption in adult patients with thyroid cancer disinfected with povidone-iodine at operation.

Povidone-iodine is used as disinfection in patients undergoing many kinds of operations. Several cases of thyroid dysfunction induced by transcutaneous absorption of povidone-iodine have been reported in small infants. However, transcutaneous absorption was not clearly reported in adults. The aim of this study was to assess transcutaneous absorption of iodine in patients who received single topical application with povidoneiodine and serial changes of urinary iodine excretion under the condition with a simple iodine-restricted diet in Japan, an iodine-sufficient area. Sixty-eight patients with thyroid carcinoma undergoing total thyroidectomy received single skin disinfection with either povidone-iodine (group A; n = 47) or chlohexidine gluconate, a noniodine containing biguanide (group B; n = 21). In group A, urinary iodine excretion on the first day after operation increased up to 7 times that of the preoperative value. The amounts of urinary iodine correlated positively with operating time. Increased urinary iodine, however, returned to preoperative values on the third or fifth day after operation. In group B, there was no increase in urinary iodine excretion and urinary iodine excretion was ranged from 54 to 193 microg/g of creatinine on the third day of operation. In conclusion, a large amount of povidone-iodine was absorbed through healthy skin even in adults. This may possibly interfere with scintigraphy or radioactive iodine treatment, or cause thyroid disinfection in susceptible patients.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed2005

Detection by radioligand assay of antibodies against Borna disease virus in patients with various psychiatric disorders.

Using a radioligand assay, which preserves the natural form of the antigen, antibodies against Borna disease virus nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein were detected in 11 and 19 sera of 171 psychiatric patients, respectively. Compared with results by Western blotting, three and nine sera were concordantly positive, respectively. The four sera showing the highest levels of antibodies by radioligand assay were all negative by Western blotting; however, dilution and inhibition tests supported the positive results. Our results suggest the importance of conformational structure to detect human anti-Borna disease virus antibodies.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed2005

Reevaluation of stringent low iodine diet in outpatient preparation for radioiodine examination and therapy.

To decrease total body iodine is a key point in preparation for radioiodine study and therapy. We introduced a stringent self-managed low iodine diet (LID) and compared the outcome to that of the conventional restricted iodine diet (RID) for outpatients. We measured urine iodine to creatinine ratios (I/Cr) in patients prepared with RID for one week, LID for one week, or LID for two weeks. Mean urinary iodine excretion after RID for one week (n = 210) was 182.2 microg/gCr (range, 13-986 microg/gCr; standard deviation (SD) = 158.5) not reaching below the recommended level (I/Cr<100 microg/gCr). Urinary iodine excretion after LID for one week (n = 15) showed a lower mean urinary iodine level (I/Cr 119.4 microg/gCr; range, 23-218 microg/gCr; SD = 55.9) than RID for one-week, and two-week LID (n = 17) showed an even lower mean level (I/Cr 63.1 microg/gCr; range, 7-134 microg/gCr; SD = 38.7). The one-week LID period adequately (recommended level of I/Cr being less than 100 microg/gCr) prepared 26% of the patients, while two-weeks on the diet adequately prepared 70% of the patients. Furthermore, none of the two-week LID patients had I/Cr>150 microg/gCr, although a significantly greater number of one-week LID patients (19%) did. Our self-managed, outpatient LID successfully induced iodine deficiency, and two-week LID may be recommended for preparation in radioiodine study and therapy for thyroid cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Usefulness of the 2nd generation assay for anti-TSH receptor antibodies to differentiate relapse of Graves' thyrotoxicosis from development of painless thyroiditis after antithyroid drug treatment for Graves' disease.

After antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment for Graves' disease, either a relapse of Graves' thyrotoxicosis or painless thyroiditis can develop. It is important to differentiate these two types of thyrotoxicosis because of the difference in required therapy. However, differentiation of thyrotoxicosis is usually difficult without radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) which is not available in general practice. We investigated the clinical usefulness of the 2nd generation assay for anti-TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) to differentiate these two types of thyrotoxicosis after ATD treatment for Graves' disease. We recruited 26 patients who developed thyrotoxicosis after ATD treatment for Graves' disease. These patients once became negative for TRAb and seemed to be in remission after ATD treatment. Upon development of thyrotoxicosis after ATD treatment, TSH, free T4, free T3 and TRAb were measured. TRAb were measured by the 2nd generation assay using recombinant human TSH receptors instead of porcine TSH receptors. Fourteen patients relapsed into Graves' thyrotoxicosis and 12 patients developed painless thyroiditis. Twelve (85.7%) of 14 patients with relapse of Graves' thyrotoxicosis were positive for TRAb. Eleven (91.7%) of 12 patients with development of painless thyroiditis after ATD treatment for Graves' disease were negative for TRAb. Levels of TRAb were significantly different between patients with relapse of Graves' thyrotoxicosis (4.86 +/- 6.45 IU/L) and those with painless thyroiditis (0.62 +/- 0.61 IU/L) (P<0.001). The 2nd generation assay for TRAb was useful to differentiate relapse of Graves' thyrotoxicosis from development of painless thyroiditis in patients who seemed to be in remission after ATD treatment for Graves' disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Ratio of serum free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine in Graves' hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis caused by painless thyroiditis.

The serum T3 to T4 ratio is a useful indicator for differentiating destruction-induced thyrotoxicosis from Graves' thyrotoxicosis. However, the usefulness of the serum free T3 (FT3) to free T4 (FT4) ratio is controversial. We therefore systematically evaluated the usefulness of this ratio, based on measurements made using two widely available commercial kits in two hospitals. Eighty-two untreated patients with thyrotoxicosis (48 patients with Graves' disease and 34 patients with painless thyroiditis) were examined in Kuma Hospital, and 218 patients (126 with Graves' disease and 92 with painless thyroiditis) and 66 normal controls were examined in Ito Hospital. The FT3 and FT4 values, as well as the FT3/FT4 ratios, were significantly higher in the patients with Graves' disease than in those with painless thyroiditis in both hospitals, but considerable overlap between the two disorders was observed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the FT3 and FT4 values and the FT3/FT4 ratios of patients with Graves' disease and those with painless thyroiditis seen in both hospitals were prepared, and the area under the curves (AUC), the cut-off points for discriminating Graves' disease from painless thyroiditis, the sensitivity, and the specificity were calculated. AUC and sensitivity of the FT(3)/FT(4) ratio were smaller than those of FT(3) and FT(4) in both hospitals. The patients treated at Ito hospital were then divided into 4 groups according to their FT4 levels (A: < or =2.3, B: >2.3 approximately < or =3.9, C: 3.9 approximately < or =5.4, D: >5.4 ng/dl), and the AUC, cut-off points, sensitivity, and specificity of the FT(3)/FT(4) ratios were calculated. The AUC and sensitivity of each group increased with the FT4 levels (AUC: 57.8%, 72.1%, 91.1%, and 93.4%, respectively; sensitivity: 62.6%, 50.0%, 77.8%, and 97.0%, respectively). The means +/- SE of the FT3/FT4 ratio in the Graves' disease groups were 3.1 +/- 0.22, 3.1 +/- 0.09, 3.2 +/- 0.06, and 3.1 +/- 0.07, respectively, versus 2.9 +/- 0.1, 2.6 +/- 0.07, 2.5 +/- 0.12, and 2.3 +/- 0.15, respectively, in the painless thyroiditis groups. In the painless thyroiditis patients, the difference in the FT3/FT4 ratio between group A and group D was significant (p<0.05). Thus, the FT3/FT4 ratio in patients with Graves' disease likely remains unchanged as the FT4 level rises, whereas this ratio decreases as the FT4 level rises in patients with painless thyroiditis. In conclusion, the FT3/FT4 ratios of patients with painless thyroiditis overlapped with those of patients with Graves' disease. However, this ratio was useful for differentiating between these two disorders when the FT4 values were high.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Effect of high dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy followed by oral prednisolone administration on the production of anti-TSH receptor antibodies and clinical outcome in Graves' disease.

Little is known about the immunosuppressive effect of glucocorticoids on TSH receptor antibodies. We observed the long-term prognosis and serum TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) levels in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy who had received intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy (pulse therapy) followed by oral prednisolone administration in order to ascertain how long the immunosuppressive effect of glucocorticoids continued. This is the first report on the effect of pulse therapy on Graves' disease outcome. We observed 67 patients who were treated by antithyroid drugs (ATD) alone for 2 years after pulse therapy. TBII was evaluated before and 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after pulse therapy. The mean TBII decreased significantly 3 months after pulse therapy (p<0.001), and was maintained until 24 months. There were 24 patients whose TBII was positive (>15%) at 24 months, in whom the mean TBII decreased significantly 3 to 6 months after pulse therapy (p<0.001), but increased again at 12 to 24 months (p<0.05). Thus, the immunosuppressive effect of glucocorticoids may be lost at 12 months after pulse therapy in these patients. The remission rate in the pulse therapy group was 40.98%, and that of the control patient group was 48.57%. There was no significant difference between the two. These results suggest that the immunosuppressive effect of pulse therapy was temporary, and that pulse therapy did not increase remission rate of Graves' disease.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

Detection of monoclonality of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene in thyroid malignant lymphoma by vectorette polymerase chain reaction.

Distinguishing between thyroid malignant lymphoma and lymphocytic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) is quite difficult and problematic. B cell lymphomas display clonal Ig heavy-chain (IgH) gene rearrangement, and Southern blot hybridization (SBH) is often used for detection of the monoclonality of the IgH gene. However, SBH is often problematic because it requires a large volume of samples. We examined the efficiency in detecting the monoclonality of IgH gene in thyroid malignant lymphomas by vectorette PCR, which we started with only 200 ng of genomic DNA. Monoclonality was detected in 36 of 47 (76.6%) malignant lymphomas, whereas it was not detected in 10 samples of tissue of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The sensitivity was almost the same as that with SBH in which monoclonality was detected in 33 of 45 (73.3%) malignant lymphomas. These results suggest that vectorette PCR may be a substitute for SBH, and because it requires only a small volume of samples, it may be used in the analysis of aspiration biopsies.

Base Sequence↗