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Biomedical subjects

R Sasaki

Publications and source records attributed to R Sasaki.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Epidemiological and clinical features of Budd-Chiari syndrome in Japan.

The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare Research Committee on Aberrant Portal Blood Flow carried out an epidemiological survey and clinical study on Budd-Chiari syndrome in 1990. In the primary survey for determining the prevalence of the disease, a questionnaire was sent to all major hospitals throughout Japan and 160 cases seen in 1989 were compiled. More epidemiological details were obtained in 87 of these 160 cases. The number of patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome in this country was estimated to be about 300 (prevalence of 2.4/million) with about 20 new cases occurring every year. In the clinical study, 157 authentic cases of Budd-Chiari syndrome studied in 15 years (1975-89) were analyzed. There were 87 males (average age, 36.4 years) and 70 females (46.5 years), and the average period from the likely onset to the first medical consultation was 6.6 years, suggesting that these patients were mostly chronic cases. The main clinical features were hepatomegaly, leg edema, ascites and venous dilatation over the trunk. Abdominal pain was recorded in only four (2.5%). There were 16 (10.2%) with known identifiable etiologies. Of the patients 93% showed an obstructing lesion of various thickness in the hepatic portion of the inferior vena cava. Only nine (5.7%) had hepatic vein obstruction without caval lesions. Thus, the majority of Budd-Chiari syndrome patients in Japan are idiopathic, having an obstructing lesion in the inferior vena cava. The main causes of 33 deaths (21%) were liver failure, variceal bleeding and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma occurred in 10 (6.4%) in the 15-year period. However, the incidence of Budd-Chiari syndrome among all cases of hepatocellular carcinoma was less than 1% in the survey made by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: colonization and development of infection in patients with haematological disorders.

A retrospective study of 53 patients with haematological disorders whose bacterial cultures were positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was performed to analyse the risk factors for MRSA infection, and the prognostic factors. Sixteen patients showed colonization by MRSA but never developed infection(C), 16 showed colonization and subsequent infection(C-I), while 21 had MRSA infection at the time of first culture (I). Poor performance status, thrombocytopenia, increased serum urea nitrogen and decreased serum cholinesterase were more prominent in (I) than (C) + (C-I). The risk factors associated with the development of infection from colonization were age and serum cholinesterase. In addition, lower respiratory tract infection as a type of infection, non-remission status of the haematological malignancy and an inappropriate antibiotic therapy were associated with a poor prognosis for MRSA infection.

Blood Urea Nitrogen↗
PubMed1995

Potentiation of the antihypertensive activity of orally administered ovokinin, a vasorelaxing peptide derived from ovalbumin, by emulsification in egg phosphatidylcholine.

Ovokinin, a vasorelaxing octapeptide derived from ovalbumin, significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) when orally administered as an emulsion in 30% egg yolk at a dose of 25 mg/kg, this effect being larger than that of the peptide administered as a solution at a dose of 100 mg/kg. Egg phospholipid, especially phosphatidylcholine, showed essentially the same effect as egg yolk. However, egg neutral lipid was ineffective. Soybean phospholipid was less effective than egg phospholipid in potentiating the antihypertensive activity of ovokinin.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1995

[Geographical epidemiologic studies on factors associated with centenarians in Japan].

To explore factors associated with longevity, we studied geographic distribution of centenarians in Japan, based on 1990 the population census. We calculated the proportion of centenarians from ratio of number of centenarian to that of population aged 65 years or older. Centenarians in Japan consisted of number 4,152 persons. By prefecture, Tokyo had the most centenarians (383), followed by Okinawa (193) and Fukuoka (151) prefectures. Fukui had the least (24), followed by Akita (26) and Ishikawa (29) prefectures. The proportion of centenarians in Japan was 21.6 (per 100,000 populations) in 1990. By prefecture, the highest proportion lived in Okinawa (133.8), whereas the fewest were found in Akita (8.9). The relationship between geographic distribution of centenarians and environmental factors and nutritional factors were analyzed. Correlation coefficients between proportion of centenarians and mean temperature, high quality of welfare work and of medical services, and having much leisure time were positively significant. As for nutritional factor, correlation coefficients between proportion of centenarians and protein (% of energy) was positively significant, while intake of total energy was negatively significant.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[A case of adrenal angiosarcoma].

A 62-year-old male with slight fever, anorexia and easy fatigability was found to have a tumor in the left adrenal gland by computed tomogram of abdomen. Further study of angiogram suggesting neoplasm of the left adrenal gland, eventually he was underwent surgical extirpation. Histological study, combined with immunohistochemical staining, revealed that the tumor measuring 8 x 4 x 6 cm was an angiosarcoma. The patient died of pulmonary dysfunction 42 days after the operation. Autopsy was not done. In the literature, 7 cases of adrenal angiosarcoma have been reported; ours is the 8th case.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Sonographic findings in muscle strain injury: clinical and MR imaging correlation.

Both sonography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed in 57 patients with clinically suspected strain injury in lower extremity muscles. Sonography demonstrated normal findings in nine patients (16%), hyperechoic infiltration in 31 patients (54%), mass in nine patients (16%), and compound lesions of infiltration and mass in eight patients (14%). Clinically grade 2 lesions ranged from small infiltration to large compound lesions on both sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Hyperechoic infiltration was not demonstrated on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and with less than 50% cross-sectional muscle involvement. The mass and compound lesions were ascertained to be moderate or severe injury because the masses of the lesions had obvious hemorrhage or hematoma on magnetic resonance images.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[A case of optic neuropathy, recurrent transverse myelopathy and hypertrophic pachymeningitis associated with perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA)].

A 77-year-old woman developed recurrent transverse myelopathy of the thoracic cord about a year after acute retrobulbar optic neuropathy on the left. Neurological examination revealed paraplegia, total sensory loss down from the level of the sixth thoracic cord and sphincteric disturbances. Her clinical features resembled multiple sclerosis, but magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord revealed no evidence of demyelination or inflammation. MRI of the brain showed the tentorium cerebelli on the right of low signal in T1- and T2-weighted images with marked enhancement by gadolinium, indicating pachymeningitis. Characteristically, perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) together with antinuclear antibody was positive, whereas lupus anticoagulant and anti-cardiolipin antibody were negative. A high dose of corticosteroid including pulse therapy did not improve her symptoms. In the present case, the optic neuropathy, recurrent transverse myelopathy and hypertrophic pachymeningitis may have been caused by some common inflammatory processes related with p-ANCA.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[A case of late-onset tethered cord syndrome presenting with spastic paraparesis].

We report a patient with late-onset tethered cord syndrome who presented with slowly progressive spastic paraparesis. Final diagnosis was made with spinal MRI. A 55-year-old man developed disturbance in gait at 52 years. He had severe congenital scoliosis of the thoracic spine and skin anomaly and hypertrichosis in the midline of the sacral region. His feet revealed pes equinovarus and pes cavus. Deep tendon reflexes in the lower extremities were hyperactive with positive Babinski signs. Vibration sense was diminished in the lower extremities. He had sexual impotence but no vesical or rectal disturbances. The plain X-rays revealed scoliosis at the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae, multiple costal fusion from the fourth through the eighth ribs on the left, and spina bifida occulta at the lumbosacral vertebrae. On MRI, the conus was tethered downward at the level between the forth and fifth vertebral bodies, and a thickened filum terminale connected the conus with a coccygeal cyst. Tethered cord syndrome, though rare in adults, should be differentiated from other diseases which produce late-onset spastic paraparesis, and MRI of the lumbo-sacral region is very useful for its diagnosis.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1995

[Evaluation of sinoatrial conduction by the initial potential of the P wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram].

We investigated whether sinoatrial conduction can be evaluated by the initial potential (IP) on the P wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram (PSAE). We studied 61 patients who underwent electrophysiologic study. Programmed stimulation was performed to obtain the sinoatrial conduction time (SACT) and the maximal sinus node recovery time (SRTmax). The root mean square voltages for the initial 10 and 20 msec of the filtered P waves (IP10 and IP20) were calculated based on PSAE. The association between IP10 and IP20 with SACT or SRTmax was analyzed by linear regression analysis. The reduction of IP10 or IP20 was negatively correlated with the prolongation of SACT, but was not correlated with the prolongation of SRTmax. Our findings showed that IP on the PSAE can be used to estimate the status of sinoatrial conduction.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1995

[Biochemical markers of multiple myeloma].

Biochemical markers of multiple myeloma (MM) including beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2MG), C-reactive protein, neopterin, fibronectin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), thymidine kinase, connective tissue components, osteocalcin, amylase, etc. are reviewed. To date, no reliable biochemical markers have been reported for the diagnosis of MM. beta 2MG and LDH are widely used to predict the prognosis of the patients with MM. The value of other parameters is however, controversial. The cytochemical diagnosis of MM, using acid phosphatase, beta-glucronidase and lysozyme are also mentioned. Furthermore, the significance of the assay of various hormones, ammonia, cobalamin and electrolytes in MM are discussed.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1995

[The relationship between serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels and factors associated with cardiovascular diseases: a cross-sectional study in Japan].

To explore the relationship between serum DHEAS levels and blood pressure, obesity, smoking habits and drinking habits associated with onset of cardiovascular disease, we examined serum DHEAS levels in 90 males and 183 females, aged 35 to 62 years, who participated in a mass health examination conducted in a town of Aichi prefecture in 1992. The results were as follows. 1. Serum DHEAS levels were significantly higher in males than in females and decreased with age both sexes. 2. Age-adjusted serum DHEAS levels for both sexes decreased with blood pressure and BMI. 3. There were no apparent significance between age-adjusted serum DHEAS levels and smoking habits, whereas age-adjusted serum DHEAS levels were higher in groups of intake of ethanol volume 1-29 g/day than in the groups of intake of more than and less than ethanol volume 1-29 g/day. 4. Age-adjusted serum DHEAS levels were significantly decreased with the rise of sum of factors chosen as risk factor of cardiovascular disease disease in this study. It was suggested that serum DHEAS levels might be useful as an index of accumulation of risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Further studies should be performed to establish the possibilities as an index of genesis and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[The utility of body surface isochrone mapping of recovery time in diagnosing effort angina].

Myocardial ischemia is characterized by ST depression on a standard electrocardiogram caused by shortening of the action potential duration (APD). We investigated whether shortening of the APD can be used as a screening criterion, in place of ST depression, to diagnose effort angina. Estimation of APD was made based on recovery time (RT) on a 16-lead system signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAE). RT was defined as the interval between the onset of the QRS complex and the maximum positive value during the T wave of SAE. The values of RT measured at each lead were plotted on a graph to produce an electrocardiographic isochrone map. RT were significantly shortened in all electrocardiographic leads in patients with effort angina. Shortening in RT was especially marked in the right precordal leads and was shown to be a highly specific criterion for screening effort angina.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Retinoic acid up-regulates erythropoietin production in hepatoma cells and in vitamin A-depleted rats.

Retinoic acid (RA) stimulated the production of erythropoietin (Epo) in a human hepatoma cell line, HepG2 cells. The stimulation was due to the accumulation of Epo mRNA. The Epo production in HepG2 cells was also dependent on O2 tension for cell culture but the enhancement of Epo production by RA was independent of O2 tension, indicating that RA exerts its effect through a pathway different from O2. Oral administration of RA to the vitamin A-depleted rats elevated the concentration of Epo in serum. These results suggest that RA up-regulates EPO production in vivo as well as in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A novel site of erythropoietin production. Oxygen-dependent production in cultured rat astrocytes.

It has been shown that neurons express erythropoietin (Epo) receptor, but the production of Epo protein in neural tissues has not been demonstrated. Cerebral cells of rat fetuses were cultured, and Epo in the spent medium was measured with an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Production of the immunoreactive Epo was dependent on O2 tension for cell culture; hypoxia enhanced the production. The immunoreactive Epo purified from the spent medium stimulated the growth of Epo-dependent myeloid cells and formation of fetal liver erythroid colonies. These biological activities were completely inhibited by the anti-Epo antiserum and the extracellular domain of the Epo receptor capable of binding with Epo. When brain Epo was compared with serum Epo, brain Epo was smaller in size and more active in vitro at low ligand concentrations. These differences appear to be caused by the different extent of sialylation. Analyses with the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method indicated that the regulation of Epo production by oxygen operates at the level of its mRNA. Immunochemical staining of the immortalized clonal cells revealed that astrocytes produced brain Epo. These results provide a novel site of Epo production and suggest that Epo acts on neurons in a paracrine fashion.

Animals↗