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Biomedical subjects

R Watanabe

Publications and source records attributed to R Watanabe.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Diffuse cerebrospinal gliomatosis mimicking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We present a case in which the clinical manifestations mimicked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the pathological findings showed diffuse cerebrospinal gliomatosis. Diffuse cerebrospinal gliomatosis may be disguised as ALS when it predominantly involves the spinal cord and brain stem, and may not be easily differentiated from ALS. Therefore, diffuse cerebrospinal gliomatosis should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of ALS.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

Origin of brain 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase doublet.

The present study established that 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase doublet common to mammalian brain originates from an alternative splicing. Peptides specific to the predicted larger translation product were synthesized and antisera against these peptides were prepared. Immunostaining of SDS/PAGE blots showed that the antisera react with the larger protein, but not with the smaller protein, of 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase doublet in all mammals studied.

2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases↗

Postoperative osteomyelitis due to Mycobacterium fortuitum. A case report.

A rare case of osteomyelitis of the tibia caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum which developed after closed intramedullary Küntscher nail fixation is reported. After extraction of the nail, combination therapy with antituberculous drugs, ofloxacin, and interleukin 2 was undertaken and bony union was achieved. Since a bone cyst formed during union, curettage and conventional cancellous bone grafting were performed. The patient is now pain-free even with prolonged weight-bearing. The success of treatment in this case is in contrast to other reports of the disease.

Adolescent↗

A case of neutrophilic dermatosis (ND) complicated by cryofibrinogenemia (CFGN) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

A case of neutrophilic dermatosis (ND) complicated by cryofibrinogenemia (CFGN) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is reported. Although the patient presented pancytopenia, the skin lesions were compatible with those of ND from the clinical and histopathological findings. Further, immunofluorescence technique revealed cryofibrinogen (CFG) deposits on the walls of the blood vessels in the skin lesion, and a high titer of CFG components was disclosed in the patient's peripheral blood. In this case, CFGN may have been associated with MDS; hence CFG deposits probably played a role, at least in part, in the skin lesion formation. This is probably the first case of ND complicated by CFGN. And careful examination of an underlying disease is recommended in association with ND and/or CFGN.

Cryoglobulins↗

[The effect of intra-urethral catheter for prostatic hypertrophy patients who are unfit for operation and suffer from urinary retention].

The effect of double Malecot type polyurethane intraurethral catheter (IUC) was examined in 17 benign prostatic hypertrophy patients who were unfit for operation and suffered from urinary retention. Patients were aged 68 to 90 (mean 80.5) years old and the causes of IUC insertion were cardiac, cerebrovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes mellitus and aging. IUC was selected among three types (55, 60, 65 mm) according to the length of prostatic urethra. Insertion of IUC was carried out easily under fluoroscopic guidance without endoscopy. All patients could void by themselves just after insertion of IUC and the longest indwelling period was 10 months. The length of IUC need not be longer than that of prostatic urethra and patients with normal or hypertonic bladder could void better than those with atonic bladder. Urinary tract infection did not get worse in any patients with indwelling IUC. Double Malecot type polyurethane IUC is a safe and an effective alternative method in place of urethral balloon catheter for inoperable prostatic hypertrophy patients in urinary retention.

Aged↗

Transmission of SIVMne from female to male Macaca nemestrina.

Three SIVMne-infected female pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were mated with two SIV-negative males. The females exhibited signs of SAIDS and SIVMne was readily isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Both males became infected with SIVMne, developed SAIDS, and died. This is the first documented case of the transmission of SIVMne between adult macaques housed together. Although transmission through scratching or biting cannot be ruled out, heterosexual transmission appears the most likely mode of SIVMne transmission in this study.

Animals↗

[The pattern of neurological deterioration and the mechanism of neurological deficit in syringomyelia].

Sixty-five cases of syringomyelia were evaluated. The cases were classified into two groups: group 1 (56 cases) was patients who presented with hind-brain related syringomyelia and group 2 (9 cases) was patients who presented with primary spinal syringomyelia. Group 1 was further divided into two subgroups, group 1a and group 1b: group 1a (46 cases) consisted of patients with hind-brain related syringomyelia without basal arachnoiditis and group 1b (10 cases) consisted of patients with hind-brain related syringomyelia with basal arachnoiditis. The most common initial symptom of group 1a patients was abnormal motor function of an upper limb (14 cases), followed by pain in an upper limb (12 cases), and dissociated sensory loss (10 cases). In group 1b, motor symptoms of an upper limb were also the most common initial symptom, again followed by pain in an upper limb. Paraplegia was the most common initial symptom in group 2. About 80% of patients in groups 1a and 1b had both sensory and motor deficits at the time of examination and the majority of group 1b patients also had brain stem signs and/or pain. Brain stem signs were not commonly seen in group 1a patients, however. The neurologic deficits of group 1b patients were generally more severe than those of group 1a patients. Most group 2 patients also had sensory and motor deficits of both lower limbs. The progression of neurological deficits in groups 1a and 1b was classified into four stages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Interferon therapy of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura].

The authors evaluated the efficacy of a daily administration of recombinant human alpha 2a interferon (IFN), given at a dose of 300MU for 12 consecutive days, in patients with steroid-nonresponsive or -dependent idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Nine patients received courses of IFN therapy. Mean platelet counts rose from 1.39 to 10.9 x 10(4)/microliters and PAIgG decreased from 151.7 to 59.7 ng/10(7) cells. The maximum rise in platelet counts occurred from 10 to 42 days (mean 19.1) after the initiation of IFN. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 3 of 13 courses (23.1%), and partial response (PR) in 8 (61.5%). One CR case continued for longer than 20 months without further treatment, but intermittent IFN therapy was necessary for the other. The increment of the platelet counts was transient in all of the partial responders. No severe side effect requiring interruption of the course of IFN was experienced. Both serum IgG and PAIgG significantly correlated with the increment of platelet counts, therefore the mechanism of IFN on ITP was presumed to be associated with the inhibition of autoantibody production. Daily administration of IFN appears to be an effective and safe treatment protocol for refractory ITP.

Adult↗

[Successful low-dose etoposide therapy for a case of myelofibrosis with chronic myelogenous leukemia megakaryocytic predominance type].

A 38-year-old woman presented with ear pain and vertigo. No hepatosplenomegaly or lymphadenopathy were found, but her platelet counts markedly rose to 414 x 10(4)/microliters with an increase of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow (859/microliters). Cytogenetic assay revealed positive Ph1 chromosome and rearrangement of the break point cluster region (bcr). Although platelet counts remained under 100 x 10(4)/microliters after the administration of carboquone, a high fever and pancytopenia appeared 31 months later. Bone marrow biopsy showed marked myelofibrosis which was improved by low dose etoposide. This case was thought to be Ph1 positive ET, but it was more compatible with CML megakaryocytic predominance type according to the newly proposed "Hannover criteria for myeloproliferative disorders" and cytogenetic assay.

Adult↗

Neurovirulence of six different murine coronavirus JHMV variants for rats.

Six variant viruses of the JHMV strain of murine coronavirus with large (cl-2, CNSV, DL and DS) or small (sp-4 and JHM-X) S proteins were compared in terms of their relative neurovirulence in weanling Lewis rats. Inoculation of various doses of the variants revealed that the cl-2 and CNSV were highly virulent and DL and DS were low-virulent, while sp-4 and JHM-X were avirulent. Pathological examination of rats infected with variants cl-2, DL and sp-4 showed that the cl-2 and DL induced severe and mild acute encephalomyelitis, respectively, while no lesions were observed in the central nervous system of rats infected with sp-4. Virus growth and distribution of antigen in rat brains correlated strongly with neurovirulence. These results suggest that S protein plays a role in neurovirulence in rats. In addition, these variant viruses were shown to be useful tools for further analysis of JHMV neurovirulence in animals as well as in cultured cells.

Animals↗

Abnormal gene expressions of stroma cells in patients with tuberous sclerosis.

The characteristics of stroma cells in tissues and the cloned cells, which derived from adenomata sebacea in the skin of patients with tuberous sclerosis, were investigated using histochemical, biochemical, flow cytofluorometric, electron microscopic, and immunofluorescent techniques, and the following results were obtained: 1. The stroma cells from adenoma sebaceum show a distinct pleomorphism. 2. They reveal glial cell-like gene expressions rather than fibroblastic ones in both tissue and cultured condition. 3. In culture their DNA histograms show abnormal patterns, suggesting the presence of nuclei that contain unequal quantities of DNA. 4. Some of these cells show distinct chromosome disarrangement in metaphase followed by abnormal divisions indicating the presence of a functional defect in the "centromere-microtubule-centriole" system. 5. It is characteristic that even in the cloned cells some changes spontaneously occur in the growth and differentiation of cells with an unstable frequency.

Adenoma↗