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Biomedical subjects

S Abe

Publications and source records attributed to S Abe.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Augmented ability of spleen cells to produce interferons and prevention from lethal infection of herpes simplex virus in mice orally treated with Enterococcus faecalis preparation, FK-23].

Effects of the oral or intraperitoneal administration of an Enterococcus preparation, FK-23, to mice on the interferon (IFN) production by their spleen cells and on the host defense against the infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 were examined. Spleen cells were obtained from the mice intraperitoneally treated with cyclophosphamide (CY) and subsequently orally administered FK-23 preparation, and then cultured with phytohemagglutinin-P or bacterial lipopolysaccharide in vitro. They produced higher titers IFN than those obtained from control mice which were not treated with the FK-23 preparation. The IFN activity was neutralized mainly by antiIFN-beta antibody. Correspondingly, oral (5 mg/mouse) or intraperitoneal (1 mg/mouse) administration of the FK-23 preparation protected some of the CY-pretreated mice from death by HSV-1 infection.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1996

Optimal dose of enterococcal preparation (FK-23) supplemented perorally for stimulation of leukocyte reconstitution in dogs treated with cyclophosphamide.

Optimal doses of orally supplemented heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 preparation (FK-23) were evaluated in dogs treated with cyclophosphamide (CY). Leukocyte reconstitution was stimulated by the supplement of 100 mg/kg of FK-23 through an induction of neutrophilia, and the treatment of 10 mg/kg of FK-23 induced mild neutrophilia in dogs tested. However, the reconstitution was not stimulated by the treatment of 200 or 400 mg/kg of the drug. Although the effects of FK-23 appeared to be milder than those of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF), there was no significant difference in the leukocyte reconstitution between the two substances. An appropriate dose of FK-23 is 100 mg/kg for augmentation of leukocyte reconstituting capacity in dogs treated with CY.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1996

Decreased contents of surfactant proteins A and D in BAL fluids of healthy smokers.

Hydrophilic surfactant proteins, surfactant protein A (SP-A) and surfactant protein D (SP-D), have important roles in modulating the host defense functions in the peripheral airways. It has been reported that cigarette smoke may alter the component and function of pulmonary surfactant. In this study, we determined the contents of SP-A and SP-D in BAL fluids of healthy smokers and nonsmokers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies against each protein. The contents of SP-A and SP-D in BAL fluids were significantly (p<0.05) decreased in smokers compared to those in nonsmokers, although there was no significant difference of total phospholipid content between smokers and nonsmokers. These results suggest that the decreased levels of SP-A and SP-D in smokers may impair the host defense functions of surfactant in the peripheral airways and might have a crucial roles in the development of chronic obstructive lung disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Impaired hyperemic response of forearm vessels in patients with coronary artery disease. A non-invasive evaluation.

The blood flow velocity of the right brachial artery was measured noninvasively by pulsed Doppler flowmetry in 50 patients with angina pectoris. Reactive hyperemia was induced by a 2-minute occlusion of the artery by a tourniquet. We assessed the peak velocity ratio (PVR) and 50% recovery time (RT) which were defined as the ratio of maximal to baseline systolic peak velocity and as the interval from the resumption of arterial flow to 50% decline of the increased systolic peak velocity, respectively. Multiple regression analysis for determinants of PVR and 50% RT was performed with 7 variables which were age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, total cholesterol level, and the number of diseased coronary arteries. Multiple R was 0.649 (p < .01) for PVR and 0.682 (p < .01) for 50% RT. There were significant inverse correlations between PVR and the number of diseased vessels (t-value; -3.34), hypertension (-2.43) and smoking (-2.38). The 50% RT was inversely correlated with the number of diseased vessels (t-value; -4.45), feminine gender (-2.75) or smoking (-2.12). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the number of diseased vessels was the only significant variable for the determination of PVR or 50% RT. An impairment of reactive hyperemia at the forearm vessel correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with angina pectoris. This finding suggests the presence of some identical mechanisms which are detrimental to both vascular beds. Observation of the hyperemic response at the brachial artery will provide a clue for noninvasive estimation of the extent of coronary artery disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Two-year follow-up study of the effect of acid fog on adult asthma patients.

Acid fog is a complex mixture of atomospheric pollutants containing multiple stimuli that may be capable of inducing bronchoconstriction. To investigate the effect of ambient acid fog on bronchoconstriction, we examined the relation between the hospital visit for asthma symptoms of 102 patients and various meteorological conditions for over the two-year period from January 1992 to December 1993. Dense fog occurs frequently every summer in Kushiro, a city located in Hokkaido, northernmost island in Japan. The acidity of the fog ranged from pH 3.32 to 6.91 (mean pH = 5.05) during this period. A significant increase (p < 0.05) of hospital visits on a foggy day was found in 9 cases, and a tendency (p < 0.10) was found in 10 cases. The odds ratio for a hospital visit on a high water vapor pressure day (> 12 h Pa) was significantly high (p < 0.01) in 5 cases among the above 19 cases. To exclude the effect of high water vapor pressure, the data was restricted to the condition of a foggy day with low water vapor pressure (< 12 hPa); 9 patients had a significant increase (p < 0.05) in hospital visits on such a day. These results indicated that hospital visits for asthma symptoms was increased on acid fog days in 8.8% of adult asthma patients. Inhalation of naturally occurring acid fog may have adverse effects on the respiratory tract of the asthmatic patient.

Acids↗
PubMed1996

A rare case of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism with varied neurological manifestations.

A 47-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of unsteady gait, postural instability, and dysarthria. On admission, neurological examinations revealed cerebellar ataxia, extrapyramidal signs including parkinsonism and positive Trousseau's sign. Laboratory findings revealed severe hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, and serum intact parathyroid hormone was not detectable. Brain computed tomography revealed severe calcification of basal ganglia and dentate nuclei. He was diagnosed as idiopathic hypoparathyroidism; treatment with 1 alpha (OH) vitamin D3 brought marked improvement of neurological manifestations. We report a rare case of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism presenting with extrapyramidal and cerebellar dysfunction with a review of literature.

Basal Ganglia↗
PubMed1996

An unusual case of brucellosis in Japan: difficulties in the differential diagnosis from pulmonary tuberculosis.

Human brucellosis is an imported zoonosis extremely uncommon in Japan. Brucellosis was found in a 38-year-old surgeon who had never been abroad; he developed intrapulmonary infiltrates and pleural thickening indistinguishable from pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite extensive antibiotic therapy for tuberculosis he developed systemic serositis. A culture of resected lung tissues grew CO2-required coccobacilli. Polymerase chain reaction test using a specific primer pair for Brucella abortus revealed that the isolated pathogen is highly homologous to B. abortus. We emphasize that undetermined cases of human brucellosis may be present in Japan.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Lactic dehydrogenase-immunoglobulin G kappa complex in a patient with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.

A female patient with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) was admitted again 40 months after the diagnosis due to progression of clinical findings and increased activity of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Analysis of LDH isoenzyme disclosed a broad band between LDH4 and LDH5. Gel filtration and immunoelectrophoresis showed that immunoglobulin (Ig) G (kappa type) bound the LDH. With prednisolone and azathioprine, her symptoms and radiological findings improved concomitant with a decrease in the serum LDH activity. The LDH-IgG kappa complex disappeared in the circulation 14 months after initiation of the therapy. We report circulating LDH-Ig complex in a patient with IIP, which may be related to the disease progression of IIP.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1996

[Long-term renal prognosis in patients with lupus nephritis treated with pulse methylprednisolone].

To elucidate the long-term renal prognosis in patients with lupus nephritis treated with pulse methylprednisolone, the renal outcome and the risk factors associated with poor renal prognosis were studied in 14 female lupus nephritis patients treated with pulse methylprednisolone. The mean age when the pulse methylprednisolone was started was 28.1 years old and their renal pathology were 3 of WHO III, 10 of WHO IV and 1 of WHO V. Four of the patients fell into renal insufficiency at 5.7 (mean, 1.3 approximately 10) years after pulse methylprednisolone, however residual 10 patients kept their renal function for 11.5 (mean, 3.5 approximately 19.6) years observation. The deterioration of renal function significantly (p = 0.033) correlated with glomerular sclerosing index before pulse methylprednisolone, but did not correlate with sustained immunological activity, hypoproteinemia or hypertension. Because glomerular sclerosing index was thought to be one of the risk factors for poor renal prognosis, the indication for pulse methylprednisolone in lupus nephritis was the patients with low glomerular sclerosing index.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Protection of C3H/HE J mice from development of Candida albicans infection by oral administration of Juzen-taiho-to and its component, Ginseng radix: possible roles of macrophages in the host defense mechanisms.

Protective effect of a Japanese traditional herbal medicine, Juzen-taiho-to (TJ-48), which was recently reported to augment host-mediated antifungal actions, in Candida albicans-infected mice was further studied. TJ-48, given orally once daily for 5 consecutive days in a dose of 2 g/kg after intravenous infection of C. albicans, prolonged survival period of infected mice of a C3H/He J strain which is characteristic of functional deficiency of macrophages, but did not that of infected mice of a C3H/He N strain with normal macrophage function. Peritoneal macrophages obtained from C3H/He J mice showed a moderate inhibitory activity against Candida growth in vitro. The anti-Candida activity of the macrophages was augmented by the addition of TJ-48 or some component extracts of TJ-48 to the incubation medium. Among such active component extracts is an extract of Ginseng radix which was demonstrated to enhance the anti-Candida activity of macrophages in vitro and to prolong the survival time of C. albicans-infected C3H/He J mice without effect on C3H/He N mice. On the base of these findings, the mechanisms underlying the protective action of TJ-48 against systemic Candida infection was discussed in relation with its possible activity to activate the macrophage function.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1996

[Cerebral hemodynamics in patients with dementia].

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) at rest was measured by 123I-IMP SPECT and the standing test was conducted by 99mTc-HMPAO SEPCT in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) and vascular dementia (VD) in order to evaluate cerebral autoregulation and to consider the diagnostic significance of this determination and test. CBF at rest decreased significantly in all regions in the DAT and VD groups compared to the control groups (healthy aged persons, group C). The value of mean CBF also decreased significantly in the DAT (40.1 micromilligrams/100 g/min) and VD groups (41.3) as compared to group C (51.0). In the DAT groups, the CBF was significantly lower in the parietal region compared to VD groups, and CBF and Hasegawa's dementia score showed a positive correlation in the temporal and parietal regions. Decreases in blood pressure upon standing were about 10 mmHg in all three groups, but the decrease rate in mean CBF was significantly greater in the VD groups (20.2%) than in the C (5.0%) and DAT groups (4.0%). The dysautoregulation index (D.I. delta; % CBF mmHg), used as a measurement of cerebral autoregulation, was significantly higher in the VD groups (1.7) than in the C(0.5) and DAT groups (0.3). This index made it possible to make differential diagnosis in some patients in whom it was impossible using CBF at rest, probably due to impaired cerebral autoregulation and atherosclerotic changes in VD patients. Our findings suggest that D.I. provides information on the condition of patients that cannot be obtained with CBF at rest and assists in differential diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Antifungal antibiotic benanomicin A increases susceptibility of Candida albicans to phagocytosis by murine macrophages.

Benanomicin A is an antifungal antibiotic produced by Actinomadura spadix. In the present study, we investigated the effect of benanomicin A on the phagocytosis of Candida albicans by murine peritoneal macrophages and on the cell-surface hydrophobicity (CSH) of C. albicans. Although pretreatment of macrophages with benanomicin A had no effect on the phagocytosis, addition of benanomicin A to the culture of macrophages and Candida cells increased the susceptibility of Candida cells to the phagocytosis by the macrophages. Pretreatment of Candida cells with benanomicin A also increased the susceptibility of Candida cells to the phagocytosis. When Candida cells were mixed with benanomicin A, the antibiotic bound irreversibly to Candida cells. These data suggest the possibility that the increased susceptibility of Candida cells to the phagocytosis is mediated by the binding of benanomicin A to Candida cells. Examination of physicochemical property of Candida cell surface showed that the CSH of Candida cells significantly decreased by the treatment with benanomicin A. Thus, binding of benanomicin A to Candida cells may induce biochemical/physicochemical alternation of the surfaces, so that they become more susceptible to phagocytosis by murine macrophages. These properties of benanomicin A, along with its antifungal activity, seem to be beneficial in the treatment of fungal infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Thallium-201 uptake, histopathological differentiation and Na-K ATPase in lung adenocarcinoma.

UNLABELLED: To clarify differences in accumulation in 201 Tl scintigraphy, we examined the relationship between uptake of 201 Tl, histopathological differentiation and Na-K ATPase. METHODS: Thallium-201 SPECT was performed twice: 15 min (early scan) and 120 min (delayed scan) after intravenous injection of 3 mCi 201 Tl-chloride. The uptake ratio of 201 Tl was calculated and compared with the grade of differentiation and the staining pattern of Na-K ATPase. RESULTS: The sensitivity of 201 Tl SPECT for well-differentiated adenocarcinomas was lower than that for moderately and poorly differentiated ones. The uptake ratio on the delayed scan was significantly lower in the well-differentiated group than that in the moderately and poorly differentiated groups. This parameter was also significantly higher in the Na-K ATPase-positive group than the -negative group. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the uptake ratio of 201 Tl SPECT may be a noninvasive indicator of the grade of pathological differentiation of adenocarcinoma and provide insight into the relationship among 201 Tl SPECT, malignancy and Na-K ATPase.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

[Late coronary artery aneurysm formation following directional coronary atherectomy].

The most important factor to reduce late restenosis following directional coronary atherectomy is the technical provision of the largest luminal diameter as possible. However, the safety of deep arterial resection and the resulting arterial perforation or late aneurysm formation is questionable. This study examined the frequency of coronary artery aneurysm formation in patients treated by directional coronary atherectomy. Ninety-eight patients with 123 lesions were analyzed by quantitative angiographic and histologic data. Coronary aneurysms (ratio of dilated vessel segment to the adjacent reference segment > 1.2:1) occurred in seven patients (seven lesions: 5.7%). Specimens were categorized by the deepest layer retrieved. Forty lesions (32.5%) were treated by resection of the intima alone, 65 (52.8%) by resection of the medial tissues and 18 (14.6%) received resections of the adventitial tissues including fatty tissues in three lesions. Late coronary aneurysms occurred often in lesions with resection of adventitial tissue (38.9%) and occurred in all three lesions with resections of fatty tissues. Six coronary aneurysms occurred in the left anterior descending artery (six in segs. 6, 7), and one aneurysm in the left circumflex artery. Among the target lesions in which coronary artery aneurysms were formed, six lesions were primary lesions and one lesion was a restenotic lesion after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Statistically, patients with coronary artery aneurysms frequently have associated hypertension (p = 0.02) but rarely diabetes mellitus (p = 0.05). Lesions with late aneurysms had significantly high specimen weight (p = 0.01) and a trend to lower postprocedure % diameter (p = 0.20). There was no significant preprocedural angiographic predictor of aneurysms such as minimal lumen diameter or reference vessel diameter.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis in a case of hereditary spherocytosis].

A 62-year-old man with a history of hereditary spherocytosis had an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray film, but the shadow was not examined further. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of severe anemia, multiple gallstones, and splenomegaly. Acute cholecystitis developed due to gallstones. A smear of peripheral blood showed spherocytosis, and the osmotic fragility as measured by Parpart's method was abnormally high. These findings are consistent with hereditary spherocytosis. Splenectomy and cholecystectomy were done. The chest X-ray film, CT scan, and MRI revealed multiple well-demarcatd paravertebral masses. A biopsy of a mediastinal mass was done with an ultrasonically guided needle, and hyperplasic erythroid hemopoietic tissue was obtained. This finding led to the diagnosis of extramedullary hematopoeisis. We think extramedullary hematopoeisis should be included in the differential diagnosis of posterior mediastinal masses.

Hematopoiesis, Extramedullary↗
PubMed1996

Sudden hearing loss as the initial manifestation of neurosarcoidosis.

We report two cases of sudden hearing loss as the initial manifestation of neurosarcoidosis. The patients had no symptoms suggesting central nervous system or meningeal involvement. Eighth nerve involvement is an uncommon feature in patients with sarcoidosis. We discuss the pathophysiologic basis of sarcoid-induced hearing loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[A case suspected of early active pulmonary tuberculosis detected by CT with the onset of episcleritis].

A 56-year-old female with the chief complaint of conjunctival injection was referred to our hospital after treatments with oral and topical corticosteroid under the diagnosis of episcleritis without any therapeutic efficacy. Possible causes of the episcleritis such as collagen vascular disease were not found, but a chest CT revealed centrilobular nodules, branching linear lesions and bronchial wall thickening which were not detected in a plain X-ray picture. We suspected pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculous episcleritis based on these CT findings, strongly positive tuberculine skin test result and a history of contact with a smear positive tuberculosis patient. The pulmonary lesion disappeared and the episcleritis healed after the treatment with systemic antituberculous agents.

Female↗