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Biomedical subjects

S Abe

Publications and source records attributed to S Abe.

At least 829 records · Page 46Linked to original sources

[Continuous wave Doppler echocardiographic evaluations of the severity of mitral regurgitation].

To ascertain the usefulness of continuous wave Doppler echocardiography in evaluating the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR), 29 patients with MR and 10 normal subjects were examined. The patients were categorized in three groups according to the angiographic evidence of severity of MR. To analyze the flow velocity patterns of MR, the time to peak velocity index (time from onset of MR signal to peak flow velocity/duration of MR signal), the A/B ratio (the ratio of the first and second half of the systolic MR signal area), systolic peak velocity, and diastolic peak velocity were measured using continuous wave Doppler echocardiograms. The velocity patterns of MR differed significantly among the three groups. With severer MR, the flow velocity pattern showed an earlier appearance of the peak in systole, a steeper decrease in systole and a greater increase in early diastole. The time to peak velocity index was 55 +/- 7% (mean +/- SD) in mild MR, 42 +/- 6% in moderate MR and 35 +/- 5% in severe MR. This index shortened significantly in accord with the severity of MR (mild vs moderate MR: p less than 0.001, moderate vs severe MR: p less than 0.05). The A/B ratio was 1.06 +/- 0.12 in mild MR, 1.23 +/- 0.10 in moderate MR and 1.41 +/- 0.07 in severe MR. This ratio increased significantly with the severity of MR (mild vs moderate MR: p less than 0.01, moderate vs severe MR: p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Prognosis of patients with primary pulmonary hypertension].

Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare disease entity. Clinical evaluations of such patients were deemed inadequate during a multi-center study in Japan (1976). The prognoses of our patients in Keio Hospital were evaluated, especially in terms of their clinical pictures and hemodynamic backgrounds. The study group consisted of 15 patients, who fulfilled the clinical criteria of primary pulmonary hypertension according to the Research Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan. There were four males and 11 females, whose age ranged from 16 to 72 years and averaged 34.7 years. Follow-up periods from the onsets were from 15 to 152 months, and they averaged 51 months. Nine of the 15 patients were deceased, and autopsies were performed in eight. The periods from onsets to deaths were between 15 and 152 months, and averaged 53 months (4 years and 5 months). Except for four cases followed for less than 2 years, there were seven who survived over three years and four patients who were deceased in this period, but there were no differences between these groups in terms of their clinical pictures, such as age, sex and symptomatology at onset. Survivors included three patients associated with thyroid disease, one with liver cirrhosis, and one with the Sjögren syndrome. Hemodynamically, heart rates and pulmonary artery pressures did not differ among six survivors more than 2 years after the hemodynamic evaluations and five patients who were deceased within this period. In the deceased group, however, cardiac output was low and arterio-venous differences in oxygen content were high.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Megaloblastic anemia associated with diffuse intestinal Crohn's disease].

A 40-year-old man who was resected ascending colon and terminal ileum (10 cm) in Aug. 1978, with the diagnosis of Crohn's disease, was admitted to our hospital with general fatigue, paresthesia and tremor in May. 1984. A peripheral blood examination on admission revealed Hb 10.1 g/dl, RBC 234 X 10(4)/mm3, MCV 131.4 fl, MCH 43.2 pg. A bone marrow specimen showed marked erythroid hyperplasia (W/E 1.44) with megaloblastic change. While serum folate level was normal, serum vitamin B12 value was low and Schilling test showed vitamin B12 malabsorption. Roentgenologic and endoscopic examinations revealed diffuse cobblestone appearances in small intestine (from anastomosis part to duodenal bulb). These examinations suggested vitamin B12 malabsorption with diffuse Crohn's disease caused megaloblastic anemia. The patient had been treated with vitamin B12 1,000 micrograms/day injection and, in Sep. 1984, he recovered from megaloblastic anemia (Hb 13.4 g/dl, RBC 440 X 10(4)/mm3, MCV 90.7 fl, MCH 30.4 pg).

Adult↗

[Evaluation of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases].

The role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNA) was examined in 384 patients with thyroid diseases referred to the thyroid clinic from May 1984 to June 1988. The cytological diagnoses were 65 (16.9%) malignant neoplasms, 137 (35.7%) benign neoplasms, 135 (35.2%) chronic thyroiditis, 20 (5.2%) thyroid cysts, and 27 (7.0%) other thyroid diseases including Graves' disease and subacute thyroiditis. Ninety-eight patients were selected for thyroidectomy based on criteria, which included clinical and cytological diagnosis, and the following pathological diagnoses of resected specimens were obtained: 45 (45.9%) papillary carcinoma, 9 (9.2%) follicular carcinoma, 26 (25.5%) follicular adenoma, 1 (1.0%) papillary adenoma, 14 (14.3%) adenomatous goiter, and 3 (3.1%) Hürthle cell adenoma. The accuracy of diagnosis of goiter by FNA was examined by comparing with that by histological findings. False negative rate, false positive rate, true positive rate, and true negative rate of FNA were 5.7%, 10.0%, 94.3%, and 90.0% respectively. The calculated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of FNA were 92.6%, 92.3% and 92.5% respectively. These results indicate that the FNA is a safe and reliable method for routine use in the evaluation of nodular thyroid disease.

Adult↗

T-cell colony formation in homosexual men with anti-human immunodeficiency virus.

In vitro differentiation and proliferation of precursor T-cells was examined in four homosexual men positive for anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), one of whom had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Peripheral mononuclear cells from the men were cultured with phytohemagglutinin-P in semi-solid culture media containing methylcellulose for 7 days. Colony formation was significantly reduced in all subjects, even in the presence of IL-2. Moreover, numerous colony component cells lacked T-cell specific surface markers. These results suggest that the impaired T-cell differentiation and proliferation occurs at the precursor T-cell level in HIV infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Spontaneous rupture of the quadriceps tendon in patients on maintenance hemodialysis--report of three cases with clinicopathological observations.

Three patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis therapy for end-stage renal failure presented with spontaneous rupture of the quadriceps tendon(s). Biochemical data and the skeletal roentgenograms were compatible with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Histological examination of the excised quadriceps tendon specimens suggested that repeated minor avulsion fractures of the bone cortex at the tendon insertion site had preceded the final total tendon rupture and that osteitis fibrosa was responsible for these minor fractures. Serum alkaline phosphatase level had been increasing continuously for approximately five years prior to the tendon rupture in all three patients, indicating that uncontrolled osteitis fibrosa due to secondary hyperparathyroidism over these years preceded the tendon rupture.

Adult↗

An immunohistochemical study on "neoplastic angioendotheliosis": demonstration of B lymphocyte markers in the neoplastic cells.

Frozen cerebral and renal tissue sections of an autopsied "neoplastic angioendotheliosis (NAE)" case were investigated immunohistochemically using monoclonal and heterologous antibodies to lymphocyte, monocyte, endothelial, epithelial and histiocytic antigens. In both tissues, positive stainings for surface immunoglobulin (sIg) mu and chi, but not lambda, were observed in most of the neoplastic cells. These cells were also positive for other B cell markers (BA-1, Leu-12 and HLA-DR). No distinct staining was observed in the neoplastic cells with antibodies to T lymphocyte (OKT-11 and Leu-1) or monocyte (OKM-1) markers. Positive stainings were observed only in some small round lymphoid cells which were distributed sporadically in and around blood vessels and were considered to be reactive. No positive staining was observed in the neoplastic cells with antibodies to endothelial (factor VIII), epithelial (cytokeratin) or histiocytic (lysozyme) antigens. Thus, our NAE case was shown to be of monoclonal B cell lymphoma in nature.

Antigens, Surface↗

Local induction of a cytotoxic factor in a murine tumour by systemic administration of an antitumour polysaccharide, MGA.

When an antitumour mannoglucan prepared from Microellobosporia grisea, MGA was administered i.v. to C3H/He mice bearing the solid MH134 hepatoma, a cytotoxic factor was induced that was detectable in the tumour homogenate by an 8 h cytolysis assay against L-929 fibroblasts. Without MGA treatment, the cytotoxic factor was not detectable in the tumour homogenate. MGA induced the cytotoxic factor in tumour tissue specifically, its level reaching a maximum (24 U ml-1) 3 h after administration of MGA: little if any cytotoxic factor was detectable in homogenates of normal tissues or sera after MGA-treatment. The molecular size of the cytotoxic factor was estimated to be 70-80 kD by gel filtration. It seemed to be a type of tumour necrosis factor because its activity was inhibited by antiserum against murine tumour necrosis factor. From these results, the selective induction of the cytotoxic factor was concluded to be important in the mechanism of the antitumour activity of MGA.

Animals↗

Immunochemical and histochemical studies on a phosphonoglycosphingolipid, SGL-II, isolated from the sea gastropod Aplysia kurodai.

Antiserum was raised against 3-O-MeGal beta 1----3GalNAc alpha 1----3[6' -O-(2-aminoethylphosphonyl)Gal alpha 1----2 (2-aminoethylphosphonyl----6)Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----1Ceramide (SGL-II) isolated from the skin of a mollusc, Aplysia kurodai. This antiserum reacted with SGL-II and other phosphonoglycosphingolipids of Aplysia such as SGL-I', F-21, and some minor glycolipids on TLC plates, but it did not react with ganglioside or globoside. The sugars recognized were 3-O-methylgalactose at the non-reducing end and galactose at the branched chain of the glycolipids. One membrane glycoprotein (Mr 280,000) reacted strongly, and some other proteins reacted weakly with the antiserum. Immunohistochemical examination of the nervous tissues revealed distinct staining in the periganglionic tissue of the ganglia, and the perineural sheath of the proximal portion of the peripheral nerves. The neuropil and satellite cells were also stained. In the skin, subcutaneous connective tissues were moderately stained, and the cytoplasm of small mononuclear cells and foamy cells was also stained. The staining patterns were essentially the same in paraffin and cryostat sections. From the findings with sections pretreated with chloroform-methanol (2 : 1, v/v), it was suggested that the periganglionic and perineural stainings were due to glycoproteins, including an SDS-soluble glycoprotein of Mr 280,000, while those of the other regions were due to SGL-II and glycolipids immunologically related to SGL-II. The stainings in the skin sections were largely due to glycoproteins.

Animals↗

An electrostatic integrating 222Rn monitor with cellulose nitrate film for environmental monitoring.

This paper describes a new type of electrostatic integrating 222Rn monitor designed for the environmental 222Rn monitoring. The window area of the monitor was selected to make the exchange rate optimal. The collecting electrode was positioned on the basis of calculating the internal electric field. A drying agent, P2O5, was placed in the bottom of the monitor, since the collection efficiency of 218Po+ atoms depends on the humidity of the air. The monitors have been calibrated against known 222Rn exposures. The detection limit is 1.2 Bq m-3 for an exposure time of 2 mo. In a small survey, annual mean 222Rn concentrations between 3.7 and 9.5 Bq m-3 in outdoor air and between 6.4 and 11.9 Bq m-3 in indoor air were measured.

Air Pollutants↗

Effects of la on surface charges, dielectrophoresis, and electrofusion of barley protoplasts.

When dielectrophoresis and electrofusion of barley (Hordeum vulgare var Moor) leaf protoplasts were assayed in the presence of 0.1 to 1 millimolar lanthanum ion (La(3+)) in the basal medium (0.7 molar mannitol, 1 millimolar piperazine-N, N-bis[2-ethanesulfonic acid]-Na [pH 6.7], 0.1 millimolar CaCl(2)), dielectrophoresis and induction of electrofusion were strongly inhibited. The latter remained inhibited and the former recovered by about 60% after washing the La(3+) -treated protoplasts without EDTA. These inhibitions were almost completely abolished by washing the La(3+) -treated protoplasts with 1 millimolar EDTA. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopic analysis revealed that protoplasts retained a considerable amount of La(3+) after washing without EDTA and released most of the bound La(3+) by washing with 1 millimolar EDTA. This tightly bound La(3+) seemed responsible for the inhibition of electrofusion and dielectrophoresis that was observed in the La(3+) -treated protoplasts after washing. zeta-potentials of protoplasts were -39.0+/-3.2 millivolts, -16.7 +/- 2.6 millivolts, and virtually zero in media containing 0, 0.1, and 0.3 millimolar La(3+) (I = 7.2 millimolar), respectively, and had a positive value (+ 14.2 +/- 2.2 millivolts) in the presence of 1 millimolar La(3+). These effects of La(3+) on zeta-potentials were easily abolished by washing without EDTA. This indicates that charged species located at the surface of plasma membrane of protoplasts cannot account for the sites at which La(3+) exerts its inhibition of dielectrophoresis and electrofusion. In contrast, the promotion of spherical fusion and the reduction of broken fusion products observed in the presence of La(3+) were almost completely abolished by washing without EDTA. Our results also indicate that the initial induction and development of electrofusion can be studied independently.

Journal Article↗

A possible role of glucocorticoids: an intrinsic inhibitor of the cytotoxic activity of tumor necrosis factor.

The cytotoxic activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) against L929 fibroblasts in vivo was noncompetitively inhibited by physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids such as hydrocortisone (10(-7) M), corticosterone (5 X 10(-8) M) and dexamethasone (5 X 10(-9) M). The inhibition was abolished by the addition of actinomycin D (0.5 microgram/ml) or cycloheximide (4 microM). A phospholipase A2 inhibitor, quinacrine (2 X 10(-6) M), also inhibited the TNF cytotoxicity. These findings suggest that the antitumor cytotoxic reaction by TNF is regulated by glucocorticoid through some mechanism involving de novo transcription and translation and that this regulatory mechanism may involve inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity.

Animals↗

A recombinant virus between the Sabin 1 and Sabin 3 vaccine strains of poliovirus as a possible candidate for a new type 3 poliovirus live vaccine strain.

Biological tests including the monkey neurovirulence test performed on recombinants between the virulent Mahoney and attenuated Sabin 1 strains of type 1 poliovirus indicated that the genome region encoding mainly the viral capsid proteins had little correlation with the neurovirulence or attenuation phenotype of the virus. The results suggested that new vaccine strains of type 2 and type 3 polioviruses may be constructed in vitro by replacing the sequence encoding the antigenic determinants in viral capsid proteins of the Sabin 1 genome by the corresponding sequences of the type 2 and type 3 genome, respectively. Accordingly, we constructed recombinants between the Sabin 1 and Sabin 3 strains of poliovirus in which genome sequences of the Sabin 1 strain encoding most or all capsid proteins were replaced by the corresponding genome sequences of the Sabin 3 strain. One of the recombinant viruses thus constructed was fully viable and showed antigenicity and immunogenicity identical to those of type 3 poliovirus. The monkey neurovirulence tests and in vitro phenotypic marker tests (temperature sensitivity of growth, sodium bicarbonate concentration dependency of growth under agar overlay, and size of plaque) were performed on the recombinant virus. The stability of the virus in regard to the temperature sensitivity phenotype was also tested. The results suggested that the recombinant virus is a possible candidate for a new type 3 poliovirus vaccine strain.

Animals↗

Interleukins in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Dissociative correlations of lung interleukins 1 and 2 with the intensity of alveolitis.

To investigate whether interleukins are involved in the formation of alveolitis in pulmonary sarcoidosis, interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages (AM) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by PHA-stimulated lung and blood T-cells were determined in 35 untreated patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The amount of IL-1 produced by AM (BAL IL-1) was significantly increased in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis compared with that in 18 control subjects. BAL IL-1 showed a significant positive correlation with the intensity of alveolitis assessed by the proportion of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the absolute number of lymphocytes per milliliter of BALF. However, the amount of IL-2 produced by lung T-cells (BALT IL-2) showed a significant negative correlation with the intensity of alveolitis. BALT IL-2 was significantly lower than the amount of IL-2 produced by blood T-cells (PBT IL-2). There was no correlation between PBT IL-2 and the intensity of alveolitis. These results suggest that IL-2 contributes to the formation and maintenance of alveolitis in pulmonary sarcoidosis, whereas IL-2 production by lung T-cells is suppressed to down-regulate the enhanced immune processes at the site of disease. The possibility that this hyporesponsiveness of lung T-cells to PHA has resulted from the modulation of the T3-T cell receptor complex remains to be determined.

Adolescent↗