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Biomedical subjects

S Furuta

Publications and source records attributed to S Furuta.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

[Progression of senile aortic valve calcification: echocardiographic and clinical assessment].

Factors involved in the progression of senile aortic valve calcification were evaluated by analyzing the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of patients older than 69 years with senile aortic valve calcification. The patients were divided into three groups; group 1: 46 male and 40 female patients with calcification of one cusp and almost normal pliability of three cusps, group 2: 48 males and 55 female patients with calcification of two or three cusps, mildly reduced pliability of calcified cusps, and aortic valve area (AVA) > or = 2.0 cm2, group 3: 26 male and 31 female patients with calcification of two or three cusps, significantly reduced pliability of calcified cusps, and AVA < or = 1.5 cm2. There were no significant differences in age, weight, height, left ventricular dimension, or left ventricular wall thickness between these three groups. For male patients, the end-diastolic maximum left ventricular outflow tract dimensions (LVOT) in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 20 +/- 2 mm, 19 +/- 2 mm (p < 0.01 vs group 1), and 17 +/- 3 mm (p < 0.001 vs group 1, p < 0.01 vs group 2), respectively. For female patients, the LVOTs of groups 1, 2, and 3 were 18 +/- 2 mm, 16 +/- 2 mm (p < 0.001 vs group 1), and 16 +/- 2 mm (p < 0.001 vs group 1), respectively. Reduction in LVOT was not associated with left ventricular hypertrophy or decrease in dimension of aortic annulus. In female patients, the frequency of mitral annular calcification of group 3 was 61% [p < 0.05 vs group 1 (35%), p < 0.01 vs group 2 (25%)].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

[Multiple endocrine neoplasia type I].

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is characterized by the combined occurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism, pancreatic endocrine tumors, and neoplasms of the anterior pituitary gland. The disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder with a high penetrance. Although many investigators have localized the causative genes to chromosome 11q3 by linkage analysis, the MEN1 gene remains unidentified. The use of molecular genetic markers in family linkage studies, however, have made it possible to identify gene carriers. Repetitive screening combined with the assignment of gene-carrier status will provide possibilities for therapeutic or prophylactic intervention earlier in the development of each of the manifestations of this syndrome, such as gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to ulcers or malignant transformation.

DNA↗

[Type C hepatitis].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Detection of anti-double and anti-single stranded DNA antibodies in chronic liver disease: significance of anti-double stranded DNA antibody in autoimmune hepatitis.

Anti-DNA antibodies were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 116 patients with chronic liver disease consisting of 21 cases of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 17 of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and 78 of non-autoimmune-type of chronic liver disease. The assay was also performed on 83 patients with collagen disease, as a control group. Anti-double stranded DNA antibody (anti-dsDNA) was detected in 10/21 (48%) of the AIH patients and in 3/17 (17%) of the PBC patients, but not in those with other liver diseases. In contrast, anti-single stranded DNA antibody (anti-ssDNA) was positive not only in AIH and PBC, but also in those with non-autoimmune-types of chronic liver disease. Follow-up liver histology disclosed that the 2 patients with AIH who were positive for anti-dsDNA developed liver cirrhosis, whereas the 4 patients who were negative for anti-dsDNA, and those who showed a disappearance of anti-dsDNA following corticosteroid therapy, improved from chronic active to chronic persistent hepatitis.

Adult↗

Vermilionplasty using medical tattooing after radial forearm flap reconstruction of the lower lip.

Vermilionplasty using medical tattooing was performed after radial forearm flap reconstruction of the lower lip in 2 patients. This technique is easy to perform in the outpatient setting, does not involve sacrifice of tissue, and results in an acceptable aesthetic outcome. We recommend vermilionplasty with medical tattooing as the procedure of choice after lip reconstruction with a distant flap.

Aged↗

Simple surgical correction of Stahl's ear.

We describe a simple method of correction of the Stahl's ear deformity. The deformed portion of the auricular cartilage is cut into tiny pieces and put back into the abnormal area. The helix and the scapha are then moulded into a normal ear shape and maintained in position with a tie-over bolster. A gutta-percha splint is used for a further month. Over a 3-year period, 6 Stahl's ear deformities in 5 patients were treated with this procedure. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. We believe that this procedure can be applied to other partial auricular deformities as well.

Adolescent↗

Adaptation of hepatitis C virus for persistent infection in patients with acute hepatitis.

Nucleotide sequencing was used to analyze amino acid substitutions in the putative envelope 1 (E1) and envelope 2/nonstructural 1 (E2/NS1) regions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to clarify a viral mechanism of persistent infection in three patients with acute hepatitis C who developed chronic hepatitis and two patients with chronic hepatitis. The HCV RNA titer in serum decreased markedly after the onset of acute hepatitis and then re-elevated. During this period, the substitution rate in the E2/NS1 region (especially in the hypervariable region located in the N-terminus) was significantly higher in patients with acute hepatitis than in patients with chronic hepatitis (P < 0.05). When patients with acute hepatitis C became persistent HCV carriers, the substitution rate decreased to the level seen in patients with chronic hepatitis. The amino acid substitution rate in the E1 region in the acute phase was similar to that found in the chronic HCV carrier state. These observations suggest that rapid substitution of the amino acid sequence in the hypervariable region of the E2/NS1 region may be one of the mechanisms of persistent HCV infection.

Acute Disease↗

Demographics of anti-asialoglycoprotein receptor autoantibodies in autoimmune hepatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) is an established, liver-specific autoantigen. This multicenter study investigated the specificity of anti-ASGPR autoantibodies for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in different ethnic groups. METHODS: Nine hundred fourteen sera from European, Japanese, and North American (U.S.) patients with chronic inflammatory liver disorders were tested. An enzyme-immunoassay using human ASGPR and a radioimmunoassay against rabbit ASGPR, performed independently on coded sera, were compared. RESULTS: The highest frequency (76%) of anti-human ASGPR was found in AIH patients (11/24 U.S.; 21/25 European; 28/30 Japanese), particularly in those with active disease before treatment (53/62, 85%), and decreased in titer with response to immunosuppressive therapy. These antibodies were found at low titers in 43 (11%) of 385 patients with viral hepatitis and in 25 (7.6%) of 328 patients with other chronic inflammatory liver disorders (P < 0.0005 compared with all AIH patients). Twenty of 37 sera tested by enzyme-immunoassay and radioimmunoassay were positive, and nine were negative for anti-ASGPR by both assays (78% concordance); six sera were exclusively positive on human substrate. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating anti-ASGPR autoantibodies are closely associated with autoimmune hepatitis independent of geographic or ethnic criteria. Two anti-ASGPR assays currently in use show high reliability.

Asialoglycoprotein Receptor↗

Ciliary motility and surface morphology of cultured human respiratory epithelial cells during ciliogenesis.

We used human respiratory epithelial cells in floating culture to study the motility and surface morphology of the cilia during ciliogenesis. Ciliary motility and surface morphology was examined by a high-speed video system and electron microscopy, respectively. On day 8 of floating culture, but rarely before, cells with numerous moving short cilia with mean ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of 17.8 +/- 2.5 Hz (mean +/- SD) were seen. The mean CBF was highest on day 10 (19.6 +/- 3.9 Hz) and reached 17.4 +/- 2.5 Hz on day 14. The ciliary beat amplitude (CBA) was recognized on day 8, abruptly increased on day 9, then continued with aging of the culture. The intracellular coordination of ciliary beats was poor on day 8 with random beat direction but improved up to day 12 when the intracellular uniform beat direction was established. However, intercellular coordination remained absent even on day 14. Results suggest that immature short cilia have a rigid beat pattern. With the elongation of the resulting whip-like movement, the ciliary beat was gradually synchronized. Although a ciliary elongation seems to be required for making intracellular coordination, other factors are involved in intercellular coordination. Also, a high CBF does not always indicate the activity of mature cilia.

Cell Membrane↗

Comparative study of CA242 and CA19-9 for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

A comparative study of a new tumour marker, CA242, and CA19-9 was conducted with special reference to their diagnostic usefulness in pancreatic cancer. CA242 showed sensitivity similar to that of CA19-9 for overall cases and early cases (stage I tumour) of pancreatic cancer. For other malignancies, the positive rates of CA242 were lower than those of CA19-9 except for colorectal cancer. An important characteristics of CA242 was that it was only slightly and infrequently elevated in the sera of patients with benign diseases such as chronic pancreatitis, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. This characteristic was more apparent in the patients with benign obstructive jaundice, indicating that the serum level of this marker was scarcely affected by cholestasis. Using cut-off levels corresponding to a 90% specificity, the clinical results obtained with CA242 in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer were similar to those obtained with CA19-9, except that CA19-9 was falsely negative in some patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer. These findings suggest the usefulness of this marker for screening pancreatic cancer in patients on their first hospital visit. However, CA242 was found to be influenced by the Lewis blood group system. This unfavourable result is attributed to the C241 catcher antibody of this assay system, which has almost the same epitope specificity as the C50 and the NS19-9 monoclonal antibodies. In conclusion, CA242 is superior to CA19-9 in diagnosing pancreatic cancer by virtue of its higher specificity.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗

Reconstruction of stenotic external auditory canal with a postauricular chondrocutaneous flap.

A case of stenosis of the external auditory canal secondary to a burn injury was reconstructed with a chondrocutaneous postauricular flap. Advantages of this technique include the use of a single flap to reconstruct the whole circumference of the canal, the fact that a chondrocutaneous flap is more likely to prevent restenosis than a skin flap alone, and the fact that reconstruction with an axial-pattern flap is more reliable than reconstruction with a random-pattern flap.

Burns↗

Epitope analysis of SPan-1 and DUPAN-2 using synthesized glycoconjugates sialyllact-N-fucopentaose II and sialyllact-N-tetraose.

Epitope analysis of SPan-1 and DUPAN-2 was compared with that of CA19-9 using the synthesized glycoconjugate sialyllacto-N-fucopentaose II (SLF II, sialyl-Lewis(a)) and its precursor, sialyllact-N-tetraose (LSTa, sialyl-Lewis(c)), conjugated to human serum albumin. The CA19-9 and DUPAN-2 assay systems specifically recognized SLF II and LSTa, respectively. The SPan-1 assay system recognized both SLF II and LSTa, although the reactivity with the former was far stronger than that with the latter. These results were, in general, compatible with those obtained from assaying these markers in the sera of two pancreatic cancer patients with definite Lewis-negative phenotype and in the sera of 39 CA19-9-negative pancreatic cancer patients. In conclusion, DUPAN-2 is the precursor of CA19-9 and is accumulated in the sera of pancreatic cancer patients with Lewis-negative phenotype and SPan-1 has an advantage over CA19-9 in the diagnosis of patients with Lewis-negative phenotype, although both markers have almost the same sensitivity for this malignancy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Detection and cloning of human papillomavirus DNA associated with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in Thailand.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is highly prevalent in Thailand. In this study, we examined the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in 25 RRP patients in Thailand by means of dot blot analysis and/or polymerase chain reaction. Eighty-four percent (21/25) of cases and 4% (1/25) of cases were positive for HPV-11 DNA and HPV-6 DNA, respectively. Three cases (3/25) were negative for all of the examined HPV types. No cases were positive for HPV-16 or 18. Furthermore, we isolated the recombinant HPV-11 DNA clone from a genomic library constructed with the DNA of RRP tissue. The restriction map of the cloned HPV DNA was identical with the map of known HPV-11 DNA. These results suggest at least that no specific HPV type or subtype is likely to be associated with RRP in Thailand.

Base Sequence↗

Natural history of hepatitis C.

With advances in tools for the diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, it has become easier to evaluate the natural course of hepatitis C. Although HCV infection initially occurs in adult individuals, in most patients with acute hepatitis C (68%) it develops into chronic hepatitis. Once chronic hepatitis is established, the rate of spontaneous cure of the liver disease is very rare (below 2%). The duration from the onset of acute hepatitis until the time of diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver and of hepatocellular carcinoma is about 20 and 30 years, respectively. The long-term clinical course of hepatitis C is divided into the three phases of acute, silent, and reactivated. The acute phase lasts from the onset of disease until 2-3 years thereafter, and the silent phase which follows lasts for 10-15 years. In the silent phase, the serum transferase level remains relatively low, below 100 IU/l, and is sometimes within the normal range. In the reactivated phase, the level of serum aminotransferase increases and remains at a high or moderate level until hepatocellular carcinoma develops. The mechanism of the chronicity of hepatitis C is unknown. However, recent advances in molecular analysis may soon elucidate this. Successive antigenic change of the HCV E2/NS1 hypervariable domain as a result of mutations may represent a mechanism by which this virus escapes the host immunosurveillance system, as well as a mechanism of its chronicity.

Follow-Up Studies↗