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Biomedical subjects

S Kikuchi

Publications and source records attributed to S Kikuchi.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Early gastric cancer in the young: clinicopathological study.

BACKGROUND: Thirty-four cases of early gastric carcinoma in patients under 50 years of age treated in the period from 1985 to 1995 were reviewed. METHODS: These constituted 3.7% of 923 cases of gastric cancer in patients of all ages that were treated at Sendai National Hospital during the same 10-year period. Data were compared with those of 194 patients 50 years of age or older. RESULTS: The incidence of gastric cancer in men and women was almost the same in both groups. Tumours tended to be located distally in the stomach. Macroscopically, depressed lesions were more common in younger patients. Significant differences were observed in depth of invasion, histological type and histological growth patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The distinctive histological features of early gastric cancer in younger patients were a diffuse type of cancer with infiltrative tumours in the mucosal layer. The prognosis of younger patients was similar to that of older patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Colony stimulating factor-inducing activity of hesperidin.

To evaluate immunomodulating activities of bioflavones, colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-inducing activity of two dihydroflavones, three flavones and three flavonols were tested. These samples were suspended in saline and injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into mice at a dose of 1 mg 6 h before bleeding. All compounds carrying the glucosyl-rhamnose moiety showed potent activity. Among them, hesperidin exhibited the strongest activity. Serum CSF production in mice injected with 1 mg hesperidin reached a peak at 9 h later. The activity of hesperidin was dose-dependent at a range of 0.3 to 20 mg/mouse.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1999

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism in intron 4 affects the progression of renal failure in non-diabetic renal diseases.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide is a very potent regulator of intrarenal haemodynamics and is thought to be an important factor in the deterioration of renal function. Our study sought to verify the hypothesis that endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene polymorphism in intron 4 might have some relevance to progression in chronic renal failure. METHODS: We studied the frequencies of gene polymorphism of ecNOS intron 4 in patients with end-stage renal disease (302 cases) and compared it with that of healthy subjects (248 cases). ecNOS genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Two alleles of ecNOS intron 4, labelled a and b could be detected; a has four and b has five tandem 27-bp repeats. The frequencies of ecNOS4b/b, ecNOS4b/a, ecNOS4a/a genotypes were 81.0% (201/248), 19. 0% (47/248), 0.0% (0/248) in the control group, and 74.8% (226/302), 23.5% (71/302), l.7% (5/302) in all the patients, 72.7% (168/231), 25.1% (58/231), 2.2% (5/231) in the group with end-stage renal diseases, excluding diabetic nephropathy (non-DM group), and 81.7% (58/71), 18.3% (13/71), 0.0% (0/71) in diabetic nephropathy (DM group) respectively. The frequency of the ecNOS4a (ecNOSb/a, and ecNOSa/a) in all the patients and in the non-DM group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.021; P=0. 0096 respectively). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the frequencies of ecNOS genotypes between the DM group and the control group (P=0.81). CONCLUSION: Among the frequencies of ecNOS intron 4 gene polymorphism, a allele displayed a significantly higher frequency in cases with end-stage renal failure (ESRF) not caused by diabetic nephropathy. ecNOS gene polymorphism in intron 4 appears, therefore, to affect the progression of renal failure in non- diabetic renal diseases, but the same conclusion could not be drawn in diabetic nephropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Dorsal compartment syndrome of the upper arm. A case report.

A rare case of posttraumatic dorsal compartment syndrome of the upper arm is reported. This case was diagnosed by measuring the intracompartmental pressure. The patient was administered local anesthesia and immediately underwent surgery. The result was successful.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Nucleus pulposus-induced nerve root injury: relationship between blood flow and motor nerve conduction velocity.

OBJECTIVE: It is well known that nucleus pulposus induces nerve root injury. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between intraneural blood flow and motor nerve conduction velocity (NCV) after incision of the adjacent disc. METHODS: A total of 65 dogs were used. A left hemilaminotomy was performed, the annulus fibrosus of the L6-L7 intervertebral disc was incised, and nucleus pulposus was gently pushed into the epidural space by saline solution injection. A left hemilaminotomy without disc incision was used as the sham operation. Seven dogs were used for incision and five dogs for sham treatment for each of the following time points: 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months of exposure. Five additional dogs were used to establish baseline data. Blood flow in the nerve root was measured in the left L7 nerve root with a tissue blood flowmeter, using an electrolytic hydrogen clearance method. Motor NCV over the exposed area of the nerve root was measured using a neurophysiological technique. RESULTS: There was a reduction in blood flow in the nerve root after disc incision that began after 1 day and was maximal after 1 week. This reduction had resolved by 1 month, however. The motor NCV showed a reduction pattern similar to that for blood flow in the nerve root, but reduction did not begin until 3 days after disc incision and was not fully resolved until 2 months. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the reduction and recovery of motor NCV are related to, and preceded by, a reduction in blood flow in the nerve root. The data might provide important information regarding the basic pathophysiological mechanisms of nucleus pulposus-induced nerve root injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Gamma-radiation induces leaf trichome formation in Arabidopsis.

We observed induction of additional trichome formation on the adaxial surface of mature leaves of Arabidopsis after massive doses (1-3 kilograys) of gamma-radiation from cobalt-60. A typical increase in trichome number was observed in the seventh leaf when the full expansion of the fifth leaf was irradiated. Under normal growth conditions, trichome numbers on the adaxial surface of seventh leaf of the Arabidopsis ecotypes Columbia (Col) and Landsberg erecta (Ler) were 122.5 +/- 22.7 and 57.5 +/- 14.5, respectively. However, gamma-radiation induced additional trichome formation and the numbers rose to 207.9 +/- 43.7 and 95.0 +/- 27.1 in Col and Ler, respectively. In Col the shape of new trichomes was intact and their formation was spatially maintained at equal distances from other trichomes. In Ler trichome morphology was aberrant and the formation was relatively random. Treatment with antioxidants before gamma-irradiation suppressed the increase in trichome number, and treatment with methyl viologen and light induced small trichomes. These results suggest that gamma-radiation-induced trichome formation is mediated by active oxygen species generated by water radiolysis. gamma-Radiation-induced trichome formation was blocked in the trichome mutants ttg-1, gl1-1, and gl2-1. These results suggest that gamma-radiation-induced trichome formation is mediated by the normal trichome developmental pathway.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1999

Association between infections with CagA-positive or -negative strains of Helicobacter pylori and risk for gastric cancer in young adults. Research Group on Prevention of Gastric Carcinoma Among Young Adults.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the association between infection with CagA-positive and -negative Helicobacter pylori and the risk of gastric cancer in young adults. METHODS: CagA IgG antibodies were measured in sera of subjects participating in a case-control study in Japan. The study subjects were 103 gastric cancer patients <40 yr of age, 100 inpatients with benign diseases, and 101 screenees younger than age 43 yr. RESULTS: Compared with the H. pylori-negative/CagA-negative (H. pylori-/CagA-) group, both the H. pylori-positive/CagA-negative (H. pylori+/CagA-) group and the H. pylori-positive/CagA-positive (H. pylori+/CagA+) groups showed elevated odds ratios for intestinal-type, diffuse-type, early, advanced, proximal, and distal gastric cancers. All the relationships were significant except for the H. pylori+/CagA- group in relation to proximal cancer. The overall odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for gastric cancer in the H. pylori+/CagA- and the H. pylori+/CagA+ groups were 15.0 (6.4, 35.2) and 14.6 (6.7, 31.9), respectively. Between these two groups, no significant difference was observed in risks for intestinal-type, diffuse-type, early, advanced, proximal, or distal gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In those <40 yr of age, it is concluded that both CagA-positive and CagA-negative H. pylori infections are related to risks of intestinal-type, diffuse-type, early, advanced, and distal gastric cancers.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

How useful is the detection kit for antibody to Helicobacter pylori in urine (URINELISA) in clinical practice?

OBJECTIVE: Increased knowledge of the significance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in gastric disorders has accelerated the trend of screening patients with dyspepsia for its infection. Serological examination of antibody for H. pylori has been widely performed. Recently, a urine-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (URINELISA) kit for detection of antibody for H. pylori has been developed. Accordingly, we evaluated its diagnostic accuracy in clinical practice. METHODS: Subjects of this study were 132 patients who presented at our university hospital because of dyspeptic symptoms (81 men, 51 women; age, 41.5+/-1.4 yr). 13C urea breath test, blood drawing for serological antibody for H. pylori infection by four different kits, and urine collection for the URINELISA test for detection of the antibody were performed. Diagnostic accuracy of the commercially available antibodies in serum and in urine were investigated using the results of the 13C urea breath test as the gold standard. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of URINELISA were 86.3% (95% confidence intervals [CI], 76-93%), 91.5% (95% CI, 81-97%), and 88.6% (95% CI, 82-93%), respectively, which were comparable to those of imported serological kits. CONCLUSIONS: The URINELISA kit for detecting anti-H. pylori antibody in urine provides diagnostic accuracy comparable to that of imported kits for detecting antibodies in serum and is considered to be clinically useful for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Focal (segmental) dyshidrosis in syringomyelia.

The features or mechanisms of dyshidrosis have not been sufficiently clarified. Neither has the difference between hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis. To clarify the features and mechanisms of dyshidrosis (hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis) in syringomyelia, the clinical features focusing on hidrosis of 30 patients with syringomyelia and Chiari malformation located from a syringomyelia database were prospectively analysed. The patients were classified into three groups: eight patients (26.7%) had segmental hypohidrosis, 10 (33. 3%) had segmental hyperhidrosis, and 12 (40.0%) had normohidrosis. We found that the Karnofsky functional status for the hyperhydrosis and normohidrosis groups were significantly higher than for the hypohidrosis group (p=0.0012), with no significant differences between the hyperhidrosis and normohidrosis groups. The duration from the onset of syringomyelia to the current dyshidrosis was significantly longer in the hypohidrosis group than in the hyperhidrosis group (p=0.0027). A significant correlation was identified between the duration from the onset of syringomyelia to the time at study and the performance score (r=-0.599, p=0.0003). The results substantiate previous hypotheses that in its early stage syringomyelia causes segmental hyperactivity of the sympathetic preganglionic neurons, and hyperactivity of these gradually subsides as tissue damage progresses. Focal hyperhidrosis may be regarded as a hallmark of a relatively intact spinal cord, as well as normohidrosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Pentanucleotide repeat and size polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein(a) gene are associated with the lipoprotein(a) concentration in chronic hemodialysis patients.

The elevation of serum or plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels is regarded as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and many previous reports demonstrated that Lp(a) levels in hemodialysis patients were significantly higher than in controls. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a pentanucleotide repeat polymorphism [(TTTTA)n] in the 5'-flanking region of the apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] gene and of a size polymorphism of apo(a) for elevated Lp(a) concentrations observed in chronic hemodialysis patients. We studied 172 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 199 healthy adults. For analysis of the pentanucleotide repeat polymorphism, polymerase chain reaction products were loaded on polyacrylamide gel for electrophoresis. apo(a) size phenotyping was performed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The median level of Lp(a) in the patients was 14.2 mg/dl which was significantly higher than that in controls (12.0 mg/dl; p < 0.05). In the genotype of (TTTTA)8/8, the median Lp(a) level in the patients (15.9 mg/dl) was significantly higher than that in controls (13.0 mg/dl; p < 0.05). In the genotype of (TTTTA)8/8 with large-sized apo(a) isoforms (A16-A25), the patients had significantly higher Lp(a) levels than the controls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, increased Lp(a) levels in chronic hemodialysis patients were mainly attributed to the combination of eight repeats of the pentanucleotide polymorphism and large-sized isoforms of apo(a).

Apolipoproteins A↗
PubMed1999

Structure and sequence of the mouse V1a and V1b vasopressin receptor genes.

The structural organization and 5'-flanking region of the mouse V1a and V1b vasopressin receptor genes were determined. The mouse V1a receptor gene was located within an 8-kb XbaI fragment, and the mouse V1b receptor gene was located within a 14-kb EcoRV fragment. Both genes were comprised of two coding exons that were separated by a 2.3-kb and a 8.0-kb intron, respectively, located before the respective seventh transmembrane domain of the receptor sequence. The availability of these genes would allow us to study the functional role of V1a and V1b receptors by disrupting the gene in mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Does psychological stress improve physical performance?

The purpose of this study is to determine whether psychological stress enhances physical performance and how personality traits affect it. The annual physical test was chosen as the psychological stressor. Ninety three students ran 50 meters as part of the test and one week after that as a control. The pulse rate and time were measured and pulse rate was used as an indicator of psychological stress. All students took the anxiety-trait scale test of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The pulse rate was higher and the time record was better in the annual physical test compared with that of control. When we categorized the subjects by the anxiety-trait scale test, only the high anxiety-trait students could run faster when faced with higher stress. In conclusion, psychological stress can enhance the physical performance of certain students. It is possible that psychological stress and personality traits interact and both of them affect physical performance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Emergency abdominal surgery for small bowel perforation secondary to metastatic lung cancer.

Emergency surgery for bowel perforation caused by metastases from lung cancer is rare. Two cases of small bowel perforation due to metastasizing lung cancer are reported. Both patients were admitted as a surgical emergency case. One of the two patients presented herein survived and was discharged from the hospital. Perforated small bowel due to metastatic lung cancer is a highly fatal event that occurs in the late phases of the disease. Despite the poor prognosis, early and appropriate therapy will occasionally yield successful surgical palliation. Patients with known lung cancer who develop abdominal complaints should be examined thoroughly and treated quickly.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Poorly differentiated, solid-type adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

Data of 58 cases of poorly differentiated, solid-type adenocarcinoma of the stomach treated at our hospital between 1985 and 1995 were reviewed and compared to data of 146 cases of non-solid-type carcinoma in order to determine whether there are distinguishable clinicopathological features between these two types of carcinoma. Significant differences were observed with respect to tumor size, stage, macroscopic appearance, depth of invasion, histologic growth pattern, lymph node metastasis, microscopical lymphatic invasion and vascular permeation. Patients in the solid-type cancer group tended to have smaller tumors; the disease was in the early stage in 48% of the patients, and total gastrectomy was performed in only 20 of the 58 patients. Nodal involvement, lymphatic invasion and vascular permeation were also less common in patients with solid-type cancer. The overall survival rate of patients with solid-type carcinoma was higher than that of patients with non-solid-type carcinoma, though no significant differences were observed when corrected for stage. Our results suggest that poorly differentiated solid-type carcinoma of the stomach should be regarded as a distinct type of adenocarcinoma that has a good prognosis. The significant prognostic factors for this type of gastric cancer are lymphatic invasion and tumor location.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

Clinicopathologic prognostic features in patients with gastric cancer associated with esophageal or duodenal invasion.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the influence of several clinicopathologic variables on 5-year survival of patients with gastric cancer associated with esophageal or duodenal invasion, and determined the significance of resection line involvement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A review of the database for gastric adenocarcinoma at Sendai National Hospital between January 1985 and December 1995 identified 923 patients who underwent gastric cancer resection. Of these patients, 37 were reported to have tumour infiltration of the esophagus or duodenum on histological examination of the resected specimens. Univariate and multivariate analyses of patients with esophageal or duodenal invasion were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of clinicopathologic features. Then the patients were divided into two groups based on the results of microscopic examination: a tumour wedge-positive group for resection margins of less than 5 mm in width and a tumour wedge-negative group for resection margins of more than 5 mm in width. There were 8 patients in the narrow (margin-positive) group and 29 patients in the wide margin (margin-negative) group, respectively. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that the significant prognostic factors were nodal involvement (p=0.0004) and gross type (p=0.0031). Multivariate analysis of the esophagus or duodenum-invaded cancer cases, however, revealed that only nodal involvement was a significant prognostic factor. There were statistical correlations between these groups (margin-positive and margin-negative groups) and the Borrmann type of tumour and tumour size. The survival rate was worse in patients with tumour line involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate analysis revealed that the prognosis of patients with esophageal or duodenal invasion was affected only by nodal involvement independently. The risk of surgical margin involvement was high in cases of a large Borrmann type-4 tumour and infiltrative carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Vascular backache and consideration of its pathomechanisms: report of two cases.

We experienced two cases whose low back pain was improved after vascular reconstructive surgery for arteriosclerosis obliterans in the abdominal cavity. Based on these observations, we propose the term "vascular backache" and we discuss possible pathomechanisms underlying this condition. One patient had a stenotic lesion in the lower abdominal aorta and was operated transluminally; the other patient had a diffuse stenotic lesion from the abdominal aorta to the femoral arteries and had an axillofemoral bypass operation. After surgery, they experienced a reduction of backache along with an improvement of the vascular intermittent claudication. It is suggested that one factor leading to low back pain in some cases might be various degrees of ischemia of the extensor muscles in the lumbar spine.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of complex activities in daily living of elderly Japanese with visual impairment.

This study was conducted to determine whether elderly subjects with visual impairment differ in the performance of complex activities in daily living from those without visual impairment. The study subjects were residents in two homes for the aged in Japan, and consisted of 37 elderly people with visual impairment, and 42 elderly people, serving as controls; ages ranged from 64 to 95 years. Complex activities of the subjects were ascertained by interview using a 46-item questionnaire. The visually impaired elderly had lower performance levels for telephone use (p = 0.007), shopping (p = 0.049), cleaning up one's room (p = 0.001), and utilization of medical facilities (p = 0.001) in instrumental ADL (IADL); for interest in TV or radio (p = 0.004) and religious faith (p = 0.042) in "enriching activities"; and for visiting behaviors (p < 0.05) in "social role". The performances of complex activities by the elderly with visual impairment were diminished in specific categories, but not overall, and this may be attributable to poor mobility and/or more passive attitudes in their daily activities.

Activities of Daily Living↗