Biomedical subjects

S Kohno

Publications and source records attributed to S Kohno.

At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Genetic analysis of serotype 23F Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from several countries by penicillin-binding protein gene fingerprinting and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

We characterized 21 strains of serotype 23F Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in various countries with various levels of penicillin susceptibility by penicillin-binding protein (PBP) gene fingerprinting and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Pneumococci isolated in Israel, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Rumania, France, the United States, Spain and Japan were included. These strains were classified into 12 and 18 groups by PBP gene fingerprinting and PFGE, respectively. Some of the pneumococci isolated in Spain, the United States and France appeared to be genetically related by PFGE, showed the same PBP gene pattern and had similar antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. One penicillin-susceptible Bulgarian strain, with a similar PFGE pattern but a different fingerprinting pattern, may be an ancestral recipient strain that became transformed into the resistant variants. Rumanian and Israeli strains were also genetically related by PFGE. These results indicate the existence of widely spread but related pneumococci in the world. PBP 2X gene profiles of pneumococci with MICs of 0.25 microg/ml were different from each other and from penicillin-susceptible pneumococci (PSP). PBP 2B gene profiles of these resistant strains were identical. PBP 2B gene profiles of pneumococci (penicillin MICs >/=0.5 microg/ml) were different from PSP. PBP gene profiles may not only be useful for genetic analysis but also for presumed penicillin susceptibility.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Length and lead time biases in radiologic screening for lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to investigate whether the length and lead-time biases of radiologic screening for lung cancers vary according to the histologic type of the tumor. METHODS: We analyzed the survival rates and radiographs of 119 cases of adenocarcinomas-large-cell carcinomas (ALC) and 50 peripheral squamous cell carcinomas (PSQ) detected in 205,401 screened individuals. RESULTS: The sensitivity of screening and 5-year survival rates were 84.0% and 48.2% for ALC, and 52.0% and 18.5% for PSQ, respectively. The corrected length bias was 4.3% for ALC and 4. 6% for PSQ. Stage III-IV ALC was often identified on 1-year-old films, but stage III-IV PSQ was not. Half of stage I ALC presented 2 or more years before detection, while half of stage I PSQ appeared within 1 year before detection. The survival rate of nonresected cases with stage I ALC was decreased 4 years after detection, while that of nonresected cases with stage I PSQ was decreased just after detection. The period of stage I ALC and PSQ was at least 6 years and 1 year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Slowly growing ALC had high sensitivity in radiologic screening and a high rate in 5-year survival, but had long lead time and delay in detection. PSQ grew rapidly resulting in low sensitivity in radiologic screening, and short lead time and survival. In both types, the magnitude of corrected length bias was not remarkable. The survival of ALC should be carefully evaluated because of the long lead time.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The left ventriculographic pattern and serial electrocardiographic changes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with giant negative T waves.

The configuration of the left ventriculogram (LVG) was classified in 64 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) observed in ECG, and characteristics of the configuration and serial changes in SV1+RV5 and giant negative T (GNT) waves were studied. The LVG configuration was classified into the spade (15 patients), papillary-muscle hypertrophy (PMH; n = 23), oval (n = 24) and banana types (n = 2). The spade, PMH and oval types were observed for mean periods of 66, 90 and 91 months, respectively. Serial changes in ECG were as follows: GNT decreased from 16.7 +/- 3.3 to 13.3 +/- 5.1 mm in the spade type and decreased significantly from 16.9 +/- 5.9 to 9.8 +/- 6.9 mm in PMH but showed no changes in the oval type. SV1+RV5 decreased significantly from 69.0 +/- 14.9 to 58.2 +/- 14.7 mm in PMH but showed no significant changes in the spade or oval types. Thus GNT decreased progressively in many patients with the exception of a few with the oval type. From these findings, we consider that apical hypertrophy had been established at the time of the initial LVG and changed over time thereafter in the spade and PMH types but that hypertrophy was still in progress in some patients with the oval type.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of roxithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia.

Macrolide and tetracycline antibiotics, which are protein synthesis inhibitors, are effective in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia. We evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of roxithromycin, a new macrolide antibiotic, in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia. Roxithromycin was administered orally to patients who had been definitely diagnosed through Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolation or serum antibody titer as having mycoplasma pneumonia. The efficacy assessment was based on clinical signs and symptoms of infection as well as bacterial culture from clinical samples. Clinical efficacy was excellent in 6 cases, good in 6 cases and fair in 1 case, with an efficacy rate of 92.3%. The bacteriological effect was evaluated in 6 patients: the organism was eradicated in 4 cases and unchanged in 2 cases. In this study, the MIC of roxithromycin against M. pneumoniae fell in the range 0.0156-0.00625 mg/l. No adverse reaction was observed. As for abnormal laboratory findings, two cases showed elevated serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (S-GPT), one elevated serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and S-GPT, and one reduced neutrophil counts. From our results, we consider that roxithromycin is useful in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The administration regimen of isepamicin in patients with chronic respiratory tract infection.

A total of 34 patients with intractable chronic respiratory tract infections were treated with isepamicin and/or piperacillin in different dosage regimens. A comparison of the bacteriological effect using a cross over method showed a reduction in the count of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sputum in the group receiving once-a-day isepamicin combined with piperacillin, compared with the twice-a-day combined administration. A comparison of the clinical and bacteriological efficacy between the different regimen groups revealed no noticeable difference. The clinical effect of this regimen is comparable to the conventional regimen, but has the advantages of a safer dosage and ease of administration.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Trends of genetic relationship of serotype 23F penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Japan.

No data on the genetic analysis of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRP) in Japan has been reported. The SmaI restriction endonuclease digested patterns of chromosomal DNAs from 15 PRP serotyped 23F isolated in Japan were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The isolates were genetically heterogeneous and seven different PFGE patterns were identified. Nine strains were also resistant to erythromycin and tetracycline. Four strains revealed resistance to ceftriaxone. The PFGE patterns of some strains isolated in Nagasaki University Hospital were identical to each other and closely resembled those of isolates from three different areas of Japan. These results indicate a need for additional studies by PFGE to determine the possibility of clonal spread in Japan.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Combination therapy with fluconazole and flucytosine for pulmonary cryptococcosis.

We investigated, in vitro, the combined effects of fluconazole (FLCZ) and flucytosine (5-FC) against different strains of Cryptococcus neoformans, and retrospectively analyzed the clinical efficacy of combination therapy of FLCZ and 5-FC in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antifungal agents and drug interaction were determined by the broth microdilution method and checkerboard titration. FLCZ and 5-FC showed synergistic activity against 8 (32%) of 25 strains of C. neoformans. The clinical efficacy of the 2 drugs when combined together was good in 9 (90%) patients and fair in 1 (10%) patient with pulmonary cryptococcosis. Renal dysfunction occurred in 1 patient. Our results suggest that a combination therapy using FLCZ and 5-FC is clinically useful in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis who otherwise show a limited response to monotherapy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine myocardial imaging in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine [123I-MIBG] has been used to evaluate the cardiac sympathetic nervous system. We evaluated the effect of pulmonary hypertension on the sympathetic neuronal function of the left ventricle in patients with pulmonary hypertension. We studied 20 patients with either chronic lung disease or pulmonary vascular disease. The patients were divided into a pulmonary hypertensive group and a control group. Single photon emission tomography was performed in the resting state 15 min and 4 h after administration of 123I-MIBG. Regions of interest (ROI) were set in the left ventricular (LV) free wall, the interventricular septum (IVS) and outside the LV free wall on short-axis images. The washout rate and the ROI/LV uptake ratio were calculated in each ROI. The IVS:LV uptake ratio was significantly lower in the pulmonary hypertensive group than in the control group. Our results suggest that left heart sympathetic neuronal dysfunction initially occurs in the IVS before it involves the LV free wall subsequently.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnostic problems in chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.

To identify the problems involved in the diagnosis of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP), clinical findings were analysed for 43 patients diagnosed clinically or pathologically with CEP during the past 10 years. About 28% of patients showed peripheral blood eosinophilia and a typical pattern of pulmonary oedema on chest X-ray at initial examination. Eosinophilia was demonstrated in peripheral blood in 86% of patients, in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in 100%, and in transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) specimens in 64% of patients. Peripheral blood tests, BAL, and TBLB were all positive for eosinophilia in 60% of patients. BAL was the single test most likely to be positive among the diagnostic tests used in the present study. When CEP is suspected clinically, an understanding of which site is examined by each of the diagnostic tests and of the likelihood of a positive result in each test will facilitate the selection of the most appropriate tests for individual patients.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Right ventricular impairment in patients with chronic respiratory failure on home oxygen therapy--non-invasive assessment using a new Doppler index.

We evaluated the usefulness of the newly defined Doppler index combining systolic and diastolic myocardial performance, in assessing right-heart dysfunction in 29 patients with chronic respiratory failure caused by old tuberculosis who were on 24-h home oxygen therapy. We measured tricuspid inflow velocity, right-ventricular outflow velocity, late/early diastolic peak velocities (A/E), the ratio between pre-ejection period and ejection time (PEP/ET), and the new index of systolic and diastolic myocardial performance (SDMP) calculated as (isovolumetric contraction time + isovolumetric relaxation time)/ejection time. The calculated A/E, PEP/ET and SDMP in our patients were significantly higher than those in age-matched healthy subjects (n = 37, mean age 67 +/- 8 years). There was no overlap in the SDMP index between healthy subjects and patients and the index was not influenced by heart rate. Our results suggest that SDMP index is a better marker than A/E and PEP/ET for the assessment of right-ventricular impairment.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of right-ventricular function by Doppler echocardiography in patients with chronic respiratory failure.

In patients with chronic respiratory failure, right-ventricular function was non-invasively evaluated by Doppler echocardiography. A total of 31 patients (16 men, 15 women; mean age 65.8 +/- 7.12 years) with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae who had received home oxygen therapy during the preceding 6 or more months, were studied. Right-ventricular inflow and outflow waveforms were recorded, and right-ventricular function was evaluated using a new Doppler index combining systolic and diastolic function. On continuous wave Doppler echocardiography, estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure was calculated from the gradient between the right atrium and right ventricle. There was no correlation between the new Doppler index and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, and some patients showed high index values despite low systolic pulmonary arterial pressure. The new Doppler index facilitated evaluation of ventricular function irrespective of right-ventricular afterload.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prostaglandin E1 for renal papillary necrosis in a patient with diabetes mellitus.

We report a case of renal papillary necrosis with diabetes mellitus which was treated with prostaglandin E1. An intravenous infusion of 40 mg/day prostaglandin E1 was given for 14 days in an attempt to improve renal circulation. Treatment resulted in an improved creatinine clearance, renal plasma flow and renogram, and proteinuria was decreased. The administration of prostaglandin E1 produced an improvement in renal haemodynamics and can be considered as a possible therapy for renal papillary necrosis in diabetic patients.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of CD44 variants in lung cancer and its relationship to hyaluronan binding.

We examined the expression of CD44 variant forms and their binding to hyaluronan (HA) in lung cancer cell lines. There was no relationship between the level of expression of CD44 variants and HA binding in different lung cancer cell lines. The expression of CD44v6 and CD44E in some cell lines was not always associated with HA binding. There was no relationship between the tissue pathological type and CD44 expression or HA binding. Deglycosylation by neuraminidase induced CD44-HA binding in human lung cancer cell lines. Our findings suggest that the HA binding ability of CD44, which is negatively regulated by glycosylation, might be a more important factor in tumorigenesis or metastasis than the expression of CD44 variant forms.

Glycoproteins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Use of [123I]-BMIPP myocardial scintigraphy for the clinical evaluation of a fatty-acid metabolism disorder of the right ventricle in chronic respiratory and pulmonary vascular disease.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether or not right ventricle (RV) uptake of iodine-123-labelled-beta-methyliodophenylpentadecanoic acid ([123I]-BMIPP) correlated with the degree of right ventricular pressure overload (RVPO). Myocardial scintigraphy of [123I]-BMIPP and thallium-201 (201Tl) was performed on 46 patients with RVPO. We determined the right ventricle (RV)/left ventricle (LV) ratio = (radioactivities of RV)/(radioactivities of LV), and the RV metabolic index (RVMI) = (RV/LV ratio of [123I]-BMIPP)/(RV/LV ratio of 201Tl). We also evaluated the correlation between RVMI and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), and between RVMI and total pulmonary resistance (TPR). Significant correlations were found between the RV/LV ratio of [123I]-BMIPP and mPAP and between the RV/LV ratio of [123I]-BMIPP and TPR. In addition, a significant negative correlation was observed between RVMI and mPAP and between RVMI and TPR. RVMI declined as RVPO increased, suggesting the presence of a fatty-acid metabolism disorder of the RV. Moreover, [123I]-BMIPP myocardial scintigraphy could be useful for evaluating a disorder of the fatty-acid metabolism of the RV with RVPO.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term granular diet may lead to declined resistance to trauma of the temporomandibular joint.

This study was carried out to determine the effect of food texture on the response to trauma of the temporomandibular joint in mice. Animals were fed either a solid or granular diet after weaning. At 8 weeks old, condylar hypermobility was induced by forcing the mouth wide open ten times under ether anaesthesia. This procedure was repeated 10 times once daily for 10 consecutive days. The temporomandibular joint tissues were observed microscopically on day 0 and then 2 days, 5 days, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 5 weeks after the last forced opening. Eighteen male mice were used in total, three for each timepoint. A proliferation in synovial surface cells and an increased number of capillaries were seen at day 2 in the mice fed a granular diet, but not in those fed a solid diet. Multiple cell layers of the synovial membrane, dilated capillaries and fibrin deposits were expanded further between day 2 and week 5 in the mice fed a granular diet, but not until day 5 to week 5 in the mice that had been fed a solid diet. At week 3, the mice fed a granular diet showed erosion of the anterior articular disc. This was observed in both dietary groups at week 5. This study suggests that, in advanced countries, people who habitually eat easily chewable food should be advised that such practice may lead to a decline in the resistance to trauma of the masticatory system.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Micronutrient status and glutathione peroxidase in bedridden patients on tube feeding.

Deficiency of micronutrients, especially selenium, is common in critically ill patients. We investigated the micronutrient status (selenium, zinc, copper and manganese) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in 30 tube-fed patients and 21 hospitalized non-tube-fed control patients. Serum levels of selenium, copper and manganese in tube-fed patients were significantly lower than in control patients (selenium: 4.85+/-1.38 microg/dl versus 8.67+/-1.45 pg/dl; copper: 44.7+/-36.9 microg/dl versus 92.1+/-21.2 microg/dl; manganese 0.59+/-0.41 microg/dl versus 1.52+/-0.59 microg/dl). However, zinc and log GSH-Px in the serum were similar in the two groups. Serum selenium concentration correlated with the daily intake of selenium in tube-fed patients, but zinc, copper and manganese concentrations did not correlate with the daily intake of the respective trace elements in tube-fed patients. Blood GSH-Px activity correlated positively with serum selenium concentrations in the control patients, but not in tube-fed patients. These results demonstrate that selenium content of enteral feed appears to be insufficient to maintain normal serum levels in elderly bedridden patients. Our findings emphasize the importance of monitoring micronutrient status in patients on enteral feeding to avoid trace element deficiencies.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transplantation of new autologous biomaterials into jaw cleft.

This study compared bone-marrow grafting using chondroid or fibula bone grafts transplanted into simulated alveolar bone defects in mice. The osteogenic procedure was also investigated. As an experimental model of the maxillary alveolar bone cleft, suitable for testing bone-inductive materials, a surgical trephine with a low-speed dental engine was used to form critical-sized defects in the pre-maxillary bones of male mice. Distraction osteogenesis was performed using an external fixation device. The osteotomy site was surrounded by an external callus, consisting of hyaline cartilage, that contained a large quantity of chondroid bone. Transplanted bone within chondroid bone was characterized by bone formation and remodelling 30 days post-transplantation, and bone adhesion following chondroid bone grafting was better than adhesion following fibula grafting. The present findings are the first to demonstrate the potential of chondroid bone transplantation as a new therapeutic system of bone grafting, suitable for bone substitution in craniofacial bone defects.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Polymorphism of CYP2C19 and gastric emptying in patients with proton pump inhibitor-resistant gastric ulcers.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether CYP2C19 polymorphism status and gastric emptying are related to healing in patients with gastric ulcers. We studied the CYP2C19 status in seven patients with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-resistant ulcers, 21 with PPI-sensitive ulcers and 46 healthy volunteers using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism to detect CYP2C19m1 mutation in exon 5 and CYP2C19m2 mutation in exon 4. Gastric emptying was evaluated using the 13C-acetate breath test. The frequency of phenotypes, indicated by genotypes, did not differ significantly between the three patient groups. The peak time of 13C excretion in patients with PPI-resistant ulcers was significantly longer than that of patients with PPI-sensitive ulcers and healthy volunteers. Our results suggest that rate of gastric emptying, but not CYP2C19 polymorphism, is likely to be an important factor in the delayed healing of patients with PPI-resistant gastric ulcer.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗