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Biomedical subjects

S Kono

Publications and source records attributed to S Kono.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Platelet nitric oxide metabolites in migraine.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a candidate as a causative molecule in migraine. We determined nitrite, total nitrate/nitrite, and cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) concentrations in platelets from 30 migraine without aura (MwoA) patients and 17 migraine with aura (MwA) patients. All migraine patients were studied during their migraine attacks. The control group consisted of 28 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of platelet nitrite and total nitrate/nitrite were determined using simple and sensitive nitrate/nitrite fluorometric assay techniques. High concentrations of platelet nitrite and total nitrate/nitrite were found in patients with MwoA and MwA when compared with healthy controls. High concentrations of platelet cGMP were also found in patients with MwoA and MwA. The levels of platelet total nitrate/nitrite significantly decreased in headache-free periods after treatment with oral propranolol. These findings suggest that NO is produced in platelets during migraine attacks. It may also be related to the migrainous pain and the changes in cerebral blood flow experienced during migraine attacks. These data may provide new strategies for the treatment of migraine.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Radical surgery for Budd-Chiari syndrome. Direct excision and repair for obstruction of the vena cava (Budd-Chiari syndrome) under hepatic vascular exclusion using a centrifugal pump.

OBJECTIVE: To attempt to reduce the incidence of hepatic and cardiac failure after radical surgery for the Budd-Chiari syndrome. DESIGN: Retrospective case study. SETTING: University hospital, Japan SUBJECTS: Three patients with obstruction of the vena cava (Budd-Chiari syndrome) by a thick membrane, thrombus, and a long stenosis, respectively. INTERVENTION: Direct excision and repair by patch dilatation under hepatic vascular exclusion using a Biomedicus centrifugal pump. RESULTS: Hepatic vascular exclusion provides good visibility and enables accurate assessment of the obstruction, proper treatment, and relatively little blood loss. There were no complications, particularly liver failure or heart failure, and the inferior vena cava stayed patent in all cases. Liver function was improved in all three patients. CONCLUSION: This technique is safe and reliable for removal of obstruction of the inferior vena cava (Budd-Chiari syndrome).

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Obesity, weight gain and risk of colon adenomas in Japanese men.

Obesity has been related to increased risk of colon cancer or adenomas, but the epidemiologic findings are not entirely consistent. We examined the relation of not only body mass index (BMI) but also waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and weight gain to colon adenoma risk in men who received a preretirement health examination at the Japan Self Defense Forces (SDF) Fukuoka and Kumamoto Hospitals during the period from 1995 to 1996. In the series of 803 men at age 47-55 years, 189 cases of colon adenomas and 226 controls with normal total colonoscopy were identified. Weight at 10 years before was ascertained by referring to the recorded data. After allowance for hospital, rank in the SDF, smoking and alcohol use, weight gain over the past 10 years was significantly associated with increased risk of colon adenomas (odds ratio for > or = 6 kg versus < or =-2 kg = 2.2; 95% confidence interval 1.0-4.8). High BMI and high WHR were each associated with increased risk, but only WHR was related to the risk independently of weight gain. In particular, weight gain accompanied with a high WHR was associated with a significant increase in the risk. Men with high physical activity tended to have lower risk. Associations with obesity-related variables and physical activity were not materially differential as regards the location and size of adenoma. The findings indicate that weight gain in middle age leading to abdominal obesity increases the risk of colon adenomas, and consequently of colon cancer.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1999

Association of polymorphism in the NeuroD/BETA2 gene with type 1 diabetes in the Japanese.

NeuroD/BETA2, a transcription factor of the insulin gene, also plays an important role in the development of pancreatic beta-cells. Recently, the NeuroD/BETA2 gene has been mapped to the long arm of human chromosome 2 (2q32) where the IDDM7 gene has previously been mapped, implying its involvement in diabetes. To identify mutations in the NeuroD/BETA2 gene that may predispose patients to develop diabetes, we studied the gene in 50 Japanese subjects with diabetes (4 with type 1 and 46 with type 2) by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing analyses. Further analysis was performed in 392 Japanese subjects (60 with type 1 and 158 with type 2 diabetes and 174 healthy control subjects) by mismatch PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism. We found a DNA polymorphism of the NeuroD/BETA2 gene. A nucleotide G-to-A transition results in the substitution of alanine to threonine at codon 45 (Ala45Thr). The frequencies of heterozygotes for the Ala45Thr variant were 9.8% in the control subjects, 9.5% in the patients with type 2 diabetes, and 25.0% in the patients with type 1 diabetes, a significant difference (P = 0.006). Because the variant of the NeuroD/BETA2 gene (Ala45Thr) is associated with type 1 but not type 2 diabetes, it may be implicated in the loss of pancreatic beta-cells in type 1 diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Inverse association between coffee drinking and serum uric acid concentrations in middle-aged Japanese males.

Consumption of caffeine-rich beverages, which have diuretic properties, may decrease serum uric acid concentrations. We examined cross-sectionally the relationship of coffee and green tea consumption to serum uric acid concentrations in 2240 male self-defence officials who received a pre-retirement health examination at four hospitals of the Self-Defence Forces between 1993 and 1994. The mean levels of coffee and green tea consumption were 2.3 and 3.1 cups/d respectively. There was a clear inverse relationship between coffee consumption and serum uric acid concentration. When adjusted for hospital only, those consuming less than one cup of coffee daily had a mean serum uric acid concentration of 60 mg/l, while that of those drinking five or more cups of coffee daily was 56 mg/l (P < 0.0001). No such relationship was observed for green tea, another major dietary source of caffeine in Japan. The relationship between coffee consumption and serum uric acid concentration was independent of age, rank in the Self-Defence Forces, BMI, systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, serum total cholesterol and serum HDL-cholesterol concentrations, smoking status, alcohol use, beer consumption and intake of dairy products. These findings suggest that coffee drinking may be associated with lower concentrations of serum uric acid, and further studies are needed to confirm the association.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1998

Stroke due to a fusiform aneurysm of the cervical vertebral artery: case report.

Aneurysms of the cervical vertebral artery (VA) are uncommon; they are often caused by trauma or spontaneous dissection. A fusiform aneurysm without evidence of atherosclerosis or dissection has not been reported previously. A 46-year-old man presented with a pontine infarct. Imaging revealed a fusiform aneurysm of the left VA at the C5-6 level, with occlusion of the basilar artery. Associated minor anomalies included fusion of the vertebral bodies of C5 and C6, cervical rib and platybasia. The left VA arose directly from the aortic arch and entered the transverse foramen at the C4 level. Hyperextension and left lateral flexion of the neck caused kinking of the VA proximal to the aneurysm. Turbulent flow in the aneurysm lumen was noted on angiography.

Cerebral Angiography↗
PubMed1998

Stromal angiogenesis in human glioma: a role of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor.

BACKGROUND: Although several tumor angiogenic factors have been identified previously and characterized, it is not yet fully clear how tumor angiogenic factors induce endothelial cell transformation and proliferation. Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) has been recently discovered to be an endothelial cell growth factor initially purified from human platelets. However, there has been no previous report describing the significance of PD-ECGF in the growth of brain tumors by angiogenic stimulation. We report the immunohistochemical localization of PD-ECGF in human gliomas and meningiomas, and discuss whether PD-ECGF could play a role in the modulation of stromal angiogenesis in human glioblastoma multiforme. METHODS: Twenty-eight cases of glioma (11 glioblastomas and 17 astrocytomas) derived from the neuroectoderm in embryogenesis and 12 meningiomas from the mesoderm were investigated by both immunohistochemical localization of the PD-ECGF and a semiquantitative assay to determine the degree of stromal angiogenesis. RESULTS: Numerous PD-ECGF positive cells were observed within and around the blood vessels of glioblastoma multiforme, especially on the borders of tumor tissue. The PD-ECGF positive cells were negative for anti-von Willebrand factor (vWF) and antiglial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibodies and were positive for antimacrophage (HAM-56). The expression of PD-ECGF by macrophages closely correlated with the degree of stromal vascularity in glioblastoma multiforme; no such correlation was found in either astrocytoma or meningioma. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was found to be positive in some endothelial cells of stromal vessels in glioblastoma multiforme. These findings suggest that PD-ECGF expressed by macrophages plays an important role in the growth of glioblastoma multiforme with stromal angiogenesis.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMed1998

Habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure: A study of self-defense officials in Japan.

The study aims to examine the relationship between habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure. The subjects were 3336 male self-defense officials aged 48-56 years, who received a preretirement health examination at the Self-Defense Forces Fukuoka Hospital between October 1986 and December 1992. Average coffee intake in the past year was ascertained by a self-administered questionnaire. A significant inverse relation between habitual coffee consumption and blood pressure was found with and without adjustment for alcohol use, cigarette smoking, body mass index, glucose tolerance, and green tea intake. Green tea, another major source of caffeine intake in Japanese, was unrelated to blood pressure. The adjusted mean differences per cup of coffee consumed per day were -0.6 mmHg (95% confident interval [CI]: -0.9 to -0.3, p = 0.0001) in systolic blood pressure and -0.4 mmHg (95% CI: -0.5 to -0.2, p = 0.0002) in diastolic blood pressure. Habitual coffee drinkers had lower blood pressure than non-drinkers at any levels of alcohol use, cigarette smoking, obesity, and glucose intolerance. Our findings consolidate the previous observation that habitual coffee consumption was associated with lower blood pressure.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1998

Glucose intolerance and adenomas of the sigmoid colon in Japanese men (Japan).

OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to investigate the relation between glucose tolerance and risk of sigmoid colon adenomas, a well-established precancerous lesion, in Japanese men. METHODS: In the consecutive series of 7,637 men aged 48 to 59 years who received a preretirement health examination at four hospitals of the Self Defense Forces (SDF) in Japan from 1986 to 1994, we identified 821 cases of sigmoid colon adenomas and 4,372 controls with normal sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy at 60 cm or more from the anus. Glucose tolerance status was classified as normal, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), newly diagnosed non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), or diabetes mellitus under treatment, based on a 75g oral glucose tolerance test and medical history. Statistical adjustment was made for body mass index (wt/ht2), cigarette smoking, alcohol use, rank of the SDF, and hospital. RESULTS: Modest increases in adenoma risk were observed for newly diagnosed NIDDM and diabetes mellitus under treatment while there was no association between IGT and adenoma risk. When small (< 5 mm in diameter) and large (5+ mm) adenomas were analyzed separately, increased risk associated with newly diagnosed NIDDM was more pronounced for small adenomas, and diabetes mellitus under treatment showed a slightly stronger association with large adenomas. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that NIDDM is associated with modestly increased risk of sigmoid colon adenomas, and add to evidence that hyperinsulinemia increases colon cancer risk.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1998

Coffee consumption and decreased serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and aminotransferase activities among male alcohol drinkers.

BACKGROUND: Attention has long been drawn to the potentially harmful effects of coffee on health, however recent epidemiological studies have suggested unexpected, possibly beneficial effects of coffee against the occurrence of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and upon serum liver enzyme levels. METHODS: We examined the potential inverse association between coffee drinking and serum concentrations of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and aminotransferases, with special reference to interaction with alcohol consumption, in a cross-sectional study involving 12687 health examinees (7398 men and 5289 women) aged 40-69 years from over 1000 workplaces in Nagano prefecture in central Japan. Those who had a history of liver disease and/or serum aminotransferases exceeding the normal range were excluded. Possible confounding effects of alcohol consumption, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and green tea consumption were controlled through multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Increased coffee consumption was strongly and independently associated with decreased GGT activity among males (P trend < 0.0001); the inverse association between coffee and serum GGT was more evident among heavier alcohol consumers (P < 0.0001), and was absent among non-alcohol drinkers. Among females, however, coffee was only weakly related to lower GGT level. Similar inverse associations with coffee and interactions between coffee and alcohol intake were observed for serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. Intake of green tea, another popular source of caffeine in Japan, did not materially influence the liver enzyme levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that coffee may inhibit the induction of GGT in the liver by alcohol consumption, and may possibly protect against liver cell damage due to alcohol.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Relation of serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose to colorectal carcinoma in situ.

BACKGROUND: No one has previously examined the relation of serum total cholesterol, serum triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose to colorectal carcinoma in situ. METHODS: A case-control study was performed with 129 cases of colorectal carcinoma in situ and 258 matched controls among examinees undergoing a health check-up in Tokyo from January 1991 to March 1993. RESULTS: There was a significant, positive association between serum total cholesterol levels and the risk of colorectal carcinoma in situ after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status and alcohol consumption. Serum triglyceride levels were significantly and positively associated with colorectal carcinoma in situ risk regardless of adjustment for the above covariates. Although there was no clear relation between colorectal carcinoma in situ and fasting plasma glucose levels, a modest increase of colorectal carcinoma in situ risk was observed in the highest category (> or =116 mg/dl) of fasting plasma glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a positive association between serum total cholesterol levels and the risk of colorectal cancer, rather than an inverse relation. The strong association with serum triglyceride levels and the weak association with fasting plasma glucose levels support the hypothesis that hyperinsulinaemia may play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The relationship between CYP1A1 aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity and lung cancer in a Japanese population.

Because aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) is considered to be responsible for the activation of benzo(a)pyrene and other polyaromatic hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke to carcinogens, it is important to examine CYP1A1 (AHH) activity in the determination of susceptibility to lung cancer. We investigated AHH activity in peripheral mitogen-treated lymphocytes in 108 lung cancer patients and 95 healthy control individuals. Non-induced AHH activity was detectable in all the samples. AHH inducibility (3-methylcholanthrene-induced/non-induced AHH activity) showed a very wide interindividual variation as well as non-induced AHH activity. No significant associations were found between adjusted AHH activity and histologic type of tumor among lung cancer patients. Adjusted AHH inducibility of genotype C [geometric mean and 95% confidence interval (CI); 15.56 and 11.69-20.71] in MspI polymorphism was significantly higher than those of the other two genotypes (P = 0.0001), while no significant difference was observed between genotypes A (4.76 and 3.82-5.93) and B (5.60 and 4.57-6.86). On the other hand, non-induced AHH activity of genotype Val/Val (0.121 and 0.082-0.178 pmol/min/10(6) cells) in isoleucine-valine (Ile-Val) polymorphism was significantly higher than those of genotypes Ile/Ile (0.042 and 0.034-0.052 pmol/min/10(6) cells) and Ile/Val (0.040 and 0.030-0.053 pmol/min/10(6) cells) (P < 0.0001). Even after controlling for age, cigarettes smoked per day and season of the year, high AHH inducibility (7.0 < versus 0 < < or = 3.0: OR and 95 %CI, 12.4 and 2.88-53.4) was an independent risk factor for lung cancer. The data indicate that high AHH inducibility may strongly associate with the susceptibility to lung carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Acquired undescended testis.

We report an unusual case of a 22-year-old man who presented with the left testis spontaneously ascended to a non-scrotal position. The testis had been documented to be intrascrotal without any sign of up-migration when the man was 12 years old. On surgery, the cryptorchid testis was found to be located within the superficial inguinal pouch. The testis was atrophic with the spermatic cord too short. On dissection, a remnant string of the closed processus vaginalis was observed within the cord, and the distal end of the gubernaculum was abnormally attached to the fascia near inguinoscrotal junction. Histopathologic findings of the testis were that of the Sertoli-cell-only syndrome which may represent the end-stage of germinal cell hypoplasia, a pathologic sequela common in postpubertal undescended testis. We recommend 3 diagnostic criteria for the acquired undescended testis and emphasize that testicular descent should be confirmed in infancy and re-confirmed periodically through puberty by the health care physician. Our observations seem to support the theory that acquired undescended testis may be caused by a postnatal failure of the spermatic cord to elongate in proportion to somatic growth.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody protects against spontaneous IgA nephropathy in ddY mice.

We investigated the effects of anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and/or anti-CD8 mAb in ddY mice, an animal model of spontaneous IgA nephropathy. Female ddY mice were treated with 18 intravenous injections of anti-CD4 and/or anti-CD8 mAb at 2-week intervals. This was based on our observation that a single injection of anti-CD4 mAb or anti-CD8 mAb caused a selective depletion in CD4+ T cells for 2 weeks and CD8+ T cells for 4 weeks, respectively. The level of proteinuria, serum IgA, and changes in the histopathological features of renal tissue samples were assessed in treated mice between the age of 4 and 40 weeks. The level of proteinuria increased with age, but there was not significant difference among the groups. No animal developed microhematuria throughout the study. Treatment with anti-CD4 mAb produced a mild to moderate level of mesangial hypertrophy at 20 and 40 weeks, similar to the results in untreated mice. The lowest degree of mesangial hypertrophy occurred in mice treated with anti-CD8 mAb up to the age of 40 weeks. Treatment with a combination of anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 mAbs produced effects that were similar to those observed on treatment with anti-CD8 mAb alone. Our results suggest that CD8+ T cells mediate mesangial proliferation and the progression of nephropathy in ddY mice.

Animals↗