Biomedical subjects

S Kubo

Publications and source records attributed to S Kubo.

748 records · Page 42Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A neonatal case of hydranencephaly caused by atheromatous plaque obstruction of aortic arch: possible association with a congenital cytomegalovirus infection?

A neonate was seen with hydranencephaly and aortic arch obstruction possibly caused by congenital cytomegalovirus infection. At autopsy the aortic arch was occluded by atheromatous plaque between the right brachiocephalic artery and left common carotid artery. Congenital cytomegalovirus infection may have caused cardiovascular disease and hydranencephaly in this case.

Aorta, Thoracic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-acting nicardipine for elderly hypertensive patients: effect on diurnal variation of blood pressure.

The effect of long-acting nicardipine tablets on diurnal variation of blood pressure was compared with that of standard nicardipine tablets and long-acting nifedipine tablets by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 35 patients with hypertension. Long-acting nicardipine decreased systolic blood pressure in each age group, and there was no difference in its anti-hypertensive effect when compared with the other two drugs. All three drugs had no effect on the amplitude of daily blood pressure variation, and all three drugs decreased the baseline blood pressure in each age group when compared with untreated patients. In addition, no change was observed in the decrement of baseline blood pressure after switching from the other two drugs to long-acting nicardipine. Long-acting nicardipine had less effect on diurnal blood pressure variation than standard nicardipine tablets, which are administered three times daily. In each age group, long-acting nicardipine also more effectively inhibited the increase in cardiac work resulting from the morning rise phenomenon when compared with standard nicardipine tablets. These findings suggest that long-acting nicardipine may be a more useful preparation for the treatment of essential hypertension, particularly in elderly patients.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Combination chemotherapy for infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with combination therapy by cefuzonam and fosfomycin or minocycline in the urologic field.

To determine the bacterial and clinical effects of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on urinary tract infection (UTI), postoperative wound infection, and bacteremia, 22 strains of MRSA from infected patients were examined; minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index, coagulase typing, and change in MIC in the combination of cefuzonam (CZON) and fosfomycin (FOM) or minocycline (MINO), and the clinical effects of the combination therapy of CZON+FOM or CZON+MINO were investigated in 23 patients. MIC distribution was assessed for 11 drugs: methicillin (DMPPC), cefazolin (CEZ), cefotiam (CTM), cefuzonam (CZON), minocycline (MINO), vancomycin (VCM), arbekacin (ABK), imipenem (IPM), fosfomycin (FOM), ofloxacin (OFLX), and clarithromycin (CAM). For VCM and ABK, MICs ranged from 0.2 to 12.5 micrograms/ml. MINO showed a wide range of MIC, from 0.05 to 25 micrograms/ml. All strains were less sensitive to other antimicrobials. This MIC distribution was assessed in categories by coagulase typing. For CAM, type II strains revealed > or = 100 micrograms/ml of MIC50 and MIC90 compared with 0.2 and 3.13 micrograms/ml in type VII strains. For mixed combinations of CZON and MINO at ratios of 10 to 1 and 40 to 1, the rates of blood concentration for drugs 10 and 120 min after the intravenous injection, MIC distribution was observed between MINO and CZON. For mixed combinations of CZON and FOM at ratios of 1 to 1 and 1 to 4, MIC distribution was more sensitive than for FOM or CZON alone. With respect to the clinical effects of combination therapy by CZON+MINO and CZON+FOM, of seven cases of UTI with CZON+MINO, MRSA was eliminated completely in 4 patients (57.1%). In all patients who received CZON+FOM, MRSA was completely eliminated by this treatment regimen. In 4 of 7 (57.1%) patients with would infection and bacteremia, MRSA was eliminated by the combination of CZON+FOM or CZON+MINO. These results suggest that CZON+FOM is an effective combination in treating UTI and other MRSA infections in urology.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Solution synthesis of mu-conotoxin GIIIB: optimization of the oxidative folding reaction.

mu-Conotoxin GIIIB, a skeletal muscle sodium channel specific blocker, was synthesized by the solution procedure. The whole molecule, which is composed of 22 amino acid residues including six cysteinyl and three trans-4-hydroxy-L-prolyl residues, was constructed from three segments. After removal of all protecting groups, the hexa-SH peptide was subjected to an oxidative folding reaction at a peptide concentration of 1 x 10(-5) M. Three major products 1, 2 and 3 were formed in a ratio of 1:4:3. Determination of the disulfide structures in each product revealed them to be disulfide isomers, with similar connectivities in the latter two. Study of the biological activities of the three products in mice indicated that only product 1, which is a minor component, has the same potency as the natural product. Analysis of the folding process at a peptide concentration of 1 x 10(-5) M showed that the disulfide bond between Cys10 and Cys15 was initially formed, thus leading to the predominant generation of products 2 and 3. The optimal conditions for the formation of product 1 (mu-conotoxin GIIIB) were obtained by increasing the peptide concentration in the oxidation reaction mixture or by using redox reagents, both of which functioned as promoters for the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction of the mismatched disulfide bond between Cys10 and Cys15.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Indications for, and effectiveness of, a second hepatic resection for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Second hepatic resection (SHR) for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) appears to have a better prognosis than other treatments; however, it is not clear whether this is the result of the procedure, or of the underlying condition of patients undergoing this treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive hepatic resection for 13 years, many patients suffered from recurrence in the remnant liver. After detection of recurrence, these lesions were treated in various ways including SHR. In this communication, recurrent patients were divided into SHR patients and non-SHR patients. In these two groups, we analyzed clinicopathologically. RESULTS: After 341 curative hepatic resections for HCC, recurrences presented in 193 patients (57%). SHR was performed in 31 patients (16%), while the other 162 patients (84%) underwent other treatments. At first resection, the group did not significantly differ in sex, age, evidence of hepatitis infection, liver function tests, tumor size, presence of portal vein invasion and evidence of histologic cirrhosis. SHR patients had more tumor-free days following first resection than non-SHR patients (p < 0.05). The survival rate following recurrence for SHR patients was better than that of non-SHR patients (p < 0.05). Among the non-SHR patients, 23 patients met criteria for the procedure. Survival rate for the 31 SHR patients also was better than that of these 23 patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Since SHR is safe, effective, and offers an improved prognosis for recurrent HCC, it should be the treatment of choice whenever possible.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term results of ethanol embolization of renal cell carcinoma.

This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the long-term results of transarterial embolization with absolute ethanol (ethanol-TAE) for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Twenty-eight patients, including 15 stage IVb patients, underwent ethanol-TAE, with 12 of them followed by nephrectomy. The cumulative survival rates after 1, 3, and 5 years were 71%, 54%, and 54% in the surgical group, and 54%, 33%, and 22% in the non-surgical group. From the results, we recommend ethanol-TAE for advanced stage patients for the following reasons: first, it can be a useful alternative to nephrectomy in high-risk patients; second, ethanol-TAE can decrease the primary tumor size increasing operability; and third, local tumor control may result in longer survival.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human erythrocyte polyamine levels after partial hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: There are various indices of liver regeneration, but no clinically useful index that reflects the current status of liver regeneration. We assayed human erythrocyte polyamine levels after partial hepatectomy to define the relationship between erythrocyte polyamine levels and liver regeneration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Levels of human erythrocyte polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography in 91 patients after partial hepatectomy and in 13 patients after surgery other than partial hepatectomy (controls). Of the patients after partial hepatectomy, 37 underwent hepatectomy of 20% or more of the liver (group A), 27 underwent segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy of the liver amounting to less than 20% of the liver (group B), and 27 underwent an operation smaller in scale than sub-segmentectomy (group C). RESULTS: The greater the proportion of the liver resected, the greater was the percent increase. In groups A, B, and C, erythrocyte levels of spermidine and spermine increased after surgery compared with the base line, and were significantly higher at 7 or 14 days, decreasing later. The differences in spermidine among the three groups were significant. CONCLUSIONS: After partial hepatectomy, the erythrocyte polyamine levels, especially the level of spermidine, were related to the proportion of liver resected. They seemed to reflect the degree of liver regeneration.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differences of resected hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatitis B or C virus.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinicopathologic differences of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with the hepatitis B versus the hepatitis C virus. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and sixty-eight patients with resected hepatocellular carcinoma were tested for viral hepatitis. Ten (6%) had both the hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. Thirty-three (20%) had neither marker. Sixteen (9%) had only the hepatitis B surface antigen (group B), and 109 (65%) had only antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (group C). We compared groups B and C clinicopathologically. RESULTS: The mean tumor diameter was larger in group B than in group C (6.3 cm vs 3.4 cm), while group B patients were younger than group C (48 yrs vs 62 yrs, p<0.0001). Poor liver function, histologic cirrhosis and chronic active hepatitis were frequently found in group C. The 1- and 2-year tumor-free survival rates following surgery in group B were 67% and 33%, and those in group C were 73% and 49%. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates following surgery in group B were 78%, 68%, and 0%, while those in group C were 92%, 83%, and 76% (p=0.0189). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocellular carcinoma with concomitant hepatitis B viral infection was found to present as larger tumors in younger patients with less severe liver dysfunction. Hepatocellular carcinoma with concomitant hepatitis C viral infection was often detected in follow-up studies when it was small.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

GB virus C infection by blood transfusion during and following liver surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: GB virus C has been associated with some cases of fulminant hepatitis and post-transfusion hepatitis. We examined transfusion-related infection with this virus. METHODOLOGY: Of 150 patients undergoing liver resection, 108 received a homologous blood transfusion. Serum samples before and after surgery were examined for GB virus C RNA by a nested polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription. We also studied the post-operative course of patients infected with GB virus C by blood transfusion. RESULTS: Viral RNA was detected in sera taken after transfusion in 4 (4%) patients receiving homologous transfusions. Viral RNA was not detected after surgery in the 42 patients given autologous transfusions or not receiving homologous blood. Post-operative courses in the 4 infected patients were uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: As 4% of homologous transfusions resulted in GB virus C infection in our small surgical study, autologous transfusion is recommended when circumstances permit.

Blood Transfusion↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of tuftsin on human Kupffer cell.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Kupffer cells are the most important category of reticuloendothelial cells which are critical for host defense in the liver. We investigated the effects of tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg) on human Kupffer cells. METHODOLOGY: Human Kupffer cells were obtained from the livers of patients with colon cancer. Phagocytosis assay was done by microscopic counting of the number of Kupffer cells that engulfed fluorescent particle(s), and the number of the particles engulfed per Kupffer cell when Kupffer cells were incubated with and without tuftsin. Effect of tuftsin on the release of tumor necrosis factor from Kupffer cells was also studied. RESULTS: Phagocytosis was enhanced significantly by tuftsin. The greatest effect on percentage of phagocytic cells was observed at 1.0 microg/ml of tuftsin. The mean number of particles engulfed per Kupffer cell was also increased with tuftsin 1.0 microg/ml. Tumor necrosis factor release was also significantly increased; the greatest effect was observed at 1.0 microg/ml of tuftsin. CONCLUSIONS: Tuftsin enhances phagocytic activity and tumor necrosis factor release of human Kupffer cells, which are advantageous for host defense against invading microorganisms and tumor cells.

Cells, Cultured↗