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Biomedical subjects

S Noguchi

Publications and source records attributed to S Noguchi.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Genetic polymorphism in CYP17 and breast cancer risk in Japanese women.

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the association of two genetic polymorphisms (1931T/C and 1951G/A) in the promoter region of the CYP17 gene with breast cancer risk in Japanese women. No significant association was observed between CYP17 polymorphism(1951G/A) and breast cancer risk (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28-1.84). In contrast, a significant increase in breast cancer risk (OR= 1.82. 95% CI: 1.07-3.12) was observed in CYP17(1931C/C) homozygotes compared with CYP17(1931T/C) heterozygotes and CYP17(1931T/T) homozygotes when women aged > or = 55 years were considered, but such a significant increase was not observed when women aged < or = 54 years were considered (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.56-1.63). These results suggest that CYP17 polymorphism(1931T/C) would be useful in the selection of Japanese women at a high risk for developing breast cancer at the age of > or = 55 years.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Distinct and essential roles of transcription factors IRF-3 and IRF-7 in response to viruses for IFN-alpha/beta gene induction.

Induction of the interferon (IFN)-alpha/beta gene transcription in virus-infected cells is an event central to innate immunity. Mice lacking the transcription factor IRF-3 are more vulnerable to virus infection. In embryonic fibroblasts, virus-induced IFN-alpha/beta gene expression levels are reduced and the spectrum of the IFN-alpha mRNA subspecies altered. Furthermore, cells additionally defective in IRF-7 expression totally fail to induce these genes in response to infections by any of the virus types tested. In these cells, a normal profile of IFN-alpha/beta mRNA induction can be achieved by coexpressing both IRF-3 and IRF-7. These results demonstrate the essential and distinct roles of thetwo factors, which together ensure the transcriptional efficiency and diversity of IFN-alpha/beta genes for the antiviral response.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in oral lichen planus and oral cancer tissues.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection not only causes chronic liver diseases but shows extrahepatic manifestations as oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral cancer. To elucidate the direct relationships among these diseases and HCV infection, we investigated the detection of positive- and negative-strand HCV-RNA from serum, OLP (n=19), and oral cancer (n=17) tissues. We used a sensitive reverse transcription to polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, and analyzed sequences from the HCV El/E2 region of the genome from serum and tissue. Positive and negative HCV-RNA strands were observed in 13 (92.9%) and 3 (21.4%) OLP tissues, respectively. In oral cancer tissues, positive HCV-RNA strands were detected in all tissues from anti-HCV positive patients. Negative HCV-RNA strands were observed in 5 of 7 (71.4%) patient's tissues. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the sequence from one of each OLP and oral cancer patient differed between serum and tissue HCV-RNA. These results may indicate that HCV persists and replicates in these lesions, suggesting a pathological role for HCV, although the mechanisms are unclear.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Intraoperative sentinel lymph node examination by imprint cytology and frozen sectioning during breast surgery.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of intraoperative imprint cytology and frozen sectioning of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer. METHODS: Sentinel node biopsy was performed in 101 patients with stage I or II breast cancer with clinically negative nodes using a dye-guided method. Intraoperative evaluation of sentinel node involvement by imprint cytology and frozen sectioning was compared with the final histopathological results of permanent sections. Tumour-negative nodes in paraffin sections stained by haematoxylin and eosin were further studied using an anticytokeratin antibody. RESULTS: The results of imprint cytology and frozen-section analysis were compared with those of haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. The sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of imprint cytology were 96.0, 90.8 and 92.1 per cent respectively, and those of frozen-section examination were 52.0, 100 and 88.1 per cent. Ten sentinel nodes were tumour positive on imprint cytology and tumour negative on stained paraffin sections. Micrometastasis was found in eight of these nodes on immunohistochemistry. Taking these immunohistological results into consideration, the final sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of imprint cytology were 90.9, 98.5 and 96.0 per cent respectively. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative imprint cytology is a useful method for evaluating the status of sentinel nodes and is more accurate than frozen-section analysis. In addition, imprint cytology can detect micrometastasis more accurately than conventional haematoxylin and eosin-stained sectioning.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Topical gentian violet for cutaneous infection and nasal carriage with MRSA.

This study describes a potential effect of topical gentian violet on cutaneous infection and nasal carriage with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). 0.5% gentian violet was used in 28 cases of skin lesions once a day, while a 0.3% solution was applied on the nasal vestibules of nine cases twice a day. The period for eradication in the 28 skin cases was 9.1 +/- 6.0 days. It was 15.3 +/- 9.0 days for the nine nasal lesions. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentian violet against MRSA from the four isolated strains was 0.0225 +/- 0.0096 microg/mL. No adverse reactions occurred throughout the study. It is suggested that gentian violet may be potentially effective against MRSA.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2000

Formation of sarcoglycan complex with differentiation in cultured myocytes.

The sarcoglycan complex consists of four transmembrane protein subunits. Mutation of any one of the genes encoding these four subunits causes complete loss or marked decrease in expression of the whole complex, resulting in the phenotype of Duchenne-like autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy, termed sarcoglycanopathy. As the basis for understanding this process, we examined how the sarcoglycan complex is formed and associates with other proteins during myogenic differentiation, using a myogenic cell line. Accumulation of the sarcoglycan subunits and formation of the sarcoglycan complex were accomplished with myotube formation. In protein transport inhibition experiments with blefeldin A, we found that the sarcoglycan complex is formed in the endoplasmic reticulum and then associates with the dystroglycan complex and sarcospan en route from the Golgi apparatus to the cell surface. In early myotubes, limited kinds of incomplete sarcoglycan complexes were observed. Their analyses would provide information on the possible patterns of formation of the sarcoglycan complex.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Seasonal changes in calcium homeostasis affect the incidence of postoperative tetany in patients with Graves' disease.

BACKGROUND: We have found that postoperative tetany occurs in patients with Graves' disease who have secondary hyperparathyroidism caused by a deficiency in calcium and vitamin D concomitant with transient hypoparathyroidism after surgery. There are seasonal variations in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of seasonal changes in calcium homeostasis on the incidence of postoperative tetany in patients with Graves' disease who undergo subtotal thyroidectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was carried out to investigate sequential changes in serum levels of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium and other electrolytes, 25(OH)D, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D) in female patients with Graves' disease who underwent subtotal thyroidectomy during the summer (n = 89) and during the winter (n = 89). RESULTS: The serum levels of calcium, magnesium, and 25(OH)D were significantly higher, but iPTH levels and 1,25(OH)2D levels were lower in summer than in winter. The percentage of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L) was 23% in summer and 62% in winter (P < .001). iPTH was below the detection limit on the first postoperative day in 15 patients (13.8%) in summer and in 13 patients (11.4%) in winter. In summery, tetany developed in only 4 of 15 patients and in one patient whose iPTH level was below normal (incidence of tetany, 5.6%). In winter, however, tetany developed in 6 of 13 patients and in 4 patients whose iPTH level was below normal (incidence of tetany, 11.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Graves' disease are more susceptible to calcium and vitamin D deficiency during the winter than during the summer, resulting in the tendency toward a higher incidence of postoperative tetany in winter.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Calcium and its regulating hormones in patients with graves disease: sex differences and relation to postoperative tetany.

OBJECTIVE: To find out why female sex is the most important risk factor for tetany, as calcium and bone metabolism may differ between the sexes. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Thyroid centre, Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 45 men (mean age 35 years, SD 13) and 178 women (mean age 33 years, SD 12) with Graves disease treated by subtotal thyroidectomy. INTERVENTIONS: Measurement of serum concentrations of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium, electrolytes, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25 (OH) 2D). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean values of these substances, together with reductions in serum calcium concentration, relative youth, increased alkaline phosphatase activity, large goitre, and increased serum TSH binding inhibitory globulin concentration. RESULTS: Women had significantly lower calcium concentrations than men (mean (SD) 2.37 (0.13) compared with 2.43 (0.07), p = 0.003). Serum calcium concentrations correlated significantly with concentrations of 25 (OH) D (p < 0.001). 121 of the women (68%) compared with 13 (29%) of men had vitamin D deficiency as defined as 25 (OH) D < 25 nmol/l (p < 0.05). 15 patients (8%) developed tetany postoperatively compared with I man (2%, p = 0.2). CONCLUSION: Women with Graves disease are more susceptible to calcium and vitamin D deficiency than men, which may account for the higher incidence of postoperative tetany among women with the disease.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2↗
PubMed2000

GnRH agonist-suppressed expression of nitric oxide synthases and generation of peroxynitrite in adenomyosis.

Because overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite is known to cause tissue injury, the expression of NO synthases (NOS) and generation of peroxynitrite were investigated in adenomyosis. Immunoreactivities to endothelial and inducible NOS demonstrated phase-dependent changes in normal endometrium, and in eutopic endometrium of adenomyosis. However, NOS were expressed throughout the menstrual cycle in ectopic endometrium from the majority of patients with adenomyosis. Nitrotyrosine, a footprint of peroxynitrite, was detected concomitantly with NOS protein. This suggested that high doses of NO and superoxide are produced in the ectopic endometrium, presumably by stimulation with bioactive molecules such as cytokines and growth factors. The expression of NOS and generation of peroxynitrite were markedly reduced by administration of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa). The suppression of serum concentrations of nitrite/nitrate, stable metabolites of NO, by long-term administration of GnRHa was also demonstrated. The suppression of synthesis of NO and/or peroxynitrite may be part of both the therapeutic and adverse effects of GnRHa therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Prognostic significance of occult bone marrow micrometastases of breast cancer detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for cytokeratin 19 mRNA.

Amplification of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) transcripts by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been shown to be a highly sensitive assay for the detection of bone marrow micrometastases (BMM) of breast cancer, but recent studies have demonstrated the occurrence of false-positive results due to low-level, illegitimately transcribed CK19 in normal bone marrow tissue. One approach to solve this problem is to develop a quantitative CK19 RT-PCR assay and to introduce a cut-off value which can distinguish between illegitimate expression and cancer-specific expression levels. In the present paper, we describe a quantitative CK19 RT-PCR assay using a real-time automated PCR system. The number of CK19 transcripts was normalized to that of GAPDH transcripts as an internal control for quality and quantity of cDNA. The cut-off value for the ratio of CK19 to GAPDH transcripts was set at 10(-4) since the ratio never exceeded this value in the control bone marrow samples (n = 12). In total, 117 bone marrow aspirates from stage I - III patients with invasive breast cancers were subjected to CK19 RT-PCR assay and immunocytological examination. Forty (34.2%) were found to be BMM-positive by CK19 RT-PCR assay whereas only three (2.6%) were found to be BMM-positive by immunocytology. Multivariate analysis has shown that occult BMM detected by CK19 RT-PCR is a significant risk factor for relapse, being independent of axillary lymph node metastases.

Bone Marrow Neoplasms↗
PubMed2000

Serum-free coculture of stromal and epithelial cells from benign prostatic hyperplasia with keratinocyte growth factor.

We developed a serum-free coculture model of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to clarify whether stromal cells stimulate growth of epithelial cells from BPH tissues. Epithelial and stromal cells from freshly isolated BPH tissue were cultured separately in defined serum-free WAJC 404/RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin, selenium, hydrocortisone, bovine serum albumin, epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and keratinocyte growth factor. (3)H-Tdr incorporation into epithelial cells and stromal cells was used as a measure of proliferation. When epithelial cells were cocultured with stromal cells, (3)H-Tdr incorporation into epithelial cells was increased in comparison to that in epithelial cells cultured alone. Dihydrotestosterone significantly increased this effect. It is likely that the in vitro coculture model reported here will be useful for isolating and understanding stromal cell-derived paracrine growth factor(s).

Cell Division↗
PubMed2000

Pathologic 'fused gland' as a prognostic factor for prostate cancer.

We examined the significance of a pathologic 'fused gland' according to the WHO-Mostofi classification for predicting prognosis in hormonally treated prostate cancer. Of 284 newly diagnosed patients receiving hormone therapy, 60 patients had specimens with no 'medullary' or 'column-cord' elements. Twenty-five of these had a 'fused gland', while 35 did not. Survival of these patients was analyzed. Cause-specific survival of the patients with no medullary or column-cord elements showed a significantly better prognosis compared to others. Furthermore, the patients whose specimens contained a 'fused gland' component had significantly poorer survival than those without that component, suggesting that the 'fused gland' component is a poor prognostic factor for survival in patients with hormonally treated prostate cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Superficially-located oligodendroglioma associated with intratumoral and peritumoral cysts--case report.

A 72-year-old male presented with a superficially-located oligodendroglioma associated with intratumoral and peritumoral cysts. Neuroimaging showed the outer cyst wall as enhanced but not the inner cyst wall. The outer cyst was removed and a biopsy taken of the solid component. The inner cyst wall appeared to consist of non-neoplastic tissue. Histological examination showed the tumor was an oligodendroglioma with tumor cells in the outer wall. The outer cyst was probably the result of blood-brain barrier disruption and intratumoral hemorrhage. The inner cyst probably resulted from reactive gliosis or peritumoral edema. Cyst formation in intraaxial tumors occurs through similar mechanisms to those of extraaxial tumors.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Study of free to total prostate specific antigen ratio in the detection of patients with prostate cancer].

BACKGROUND: We investigated the clinical usefulness of free to total serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) ratio (F/T ratio) in order to improve the specificity of total PSA measurement for detecting prostate cancer. METHOD: In this study 129 patients with total PSA level 4-20 ng/ml underwent transrectal ultrasound guided sextant biopsy. Serum samples were assessed for total PSA, free PSA and the F/T ratio calculated. All patients were pathologically diagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. RESULTS: Of 129 patients 21 had prostate carcinoma (PCa) and 108 had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) from the results of prostate biopsies. The mean of total PSA were not significantly different between men with PCa and with BPH. The mean of free PSA for PCa was significantly lower than that for BPH (p = 0.043). Furthermore, the mean of F/T ratio was significantly different between PCa and BPH group (p = 0.0014). The F/T ratio had a higher specificity than total PSA at all levels of sensitivity in detecting prostate cancers. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for cancer detection at a cut off 0.12 was 90.4%, 51.8% and 58.1%, respectively. Also, free PSA was as useful as F/T ratio for cancer detection when analyzed in receiver operating characteristic curves analysis. When determined the cut off number of free PSA at 0.78 ng/ml, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for cancer detection were 61.9%, 66.7% and 65.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the F/T ratio and free PSA could improve the specificity without impairing the sensitivity for detecting PCa in patients with 4-20 ng/ml of total PSA.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Plasma concentrations of toremifene citrate and N-desmethyltoremifene in postmenopausal patients with breast cancer--comparison of 120 mg of toremifene citrate administered once a day and divided into 3 separate doses (t.i.d.)].

To determine whether plasma concentrations of toremifene citrate after administration of 120 mg/day of toremifene citrate given in three separate dose (t.i.d.) were similar to those when toremifene citrate was administered in a single daily doses (40 mg x 3 tablets), we examined changes in plasma concentrations of toremifene citrate (TOR) and its metabolite, N-desmethyltoremifene (TOR-1). In both the t.i.d. administration group and the single-dose administration group, plasma TOR and TOR-1 concentrations reached a constant state within 2 weeks after administration was started. Under the constant state, plasma TOR concentrations were 1,493.3 +/- 120.3 ng/ml in the t.i.d. administration group and 1,348 +/- 341.0 ng/ml in the single-dose administration group. Plasma TOR-1 concentrations were 2,378.3 +/- 186.5 ng/ml in the t.i.d. administration group and 2,144 +/- 475.3 ng/ml in the single-dose administration group. In both groups, plasma TOR-1 concentrations were 2 or more times higher than plasma TOR concentrations. These results show there were no differences in plasma concentrations between administration of 120 mg/day of toremifene citrate in divided daily doses (t.i.d.) and in a single daily dose. The two administration methods appear to produce clinically similar actions.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[5'-DFUR chemoprophylaxis in superficial bladder cancer. Kanagawa Urology 5'-DFUR Study Group].

5'-Deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR), an oral fluorinated pyrimidine carbamate, is widely used in patients with gastrointestinal and breast cancers because of its effectiveness. However, in bladder cancer, response rates have only been reported in Phase II clinical trials. Therefore, we conducted a prospective randomized trial to investigate chemoprophylactic effect of 5'-DFUR against recurrence of superficial bladder cancer after transurethral bladder tumor resection (TUR-Bt). The subjects were grouped as follows: 1) 5'-DFUR group (n = 31), received 600 mg/day of 5'-DFUR starting 2-3 weeks after TUR-Bt for 2 years; and 2) control group (n = 31) received no 5'-DFUR. Although there was no significant difference between groups, the cumulative recurrence rates was more favorable in the 5'-DFUR group (p = 0.256) than in the controls. Results according to cancer factors showed that, in patients with G2 based on grading, those in the 5'-DFUR group tended to have a lower recurrence rate than the control group (p = 0.070). There was a 40% incidence of adverse drug reactions (12/30 patients), primarily slight gastrointestinal symptoms which disappeared or improved with drug discontinuation. The results of the present study suggest that 5'-DFUR might be the choice of treatment to prevent recurrence of superficial bladder cancer.

Adult↗