Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Takai

Publications and source records attributed to S Takai.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources

Identification of 15- to 17-kilodalton antigens associated with virulent Rhodococcus equi.

Antigens of Rhodococcus equi were analyzed by immunoblotting with naturally infected foal sera. Immunoblots of whole-cell antigen preparations of clinical isolates of R. equi revealed that major protein bands with molecular masses of 15 to 17 kDa were present in all clinical isolates tested and all isolates virulent for mice. In contrast, the 15- to 17-kDa antigens were not identified by immunoblotting in ATCC 6939, a type strain of R. equi that was avirulent for mice. Whole-cell antigens of 102 environmental isolates were investigated by immunoblotting and the mouse pathogenicity test. Twenty-five of these isolates were demonstrated to contain the 15- to 17-kDa antigens by immunoblotting and were virulent for mice. The remaining 77 environmental isolates lacked the 15- to 17-kDa antigens and were avirulent for mice. These data suggest that the diffuse 15- to 17-kDa proteins are virulence-associated antigens with immunogenicity in foals and that they may be useful in marking virulent R. equi contamination in the environment of a horse-breeding farm.

Actinomycetales Infections↗

Immunohistochemical analysis of amylase isoenzymes in thyroid cancer.

The expression of amylase in various histological types of thyroid cancer was studied by an immunohistochemical technique, using a polyclonal antiamylase antiserum and two monoclonal antibodies specific for salivary and pancreatic-type amylases, respectively. Amylase was expressed in 21 of 24 (88%) thyroid cancers by polyclonal antiserum analysis. Analysis by monoclonal antibodies, however, showed that only 13 (54%) cases and three (13%) cases contained salivary-type and pancreatic-type amylases, respectively. Moreover, immunoreactivity for pancreatic-type amylase was detected only in medullary carcinoma; other histological types were positive for salivary-type amylase. These results show that thyroid cancer frequently expresses amylase, and suggest that the differences between amylase isoenzymes in thyroid cancer may correlate with those found between cellular origin of tumour.

Amylases↗

Stimulation of prostaglandin synthesis in rabbit gastric antral mucosal slices by desferrioxamine in vitro.

Desferrioxamine is an iron-chelating agent used in the treatment of iron overload. It is a powerful inhibitor of iron-dependent radical reactions. The effect of desferrioxamine of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis and metabolism in rabbit gastric antral mucosal slices has been examined. Desferrioxamine significantly enhanced the production of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha. The formation of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGE2 and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGF2 alpha was also increased slightly by desferrioxamine. The addition of Fe3+ or Al3+ blocked the stimulatory action of desferrioxamine on PGE2 and PGF2 alpha production. Desferrioxamine appears to be stimulating the activity of PG cyclooxygenase through the removal of endogenous antral mucosal iron. These results suggest that desferrioxamine has the potential to increase the PG levels in gastric mucosa by primarily stimulating PG biosynthesis. The possibility that desferrioxamine may be of therapeutic value in the treatment of ischemic injury in the stomach is discussed.

Aluminum↗

Involvement of the retinoblastoma gene in primary osteosarcomas and other bone and soft-tissue tumors.

The retinoblastoma (Rb) gene, thought by some to be associated with tumor formation of retinoblastoma as a recessive human oncogene, was investigated in 57 cases using DNA and RNA from primary osteosarcomas and other bone and soft-tissue tumors. Eight of 23 osteosarcoma cases (35%) showed structural alterations of the Rb gene. Three of the eight demonstrated homozygous deletions, and the remaining five cases showed heterozygous deletions. Seven out of eight cases represented deletion of a 7.5-kb HindIII fragment. Northern blot analysis of five cases of osteosarcoma showed that four demonstrated no detectable Rb gene transcription, and one case had a truncated 3.5-kb fragment with a faint 4.7-kb band. In the other 34 cases of bone and soft-tissue tumors, two cases of three malignant fibrous histiocytomas showed an Rb gene abnormality by Southern blot analysis. These results strongly suggest that Rb gene alteration is pertinent to the tumorigenesis of most osteosarcoma cases and some other bone and soft-tissue tumors.

Adolescent↗

Healing of digital flexor tendons: importance of the interval from injury to repair. A biomechanical, biochemical, and morphological study in dogs.

The effect of an elapsed interval of time between injury and operative repair of the flexor tendons was investigated in a canine model. Transected intrasynovial flexor tendons were repaired either immediately or after a delay of seven or twenty-one days. The biomechanical, biochemical, and morphological characteristics were compared at three and six weeks. The values for angular rotation, linear excursion, ultimate load, and linear slope were determined; concentrations of collagen and reducible collagen cross-links, an index of newly synthesized collagen, were measured; and the ultrastructural morphology of the tendons was examined by high-voltage electron microscopy. For the tendons that were repaired immediately, the values for angular rotation were 9.4 +/- 3.2 and 13.0 +/- 3.7 degrees at three and six weeks; for those that were repaired at seven days, 4.1 +/- 1.3 and 2.5 +/- 1.4 degrees; and for those that were repaired at twenty-one days, 2.7 +/- 0.8 and 4.7 +/- 0.7 degrees. There was a significant effect of the delay until repair on the angular rotation and linear excursion in all three groups (p less than 0.005 for both). Tensile testing of the bone-tendon complex revealed no significant effect of the delay on the values for ultimate load (p greater than 0.05). There were no significant differences in total concentration of collagen at the sites of repair or in the levels of reducible Schiff-base cross-links (indicators of newly synthesized cross-links) in tendons from the three groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Mapping of the genes around MEN2A locus using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

The gene for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) is closely linked to RBP3 (retinol-binding protein 3, interstitial, probe IRBP.H4) and the DNA marker D10S15 (probe pMCK2), which have been assigned to the proximal long arm of chromosome 10 by linkage analysis both in Caucasian and Japanese populations. We have constructed a rare-cutting restriction map around the RBP3 and D10S15 loci by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The RBP3 and D10S15 loci appeared to be within a single 160 kb MluI fragment. In 5 patients with MEN 2A, gene rearrangements, such as a gross deletion, were not found in the 880 kb NruI fragment which covered the closest region to the MEN-2A locus from the RBP3 and D10S15 loci.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10↗

The natural history of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A--a clinical analysis.

The records of 18 patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A in a family consisting of 87 members in 5 generations, were reviewed with respect to age at onset and length of survival in a study of the natural history of this syndrome. Of these 18 patients, 8 were alive following surgical treatment, while 10 had died without treatment. The clinical onset of medullary thyroid carcinoma was noticed as a nodule in the neck at between 17 and 34 years of age (mean 24 years); the onset of pheochromocytoma was characterized by palpitation, hypertensive attacks or recurrent headache at between 17 and 42 years of age (mean 27 years); and death occurred in 10 patients at between 23 and 67 years of age (mean 40.6 years). This information on the age at onset of individual clinical manifestations, and on the length of survival of gene carriers, may be useful for clinicians who are asked to assess the risk of the development of this syndrome in a genetically predisposed asymptomatic individual, because screening tests are often refused by members of Japanese families with MEN type 2A.

Adolescent↗

Hamster cell line suitable for transfection assay of transforming genes.

We established a subclone, SHOK, from the GHE-L cell line, an immortal line derived from a primary culture of Syrian hamster embryo cells, as a recipient cell line useful for the detection of oncogenes by transfection. SHOK cells were almost as susceptible as NIH 3T3 cells to focus formation by many oncogenes, including v-raf, v-Ha-ras, v-Ki-ras, or activated c-Ha-ras. The susceptibility of SHOK to focus formation was higher than that of NIH 3T3 for v-mos but was lower for v-fps, v-fgr, v-src, v-sis, and v-abl. When DNAs extracted from 27 human and murine tumors were tested for focus formation, 5 DNAs were positive in NIH 3T3 cells, whereas 9 were positive in SHOK cells at the primary transfection. Using SHOK cells as recipients of tumor cellular DNA, we isolated another oncogene and a c-Ki-ras2 gene mutated at codon 146 that were difficult to detect in NIH 3T3 cells. SHOK cells have a low rate of spontaneous transformation, produce easily distinguishable foci, and maintain a stable karyotype in transformed cells. In addition to being useful for the screening of human tumor DNAs, SHOK cells will be useful for the isolation of oncogenes from murine tumors because of their hamster origin.

Animals↗

Persistence of chromatid damage after G2 phase X-irradiation in lymphoblastoid cells from Gardner's syndrome.

Previous reports showed that skin fibroblasts or peripheral blood lymphocytes from individuals with hereditary cancer or with a genetic disorder predisposing to cancer show an abnormally high frequency of chromatid damage after X-irradiation in G2 phase. The reproducibility of this response suggested that it could provide the basis of an assay for genetic predisposition to cancer. The present blind study tested whether lymphoblastoid cell lines could also be used in this assay. Lymphoblastoid cell lines from patients with Gardner's syndrome (GS) were compared with those from clinically normal controls. In metaphase cells collected during the first 30 min after X-irradiation (58R), frequencies of chromatid breaks and gaps were similar in GS and normal cells. However, in metaphase cells collected from 0.5 to 1.5 h and 1.5 to 2.5 h after X-irradiation, the total unrepaired damage for each GS cell line was greater than that observed in any of the lines from clinically normal controls. The persistence of chromatid damage in the GS cells after X-irradiation suggests a deficiency or imbalance in the repair or processing of the radiation-induced DNA damage. The results show that lymphoblastoid cell lines in early passage can be used in this cytogenetic assay to identify members in a GS family who have the GS gene(s) or other individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer.

Cells, Cultured↗

Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from raw milk and its environment at dairy farms in Japan.

The incidence of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in raw milk from farm bulk tanks and silage was investigated monthly at 20 dairy farms in Aomori prefecture, Japan, from January to July in 1989. Listeria sp. was isolated from one sample (5%) of raw milk collected in May, but L. monocytogenes was not isolated from raw milk. L. monocytogenes was isolated from two samples of silage (10%) collected in June. Silage, cow feces, sawdust bedding, dust and soil in these farms were tested for listerias, and we confirmed listerias contamination of the environment in the dairy farms.

Animals↗

A case of first trimester prenatal diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency with human complement C4 cDNA probe.

Early prenatal diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase (21-OHase) deficiency would enable treatment to be done to protect the fetus from masculinization and/or life-threatening adrenal crisis at birth. We report here the prenatal diagnosis of 21-OHase deficiency with human complement component C4 cDNA to probe DNA from chorionic villi at 10 weeks of gestation. Southern analysis with human C4 cDNA identified TaqI restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in the family. Family analysis with these RELPs showed that the fetus was not affected at greater than 99% probability, because the frequency of recombination between the 21-OHase B gene and the C4 gene would be extremely low.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗

CT evaluation of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

CT findings in 19 patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were compared retrospectively with pathologic findings and the results of palpation. The carcinoma appeared as a large mass of low attenuation accompanied by dense calcification in 58% of the patients; there was necrosis in 74%. Often, adjacent structures were infiltrated. CT correctly showed tumor invasion of the carotid artery (7/7), internal jugular vein (9/10), larynx (5/6), trachea (8/10), esophagus (4/5), mediastinum (5/5), and regional lymph nodes (14/16). Seven patients (50%) had necrotic nodes. CT was superior to palpation in the detection of a primary tumor in one patient and of metastatic nodes in seven patients. It suggested a suitable place for biopsy in two patients, leading to a correct diagnosis. CT altered surgical planning in five patients with intrathoracic extension of the thyroid tumor, and in three patients with laryngeal or esophageal invasion of the tumor. CT can increase diagnostic accuracy in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma by suggesting a likely diagnosis and by indicating an appropriate site for biopsy. It is indispensable in the planning of surgery for patients with this disorder.

Adult↗