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Biomedical subjects

S Wada

Publications and source records attributed to S Wada.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Translation, cultural adaptation, and initial reliability and multitrait testing of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life instrument for use in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The Kidney Disease Quality of Life instrument (KDQOL) consists of 79 items: 36 asking about health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in general (the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36) and 43 asking about QOL as it is affected by kidney disease and by dialysis. AIM: Translation, cultural adaptation and initial reliability and multitrait testing of the KDQOL for use in Japan. METHODS: Translation and cultural adaptation began with two translations into Japanese, two backtranslations into English, and discussions among the translators, the project coordinators in Japan, and the developers of the original (US-English) version. Focus-group discussions and field testing were followed by analyses of test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant construct validity. RESULTS: All eight of the SF-36 scales met the criterion for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.73 to 0.92) and were reproducible (intraclass correlations between test and retest scores ranged from 0.60 to 0.82). Of the 10 kidney-disease-targeted scales, only two had alpha coefficients of less than 0.70: 'sleep' (0.61) and 'quality of social interaction' (0.35). One item on the 'quality of social interaction' scale had a very weak correlation with the remainder of that scale (r = 0.10). Eliminating that item from scoring increased the alpha coefficient of the scale from 0.35 to 0.64. All three items on the 'quality of social interaction' scale had very strong correlations with other scales. CONCLUSIONS: First, in Japanese patients receiving dialysis the SF-36 scales are internally consistent and their scores are reproducible. Second, with the possible exception of the 'quality of social interaction' scale, the Japanese version of the KDQOL, can provide psychometrically sound kidney-disease-targeted data on quality of life in such patients.

Adult↗

Effect of loading on the development of nerve fibers around oral implants in the dog mandible.

Occlusal forces cause stress which morphologically affects the supporting tissues of implants. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of occlusal forces on the distribution of neurofilament protein (NFP)-positive nerve fibers in the tissue of peri-implant bone. The bilateral 2nd, 3rd and 4th mandibular premolars and the 1st molars were extracted from three mongrel dogs. After 4 months of healing, 4 screw-type implants were inserted in the oral cavity. Three months after insertion, the implants on the molar site were loaded by occlusal forces, while those on the premolar site were unloaded. After a further 3 months, the dogs were sacrificed, and specimens were prepared for immunohistochemical NFP-positive staining by the labeled-streptavidin-biotin method. Many NFP-positive nerve fibers were found in the tissues of the loaded site when compared with the unloaded site. These fibers were localized in both the bone marrow space and in the peri-implant fibrous tissue. They had two types of nerve endings: simple free nerve endings, and nerve endings with tree-like ramifications. The present results suggest that loading by occlusal force causes an increase in the number of NFP-positive nerve fibers, many of which have free nerve endings in the peri-implant tissue. The possible role of these NFP-positive nerve fibers is discussed.

Alloys↗

Estrogen receptor levels and lipid peroxidation in hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatitis C virus infection.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Our preliminary studies showed that estradiol suppresses hepatic carcinogenesis and fibrogenesis in animal models. Hepatic estrogen receptors (ERs) medicate estradiol action in the liver. This study was performed to assess possible implications of menopause and hepatic ER levels for the development of cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: One thousand, one hundred and ninety-nine consecutive HCC patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis were divided into two groups, based on a menopausal age of 49 years. Liver tissues were obtained during surgical resection of HCC and metastatic liver tumor. RESULTS: The proportion of females among the HCC subjects < or =49 years of age was significantly lower (15.0%) than was the proportion of females among subjects >49 years of age (29.8%). Univariate analysis showed that HCV-related cirrhotic patients who developed HCC were more likely to have low hepatic levels of ER and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) protein and a high hepatic level of a lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA). Logistic regression identified age greater than 49 years (odds ratio [OR]: 7.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.8-21.3), male sex (OR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.3-10.2), a decreased ER level (OR: 16.8, 95% CI: 7.3-34.6), and an increased MDA (OR: 8.3, 95% CI: 2.8-24.0) as the variables independently associated with the development of HCC in HCV-infected patients with cirrhosis. ER level was significantly correlated with CuZn-SOD level (r=0.583) and was inversely proportional to MDA level (r=-0.553). The study also showed that ER levels in the cirrhotic livers from premenopausal females were significantly higher than in male cirrhotic livers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that increased lipid peroxidation and impaired SOD function in the liver may be associated with decreased hepatic ER levels in HCV-infected patients with cirrhosis and HCC, and that HCV-related cirrhotic women before menopause might have the ability to protect against developing HCC via hepatic ER.

Age Factors↗

Comparison of intraductal ultrasonography with percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy for the identification of residual bile duct stones during lithotripsy.

BACKGROUND: An imaging modality that can be used to identity small stones after a biliary lithotripsy is required. Intraductal ultrasonography was evaluated by using percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy as the gold standard. METHODS: Lithotripsy, under percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy guidance, was performed in 20 patients. A thin-caliber ultrasonic probe (2.0 mm in diameter and 20 MHz frequency) was inserted into the bile duct through the percutaneous tract after lithotripsy, and residual stones were identified. This was followed by percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy. RESULTS: In the extrahepatic bile ducts, intraductal ultrasonography provided images of all the stones demonstrated on cholangioscopy (n = 11). The sensitivity was superior to that of cholangiography (P < 0.005). However, in the intrahepatic bile ducts, intraductal ultrasonography only visualized the stones located in the cannulated lobe. Extrahepatic stones smaller than 5.0 mm in diameter or in a common hepatic duct larger than 15.0 mm in diameter were missed by cholangiography, but were visualized by the use of intraductal ultrasonography (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal ultrasonography is equivalent to cholangioscopy in the extrahepatic bile ducts. Cholangiography and intraductal ultrasonography should be used in combination to image intrahepatic and extrahepatic stones.

Aged↗

Serum amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen and 7S domain of type IV collagen correlate with hepatic iron concentration in patients with chronic hepatitis C following alpha-interferon therapy.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that chronic infection with hepatitis C virus is associated with excess iron deposits in the liver of subjects who are neither alcoholics nor recipients of blood transfusions. However, little is known about the relationship between hepatic iron concentration (HIC) and the serum levels of hepatic fibrogenesis markers, which were caused by interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Therefore, changes in the serum amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (P-III-P) and the 7S domain of type IV collagen (7S-IV) in 16 patients treated with alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) were studied, and their HIC and histological assessment evaluated. Hepatic iron concentrations were measured by using liver biopsy specimens obtained before and 6 months after the cessation of treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight subjects (50%) who had normal alanine transaminase levels at 6 months after therapy showed significantly lowered HIC, and attenuated hepatic iron staining with decreased serum levels of P-III-P and 7S-IV compared to the remaining subjects. The HIC was significantly correlated with the serum levels of P-III-P and 7S-IV in all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that IFN-alpha treatment may decrease stimuli for fibrogenesis, at least in part, by reducing the hepatic iron deposition in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Adult↗

Epinephrine irrigation for the prevention of pancreatic damage after endoscopic balloon sphincteroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Endoscopic balloon sphincteroplasty (EBS) is an alternative to sphincterotomy for the treatment of bile duct stones. The purpose of this study was to determine if epinephrine irrigation of the papilla can prevent the pancreatic damage associated with EBS. METHODS: A total of 173 patients with bile duct stones were treated by EBS. After conventional endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, EBS was performed by using a biliary dilatation catheter (balloon diameter: 8 mm). The duct was then cleared by using Dormia baskets or retrieval balloon catheters. Mechanical lithotripsy was performed before extraction when the stones were greater than 8 mm in diameter. In 81 patients, the dilated orifice was irrigated with 40-120 mL (50 +/- 37 mL) of 1:1,000,000 epinephrine (epinephrine group). In the remaining 92 patients, epinephrine irrigation was not performed (control group). Acute pancreatitis was defined by a serum amylase concentration fivefold greater than the upper limits of normal in association with abdominal pain. RESULTS: After EBS, serum amylase concentrations were significantly increased in both groups. However, the degree of hyperamylasemia was less in the epinephrine group than in the control group (617 +/- 611 vs 1037 +/- 1491 IU/L, P < 0.05). The incidence of pancreatitis was lower in the epinephrine group than in the control group (1.2 vs 7.6%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Epinephrine irrigation is a simple and useful method to prevent post-EBS pancreatic damage and pancreatitis.

Adult↗

Intraductal ultrasonography for hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the bile duct: comparison with polypoid cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Tumor thrombi in the bile duct caused by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and cholangiocarcinoma show polypoid lesions on cholangiographic findings. This study prospectively compared the images of intraductal ultrasonography between HCC and polypoid cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: In five patients with tumor thrombi in the bile duct caused by HCC, a 2.0 mm diameter ultrasonic probe with a frequency of 20 MHz was inserted into the bile duct via the transpapillary route (n = 4) or the transhepatic route (n = 1). The images were compared to that of 65 patients with cholangiocarcinoma. RESULTS: In all patients with HCC, intraductal ultrasonography showed a 'polypoid tumor with a narrow base'. In 16 of 65 patients with cholangiocarcinoma, it showed a 'polypoid tumor with a narrow base'. When intraductal ultrasonography showed a 'polypoid tumor with a narrow base', the findings of a positive 'nodule within a nodule' (40 vs 0%; P < 0.05), and the absence of a 'papillary-surface pattern' (80 vs 13%; P < 0.05) were more highly associated with tumor thrombi caused by HCC than to polypoid-type cholangiocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal ultrasonography was useful to distinguish between tumor thrombi caused by HCC and polypoid-type cholangiocarcinoma.

Aged↗

Are tobacco use and urine pH indicated as risk factors for bladder carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Many case-control and cohort studies have shown a positive relationship between bladder carcinoma and tobacco use. Recently, urine pH has been reported to influence aromatic amine carcinogenesis, which have been implicated as potent carcinogens in bladder carcinoma patients. Herein the correlation between bladder carcinoma, tobacco use and urine pH is reported. METHOD: One hundred and forty-one patients with bladder carcinoma and 128 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or urolithiasis as controls were selected. All patients were admitted to Osaka City University Hospital for the purpose of surgical treatment. Urine pH was checked by a test tape. RESULTS: Of the patients with bladder carcinoma, 106 were smokers and 35 were non-smokers. In contrast, the number of smokers in the control group was 76 and that of non-smokers was 52. The odds ratio in the bladder carcinoma group calculated for the smoker patients was 2.07, showing a significant correlation between bladder carcinoma and tobacco use. Regarding urine pH, acidic urine was found in 126 patients in the bladder carcinoma group and in 116 patients in the control group. The odds ratio in the bladder carcinoma group for acidic urine was 0.87, showing no significant relationship between bladder carcinoma and urine pH. CONCLUSION: The study found a positive relationship between bladder carcinoma and tobacco use; however, it could not establish a clear relationship between bladder carcinoma and urine pH, even in the smoker group.

Aged↗

Familial gastrointestinal stromal tumor with hyperpigmentation: association with a germline mutation of the c-kit gene.

We describe 2 siblings with multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and cutaneous hyperpigmentation. Both had a point mutation of the c-kit gene. The patients were sisters who had exhibited cutaneous hyperpigmentation since their late teens, but the diagnosis of multiple gastrointestinal submucosal tumors was not made until they were 41 and 45 years old. Histologic examination showed that these tumors were GISTs expressing CD34 and Kit protein. Both patients died of GISTs. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis showed a mutation of c-kit in tumor DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded specimens. Direct sequencing analysis showed that the point mutation occurred at codon 559 of exon 11 (Val-->Ala). The same single-point mutation was detected in DNA extracted from peripheral leukocytes obtained from the younger sister and her 2 children (who had similar general hyperpigmentation) as well as in DNA from a skin biopsy specimen taken from the older sister. The germline mutation at codon 559 of the c-kit gene found in the present familial GISTs differed from that in a previously reported case of familial GISTs. We propose that GISTs caused by a germline mutation of the c-kit gene should be referred to as GIST-cutaneous hyperpigmentation disease.

Adult↗

Endoscopic partial resection of a duodenal duplication cyst.

A case of symptomatic duodenal duplication cyst is reported. The patient underwent endoscopic partial resection of the cystic wall using the O-ring ligation kit. After resection, the abdominal pain disappeared. Endoscopic partial resection is useful for diagnosis and treatment of duodenal duplication cyst.

Adult↗

Ropeway-type bile duct biopsy forceps with a side slit for a guidewire.

BACKGROUND: Transpapillary procurement of bile duct biopsy specimens is an effective diagnostic technique in cases of biliary structure. The utility of new ropeway-type bile duct biopsy forceps with a side slit for a guidewire was investigated in this study. METHODS: The 12 patients in this study had bile duct cancer (n = 3), cancer of the head of the pancreas (n = 4), gallbladder cancer (n = 1), and benign bile duct stenosis (n = 4). After endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, a guidewire was placed in the bile duct across the stenosis. The new forceps (1.8-mm diameter clamshell-type biopsy forceps without needle) was then introduced through the intact papilla along the guidewire. RESULTS: In all patients, sufficient tissue for histopathologic evaluation was obtained without complication. In one patient, biopsy specimens were selectively obtained of the left hepatic duct, which was impossible with conventional forceps. In another patient, histologic examination of specimens obtained by using this new forceps showed adenocarcinoma, whereas specimens obtained with a conventional forceps did not contain adenocarcinoma. However, in another patient, biopsy specimens obtained with a conventional forceps contained adenocarcinoma that was not evident in specimens obtained with the new forceps. Dislodgement of the guidewire during procurement of biopsy specimens occurred in 1 patient. In the other 11 patients, an endoscopic biliary drain was inserted over the guidewire. CONCLUSION: The new ropeway-type biopsy forceps is useful for selectively obtaining biopsy specimens of the bile duct. With this system, access for subsequent endoscopic biliary drainage is maintained.

Aged↗

Primary retroperitoneal pure yolk-sac tumor in an adult male.

Pure extragonadal tumors are rare in adult males. A 24-year-old male with an extremely high level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (32.795 ng/ml) was diagnosed by abdominal computed tomography as having a retroperitoneal tumor. A case of primary retroperitoneal pure yolk-sac tumor in an adult male is described.

Adult↗

Expansion of megakaryocyte progenitors from cryopreserved leukocyte concentrates of human placental and umbilical cord blood in short-term liquid culture.

Long-term severe thrombocytopenia following human placental and umbilical cord blood (CB) transplantation is a significant clinical problem. We studied the ex vivo expansion of megakaryocytic progenitor cells (CFU-Meg) from cryopreserved/thawed leukocyte concentrates (LC) of CB prepared by the Tokyo Cord Blood Bank protocol. The LC cells were cultured in serum-free culture medium supplemented with a combination of early-acting cytokines including thrombopoietin (TPO), flt3-ligand (FL), and stem cell factor (SCF). Combination of TPO plus FL, TPO plus SCF, and all of these cytokines together resulted in 8.9-, 7.7-, and 8.4-fold increases in CFU-Meg, respectively, by Day 5 of culture. Our results showed that this simple expansion strategy has the potential for expanding CFU-Meg from cryopreserved/thawed LC cells from CB.

Cell Culture Techniques↗

Regulation of calcitonin receptor by glucocorticoid in human osteoclast-like cells prepared in vitro using receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand and macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Using mouse osteoclast-like cells (OCs), we have shown that treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) resulted in an increase in calcitonin (CT) binding by enhancing CT receptor (CTR) gene transcription. Additionally, treatment with GCs demonstrated increased sensitivity to CT. There is, however, scant information on the effects of GC or CTR regulation by GCs in human osteoclasts. In this study we examined CTR regulation by GCs and the effects of GCs and CT together in human OCs. OCs were prepared by treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro with soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand and macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Treatment of mature OCs with dexamethasone (Dex) resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in [(125)I]salmon CT (sCT) binding capacity. Treatment with Dex enhanced CTR messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, suggesting that CTR up-regulation is at least partly due to an increase in de novo CTR synthesis. Triamcinolone and prednisolone reproduced the Dex effect on [(125)I]sCT-specific binding and CTR mRNA expression, but 17beta-estradiol, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and aldosterone did not. A Scatchard plot analysis showed that Dex enhanced CTR number with a minimal change in the affinity to sCT. Autoradiographic studies using [(125)I]sCT showed that Dex enhanced the CTR density on individual multinuclear OCs. Up-regulation of [(125)I]sCT-specific binding and CTR mRNA expression was seen even in the presence of sCT, but the enhancement diminished subsequently at later times (36-48 h after sCT removal), which was consistent with our previous observation in mouse OCs. This suggests that GCs and CTs act on CTR expression differently, consistent with our previous work using mouse OCs, in which we found that GCs increased transcription of CTR gene expression, whereas CT reduced CTR mRNA stability. The results obtained in this study show that GC increased CTR expression and sensitivity to CT in cells of the human osteoclast lineage and provide the basis for understanding the beneficial effects of combination treatment with GCs and CTs in malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Induction of autoimmune hypothyroidism and subsequent hyperthyroidism by TSH receptor antibodies following subacute thyroiditis: a case report.

A 45 year-old man had a typical episode of subacute thyroiditis with tender goiter, depressed radioiodine uptake (RAIU) and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The titer of TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII), which had been 8.6% at initial presentation, rose to 14.9% in 2 weeks. TBII consisted of high titers (94%) of TSH stimulation-blocking antibodies (TBAb) and negative thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAb). About 2 months after the first visit, TBII titers had risen to 48.9% and were persistently elevated for 5 months with high TBAb activity. The patient developed hypothyroidism with a maximum serum TSH level of 54.5 microU/ml. TBII and TBAb titers then gradually decreased, and the patient spontaneously recovered from hypothyroidism. Eighteen months after the episode of subacute thyroiditis, he became hyperthyroid with elevated TSAb and negative TBAb values. Doppler ultrasonography showed increased blood flow in the thyroid, and RAIU at 24 h was 53%. He was treated with antithyroid drugs, and soon became euthyroid. This case indicates that subacute thyroiditis can induce thyroid autoimmunity, and that the character of TSH receptor antibodies (TSHRAb) in these patients can change thereby modifying their thyroid function.

Antithyroid Agents↗

Induction of apoptosis and necrosis by zinc in human thyroid cancer cell lines.

Zinc at concentrations of 150, microM or higher induced necrosis as well as apoptosis in thyroid cancer cell lines. Necrosis was induced by zinc in a dose-dependent manner, whereas apoptosis did not increase at higher concentrations of zinc. The expression of the antiapoptotic protein phosphorylated Bad was markedly increased, whereas the expression of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and Bad decreased following Zn(2+) exposure. Zn(2+) induced rapid degradation of IkappaB, and an increase in the binding of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). These observations indicate that antiapoptotic pathways were activated in thyroid cancer cells following exposure to Zn(2+). This may be a self-defence mechanism against apoptosis and may underlie the general resistance of thyroid cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli. Zinc may be a potential cytotoxic agent for the treatment of thyroid cancer.

Animals↗