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Shigeru Tsuchiya

Publications and source records attributed to Shigeru Tsuchiya.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

All-trans retinoic acid induces in vitro angiogenesis via retinoic acid receptor: possible involvement of paracrine effects of endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor signaling.

A natural retinoid all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) regulates a variety of important cellular functions via retinoic acid receptor (RAR). ATRA has therapeutically been used against various malignancies including acute promyelocytic leukemia. Recently ATRA has also been recognized to be beneficial against atherosclerotic vascular disorders. However, its effects on angiogenesis remain controversial. We therefore examined ATRA effects on in vitro angiogenesis in terms of capillary-like tube formation using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)/normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) coculture. ATRA as well as RAR agonist Am80 significantly induced capillary-like tube formation. The ATRA-induced tube formation was inhibited by coincubation with RAR antagonist LE540/LE135. HUVEC proliferation, but not its migration, was also induced by ATRA. The ATRA-induced tube formation was completely abolished by coincubation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) neutralizing antibody or with VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 (KDR) neutralizing antibody, but not VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) neutralizing antibody. ATRA and Am80 induced VEGF secretion in the coculture as well as VEGF secretion/mRNA expression in NHDFs. Transcription activity of human VEGF gene promoter in NHDFs was stimulated by ATRA, which was augmented by RAR overexpression. ATRA also induced VDGFR-2/KDR mRNA expression in HUVECs. Moreover, ATRA-induced secretion of hepatocyte growth factor as well as angiopoietin-2 in the coculture. Taken together, ATRA may have induced angiogenesis via RAR mainly by stimulation of HUVEC proliferation and enhancement of endogenous VEGF signaling and in part by induction of hepatocyte growth factor and angiopoietin-2 production. Retinoids may therefore be potential candidates for therapeutic angiogenesis against ischemic vascular disorders.

Angiopoietin-2↗

A case surviving for over a year of renal tubular dysgenesis with compound heterozygous angiotensinogen gene mutations.

Renal tubular dysgenesis (RTD) is a developmental abnormality of the renal proximal tubules found in patients with Potter syndrome. We report a female newborn with RTD who has survived for more than 18 months. Infusions of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in the early neonatal period were effective in raising and maintaining her blood pressure. Peritoneal dialysis was required until the appearance of spontaneous urination at 29 days after birth. Histopathological examinations of the kidney revealed dilated renal tubular lumina and foamy columnar epithelial cells in the renal tubules. Endocrinological studies showed a discrepancy between low plasma renin activity (<0.1 ng/ml/hr) and high active renin concentration (135,000 pg/ml), suggesting an aberration in the renin substrate, angiotensinogen. Direct sequencing analysis revealed two novel mutations in the coding region of the angiotensinogen gene (AGT): a nonsense mutation in exon 2 (c.604C > T) and a frameshift deletion at nucleotide 1290 in exon 5 (c.1290delT). The mutations were in the compound heterozygous state, because each parent had each mutation. These findings suggest that angiotensinogen deficiency is one of the causes of RTD. A treatment of the condition with FFP may help to promote long survival.

Angiotensinogen↗

Mutation and haplotype analyses of the MUT gene in Japanese patients with methylmalonic acidemia.

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is caused by a deficiency in the activity of L: -methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM), a vitamin B12 (or cobalamin, Cbl)-dependent enzyme. Apoenzyme-deficient MMA (mut MMA) results from mutations in the nuclear gene MUT. Most of the MUT mutations are thought to be private or restricted to only a few pedigrees. Our group elucidated the spectrum of mutations of Japanese mut MMA patients by performing mutation and haplotype analyses in 29 patients with mut MMA. A sequence analysis identified mutations in 95% (55/58) of the disease alleles. Five mutations were relatively frequent (p.E117X, c.385 + 5G > A, p.R369H, p.L494X, and p.R727X) and four were novel (p.M1V, c.753_753 + 5delGGTATA, c.1560G > C, and c.2098_2099delAT). Haplotype analysis suggested that all of the frequent mutations, with the exception of p.R369H, were spread by the founder effect. Among 46 Japanese patients investigated in the present and previous studies, 76% (70/92) of the mutations were located in exons 2, 6, 8, and 13. This finding - that a limited number of mutations account for most of the mutations in Japanese mut MMA patients - is in contrast with results of a previous study in Caucasian patients.

Acidosis↗

Application of HSVtk suicide gene to X-SCID gene therapy: ganciclovir treatment offsets gene corrected X-SCID B cells.

Recently, a serious adverse effect of uncontrolled clonal T cell proliferation due to insertional mutagenesis of retroviral vector was reported in X-SCID gene therapy clinical trial. To offset the side effect, we have incorporated a suicide gene into therapeutic retroviral vector for selective elimination of transduced cells. In this study, B-cell lines from two X-SCID patients were transduced with bicistronic retroviral vector carrying human gamma c chain cDNA and Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene. After confirmation of functional reconstitution of the gamma c chain, the cells were treated with ganciclovir (GCV). The gamma c chain positive cells were eliminated under low concentration without cytotoxicity on untransduced cells and have not reappeared at least for 5 months. Furthermore, the gamma c chain transduced cells were still sensitive to GCV after five months. These results demonstrated the efficacy of the suicide gene therapy although further in vivo studies are required to assess feasibility of this approach in clinical trial.

Antiviral Agents↗

A second-site mutation in the initiation codon of WAS (WASP) results in expansion of subsets of lymphocytes in an Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome patient.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding WAS protein (WASP ). Recently, somatic mosaicism caused by reversions or second-site mutations has been reported in some inherited disorders including WAS. In this article, we describe somatic mosaicism in a 15-year-old WAS patient due to a second-hit mutation in the initiation codon. The patient originally had a single-base deletion (c.11delG; p.G4fsX40) in the WAS (WASP) gene, which resulted in a frameshift and abrogated protein expression. Subsequently, a fraction of T and natural killer (NK) cells expressed a smaller WASP, which binds to its cellular partner WASP-interacting protein (WIP). The T and NK cells were found to have an additional mutation in the initiation codon (c.1A>T; p.M1_P5del). The results strongly suggest that the smaller WASP is translated from the second ATG downstream of the original mutation, and not only T cells but also NK cells carrying the second mutation acquired a growth advantage over WASP negative counterparts. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing somatic mosaicism due to a second-site mutation in the initiation codon of any inherited disorders.

Adolescent↗

Predictive value of the original content of CD34(+) cells for enrichment of hematopoietic progenitor cells from bone marrow harvests by the apheresis procedure.

We retrospectively investigated the feasibility of the apheresis procedure for red blood cell (RBC) reduction with a closed-bag system. We also sought to determine the optimal processing volume for the maximal recovery of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC). Twelve bone marrow (BM) harvests were processed for major ABO-incompatible allogeneic transplantation and one BM harvest was processed for autologous transplantation. The processing was performed through seven apheresis cycles with a two-bag system using COBE Spectra Version 6.1. The mean recovery rates were compared in the products after four cycles and seven cycles of BM processing. Mean cell recovery rates were 79.2% (67.6-97.5%) and 87.3% (68.9-111.9%) for the mononuclear cells (MNC) and 84.5% (69.4-109.5%) and 92.0% (79.0-107.7%) for the CD34(+) cells after four and seven cycles, respectively. A mean of 96.3% (93.0-98.1%) of the RBCs were finally removed. The yield of CD34(+) cells after seven cycles of processing (median: 10.35 x 10(7) cells) was 7.9% greater than that after four cycles of processing (median: 9.65 x 10(7) cells), exhibiting a less-than-significant enhancement in yield. The CD34(+) cell contents recovered in the concentrates up to four cycles (r = 0.989) and up to seven cycles (r = 0.993) were strongly correlated with the original content of the CD34(+) cells. Engraftment was obtained in all patients except one patient infused with purified CD34(+) cells. This latter result confirmed the hematopoietic potential of the cell populations recovered. Granulocyte recovery (defined as an absolute neutrophil cell count > or = 500/microL for a period of three consecutive days) ranged from 8 to 25 days (median: 16 days) post-transplantation. No hemolytic reaction was observed in any of the patients. Our results confirmed the efficacy of BM processing cycles with the COBE Spectra device. However, we could not conclude that the large-volume apheresis for BM processing significantly enhanced the yields of HPC. The final recovery of CD34(+) cells after processing could be predicted from the CD34(+) cell content of the original collected marrow.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

Phage phiC31 integrase-mediated genomic integration of the common cytokine receptor gamma chain in human T-cell lines.

BACKGROUND: X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1, X-SCID) is a life-threatening disease caused by a mutated common cytokine receptor gamma chain (gammac) gene. Although ex vivo gene therapy, i.e., transduction of the gammac gene into autologous CD34(+) cells, has been successful for treating SCID-X1, the retrovirus vector-mediated transfer allowed dysregulated integration, causing leukemias. Here, to explore an alternative gene transfer methodology that may offer less risk of insertional mutagenesis, we employed the phiC31 integrase-based integration system using human T-cell lines, including the gammac-deficient ED40515(-). METHODS: A phiC31 integrase and a neo(r) gene expression plasmid containing the phiC31 attB sequence were co-delivered by electroporation into Jurkat cells. After G418 selection, integration site analyses were performed using linear amplification mediated-polymerase chain reaction (LAM-PCR). ED40515(-) cells were also transfected with a gammac expression plasmid containing attB, and the integration sites were determined. IL-2 stimulation was used to assess the functionality of the transduced gammac in an ED40515(-)-derived clone. RESULTS: Following co-introduction of the phiC31 integrase expression plasmid and the plasmid carrying attB, the efficiency of integration into the unmodified human genome was assessed. Several integration sites were characterized, including new integration sites in intergenic regions on chromosomes 13 and 18 that may be preferred in hematopoietic cells. An ED40515(-) line bearing the integrated gammac gene exhibited stable expression of the gammac protein, with normal IL-2 signaling, as assessed by STAT5 activation. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the possible future use of this phiC31 integrase-mediated genomic integration strategy as an alternative gene therapy approach for treating SCID-X1.

Bacteriophages↗

Human tyrosine kinase 2 deficiency reveals its requisite roles in multiple cytokine signals involved in innate and acquired immunity.

Tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that belongs to the Janus kinase (Jak) family. Here we identified a homozygous Tyk2 mutation in a patient who had been clinically diagnosed with hyper-IgE syndrome. This patient showed unusual susceptibility to various microorganisms including virus, fungi, and mycobacteria and suffered from atopic dermatitis with elevated serum IgE. The patient's cells displayed defects in multiple cytokine signaling pathways including those for type I interferon (IFN), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-23. The cytokine signals were successfully restored by transducing the intact Tyk2 gene. Thus, the Tyk2 deficiency is likely to account for the patient's complex clinical manifestations, including the phenotype of impaired T helper 1 (Th1) differentiation and accelerated Th2 differentiation. This study identifies human Tyk2 deficiency and demonstrates that Tyk2 plays obligatory roles in multiple cytokine signals involved in innate and acquired immunity of humans, which differs substantially from Tyk2 function in mice.

Adolescent↗

The first infant case with hepatosplenic gammadelta T-cell lymphoma after acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like exacerbation.

We report the first infant case with hepatosplenic gammadelta T-cell lymphoma after recurrent acute disseminated encephalomyelitis-like, which were rapidly resolved with steroid pulse therapy. The patient had a history of recurrent bronchitis, intractable diarrhea, and failure to thrive since 4 months of age. Immunologic analysis revealed higher percentage of circulating gammadelta T-cells with markedly reduced numbers of CD3TCRalphabetaCD8 T-cells. The patient developed gammadelta T-cell lymphoma at the age of 15 months. Clinical course of the patient suggests the importance of immunological background for the development of hepatosplenic gammadelta T-cell lymphoma.

Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated↗

Outcome in patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome following stem cell transplantation: an analysis of 57 patients in Japan.

A total of 57 patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) were studied after undergoing stem cell transplantation (SCT) in Japan between January 1985 and December 2004. Eleven patients received transplants from human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related donors, 10 from HLA-mismatched related donors, 21 from unrelated bone marrow donors, and 15 from unrelated cord blood donors. Nine of the 57 patients rejected the initial graft. The overall 5-year survival rate was 73.7% and the 5-year failure-free survival rate was 65.7% (failure was defined as rejection or death). The overall 5-year survival rates for patients receiving bone marrow and cord blood from unrelated donors were both 80.0%. Based on univariate analysis, the factors associated with poor survival were: transplantation from an HLA-mismatched related donor, patient age of more than 5 years at the time of transplantation, and a conditioning regimen other than busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BU-CY) or busulfan, cyclophosphamide and antithymocyte globulin (BU-CY-ATG). In a multivariate analysis, a conditioning regimen other than BU-CY and BU-CY-ATG was the only independent factor associated with transplantation failure. Given the improved outcome for WAS patients following transplantation from an unrelated donor, we conclude that patients with WAS should receive SCT as soon as possible after diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

Consensus guideline for diagnosis and treatment of childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A practice guideline aimed at standardizing the treatment for childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is presented. This consensus guideline is based on a survey carried out via a questionnaire prepared by the ITP Committee of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology and sent to society members. The survey questionnaire included questions on the diagnosis of ITP submitted for the purpose of revising the ITP diagnostic guideline prepared in 1990 by the Research Group for Intractable Hematopoietic Disorders; a revised diagnostic guideline also is presented.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Reduced exposure to mercury in patients receiving enteral nutrition.

The exposure to mercury (Hg) of various groups of people with different dietary backgrounds has been assessed because of its hazardous effects, but little is known about that in patients receiving enteral nutrition. Therefore, we studied the Hg exposure in 25 patients with severe motor disabilities, who received liquid enteral feedings for more than one year, by determining total mercury (T-Hg) in their hair samples with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The geometric mean of the T-Hg level in hair from the patients was 88 ng/g hair (+/- 1 geometric standard deviation [GSD], 34 - 228 ng/g), whereas that for the control group on a normal diet was 1,900 ng/g (+/- 1 GSD, 1,022 - 3,531 ng/g). The T-Hg levels in the patients' hair were far lower than those in the controls (p < 0.001). The T-Hg levels in the enteral feedings used were below the detection limit of cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (< 10 ng/g). The present study has shown that Hg exposure is low in patients receiving enteral nutrition, indicating that food is a primary source of Hg exposure.

Adolescent↗

Chloride-dependent intracellular pH regulation via extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in the medullary thick ascending limb of the mouse kidney.

The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) located in either luminal or basolateral cell membranes of various types of renal tubules including proximal tubules, Henle's loop and collecting ducts has been thought to play a fundamental role in electrolyte metabolism. To further identify the physiological roles of the CaSR, we examined the effects of Ca(2+) and calcimimetics neomycin (Neo), gentamicin and gadolinium chloride (Gd(3+)) on the intracellular pH (pHi) of in vitro microperfused mouse medullary thick ascending limb (mTAL) cells of Henle's loop, by loading the cells with fluorescent pH indicator 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein and measuring the ratio of fluorescence emission at 530 nm after exciting the dye at 490 and 440 nm. In a steady-state condition in Hepes-buffered solution, the pHi in the mTALs was 7.29 +/- 0.04 (n = 9). A concentration of 200 micromol/l Neo in the basolateral side decreased the pHi after 1 min by -0.13 +/- 0.02 (n = 34, p < 0.0001). The other calcimimetics showed similar effects on pHi, whereas none of these calcimimetics in the lumen affected pHi. Na(+) removal or the inhibition of Na(+) and proton transport with amiloride, bumetanide, or bafilomycin did not eliminate the effect of Neo on pHi. On the other hand, Cl(-) removal clearly eliminated the Neo-induced pHi decrease (-0.06 +/- 0.01 vs -0.00 +/- 0.05 in Cl(-) removal, n = 4, p < 0.003). Thus, we have demonstrated for the first time that the CaSR is involved in the regulation of the pHi in the mTAL and requires Cl(-) to exert its effect.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗

Proposed guidelines for diagnosing chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Since the initial report of unusual manifestations possibly associated with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (CAEBV), nearly three decades have passed. During this period, reported cases with this entity have dramatically increased in the world. Additionally, recent development of diagnostic procedures, including molecular biological and immunological techniques, have provided us with the ability to define certain diseases, especially malignant disorders. Guidelines, derived mainly from the current literature and recent experiences with CAEBV in Japan, for diagnosing CAEBV are proposed to clarify this enigmatic disease.

Acute Disease↗

Consensus JH gene probes with conjugated 3'-minor groove binder for monitoring minimal residual disease in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Several approaches for the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have shown the importance of determining the level of MRD precisely. In the present study, we tested a new real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) strategy with minor groove binder (MGB) technology for immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements by positioning a MGB probe at the germline JH segments and one of the primers at the downstream introns in combination with an allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) primer complementary to the VH-DH or DH-JH junctional region. A MGB probe forms extremely stable duplexes with single-stranded DNA targets, allowing the use of shorter probes for hybridization-based assays. Therefore, it shows positional flexibility. We have designed two novel consensus MGB JH germline probes for analyzing all of the germline rearrangements registered in the V BASE database, and demonstrated that the MRD was detectable with the probes in 17 cases of childhood ALL. The actual copy number for the targets and dynamic changes before and after treatment were almost identical between the JH MGB probe and conventional non-MGB probes in each patient. MGB technology will undoubtedly contribute to MRD-PCR studies of childhood ALL.

Base Sequence↗

Evaluation of hematological reconstitution potential of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells cryopreserved by a simple controlled-rate freezing method.

A novel and simple procedure for the controlled-rate cryopreservation of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) was introduced. A freezing bag housed in a protective aluminum canister was placed on top of a styrene foam box in the -85 degrees C electric freezer. A second set of samples was kept in cryotubes placed in a double styrene foam box in the same electric freezer. Measurement of the freezing rate in the PB bags and cryotubes demonstrated that this simple method for PBPC cryopreservation provided optimal conditions for both large-scale and small-scale cryopreservation. Within several days after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, we thawed the cells in the small sample tubes and evaluated the cell viability, the cell recovery, and the recovery rates of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), such as CD34+ cells and colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) colonies. The median duration of cryopreservation was 59 days (range, 14-365 days). According to our analysis, infusions of more than 2 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg body weight and 0.5 x 10(6) CFU-GM colonies/kg body weight after thawing had favorable influences on the neutrophil engraftment. We have therefore established a simple freezing method for cryopreservation of human PBPCs, which ensures the transplantability of hematopoietic progenitors even after thawing. In vitro HPC assay after thawing is important to evaluate the quality of cryopreservation procedures.

Adolescent↗

Genetic analysis of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome: phenotypic heterogeneity in patients carrying identical SBDS mutations.

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, bone marrow dysfunction and skeletal changes. Recently, the cause of SDS was identified as mutations of Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome gene (SBDS) and most mutations are caused by gene conversion between SBDS and its highly homologous pseudogene. Clinical variations especially in skeletal and bone marrow abnormalities are well known in this syndrome. To study the relationship between SBDS mutation and its clinical features, we analyzed 9 Japanese patients including one sibling and detected the three different SBDS mutations in 7 patients: a mutation that disrupts the donor splice site of intron 2, deletes 8 bp of the exon 2 and produces premature termination (258+2 T > C), a dinucleotide change that replaces a lysine at 62 nd amino acid to a termination codon (183-184 TA > CT), and a 4-bp deletion that causes premature termination by frameshift (292-295 delAAAG). The 5 patients represent compound heterozygotes of the 258+2 T > C and 183-184 TA > CT mutations. One patient is a compound heterozygote of the 258+2 T > C and 292-295 delAAAG mutations, and in the remaining one case only a 258+2 T > C mutation could be detected. Thus, the 258+2 T > C and 183-184 TA > CT mutations are prevalent among Japanese patients. No mutations were found in two cases, despite the clinical features. Of the 7 patients with SBDS mutations, persistent hematologic abnormalities and skeletal changes were not observed in 3 and 2 patients, respectively. Notably, clinical variations are present even among the patients with the identical genotype: compound heterozygotes of the 258+2 T > C and 183-184 TA > CT mutations. Further study will be required to explain the clinical heterogeneity.

Base Sequence↗