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Biomedical subjects

Shin Ohta

Publications and source records attributed to Shin Ohta.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis risk loci in East Asian populations mirror those of European populations.

RATIONALE: Common and rare variants that are associated with the risk of developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been identified predominantly in European ancestry populations. OBJECTIVES: To better understand the genetic variants that contribute to IPF in individuals with Asian ancestry, we conducted a genome-wide association study of IPF in East Asian populations. METHODS: We included 1026 patients with IPF and compared them to 1723 unaffected controls of Japanese and Korean ancestry. Genome-wide association analysis was conducted in the Japanese and Korean ancestry cohorts separately and combined using meta-analysis. Restricted maximum likelihood was used to estimate the SNP-based heritability and local ancestry of chromosome 11 was inferred for each subject. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified loci on chromosomes 4 (FAM13A; rs7690839), 5 (TERT; rs7734992), 6 (DSP; rs2076295), and 11 (MUC5B; rs35705950) that were significantly associated with risk of IPF. Importantly, the sentinel variants in each of these loci are the same as, or in strong linkage disequilibrium with, the risk variants that have been observed in studies of European ancestry populations. In aggregate, common variants (not including the MUC5B promoter variant) account for approximately 25% of the risk of developing IPF in these East Asian ancestry cohorts. Moreover, local ancestry analysis indicates that the presence of MUC5B promoter variant in the East Asian population is not a result of admixture with European ancestry populations. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the IPF risk loci in East Asian populations are shared with those of European ancestry populations, although their risk allele frequencies and effect sizes differ. These findings indicate shared genetic risk factors of IPF across ancestries.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Clinical pharmacokinetic study of arsenic trioxide in an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patient: speciation of arsenic metabolites in serum and urine.

The pharmacokinetics of arsenic species in a Japanese patient with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treated with arsenic trioxide at a daily dose of 0.08 mg/kg was investigated. After achieving complete remission on Day 35 during the induction therapy of arsenic trioxide, we collected the serum and urine samples on Days 4 and 5 during the consolidation therapy of arsenic trioxide. The concentrations of inorganic arsenic and the methylated metabolites in serum and urine were measured by HPLC/ICP-MS. The patient restricted taking the seafood for 3 d before the start of administration and during the sampling period in order to avoid the influence of arsenic derived from seafood. Arsenite (As(III)), methylarsonic acid (MMAs(V)), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAs(V)) were detected in serum and urine. The total concentration of As(III), MMAs(V) and DMAs(V) in serum ranged from 18 to 41 microg/l (240-547 nM) during 24 h on Day 4. The amount of total arsenic (As(III)+MMAs(V)+DMAs(V)) in urine was 4464 microg/d on Day 4. These results suggest that not the micro-molar but the nano-molar order of arsenic in serum is sufficient to produce the therapeutic effect on APL cells.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Effective blood concentration of micafungin for pulmonary aspergillosis.

We previously reported that a 150 mg or higher daily dose is necessary for treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis with micafungin (MCFG) alone in patients with blood diseases. Since a delay in the treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis has a major influence on patient survival, clarification of the effective blood concentration of MCFG enables rapid treatment. Establishment of an appropriate dose is also useful for reducing the risk of adverse effects, such as MCFG-induced impairment of liver function. Aiming for the rapid and safe treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis, we established new clinical diagnostic criteria of mycosis and MCFG therapeutic effect judgment criteria, and investigated the effective blood concentration of MCFG for mycosis. The blood trough level of MCFG in patients with blood diseases at each clinical improvement rating of pulmonary aspergillosis was 5.23+/-2.44 microg/ml in markedly improved cases, 4.08+/-2.63 microg/ml in improved cases, and 3.45+/-1.63 microg/ml in successfully prevented cases, showing no significant difference among the 3 groups. Based on this finding, it is advisable to target a 5 microg/ml or higher blood trough level of MCFG in establishing the dose for aspergillosis in patients with blood diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Histopathological examination and analysis of mortality in DBA/2 mouse vasculitis induced with CAWS, a water-soluble extracellular polysaccharide fraction obtained from Candida albicans].

CAWS, a water-soluble extracellular polysaccharide fraction obtained from the culture supernatant of Candida albicans, is one of the fungal pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). It has been reported to show potent activity inducing arteritis and coronaritis in mice. Especially, CAWS-induced arteritis has a 100% incidence and severe mortality in the DBA/2 mouse strain. This artificial vasculitis was reported to provide a good murine model of Kawasaki disease and other inflammatory vascular disease. However, severe mortality was observed only in DBA/2 mice, which is a CAWS-sensitive strain. In this study, to clarify the mechanisms of CAWS-induced arteritis and mortality, we investigated microscopic histopathological changes in cardiovascular tissues in DBA/2 mice. Severe inflammatory infiltration was observed from the external elastic lamina in the aorta and proximal coronary arteries within 1 week after CAWS administration. Severe stenosis of the aorta and coronary arteries was observed more than 3 weeks after CAWS administration. Fibrinoid necrosis was observed in these vessel walls. All CAWS-treated mice died between the fifth and twelfth week after administration. Severe inflammatory change with aortic valve transformation suggested that CAWS-treated mice died of valvular endocarditis or cardiac dysfunction. Based on the simple induction method and complete incidence, these data suggest that CAWS-induced arteritis is a good model of not only Kawasaki disease but also other cardiovascular diseases such as valvular endocarditis.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effect of fluvastatin on apoptosis in human CD4+ T cells.

Statins are lipid-lowering agents with pleiotropic effects. We investigated the apoptotic effects of fluvastatin on peripheral CD4+ T cells from healthy subjects. Fluvastatin induced apoptosis in resting CD4+ T cells but not in CD4+ T cells strongly activated with a high concentration of PMA plus ionomycin (PMA/I) analyzed with annexin V and propidium iodide staining. However, CD4+ T cells activated with a low concentration of PMA/I or with anti-CD3 antibodies were apoptotic after treatment with fluvastatin. Activities of caspases-8, -9, and -3 were increased in resting CD4+ T cells treated with fluvastatin (10 microM). In strongly activated CD4+ T cells, fluvastatin inhibited the activation of caspase-8 induced by PMA/I and increased caspase-9 activity. The caspase-3 activity did not differ between untreated and fluvastatin-treated strongly activated CD4+ T cells. Treatment with fluvastatin (10 microM) enhanced cytochrome c release and increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in both resting and strongly activated CD4+ T cells. Although the in vitro concentration of fluvastatin used in this study is higher than in vivo, other factors may sensitize apoptotic cell death of CD4+ T cells in vivo. In conclusion, fluvastatin induces apoptosis in resting T cells but not in strongly activated T cells, a difference that might be due to the interaction between caspase-8 and caspase-9.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2005

Increased carotid intima-media thickness and serum inflammatory markers in obstructive sleep apnea.

Increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and increased serum levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-18, are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether carotid IMT, a useful marker for early atherosclerosis, is associated with these inflammatory markers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Carotid IMT was investigated with ultrasonography in 36 patients with OSA and 16 obese control subjects. Serum levels of CRP, IL-6, and IL-18 were measured at 5:00 A.M. Carotid IMT (p < 0.001) and serum levels of CRP (p < 0.003), IL-6 (p < 0.005), and IL-18 (p < 0.03) of patients with OSA were significantly higher than those of obese control subjects. Carotid IMT was significantly correlated with serum levels of CRP (r = 0.61, p = 0.0001), IL-6 (r = 0.41, p = 0.01), and IL-18 (r = 0.45, p = 0.005), duration of OSA-related hypoxia (r = 0.60, p = 0.0001), and severity of OSA (r = 0.50, p = 0.002). In addition, the primary factor influencing carotid IMT was duration of hypoxia during total sleep time (p = 0.036). These results suggest that OSA-related hypoxia and systemic inflammation might be associated with the progression of atherosclerosis and thus might increase the risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity in patients with OSA.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Analysis of the blood level of micafungin involving patients with hematological diseases: new findings regarding combination therapy with tacrolimus.

In 29 patients (40 samples) with hematological diseases who had been treated with a candin antifungal agent, micafungin (MCFG), we measured the blood level of MCFG by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was a correlation between the dose and the blood level of MCFG (r = 0.729, p < 0.001). In addition, there was a correlation between the total bilirubin level and the C/D value (r = 0.458, p < 0.01), which was calculated by dividing the blood level of MCFG by the dose, although there was no correlation between creatinine clearance and the C/D value. These findings suggest that the dose of MCFG must be regulated in patients with biliary stasis-type liver hypofunction. In addition, there was no significant difference in the blood level of MCFG between the group in which tacrolimus (FK506) was combined with MCFG and the group in which MCFG alone was administered. These results suggest that there are no changes in the blood level of MCFG even when MCFG is combined with FK506.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Two different mechanisms are involved in the extremely high-level benzalkonium chloride resistance of a Pseudomonas fluorescens strain.

A Pseudomonas fluorescens strain, PFRB, which we previously isolated as a contaminant in a batch of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) stock solution, exhibits high-level resistance, not only to BAC, but also to other cationic surfactants belonging to disinfectants classified as quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). In this study, we analyzed the resistance mechanism of the strain to BAC and other disinfectants. We obtained results suggesting that two different mechanisms, reduced adsorption of BAC to the cell surface and an energy-dependent mechanism which is most probably an efflux system, were implicated in the high-level resistance to BAC. Reduced adsorption of BAC is likely due to the decreased negative cell surface charge of the strain. The putative efflux system seems to be unique in that it excretes only a certain range of cationic membrane-acting disinfectants belonging to QACs.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2003

High performance liquid chromatographic determination of acetoacetate by post-column derivatization with p-nitrobenzene diazonium fluoroborate.

We have applied a color-developing reagent, p-nitrobenzene diazonium fluoroborate (diazo reagent) as a post-column derivatization tool for the specific determination of acetoacetate (AcAc) in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A mobile phase consisting of 50 mM KH(2)PO(4), 4 mM tetra-n-butylammonium phosphate (TBAP) as an ion-pair reagent and 2 v/v% methanol, pH 3.5, diazo reagent solution with 0.2% triton X-100, and alkaline solution of 1.5 mol/l NaOH were pumped using three independent pumps. Specific color development on-line was monitored at 645 nm. A calibration curve for AcAc standard solution with an injection volume of 20 microl showed a good linearity in the range 0.01-2.5 mM with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. For the determination of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HOBA), 3-HOBA was converted to AcAc by an enzymatic-coupling method using 3-HOBA dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase. Analytical recoveries of AcAc and 3-HOBA added to serum and urine were satisfactory.

Acetoacetates↗