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Biomedical subjects

T Kawamura

Publications and source records attributed to T Kawamura.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Radical formation from the reaction of combustion smoke with diphenylamine.

We have attempted to examine the effects of radical scavengers, such as amines and phenols, to trap gas-phase radicals produced from the combustion of Poly (methyl methacrylate)(PMMA), which might cause damage to a living body, using an electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique. As a result, diphenylamine did not decrease the amount of radicals but rather increased it. It indicates that under the conditions of this study, gas-phase radicals were hardly trapped by radical scavengers and that the precursors to produce other kinds of radicals can exist. It was suggested that from the experiments using several peroxides, the precursors should be diacylperoxides produced from the combustion of PMMA.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene↗
PubMed1997

A prospective trial of steroid cessation after renal transplantation in pediatric patients treated with cyclosporine and mizoribine.

We conducted a multi-center prospective study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of steroid withdrawal after renal transplantation in children. In 52 children (51 living-related donor transplants and 1 cadaver donor transplant), immunosuppressive therapy was started with cyclosporine (CyA), mizoribine (MZ), methylprednisolone (MPL) and anti-lymphocyte globulin. Administration of MPL was reduced to alternate days more than 6 months after transplantation, and attempts were made to withdraw it. Acute rejection was noted in 19 patients (36.5%) by 1 month after transplantation. The whole-blood CyA trough level using monoclonal antibody was 175.0+/-17.0 ng/ml in patients who developed acute rejection and 282.0+/-25.3 ng/ml in those who did not show acute rejection (p<0.01). During the 37 attempts at alternate-day MPL administration, clinical acute rejection was observed in only 1 patient and chronic rejection in 3. During 10 attempts to withdraw MPL, acute rejection was noted in 3 patients, but graft function recovered to the pre-rejection level after treatment of the acute rejection. At the last observation, graft function was lost in 3 patients, 22 were receiving MPL on alternate days, and MPL had been withdrawn from 7 for a mean period of 16.7 months. The survival rate of the patients and the grafts was 100% and 94% after an average follow-up period of 4 years. Evaluation of growth showed catch-up growth in all patients during the withdrawal period.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed1997

[Immune system and diseases that vary with circumstance and physical condition].

Empirically we all know that our immune system varies depending on environmental factors and physical conditions. However, such recognition has remained at an empirical level for a long time without the accumulation of scientific data. The major reason is that the substance and its receptor that connect physical conditions with the immune system have previously been obscure. Adrenergic and cholinergic receptors on leukocytes may be important in understanding that relationship. Furthermore, we have to consider the mutually antagonistic functions of granulocytes and lymphocytes in the body. All stimuli from environmental factors change our physical conditions and subsequent changes in the autonomic nervous system influence our immune system through adrenergic receptors on granulocytes and cholinergic receptors on lymphocytes. Overactivation of granulocytes induces purulent diseases or tissue destruction, whereas overactivation of lymphocytes induces allergic diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Evaluation of middle lobe syndrome: bronchial washing cultures testing positive for Mycobacterium avium complex].

From 1988 to 1995, a bronchial washing was performed on 118 cases of middle lobe syndrome at the National Himeji Hospital. Twenty cases (16.9%) were positive for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). All cases were middle-aged (mean age 54.8), non-smoking women. Fourteen cases were asymptomatic and showed only abnormal shadow on chest X-ray film, while others complained cough, sputum or hemosputum. CT examinations were done on 13 patients, and pulmonary infiltrations were found in addition to right middle lobe or lingula in many cases. It is important to note that MAC infection might be one of causes of middle lobe syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Survey of patients with intractable diseases. Analyses of patients receiving financial aid for treatment].

The Research Committee of Epidemiology of Intractable Disease (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan) conducted a Nationwide survey of 34 intractable diseases with each of the 47 prefectural governments reporting information on all patients having any of 34 intractable diseases, and who received financial aid for the disease from April 1992 to March 1993. Information collected about each patient was the identification number, which included the disease code, sex, age, the code of the municipality where the patient lived, the medical institution which treated the patient, and the department where the patient was treated. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The total number of patients who received financial aid for disease was 247,726 (Male 93,251 Female 154,274) for a sex ratio of 0.60, and 61.7% of patients were between 40 and 69 years of age. Of 109,387 patients whose status could be confirmed regarding either outpatient or inpatient, 13.5 percent were inpatients. Of the patients, 47,222 (53.0%) were treated in departments of internal medicine. 2) Of all 34 intractable diseases, the greatest number receiving aid were patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with 35,690 receiving aid between April 1992 and March 1993. Of new patients commencing financial aid between April 1992 and March 1993, the largest group was patients with ulcerative colitis with 5,361. 3) The numbers of patients and those who started receiving the aid in the observed one year was larger than those in 1984 and 1988. The increase in numbers between 25 and 34 years of age was remarkable. By age group, the largest number of patients became older within the 8 years from 1984 to 1992.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Usefulness of 3-D dynamic pulmonary xenon-133 SPECT for thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery in patients with pulmonary emphysema].

Six patients with pulmonary emphysema scheduled to undergo thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery (TLVRS) were evaluated by three-dimensional (3-D) dynamic pulmonary xenon-133 SPECT. Serial 30-second dynamic SPECT data for equilibrium and washout (for 5 min) were acquired using a continuous repetitive rotating acquisition mode with a triple-detector SPECT system. SPECT data were reconstructed to 3-D images with a color, surface-rendering technique, and a 3-D fusion image of the 3-min washout image over the equilibrium image was obtained. Regional ventilation was visually assessed on the fusion 3-D images and quantified by xenon-133 half-washout time (T1/2) and mean transit time (MTT). The 3-D fusion image localized and lateralized the worst diseased sites with xenon-133 retention. Xenon-133 retention, T1/2 and MTT were reduced on these images in five patients with improved pulmonary function tests following TLVRS. However, xenon-133 retention was greater in one with asynchronous diaphragm movement after TLVRS. This modality will assist TLVRS in determining the lung resection target and in evaluating the treatment effect.

Endoscopy↗
PubMed1997

[The inhibitory effects of Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser on attachment of fibroblasts].

Trabeculectomy often fails because of scarring of the filtering bleb, which is caused by the proliferation of fibroblasts. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) oligopeptide, a cell binding domain of fibronection molecules, on the attachment of fibroblasts in vitro and on scarring of filtering bleb after trabeculectomy on rabbits' eyes. The following results were obtained. 1. RGDS inhibited the attachment of rabbit conjunctival fibroblasts significantly (p < 0.01) when it was added to the culture medium at final concentrations of 2 and 5 mg/ml. 2. The administration of 0.2 ml of RGDS solution (5 mg/ml) into the filtering bleb 3 days after surgery caused significant reductions of intra ocular pressure compared with the control maintained the bleb more than 13 days whereas the blebs of the control eyes disappeared within 6 days (p < 0.01). 3. No complications were caused on the eyeballs of the rabbits by the administration of RGDS.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Cataracts occur in patients with atopic dermatitis when the serum IgE increases].

The serum-IgE (sIgE) levels of eight patients with cataract complicated by atopic dermatitis (atopic cataract) who had undergone cataract surgery were reported. Five of them were diagnosed as having cataract the first visit to our eye clinic. The other three cases did not show cataract at the first visit but developed it later. The average sIgE of the five cases with cataract was 25,478 +/- 15,936 (mean +/- standard deviation) iu/ml whereas that of the latter three cases without cataract, at the first visit was 4,638 +/- 1,810 iu/ml. The average sIgE of these three cases when their cataracts were diagnosed first went up to 13,210 +/- 5,574 iu/ml. These results suggested that a high level of sIgE may be a warning of the appearance of atopic cataract.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[A case of necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis with arteritis due to secondary amyloidosis following rheumatoid arthritis].

A 47-year-old woman was admitted on August 4th, 1995, because of edema of the lower extremities. She had been suffering from RA for about 20 years and underwent total knee-replacements 5 years previously. On admission, nephrotic syndrome and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis had developed in association with ileus, melena, diarrhea, dyspnea and hemoptysis. She showed a high titer of serum rheumatoid factor (357.0 IU/ml) and amyloid A protein (83.9 micrograms/ml) with positive antinuclear antibodies (homogeneous and speckled patterns). However, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ELISA), immune complexes and anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody (ELISA) were negative. Renal biopsy showed microscopic PN overlapping A-type positive amyloidosis. Although the maintenance of hemodialysis was necessary, aggressive immunosuppressive therapy with steroid pulse therapy and frequent plasma exchange provided a rapid improvement of systemic symptoms possibly due to vasculitis. We suggested that in this case, massive necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis with systemic arteritis developed on the basis of secondary amyloidosis due to rheumatoid arthritis. In such a case, even if various serum autoantibodies and immune complexes were negative, plasma exchange was suggested to be effective to remove not only pathogenic autoantibodies but also various serum inflammatory cytokines which may be related with severe vasculitis and glomerulitis, in addition to aggressive steroid therapy which may suppress the invasion of inflammatory cells producing these cytokines.

Amyloidosis↗
PubMed1997

Pathogenesis and prevention of HTLV-1-associated diseases.

HTLV-1 is an important factor involved in various diseases including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. Amount of HTLV-1 provirus integrated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells might be a candidate for a risk factor in the manifestation of HTLV-1 associated diseases. Experimental animal models would be useful to dissect the pathogenesis of HTLV-1 associated diseases. We present rat and mouse models of HTLV-1 infection. Using these animal models, we could clarify the intrauterine transmission of HTLV-1, and have found that both genetic background and HTLV-1 infection are important in pathogenesis of HAM/TSP-like rats. We also discuss the preventive measures of HTLV-1 transmission by use of antisense oligonucleotides.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Alteration of p15 and p16 gene in gastric cancer].

We analyzed p15 and p16 gene alterations in gastric cancer. Only MKN45 showed both homozygous deletions but other cell lines and all of tumor specimens did not show any alterations. Using RT-PCR analysis, decreased or no expression of the p16 gene was found in 1 of 7 cell lines (except MKN45) (14.2%) and in 8 of 20 tumors (40%), whereas no abnormalities of p15 gene expression were found. These results suggest that the p16 gene may correlate with tumorigenesis and tumor expansion due to decrease or loss of gene products in gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗