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Biomedical subjects

T Kitamura

Publications and source records attributed to T Kitamura.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Alteration in the JC polyomavirus genome is enhanced in immunosuppressed renal transplant patients.

JC polyomavirus (JCV) DNAs derived from urine generally contain an archetypal regulatory sequence, whereas regulatory regions of JCVs in the brain with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) have specifically altered regulatory regions. However, JCV DNAs with regulatory regions that deviate from the archetype sometimes occur in the urine of non-PML patients. In this study, we compared the incidence of these rearranged regulatory regions between immunosuppressed (renal transplant recipients) and nonimmunosuppressed patients. We found that the incidence of rearranged JCV regulatory regions was significantly higher in renal transplant patients than that in nonimmunosuppressed patients. This finding suggests that immunosuppression would permit accumulation of JCV with rearranged regulatory regions. On the other hand, from the following observations, we conclude that rearranged regulatory regions unique to PML-type JCVs rarely occur even in renal transplant patients: (1) rearrangements in JCVs from these patients were almost exclusively simple, that is deletions or duplications; (2) duplication of domain A or deletion of domain B, each being a feature common to most PML-type regulatory regions, was rarely detected in JCVs from the patients. The data are consistent with the fact that PML is a rare disease in patients with decreased immune competence and support the hypothesis that changes in the JCV regulatory region may be involved with the etiology of PML.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Poststroke depression.

Sixty-eight patients with stroke were investigated to assess their mood state. Nearly half of them were found to be depressed; according to DSM-III-R, 6 of these were diagnosed as suffering from major depression and the rest from adjustment disorder with depressive mood. A significant relationship was found between mood state on the one hand, and daily living activities and Type A behavior pattern on the other.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Panic attacks and panic disorder in Japanese non-patient population: epidemiology and psychosocial correlates.

To investigate the prevalence rates of panic disorder and panic attacks in the general population of Japan, a set of questionnaires were administered to 207 people aged 18 or over, who were then interviewed. Seven (3.4%) had experienced one or more unexpected panic attacks in their lifetime. Two subjects (1.0%) had had panic disorder (DSM-III-R), and five (2.4%) had had panic attacks not meeting the criteria for panic disorder. Seventy percent of the persons with panic disorder or panic attacks had sought medical care. There was comorbidity with agoraphobia in two cases, and with major depression in five. Harsh discipline, frequent quarrel, between parents, and serious illness before the age of 16 were more frequent in individuals suffering from panic attacks, compared to those without.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Anti-ubiquitin immunoreactivity associates with pyramidal cell death induced by intraventricular infusion of leupeptin in rat hippocampus.

Pathological studies on several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease have revealed common deposition of ubiquitin in many inclusion bodies. This implies a possible association of ubiquitin with neurodegeneration. To address this possibility, we examined histochemically the effect of intraventricular infusion of leupeptin, a thiol proteinase inhibitor, which is known to elevate anti-ubiquitin immunoreactivity in rat Purkinje cells. In the leupeptin-infused rat, an intense anti-ubiquitin immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of neurons occurred not only in cerebellar Purkinje cells but also elsewhere in a wide area of the rat brain. The increase in the immunoreactivity was followed by a gradual depletion of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 subfields. The immunoreactive neurons disappeared concurrently. The number of anti-ubiquitin immunoreactive neurons was negatively correlated with that of surviving neurons when the duration of leupeptin infusion was varied. These results suggest that increased anti-ubiquitin immunoreactivity associates with neuronal death in leupeptin-treated rat brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Distinctive four promoters collectively direct expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene.

In order to get a deeper insight into comprehensive understanding of gene regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), we characterized the transcriptional apparatus of this gene on the basis of the genomic structure. The results in this study revealed that there are at least four distinctive promoters in the BDNF gene; two of them are neuron-specific and the rest are active in some non-neuronal tissues as well as neuronal ones. Although the analyses of the promoter usage pattern clarified many characteristic features in controlling these promoter activities, the most notable finding was that administration of kainic acid resulted in great activation of two out of the four promoters in hippocampal neurons in a regionally different manner and thus indicated the presence of two distinct signal transduction pathways for kainate-induced activation of BDNF gene expression in neurons. The analysis of BDNF gene expression in terms of the promoter usage pattern would provide a new and important insight into understanding a molecular control mechanism of this gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Growth ability of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 auxiliary gene mutants in primary blood macrophage cultures.

A strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 that is strictly tropic for primary human blood cell cultures was constructed in vitro. Mutational studies on the vif, vpr, vpu and nef genes of this virus were performed to evaluate their biological functions in natural target cells. For this purpose, replication properties of mutant viruses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and macrophages (PBMPs) were determined. Three phenotypes with respect to virus replication were noticed: normal or mildly retarded growth (nef and vpr mutants), impaired growth (vpu mutant), and no growth (vif mutant). These results suggest that the Vif and Vpu proteins are more important than the Nef and Vpr proteins for virus replication in PBMCs and PBMPs.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1994

Congenital rubella syndrome with rubella virus-associated generalized brownish macules, indurated erythemas, papules, and pigmentation.

BACKGROUND: We examined an infant with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The purpose of this report is to describe the skin manifestations in this patient and to prove that they were associated with rubella virus. OBSERVATIONS: A 7-month-old boy presented with generalized brownish macules, indurated erythemas, papules, and pigmentation. They first appeared at around 3 months of age. His mother had contracted rubella during the 14th gestational week. At the time of examination, rubella-specific IgM antibody was positive in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid of the baby. A physical exam had revealed deafness, mental and physical retardation, interstitial pneumonitis, and hepatosplenomegaly. A skin biopsy specimen showed a dense infiltration mainly of lymphocytes, with B cells predominant in the deep dermis. Electron microscopically abundant tubuloreticular structures were observed in capillary endothelial cells, lymphocytes, and dermal fibroblasts. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis suggested that rubella virus RNA was present in the patient's skin specimen, cerebrospinal fluid, and total blood. CONCLUSIONS: The cutaneous manifestations of our patient were extraordinary and informative. These prominent skin lesions should be recognized as cutaneous markers of CRS.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

High-yield induction of uterine endometrial adenocarcinomas in Donryu rats by a single intra-uterine administration of N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine via the vagina.

A total of 130 female Donryu rats (10-week-old) were divided into two groups; 80 animals in the experimental group were given a single intra-uterine administration of 20 mg/kg N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (ENNG) dissolved in polyethylene glycol (PEG) via the vagina without laparotomy, and 50 animals in the control group received PEG alone in the same manner. Small numbers of animals in both groups were killed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after ENNG treatment for sequential histological and endocrinological examination, and at 12.5 experimental months (15 months of age) all survivors were killed. At the termination, endometrial adenocarcinomas were present in 49% of the experimental group, compared to 0% in the control group. Severe endometrial hyperplasias were also found only in the experimental group and sequential histological examination showed first appearance of hyperplasia at 6 months and adenocarcinoma at 9 months. No tumors other than uterine carcinomas were induced by ENNG and the carcinogen treatment did not affect the endocrine environment of rats, persistent estrus appearing at 6 months after the start and increasing with age in both groups. The estradiol-17 beta:progesterone (E:P) ratio was also increased after 6 months, with further elevation at 12 months to about 8 times higher than the level at 6 months. These results indicate that an increased E:P ratio might act as a promoter of development of endometrial proliferative lesions initiated by ENNG in this rat strain. The study indicates that the present simple method using Donryu rats provides a good animal model for endometrial adenocarcinoma development in women.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Identification of programmed cell death in normal human skin tissues by using specific labelling of fragmented DNA.

Programmed cell death (PCD) in normal human skin tissues was studied by using in situ specific labelling of fragmented DNA. This labelling method clearly stained the nuclei of Henle's layer in the bulb of the anagen hair follicle in serial sections, and the nuclei of the inner root sheath cuticle cells and Huxley's layer cells showed positive staining in the upper part of the hair follicles. This staining pattern was consistent with the sequence of keratinization in the three layers. The nuclei of differentiated cells located at the centre of the sebaceous glands, and those of the granular keratinocyte layer, were also stained. These findings suggest that PCD might play a key role in the terminal differentiation of the epidermis and epidermal appendages.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1994

Effect of immunosuppression on the urinary excretion of BK and JC polyomaviruses in renal allograft recipients.

Sixty-five renal allograft recipients on immunosuppressive therapy were examined for BK and JC viruria using Southern blot hybridization. The incidence and degree of BK and JC viruria were compared between this population (group RTR) and, an age- and sex-matched population of non-immunosuppressed individuals (group CTR). In the results, the incidence of BK viruria was significantly increased in the RTR group compared with the CTR group, while that of JC viruria was similar in the 2 groups. The proportion with a high level of JC viruria, however, was greater in the RTR group compared with the CTR group. Additionally, it was also demonstrated that the incidence of both BK and JC viruria was not affected by the characteristics of renal transplant recipients, such as differences in the donor source (living-related vs cadaveric), type of immunosuppressive agents used, or the time post-transplantation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Synergistic effect of recombinant CD4-immunoglobulin in combination with azidothymidine, dideoxyinosine and 0.5 beta-monoclonal antibody on human immunodeficiency virus infection in vitro.

Data are presented which indicate that combinations of rCD4 immunoglobulin with azidothymidine, dideoxyinosine or 0.5 beta mouse monoclonal antibodies directed against the V3 region of HIV-1, were more effective in treatment of acute HIV infection in vitro than each compound alone. It is suggested that combination therapy with these compounds is more beneficial in treatment of HIV-infected patients than monotherapy, especially with respect to a reduction of the known side effects and the formation of resistant HIV strains after treatment with nucleoside analogues.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1994

Examination of the tridimensional personality hypothesis of alcoholism using empirically multivariate typology.

Cloninger (1987) has hypothesized a tridimensional personality theory for two types of alcoholism, type 1 and type 2, that exhibit opposing clinical characteristics and personality traits. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) is designed to test this hypothesis on three independent dimensions--novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), and reward dependence (RD)--to evaluate the personality trait. We examined the tridimensional personality hypothesis by comparing TPQ scores between two empirically derived multivariate types of alcoholism. The present study included 191 male subjects with alcoholism. A cluster analysis was conducted using clinical characteristics, and two empirical types, type A and type B, were identified. Type A is similar to Cloninger's type 1 and type B is similar to type 2. The TPQ scores given to these two empirical types were compared. Scores on the NS and RD scales were in good agreement with the hypothesis, whereas the HA score was discordant with the hypothesis. HA is highly correlated with the depression scale score that is elevated in type B. We discussed the possibility that type B, which may be called a familial early-onset alcoholism, is related to character spectrum disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Temporal variation of validity of self-rating questionnaires: repeated use of the General Health Questionnaire and Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale among women during antenatal and postnatal periods.

The 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were distributed to 120 pregnant women 4 times--in early and late pregnancy and 5 days and 1 month after the child was born. The validity of the questionnaires was assessed against the subjects' Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) diagnoses. Both the GHQ and SDS sufficiently identified cases of minor mental disorder and depressive disorders respectively in early pregnancy; they lost their validity on the subsequent two occasions, but gained it again 1 month after the birth; the optimal cut-off points varied accordingly. This study suggests that the optimal cut-off point for a questionnaire should be validated against an externally determined clinical diagnosis whenever the instrument is used repeatedly on the same population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Transmission of the human polyomavirus JC virus occurs both within the family and outside the family.

JC polyomavirus (JCV) is a ubiquitous symbiote in the human population, infecting children asymptomatically and then persisting in renal tissue. We reevaluated the urinary excretion of JCV in subjects in various age groups using PCR. The detection rate for urinary JCV DNA was 9 to 17% until the age of 20 years; this rate increased dramatically to about 46% at the ages of 20 to 29 years and then increased gradually with age. Therefore, it appears that in most people excretion of JCV begins at the age of 20 to 29 years, which is earlier than suggested previously. Next, we studied the way in which JCV is spread in the human population. We selected eight Japanese families in which both parents and children excreted JCV in their urine. Their JCV subtypes were determined by PCR amplification of a JCV DNA fragment; this was followed by restriction enzyme analysis. JCV species in all JCV-positive family members were classified into either of the two subtypes, subtypes CY and MY, which are prevalent in the Japanese population. The following features of JCV subtype distribution were seen in the families: (i) both subtypes were detected in children of five of the eight families, and (ii) of 21 children who excreted JCV, 14 children excreted the same subtypes excreted by their mothers or fathers, while the remainder (7 children) excreted subtypes different from those excreted by their parents. These features suggest that JCV is transmitted both within the family and outside the family. The data also indicate that vertical transmission is not common in the spread of JCV.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Validity of the repeated GHO among pregnant women: a study in a Japanese general hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the variability of the validity of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) on two different occasions. METHOD: The subjects were 120 pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic of a general hospital in Japan. The GHQ was distributed twice--in the first and third trimesters. They were then interviewed by a psychiatrist blind to the GHQ scores using the standard and the "change" version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS). RESULTS: Of the 120 women, 108 and ninety-eight completed the GHQ and were successfully interviewed in the first and third trimesters, respectively. Seventeen percent (18/108) and 13 percent (13/98) women were given RDC diagnoses in the first and third trimesters, respectively: They were designated as cases. Despite a satisfactory discriminatory power of the GHQ on the first occasion [1], the validity measures of the GHQ on the second occasion were generally poor. Thus, the sensitivity was 39 percent and specificity 82 percent for the cut-off point of 7/8. CONCLUSIONS: The GHQ should be validated separately when distributed repeatedly to the same subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Early loss of parents and early rearing experience among women with antenatal depression.

The relationship of depressive disorders with early parental losses and rearing experiences was studied among 120 pregnant women. They were diagnosed following the Research Diagnostic Criteria using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Loss experience was defined either as loss of a parent before the age of 16 by death, or separation for 12 months or longer. The perceived rearing experience was examined by administering the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). An onset of depressive disorders, antenatal depression, was observed among 19 (16%) women. Those women with antenatal depression were significantly more likely to have experienced bereavement of either of the parents (21%) than those women without it (5%). Discriminant function analysis revealed that two PBI scores, lower paternal care and higher maternal protection, were significant in predicting antenatal depression. Parental bereavement and 'affectionless control' (low care and overprotection) seem to be additive in predisposing to antenatal depression, though the small number of the samples render statistical analysis impracticable.

Adolescent↗