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Biomedical subjects

T Kojima

Publications and source records attributed to T Kojima.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Human trehalase: characterization, localization, and its increase in urine by renal proximal tubular damage.

By using polymerase chain reaction, cDNA encoding human renal trehalase has been isolated. The partial amino acid sequence deduced by the cDNA showed homologies in rabbit, Tenebrio molitor and silkworm trehalase. Northern blots showed renal trehalase mRNA to be about 2.0 kb. To examine the properties of renal and urinary human trehalase, the trehalase cDNA was inserted in the pMAL-cRI vector downstream from the malE gene, which encodes maltose-binding protein. Transfection of the recombinant pMAL-cRI in Escherichia coli provided high levels of expression of the maltose binding protein-trehalase fusion protein. A rabbit was immunized with purified fusion protein, and antihuman trehalase antibodies were obtained. Immunoblot analysis disclosed that renal and urinary trehalase exhibited a molecular mass of about 75 kDa. Analysis by indirect fluorescent microscopy demonstrated that the enzyme located in only proximal tubular cells. Urinary trehalase activity was low in the healthy infants and elevated in patients with asphyxia. Markedly high activity was observed in a patient with Lowe syndrome. The immunoreactive urinary trehalase with 75 kDa was increased dependent on the elevation of the activity. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that the increase of urinary trehalase reflects the extent of renal tubular damage, and we propose that urinary trehalase can be a specific marker of renal tubular damage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Endothelin-1 has a priming effect on production of superoxide anion by alveolar macrophages: its possible correlation with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of endothelin (ET)-1 in the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Tracheal aspirates were obtained from 27 newborn babies with respiratory distress (13 with BPD and 14 without BPD) who were mechanically ventilated. Production of superoxide anion (O2-) by rabbit alveolar macrophages was determined by preincubation with the tracheal aspirate supernatant (TAS) and stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). O2- production was demonstrated only when PMA was added to the experimental system and was enhanced with TAS of infants who later developed BPD compared with TAS from infants without BPD. The effects of ET-1 and ET-3 on O2- production and the blockade by anti-ET-1 antibody and BQ123 (ET A receptor antagonist) were also examined. The enhancing effect was blocked by either anti-ET-1 antibody or BQ123. PMA-stimulated production of O2- increased when cells were preincubated with several doses of ET-1 (5 x 10(-13) to 2 x 10(-12) M), whereas ET-3 was without effect. TAS contained significant amounts of immunoreactive ET-1, and there was a close positive correlation (r = 0.764) between the activity of O2- production and immunoreactive ET-1 levels in TAS samples. These results may be interpreted to indicate that ET-1 synthesized by and secreted from tracheal epithelial cells and/or alveolar macrophages has a priming effect on alveolar macrophages to produce O2-, thus possibly contributing to the development of BPD.

Albumins↗
PubMed1996

Bacillus stearothermophilus cell shape determinant gene, mreC and mreD, and their stimulation of protease production in Bacillus subtilis.

Protease production stimulating genes were isolated from a soybean protein degrading bacterium, Bacillus stearothermophilus HA19. The cloned fragment stimulated production of a 37-kDa protease in B. subtilis. The nucleotide sequence of the genes and their flanking regions were identical to the B. subtilis cell shape determinant genes mreC and mreD [J. Bacteriol., 176, 6729-6742 (1992); J. Bacteriol., 176, 6717-6728 (1992)]. The mreC and mreD genes in B. subtilis stimulate secretion of a neutral protease (37-kDa), and the protease activity in the culture medium reached 2500 U per ml (approximately 10 times higher than the host strain) after 24 h of cultivation in L broth, suggesting the mreCD genes regulate protease expression and the protease is related to the cell shape determination in Bacilli. The protease productions in B. subtilis carrying mreC or mreD deletion plasmids were not elevated, so the 37-kDa protease stimulation requires both mreC and mreD genes. The extracellular protease was purified, and the molecular mass of the enzyme was 37,000 Da by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were 7.0 and 50 degrees C, respectively, and the enzyme was stable at pH 7-10. The enzyme was inactivated by EDTA, but not by phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluorophosphate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage caused by lateral ventricular meningioma--case report.

A 39-year-old female presented with acute intraventricular hemorrhage manifesting as sudden onset of headache associated with gradually progressing somnolence and left oculomotor nerve paresis. Intraventricular hemorrhage occurred from a meningioma of the lateral ventricle. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed intraventricular hemorrhage and a mass in the right trigone. The tumor was totally removed. Her postoperative course was uneventful except for left homonymous hemianopia. The histological diagnosis was fibroblastic meningioma. The MR imaging was highly suggestive of hemorrhage from the tumor periphery.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[A case of SLE with the onset of pleuritis showing eosinophilia and elevation of serum IgE].

A 19 year old female was admitted to our hospital with complaints of fever, dyspnea and chest pain. Chest x-ray film showed a massive right pleural effusion. She was diagnosed to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because of malar rash, serositis (pleuritis), positive antinuclear antibody and positive anti-DNA antibody. Then she was successfully treated with 50 mg/d prednisolone. This case was unusual and of interest in that she had eosinophilia in the peripheral blood and exudative pleural effusion and a marked elevation of serum IgE level despite no history of allergic diseases and no evidence of parasite infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[A research on the importance of the clinical certificate to the medical practitioners outside the field of psychiatry. Committee on graduate education sub-committee on Feasibility of Implementing Specialty Board Certification in the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology].

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: The main objectives of the research was to identify the merits and demerits of the specialty board certification system, that had been implemented in the other medical societies than the society of psychiatry in Japan. As a measure of the research, we conducted a survey by distributing questionnaires to medical institutions. The subjects of this survey included medical practitioners, other than the psychiatrists, who belong to general hospital, university hospital and the Japan Medical Association. FINDINGS: We received 228 responses out of the subjects. The findings were that 86% of the subjects have acquired the specialty board certificate, and that half of them have more than two kinds of qualifications on the average. Thus, the report suggests that the specialty board certification system have been long pervaded throughout the medical fields outside psychiatry. In addition, the subjects pointed out as the merits of the specialty board certification system that it helps to achieve the higher level of technique, and to organize and sophisticate as well as widen the knowledge of their specialty. They also reported that it contributes to instigate the life-long education and to earn identification and recognition of their specialty from other fields of medicine than their own. Fifty-three percent of the subjects acknowledged the necessity of the specialty board certification system while 13% regarded it unnecessary. This result proves that, despite higher percentage of the doctors with qualifications, the system itself is not approved of with full acknowledgement in the medical world. This rather negative attitudes toward the system is originated in the fact that acquiring and maintaining the certificate, i.e., renewal fees, are considerably high. In fact, as many as 62% of the subjects felt these points as disadvantages of the system. The medical practitioners outside the fields of psychiatry did not show any particular concern about the lack of the specialty board certification system in our field that is distinct as a field of medicine. Only 18% of the subjects expressed that urgent actualization of the system is desirable in our fields. In addition, securing the cites required for learning the technique and giving the exam to the applicants is the most important matter to be concerned. On the contrary, in other fields of medicine, the matter does not need to be discussed. Therefore, this is a problem unique to the fields of psychiatry. CONCLUSION: Although there are disadvantage of the specialty board certification system pointed out as shown above, we believe that it is necessary to introduce the system in the field of psychiatry. These disadvantage are mainly the matter of individual income. We need to consider the introduction of the system from the perspective of sophisticating the quality of psychiatry as a field of medicine in our country. We, the Subcommittee on feasibility of implementing specialty board certification in the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology have been contemplating over the system up to this moment. The progress has been made to the point of presenting, Discussion of the Specialty Board Certification System in Psychiatry, Yamauchi, May, 1994.

Certification↗
PubMed1996

[A case of death due to mitral regurgitation caused by traumatic mitral valve injury].

A 51-year-old male, who had been driving a motor bicycle, was involved in a traffic accident with a trailer, and he died immediately after the accident. According to the external examination of the victim, no fatal injuries were found. The medico-legal autopsy revealed a rupture of the left side of the pericardium, and a tear of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. There were no injuries of the papillary muscles and chordae. The cause of death was due to traumatic mitral regurgitation.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1996

A novel nonsense mutation associated with an exon skipping in a patient with hereditary protein S deficiency type I.

The genetic defect in a patient with hereditary type I protein S (PS) deficiency was investigated. All the exons and intron-exon junctions of the patient's PS gene were amplified by PCR and subjected to heteroduplex screening. Only the PCR product of exon 4 revealed heteroduplex bands. A novel nonsense mutation, Ser62 (TCA) to Stop (TGA) was found in exon 4. RT-PCR detected the aberrant mRNA in the patient's platelets, which was markedly reduced in amount and lacked the region of exon 4, suggesting that the nonsense mutation affected the mutated mRNA metabolism and induced exon skipping. The skipping of exon 4 causes an in-frame deletion of 29 amino acids which just construct the thrombin-sensitive region of the PS molecule. The loss of such an important domain as well as the quantitative decrease in the mutated mRNA appear to be responsible for the type I PS deficiency in this patient.

Exons↗
PubMed1996

Palmar dislocation in the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb--a case report.

A 19-year-old male sustained forced hyperflexion of his right thumb in a motorcycle accident which resulted in a palmar dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal joint. Open reduction was performed which confirmed the rupture of the palmar plate. Dislocation recurred post-operatively. A second operation was carried out, at which time rupture of the radial collateral ligament and dorsal capsule was recognised. Postoperative joint movement was within an acceptable range. However, radiographic examination revealed persistent subluxation. This result was thought to be related to the shape of the head of the first metacarpal bone.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1996

[Interventional radiology for portal hypertension. PTO.TIO].

Percutaneous transhepatic obliteration (PTO) and transileocolic vein obliteration (TIO) are techniques of interventional radiology for embolization of collaterals due to portal hypertension 1) We can obtain good results from the precise selection of these techniques in accordance with the patient's hemodynamics and general condition. 2) Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) combined with PTO or TIO for esophageal varices proves to be superior in reliability and durability to EIS alone, and the time before retreatment is much longer when this combination therapy is used. 3) In the intractable EIS only cases, a distinct improvement in results and prognosis appears in using PTO or TIO and also in adding more EIS thereafter. 4) After treatment with EIS and PTO or TIO for cardiac varices, we obtain better results in the disappearance rate as well as in the recurrence rate compared with EIS alone. 5) Gastric varices disappear and hepatic encephalopathy due to porto-systemic shunt is improved after PTO or TIO or using these with balloon occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO). Thus PTO and TIO would be analogous to surgical devascularization or ligation. Therefore it is concluded that the best results would be obtained with PTO or TIO with other nonsurgical treatments.

Aged↗