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Biomedical subjects

T Miyazaki

Publications and source records attributed to T Miyazaki.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Value of positron emission tomography in the diagnosis of recurrent oesophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) might be useful for staging oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). FDG-PET may be more accurate than computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing lymph node metastasis. This retrospective study compared the ability of FDG-PET and CT to diagnose recurrent oesophageal carcinoma. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with thoracic oesophageal SCC who had undergone radical oesophagectomy were studied. The accuracy of FDG-PET and CT in detecting recurrence during follow-up was calculated using data from the first images generated by either modality that suggested the presence of recurrent disease. Lesions deemed to be equivocal on these scans were considered as positive for recurrence. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 55 patients had recurrent disease in a total of 37 organs. Locoregional recurrence was observed in 19 patients (35 per cent). Distant recurrent disease occurred in 15 patients (27 per cent) in 18 organs. Six patients had recurrence in the liver, four in the lung, six in bone and two in distant lymph nodes. FDG-PET showed 96 per cent sensitivity, 68 per cent specificity and 82 per cent accuracy in demonstrating recurrent disease. The corresponding values for CT were 89, 79 and 84 per cent. The sensitivity of FDG-PET was higher than that of CT in detecting locoregional recurrence, but its specificity was lower because of FDG uptake in the gastric tube and thoracic lymph nodes. In distant organs the sensitivity of PET in detecting lung metastasis was lower than that of CT, but its sensitivity for bone metastasis was higher. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET has a larger field than CT. Combined PET-CT would appear to be an appropriate modality for the detection of recurrent oesophageal cancer.

Adult↗

CT is useful for identifying patients with complicated appendicitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We often come across patients with complicated appendicitis (perforation, abscess formation, or peritonitis) and it is essential to get accurate and detailed information on these patients preoperatively. In this study, we investigated whether or not preoperative computed tomography is useful for identifying these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Plain and intravenously-contrasted helical computed tomography was obtained preoperatively in 94 (75%) of 125 patients who underwent appendectomy. Twenty-eight (30%) of the 94 patients had complicated appendicitis (Compli(+) group). We compared clinical factors and computed tomography findings of the Compli(+) group with those of 66 other patients (Compli(-) group). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the Compli(+) and Compli(-) groups in gender, white blood cell count, the present rate of an enlarged appendix, or appendicolith. Fat stranding and free fluid on computed tomography were significantly associated with complicated appendicitis by both univariate and multilogistic regression analysis. Fourteen (70%) of the 20 patients with fat stranding and free fluid on computed tomography had complicated appendicitis and only 1 (4%) of the 28 Compli(+) patients had neither fat stranding nor free fluid on computed tomography. CONCLUSION: Our study has indicated that fat stranding and free fluid on computed tomography are significant for complicated appendicitis and helical computed tomography is a powerful tool for identifying patients with complicated appendicitis preoperatively.

Adult↗

Interferon-gamma and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after oesophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Activated polymorphonuclear leucocytes play a pivotal role in pulmonary complications after oesophagectomy. A lot of inflammatory mediators including interferon-gamma and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are reported to modify the life span of polymorphonuclear leucocytes. AIMS: In this study we investigated whether interferon-gamma and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are associated with pulmonary complications after oesophagectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured interferon-gamma and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of 37 patients who had undergone oesophagectomy and examined the relationship between these mediators and pulmonary complications. RESULTS: Pulmonary complications occurred in nine patients (24%, Pneum(+)). There was no significant difference in age, gender, preoperative comorbid conditions, tumour stage, operation method, operating time or blood loss between the Pneum(+) group and another 28 patients(Pneum(-)). Days until extubation were significantly increased in the Pneum(+) group than in the Pneum(-) group. Interferon-gamma (on postoperative day 2) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (on postoperative days 1-3) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly increased in the Pneum(+) group than in the Pneum(-) group and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was significantly correlated with days until extubation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that bronchoalveolar lavage fluid granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is associated with respiratory conditions after oesophagectomy and assaying it can be useful for predicting pulmonary complications.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗

Expression of heat-shock protein Hsp60 correlated with the apoptotic index and patient prognosis in human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Cellular stress response and apoptosis are two highly conserved mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis. Hsp60 and Hsp90 have been shown to play pro- and anti-apoptotic roles, respectively. Our present study examined whether there is a correlation between the expression of Hsp60 and Hsp90, clinical parameters, the apoptotic index (AI), and the prognosis of patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We immunohistochemically stained cells for Hsp60, Hsp90, and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which acts as an apoptotic marker. In normal oesophageal epithelium tissue, Hsp60 and Hsp90 were expressed in the cytoplasm and membrane from the basal cell layer to the supra-basal cell layers. Hsp60 and Hsp90 positive stainings (+) were found in 63 of 123 cases (51%) and 62 of 123 cases (50%), respectively. There was no correlation between Hsp60 and Hsp90 expression levels and any of the clinical parameters examined. The five-year survival rate for ESCC patients with Hsp60 (+) expression was significantly higher than for those patients with Hsp60 (-) expression (P=0.0371). Five-year survival rates of patients with Hsp60 (+) and (-) were 49% and 33%, respectively. By contrast, Hsp90 expression failed to predict patient prognosis (P=0.7965). The high-AI group did not have a significantly better prognosis than the low-AI group (P=0.2218). Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between the expression of Hsp60 and AI in ESCC patients (P=0.008). Thus, the five-year survival rate for the high-AI/Hsp60 (+) group was statistically significantly better than for the other groups (P=0.0281). The results obtained in this study indicate that positive Hsp60 expression is a good prognostic indicator. This may be due to its role as a chaperone in contributing to the induction of apoptosis. These data suggest that Hsp60 expression correlates with the AI and patient prognosis in human ESCC.

Adult↗

Age related changes in 5-methylcytosine content in human peripheral leukocytes and placentas: an HPLC-based study.

The goal of the present study was to investigate inter-individual and age-dependent variation of global DNA methylation in human tissues. In this work, we examined 5-methyldeoxycytidine ((met)C) content by HPLC in human peripheral blood leukocytes obtained from 76 healthy individuals of ages varying from 4 to 94 years (yr), and 39 human placentas from various gestational stages. The HPLC analysis revealed a significant variation of (met)C across individuals and is consistent with the previous findings of age-dependent decrease of global methylation levels in human tissues. The age-dependent decrease of (met)C was relatively small, but statistically highly significant (p= 0.0002) in the aged group (65.9 +/- 8.9 [mean age +/- SD] yr; n = 22) in comparison to the young adult group (19.3 +/- 1.4 yr; n = 21). Males showed a subtle but statistically significant higher mean (met)C content than females. In contrast to the peripheral blood samples, DNA extracted from placentas exhibited gestational stage-dependent increase of methylation levels that appeared to inversely correlate with the expression levels of human endogenous retroviruses. These data may be helpful in further studies of DNA methylation, such as inheritance of epigenetic patterns, environment-induced changes, and involvement of epigenetic changes in disease.

Adolescent↗

Identification of a novel allele HLA-A*1113 in a Japanese donor.

Anew HLA-A*11 allele, A*1113, was identified in a healthy Japanese female. She was typed as HLA-A11?, A2, B46, B67, Cw1, Cw7 (Bw6) with unusual serological reactivity of A11, suggesting possible presence of a new A*11 allele. The novel A*1113 allele was identified by haplotypic group-specific allele amplification using A*11 allele-specific primer pairs and sequence-based typing. The A*1113 allele differs from A*11011 by one nucleotide substitution in exon 3 at position 503 (A --> G) which causes an amino acid change in the alfa2 domain at residue 144 (lysine : K --> arginine : R), thus resulting in the unusual serological reactivity.

Alleles↗

Histopathological studies on viral nervous necrosis of sevenband grouper, Epinephelus septemfasciatus Thunberg, at the grow-out stage.

Abstract Viral nervous necrosis caused by sevenband grouper nervous necrosis virus (SGNNV) has occurred in grow-out stages (0-3 years old) of sevenband grouper, Epinephelus septemfasciatus, since the 1980s. In the present study, based on histopathological features of the central nervous system (CNS) in naturally diseased fish, pernasal infection experiments using grow-out fish were performed and pernasal infection was established as a putative invasion route of SGNNV. The definite SGNNV-targeted cells were determined by histopathological studies including indirect fluorescent antibody test and electron microscopy. Nerve cells in the olfactory lobe were most extensively necrotized with vacuolation followed by infiltration of microglia and macrophages. Purkinje cells and Golgi cells were extensively infected in the cerebellum. Megalocells and small nerve cell nuclei were also infected in the preoptic area, thalamus, medulla oblongata and spinal cord. Only a few small nerve cells were infected in the olfactory bulb and optic tectum. The retina of some diseased fish displayed vacuolated bipolar cells of the inner nuclear layer and in the ganglion cell layer. These SGNNV-infected nerve cells displayed viroplasmic inclusions containing virions, vacuoles and myelin-like structures. Based on observed histopathological changes, the lesion of the CNS was characterized by encephalitis but not encephalopathy.

Animals↗

Antibacterial titanium plate anodized by being discharged in NaCl solution exhibits cell compatibility.

Implant surfaces should be modified to achieve excellent cell compatibility as well as antibacterial activity. Our previous study demonstrated that titanium plates anodized by being discharged in NaCl (Ti-Cl) exhibited high antibacterial activity. Since Ti-Cl was prepared with a NaCl solution, we hypothesized that Ti-Cl would exhibit low toxicity toward cells. The aims of this study were to characterize the surface of Ti-Cl and investigate the cell compatibility (MC3T3-E1 and L929 cells) of Ti-Cl. The results demonstrated that, since the TiCl(3) formed on the Ti-Cl surface was hydrolyzed into HCl, HClO, and TiOH after immersion in pure distilled water, TiCl(3) contributed to the antibacterial activity of Ti-Cl. On the other hand, TiO formed on the Ti-Cl surface enhanced cell extension and cell growth through a larger adsorption of fibronectin compared with the pure titanium control. These findings suggest that antibacterial titanium is a promising material for use in dental implant systems.

3T3 Cells↗

FAK overexpression is correlated with tumour invasiveness and lymph node metastasis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Focal adhesion kinase (p125(FAK); 'FAK') is a tyrosine kinase that is localised to cellular focal adhesions and is associated with a number of other proteins, such as integrin adhesion receptors. We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of FAK protein expression to determine the relationship between FAK overexpression and clinicopathological factors in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We examined tissue specimens that had been removed from 91 patients with thoracic oesophageal cancer who had undergone surgery between 1983 and 2001. Immunohistochemical staining was performed by the standard streptavidin-biotin method. Seven human ESCC cell lines-TE-1, TE-2, TE-8, TE-13, TE-15, TT, and TTn-and one immortalized human keratinocyte cell line-HaCaT-were used in Western blot analysis. Immunostaining of FAK was seen in the cytoplasm of cancer cells, particularly in cells located in the invasive fronts of cancer nests. FAK overexpression was detected in 54 of the 91 patients (59.3%). Significant correlations were observed between FAK overexpression and cell differentiation (P=0.0057), depth of tumour invasion (P=0.0023), presence of regional lymph node metastasis (P=0.0097), number of lymph node metastases (P=0.0026), and disease stage (P=0.012). The survival rates of patients with FAK-overexpressing cancer were significantly lower than those of patients without FAK-overexpression cancer (P=0.006). The 5-year survival rate of patients without FAK overexpression was 69%, whereas that of patients with FAK overexpression was 38%. On Western blot analysis, FAK was expressed at a high level in TE-1, TE-8, TE-15, and TT cells, at a moderate level in TE-2 and TTn cells, and at a low level in TE13 and HaCaT cells. FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine 397 was demonstrated in proportion to the intensity of FAK in all cell lines except TE15 and HaCaT. In conclusion, FAK overexpression of ESCC was related to cell differentiation, tumour invasiveness, and lymph node metastasis. Consequently, patients with ESCC who had FAK overexpression had a poor prognosis.

Aged↗

Reduced expression of Axin correlates with tumour progression of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Axin is a negative regulator of the Wnt signalling pathway, and genetic alterations of AXIN1 have been suggested to be an important factor of carcinogenesis in some tumours. The objective of this study was to clarify the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of Axin in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Immunohistochemical staining for Axin was performed on surgical specimens obtained from 81 patients with oesophageal SCC. Western and Northern blottings were performed on proteins and RNA from oesophageal SCC cell lines. Then polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformational analysis (PCR-SSCP) was performed on DNA from oesophageal SCC patients and cell lines. Axin expression was found to be correlated inversely with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and lymphatic invasion. Although univariate analysis showed Axin to be a negative predictor, multivariate analysis showed that it was not an independent prognostic marker. In all but one of the seven cell lines examined, the levels of protein expression were equivalent to RNA expression. PCR-SSCP showed that five patients and three cell lines had polymorphisms in exon 4 or 5 of the AXIN1 gene, but none of the 81 patients with oesophageal SCC had mutations. Our findings suggest that reduced expression of Axin is correlated with tumour progression of oesophageal SCC. However, additional studies will be necessary to elucidate the mechanism responsible for loss of Axin expression in tumour cells.

Axin Protein↗

Delayed neuronal damage related to microglia proliferation after mild spinal cord compression injury.

In order to investigate the mechanism of delayed progressive or secondary neuronal damage after the spinal cord injury, we developed a mild-compression injury model in the rat thoracic spinal cord. Our compression device consists of a soft silicone point of contact to the dura, in order to prevent violent injury that may cause axonal tears or hemorrhages in the spinal cord. Since rats often assume a 'standing' posture, i.e. raising head with lifting their fore-limbs, damage to the thoracic spinal cord was evaluated by measuring the frequency of 'standing', which effectively indicates hind limb function. Twenty-four hours after compression by a 20 g weight for 10 or 20 min, the standing frequency of the injured rat was almost the same as that of sham animals that underwent laminectomy without compression. However, the standing frequency decreased with time; the frequency of standing at 72 h was approximately 30-50% that of sham animals. In the compressed spinal cord tissue, microglial cells, detected by lectin staining, proliferated with time. An enormous amount of microglia was observed at 48 and 72 h after compression, although only a small amount of cells were positive to lectin staining at 24 h after the compression. These results suggest that our mild-compression spinal cord injury model showed late-onset or delayed neuronal damage that may be related to pathological microglia proliferation.

Animals↗

Susceptibility of cultured juveniles of several marine fish to the sevenband grouper nervous necrosis virus.

Piscine nodaviruses (betanodaviruses) have been tentatively divided into four genotypes (SJNNV, RGNNV, TPNNV and BFNNV) and it is suggested that host specificity is different among these genotypes. In the present study, a betanodavirus [sevenband grouper nervous necrosis virus (SGNNV)] belonging to the redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) genotype, to which most betanodaviruses from warm water fish are identified, was evaluated for its pathogenicity to hatchery-reared juveniles of several marine fish species. When challenged with the virus by a bath method (10(5.1) TCID50 mL(-1)), sevenband grouper, Epinephelus septemfasciatus, Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, and tiger puffer, Takifugu rubripes, displayed behavioural abnormalities and mortalities with distinct histopathological signs of viral nervous necrosis and heavily immunostained cells were observed in the central nervous tissues and retina. Bath-challenged rock fish, Sebastiscus marmoratus, and a hybrid of sevenband grouper and kelp grouper, E. moara, did not display any behavioural abnormality or mortality during the experimental period, although many fish showed slight signs of viral infection in nerve cells. Kelp grouper and red sea bream, Pagrus major, showed no behavioural abnormality, mortality or immunohistopathological changes after the virus challenge. These results are, in part, consistent with the natural host range of RGNNV, indicating the complexity in the host specificity of betanodaviruses.

Animals↗

Gastrin activates nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) through a protein kinase C dependent pathway involving NFkappaB inducing kinase, inhibitor kappaB (IkappaB) kinase, and tumour necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in MKN-28 cells transfected with gastrin receptor.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that gastrin induces expression of CXC chemokines through activation of nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) in gastric epithelial cells that express gastrin receptor. AIMS: To clarify gastrin receptor mediated signals leading to activation of NFkappaB. METHODS: MKGR26 cells were created by transfecting gastrin receptor cDNA into MKN-28 cells. Degradation of inhibitor kappaB (IkappaB) and phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC)-delta were both detected by western blot analysis. NFkappaB activation was determined by luciferase assay and electrophoretic mobility shift analysis. RESULTS: Gastrin induced degradation of IkappaB-alpha and activation of NFkappaB, which was abolished by the selective gastrin receptor antagonist L-740,093 and the general PKC inhibitor GF109203X. Gastrin induced phosphorylation of PKC-delta, and its inhibitor rottlerin partially suppressed NFkappaB activation. However, the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase inhibitor PD98059, p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, and tyrphostin AG1478 had no effect on NFkappaB activation. Introduction of the dominant negative mutant of IkappaB kinase, of NFkappaB inducing kinase, and of tumour necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6), but not that of TRAF2, inhibited gastrin induced activation of NFkappaB. CONCLUSIONS: Gastrin activates NFkappaB via a PKC dependent pathway which involves IkappaB kinase, NFkappaB inducing kinase, and TRAF6.

Animals↗

Spontaneous emission of bound photons from relativistic free electrons.

If the states of photons are bound, another type of spontaneous emission becomes possible for a relativistic electron due to the symmetry breaking in space. We obtain the radiation probability for a relativistic electron passing through a box-shaped cavity. The radiation spectrum is discrete in which line positions are determined by the boundary condition of the cavity.

Journal Article↗

Viral DNA sequences of genes encoding the ATPase and the major capsid protein of tropical iridovirus isolates which are pathogenic to fishes in Japan, South China Sea and Southeast Asian countries.

Tropical iridovirus infection causes severe epizootic resulting in mass mortalities and large economic losses in freshwater ornamental fishes cultured in Southeast Asian countries, in wild fish seedlings captured in South China Sea, and in marine fishes farmed in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. All of tropical iridovirus-infected fishes histopathologically showed the systemic formation of inclusion body-bearing cells and necrosis of virus-infected splenocytes and hematopoietic cells. We designed primer sets for the ATPase gene and the major capsid protein (MCP) gene and sequenced the PCR products derived from 5 iridovirus isolates from sea bass in South China Sea, red sea bream in Japan, brown-spotted grouper with a grouper sleepy disease in Thailand, dwarf gourami from Malaysia and African lampeye from Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The ATPase gene and the MCP gene of these 5 viral isolates were highly homologous (> 95.8%, > 94.9% identity, respectively) and the deduced amino acid sequences of the ATPase and the MCP were also highly identical (> 98.1%, > 97.2% identity, respectively). Based on the high homology, these 5 isolates of tropical iridovirus from various fishes in geographically different regions were determined to have a single origin and to be native to Southeast Asian regions. However, these sequences were far different from those of members of the genera Ranavirus, Lymphocystivirus and Iridovirus in the Family Iridoviridae. We propose a new genus "Tropivirus" for tropical iridovirus in the Family Iridoviridae.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Enhancement of bonding strength by graded structure at interface between apatite layer and bioactive tantalum metal.

Tantalum metal is a candidate for use as an implant material in high load-bearing bony defects, due to its attractive features such as high fracture toughness and high workability. This metal, however, does not have bone-bonding ability, i.e. bioactivity, and therefore the development of bioactive tantalum metal is highly desirable. It is known that the essential prerequisite for an artificial material to show bioactivity is to form a bonelike apatite layer on its surface in the body environment. The same type of apatite layer is formed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) with inorganic ion concentrations nearly equal to those of human blood plasma. The present authors previously showed that the apatite formation on tantalum metal in SBF was remarkably accelerated by treatment with 0.5 M-NaOH aqueous solution and subsequent firing at 300 degrees C, while untreated tantalum metal spontaneously formed the same apatite after a long soaking period. In the present study, the bonding strength of the apatite layer to the substrate was quantitatively evaluated in comparison with that to the untreated tantalum metal. Adhesive strength was measured as an estimation of bonding strength, and the surface microstructure of both the substrates was characterized in order to discuss the difference in the bonding strength in terms of surface structure. The apatite layer formed on the NaOH- and heat-treated tantalum metal shows higher adhesive strength than that formed on the untreated metal. The amorphous sodium tantalate layer formed on the tantalum metal by NaOH and heat treatments, has a smooth graded structure where its concentration gradually changes from the surface into the interior metal. Smooth graded structure with complex of apatite is constructed after soaking in SBF. The higher bonding strength of the apatite layer formed on the treated metal is attributed to its smooth graded structure.

Journal Article↗

A novel autoimmune pancreatitis model in MRL mice treated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid.

In this study we established a new animal model for exploring the pathogenesis of autoimmune pancreatitis. We have found previously that MRL/Mp-+/+(MRL/+) mice develop pancreatitis spontaneously by an autoimmune mechanism but only when they are more than 34 weeks old. Because this disease might be a model of multi-factorial diseases controlled by genetic and environmental factors, beginning at 6 weeks old, we injected polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) into MRL/+ mice and in addition, into MRL/Mp mice bearing the Fas deletion mutant gene, lpr (MRL/lpr). Poly I:C induced chronic severe pancreatitis in all the MRL/+ mice and to a lesser extent in the MRL/lpr mice by 18 weeks of age. There was no pancreatitis in control mice of both strains at the same age. Other than chronic pancreatitis, no severe autoimmune diseases were observed in MRL/+ mice. Immunohistochemical examinations revealed predominant infiltration of CD4+ T cells and Mac-2+ activated macrophages in the pancreatic lesions. Splenic expression of the mRNAs for TNF-alpha and IL-10, which is known to suppress the development of pancreatitis, were increased in both strains of mice. These findings suggest that an MRL strain of mice treated with poly I:C might be a good model for developing new approaches to the study of the pathogenesis of autoimmune pancreatitis.

Age Factors↗