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Biomedical subjects

T Tango

Publications and source records attributed to T Tango.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Cold activation of complement in sera from patients with persistent hepatitis C virus infection on interferon therapy.

The loss of haemolytic activity in sera during storage at low temperature (the cold activation of complement) was observed in 136 of 184 (74%) patients with chronic liver disease associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This was more frequent than observed in the three of 40 (8%) patients with chronic hepatitis B (P < 0.001) or none in 43 normal controls (P < 0.001). Of 103 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had completed a full course of recombinant interferon-alpha 2a therapy (total dose: 516 x 10(6) U), 40 responded completely and 21 responded partially, as judged by the normalization or decrease of alanine aminotransferase levels 6 months after the completion of therapy; 42 patients did not respond at all. The cold activation of complement persisted in five (13%) complete responders, less often than in 33 (79%) non-responders (P < 0.001). At the completion of interferon therapy, the cold activation of complement persisted in 12 of 54 patients despite the normalization of alanine aminotransferase. Spontaneous exacerbation of hepatitis occurred in seven of 12 (58%) patients with cold activation, which was more frequent than in the four of 42 patients (10%) without it (P < 0.01). The cold activation of complement disappeared along with the loss of HCV-RNA in five of six responders during the 6 month period after the completion of interferon therapy, while both cold activation and HCV-RNA persisted in all eight non-responders. These results indicate that the cold activation of complement may be useful as a marker of HCV viraemia for monitoring the response to interferon in patients with HCV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Prospective study of chemoprevention of hepatocellular carcinoma with Sho-saiko-to (TJ-9).

BACKGROUND: Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) arise in patients with cirrhosis, in whom its incidence is high. The prevention of HCC in patients with cirrhosis is important. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, nonblind controlled study was performed to evaluate the preventive effect of Sho-saiko-to (TJ-9) on HCC development. TJ-9 is a Chinese herbal medicine that contains crude extracts of seven herbs; it has antitumor effects in experimental animals. Two hundred sixty patients with cirrhosis were randomly assigned to two groups, matched for age, sex, presence of hepatitis B surface antigen, and the severity of liver damage. The patients in the trial group were given TJ-9 at a daily oral dose of 7.5 g in addition to the conventional drugs given to the control patients. The patients were prospectively monitored for 60 months and the cumulative incidence of HCC and the survival rate in the two groups were calculated. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence curve for 5 years of the trial group was lower than that of the control group (P = 0.071). For the patients without HBs antigen, the difference was significant (P = 0.024). The survival curve for 5 years of the trial group was higher than that of the control group (P = 0.053). For the patients without HBs antigen, the difference was significant (P = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: TJ-9 helped to prevent the development of HCC in patients with cirrhosis, particularly in patients without HBs antigen.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effect of air pollution on lung cancer: a Poisson regression model based on vital statistics.

This article describes a Poisson regression model for time trends of mortality to detect the long-term effects of common levels of air pollution on lung cancer, in which the adjustment for cigarette smoking is not always necessary. The main hypothesis to be tested in the model is that if the long-term and common-level air pollution had an effect on lung cancer, the death rate from lung cancer could be expected to increase gradually at a higher rate in the region with relatively high levels of air pollution than in the region with low levels, and that this trend would not be expected for other control diseases in which cigarette smoking is a risk factor. Using this approach, we analyzed the trend of mortality in females aged 40 to 79, from lung cancer and two control diseases, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, based on vital statistics in 23 wards of the Tokyo metropolitan area for 1972 to 1988. Ward-specific mean levels per day of SO2 and NO2 from 1974 through 1976 estimated by Makino (1978) were used as the ward-specific exposure measure of air pollution. No data on tobacco consumption in each ward is available. Our analysis supported the existence of long-term effects of air pollution on lung cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Predictive value of screening tests for persistent hepatitis C virus infection evidenced by viraemia. Japanese experience.

In November 1989, Japanese Red Cross Blood Centres started screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa) for the C100-3 viral peptide as the first such nationwide programme in the world. Thereafter post-transfusion non-A non-B hepatitis (PTNANBH) was reduced by 61-80%, but this was not as complete a success as our programme to prevent post-transfusion hepatitis B by screening for high titer hepatitis B core antibody, which we began in the same period. In order to acquire more effective control of PTNANBH, the HCV core-related antigen (GOR, N14) and second-generation Elisa (Ortho2, Abbott2) and second-generation antigen agglutination (PA, PHA) tests have been employed. Among 16,500 donors in 11 blood centers, 365 were serologically positive by at least one of these tests. Among these, HCV RNA was detected in 138 units and the remaining 227 were HCV RNA negatives. The effectiveness of these serological tests to detect HCV RNA-positive status were analyzed. Passive haemagglutination and particle agglutination (PHA and PA) tests were highly effective to predict HCV viraemia among blood donors. Also, these tests can easily determine antibody titre. By either PHA or PA, all units with > or = 2(12) agglutination titre (120 and 122 units) were HCV RNA positive and all agglutination-positive units with serum alanine aminotransferase level higher than 35 Karmen units were HCV RNA positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1993

[Age and sex dependent distribution pattern and normal range of blood cell parameters obtained by automated blood cell analyzer].

Distribution and normal value of 23 blood cell parameters in healthy 2509 males and 1658 females (20-69 year of age) who are the visitors of our health examination clinic or workers of the hospital were studied. These parameters were obtained by automated cell analyzer (Sysmex NE-8000, Toa Med. Electronics). Distribution pattern and normal range of 23 parameters were studied in different groups of the sex and the age (decade). Distribution of the parameters in each groups was classified into 5 patterns such as Gaussian (G), log-Gaussian (L), skewed toward lower values (P1), skewed toward higher values with shorter tail than of log-Gaussian (P2), skewed toward higher values with longer tail than of log-Gaussian (P3). Normal range of parameters in each groups was calculated by mean +/- 1.96SD of normal distribution curve obtained by power transformation procedure in L, P1, P2 and P3 distribution. Parameters concerning leukocytes and platelets showed rarely G distribution in each groups. Significant sex difference was observed in leukocyte count (male > female, p < 0.001) and platelet count (female > male, p < 0.01) in each age group. Normal values of newly analysed parameters as volume distribution curve of erythrocytes and platelets, mean platelet volume and large platelet ratio were established.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Mortality experience of cockpit crewmembers from Japan Airlines.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term mortality and causes of death among cockpit crewmembers. A total of 2,327 cockpit crewmembers registered at Japan Airlines between August 1, 1952, and December 31, 1988, were traced to assess mortality. Medical records were also reviewed. The mortality rates for the cockpit crewmembers were compared to those for the general Japanese population using standardized mortality ratios (SMR's). As of December 31, 1988, 59 (2.5%) of 2,327 individuals were deceased, and the leading causes of death were accidents, malignant neoplasms, and cardiovascular diseases. The overall mortality rate for the cockpit crew was significantly lower than the national standard (SMR = 0.66, p < 0.001; 95% C.I. 0.50-0.85). However, marked differences were found in cause-specific mortality, where mortality due to accidents was significantly increased (SMR = 2.43, p < 0.001; 95% C.I. 1.63-3.50), while deaths from cancer were similar, and those for cerebral vascular accidents (CVA) and coronary artery disease (CAD) were lower than comparable rates for the general population. We conclude that cockpit crewmembers had a better total mortality experience compared to the general Japanese population, except for deaths due to accidents.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Efficacy of influenza vaccination and its relationship to daily absentee rate].

To determine the efficacy of influenza vaccination and it's relationship to "daily physical condition", an investigation was carried out in two elementary schools and one junior high school. Since children who had many absences during the first and second trimesters, tend to have many absentee days in the third trimester and during the last year, also, absentee rate during the first and second trimesters was considered to be an indicator of "daily physical condition". Vaccinated children tended to have lower absentee rates than nonvaccinated children during the first and second trimesters. This indicates that there is a definite difference between vaccinated and nonvaccinated children in terms of "daily physical condition". Children who had many absences during the first and second trimesters, also tended to have many absentee days during the influenza season, introducing a confounding factor, "daily physical condition", when comparisons are made in the absentee rate between vaccinated and nonvaccinated children during the influenza season. Careful analysis of these data, taking into account their "daily physical condition", showed that vaccinated children tended to have lower absentee rates than the nonvaccinated during the influenza season. However there was no definite difference between vaccinated and nonvaccinated children in length of absentee days during the influenza season.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1992

[Clinical epidemiology of bronchial asthma in children report. No. III. Comparison of prevalence of asthma with 1982 and 1990 and environmental factors].

UNLABELLED: In 1982, our group carried out a survey by the questionnaires and on the site medical check-ups to observe and occurrence of asthma and other allergic symptoms in elementary and junior high school children in Izu Ohshima island. Same procedure was repeated in 1990 for 1145 children of the same age group to see any data fluctuation. The occurrence of allergic symptoms with relation to living conditions was also researched. RESULT: 114 students (11.0%) had either suffered from asthma in the past, or were still currently exhibiting symptoms, this marked a 7.5% rise (108 students) over the 1982 research data. However, patients in need of current treatment numbered 48 (4.5%), which was similar to the 1982 data of 82 (4.3%). For other allergic symptoms, rhinitis showed a marked increase over the 1982 data. The relation between living conditions and asthma was analyzed by Multiple Factor Analysis Quantification Theory. RESULT: 1) Family history of allergy, 2) Selection of food products upon starting solids during infancy, 3) Infection of lower bronchus during infancy all seemed to have had much influence on the occurrence of asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Expression of three cell proliferation-associated antigens, DNA polymerase alpha, Ki-67 antigen and transferrin receptor in nodal and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

We studied the expression of three cell proliferation-associated antigens: DNA polymerase alpha, Ki-67 antigen, and transferrin receptor, in 35 T-cell lymphomas of nodal origin (T-NL) and 40 cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). Immunohistochemical staining was carried out on frozen tissue sections of these specimens using three monoclonal antibodies, DAKO-PC, CL22-2-42B (DNA polymerase alpha), and OKT9. The proportion of cells positive for CL22-2-42B, DAKO-PC, or OKT9 among all tumor cells was correlated with four histologic subtypes: malignant lymphoma (ML), diffuse, small; mixed; large; and large cell immunoblastic in both T-NL and CTCL. A strong correlation was noted between positivity for CL22-2-42B and that for DAKO-PC or OKT9. On the other hand, no difference in the expression of these three antigens was noted between T-NL and CTCL in the high, intermediate or low grade-malignancy group. In CTCL as well as in T-NL, cells positive for CL22-2-42B, DAKO-PC or OKT9 were significantly more numerous in the high-grade group than the intermediate-grade group, and in the intermediate-grade group than the low-grade group. Furthermore, a significant correlation between survival period and the number of CL22-2-42B-positive cells was noted when the T cell malignancies, CTCL and T-NL were considered (t value = 2.015, p less than 0.05). Thus, the expression of DNA-polymerase alpha, Ki-67 antigen or OKT9 seems to well reflect the biological behavior and/or clinical prognosis of T-cell lymphoma.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

An index for cancer clustering.

This paper generalizes the index for temporal clustering proposed by Tango in two ways: it allows for nonuniform population distributions across the study period and it is applicable to the detection of disease clustering in space where there are variations in population distribution among categories of the confounding factor such as age and sex. Applications are illustrated with 1833 cases of mortality from uterine cancer in the Tokyo metropolitan area during 1978-1982.

Cluster Analysis↗
PubMed1990

[Efficacy of influenza vaccination--the detection of a seeming efficacy].

In Japan, influenza vaccination has been offered to schoolchildren as a collective preventive program with parents given the right to participate or not participate in this program since 1987. Literature on the efficacy of influenza vaccination including the research report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (1987) which proposed the continuation of the collective immunization program were examined. In almost all of the papers supportive of vaccination, approaches by which the final conclusions of the efficacy of vaccination were obtained have been found to be scientifically marginal in design and analysis. In order to further investigate these problems, a reanalysis of the data from recent studies by Satomi and Mori (1989) was conducted. A significant efficacy of the influenza vaccination could not be detected from this analysis, strongly suggesting that what appeared to be an efficacy in many papers may have been produced as a result of the confounding by the "healthiness" of the study population.

Binomial Distribution↗
PubMed1990

Asymptotic distribution of an index for disease clustering.

Tango (1984, Biometrics 40, 15-26) proposed an index for disease clustering in time, applicable to grouped data with the assumption that the population at risk remains fairly uniform over the study period. However, the asymptotic distribution of the index derived under the hypothesis of no clustering was rather complex for simple use. Recently, Whittemore and Keller (1986, Biometrics 42, 218) and Whittemore et al. (1987, Biometrika 74, 631-635) proved that the distribution of the index is asymptotically normal. The present paper indicates that their approximation may be poor for moderately large sample sizes and suggests a central chi-square distribution as a better approximation to the asymptotic distribution of this index.

Biometry↗
PubMed1989

Estimation of haemophilia-associated AIDS incidence in Japan using individual dates of diagnosis.

This paper presents a procedure for obtaining short-term projections and lower bounds on the size of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. The method is similar to that proposed by Brookmeyer and Gail but adapted to the situation where individual dates of AIDS diagnosis are available. It gives results that are not dependent on the choice of time intervals by contrast to the procedure proposed by Brookmeyer and Gail which was based on the tabulated number of AIDS cases. Applications are illustrated with haemophilia-associated AIDS incidence in Japan where only 45 cases have been diagnosed by 31 December 1987.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Altered immune responsiveness in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.

In order to detect abnormalities in humoral immunity and to determine immunogenetic traits underlying chronic glomerulonephritis, sera from 260 patients who had chronic glomerulonephritis and who were undergoing hemodialysis were tested for naturally occurring antibodies against mycoplasma and 22 different viruses. Among the 23 microorganisms tested, antibody titers were significantly lower against 12, higher against 3, and no different against 8 when compared with titers of 43 normal subjects. The data were analyzed further by plotting each in a 23-dimensional space according to their standardized antibody titers. Multivariate cluster analysis by the Ward's method revealed 3 large clusters differing from each other in natural antibody titers, and one of the clusters included 74% of the normal controls, while two other distinct clusters comprised the majority of the patients. The level of BUN, creatinine, and duration of hemodialysis treatment did not differ significantly among patients in these three different clusters. Our study suggests that patients with chronic glomerulonephritis being treated by hemodialysis have altered levels of naturally occurring antibodies to microorganisms. This alteration is not caused by just the uremic state or hemodialysis but immunogenetic regulation may also play a part.

Adolescent↗