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Biomedical subjects

W Kajiyama

Publications and source records attributed to W Kajiyama.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Necrotizing myelopathy associated with hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 43-year-old Japanese male with hepatocellular carcinoma suddenly developed paraplegia. The spinal cord signs first progressed rapidly but then gradually subsided. The patient died of hepatic failure ten months later. The autopsy disclosed cavitation and softening of the spinal cord from the level of C6 to T10, a characteristic of necrotizing myelopathy. Neither local nor apparent systemic causes to explain the spinal cord lesion were disclosed at the autopsy. This seems to be the first documented rare paraneoplastic syndrome, associated with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Hepatitis B virus transmission in nursery schools.

To determine whether transmission of hepatitis B virus occurs among children in nursery schools, from 1979 to 1982, 269 children (mean age 2.9 +/- 1.4 years) attending five nursery schools in which there were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier children were tested for hepatitis B markers. Fifteen children (5.6%) were positive for HBsAg. Ten were possibly infected with hepatitis B in nursery school by HBsAg carrier children with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Four became HBsAg carriers and six developed transient antigenemia. Three other children were positive for the immunoglobulin M class of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen but negative for HBsAg. It is possible that they too were infected with hepatitis B in schools. These observations indicate that hepatitis B transmission most probably occurs among children in nursery schools in which there are HBsAg carriers with HBeAg, and therefore vaccination of susceptible children is necessary.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1987

A seroepidemiologic study of hepatitis A virus infections: statistical analysis of two independent cross-sectional surveys in Okinawa, Japan.

To investigate the endemic situation of hepatitis A virus infection in the past in Okinawa, Japan, the authors analyzed two sets of cross-sectional data on age-specific prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) obtained in 1968-1973 and 1980-1981 by fitting a catalytic model. For these two sets of data, the asymptotic level of infectious force of hepatitis A virus, namely lambda infinity, was estimated as 0.121 and 0.149, the maximum slope of the time-dependent force of hepatitis A infection, namely alpha, was 0.566 and 0.529, and the year when the force of hepatitis A infection had decreased to the half of lambda infinity, namely beta, was 1966 and 1964, respectively. In the test for the equality of parameters for the two applications, the difference was not significant. Furthermore, the fitness of the catalytic model to the data on anti-HAV prevalence was good. The results of the analysis by fitting the catalytic model show that hepatitis A infection had been highly endemic, that is, 136 infections per 1,000 persons per year in the area studied before 1955, and it decreased rapidly during the 1960s. Since 1975, hepatitis A has been a rare disease (infection is almost zero per 1,000 persons per year) in Okinawa, Japan.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The control of hepatitis B virus infection with vaccine in Japanese nursery schools.

In 1983, the efficacy of an inactivated hepatitis B vaccine was assessed among children in nursery schools in which there was at least one hepatitis B surface antigen-positive child with hepatitis B e antigen. Of the 496 children who completed the protocol, 243 (aged 2.7 +/- 1.1 years) in six of the nursery schools received three injections of the vaccine. In five other nursery schools, 253 children (aged 2.3 +/- 1.0 years) did not receive the vaccine and were used as the control group. No side effects resulted from vaccination. Two doses of the vaccine induced antibodies in 70.8% of the vaccinated children. A booster dose six months after the first induced antibodies in 82.3% of the recipients and markedly increased the proportion of recipients who produced high antibody titiers. Although nine (4.4%) of the 203 children in the control group (whom the authors were able to follow for 24 months) were infected with hepatitis B virus and two of them became carriers, none of the vaccine recipients were infected. The vaccine appears to be safe, immunogenic, and efficacious in preventing infection with hepatitis B virus in nursery schools.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1986

Intrafamilial transmission of adult T cell leukemia virus.

In an investigation of the mode of transmission of adult T cell leukemia virus (ATLV) in family settings, 275 male and 444 female subjects positive for antibody to ATLV-associated antigen (anti-ATLA) were studied. Their children were surveyed for anti-ATLA status. None of the 82 children of a positive father and a negative mother were positive for anti-ATLA. In contrast, the antibody prevalence among children with a positive mother and a positive or negative father was 27.9% and 19.9%, respectively. Of 39 parents who had one or more anti-ATLA-positive children less than 20 years old, 56.3% of the fathers and 97.1% of the mothers were anti-ATLA positive. Algorithm computation showed the possibility of ATLV transmission from husband to wife to be 60.8% and from wife to husband to be 0.4% over a 10-year period. These data suggest that ATLV is transmitted from mother to child and from husband to wife in family settings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Seroepidemiologic study of antibody to adult T-cell leukemia virus in Okinawa, Japan.

From 1980 to 1984, a total of 3,978 serum samples were collected from healthy subjects in the Yaeyama District of Okinawa, Japan. These serum samples were tested for presence of antibody to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigen (anti-ATLA) by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Overall prevalence of anti-ATLA was 15.3%. Standardized prevalence differed from island to island: Hateruma Island had the highest (21.2%) and Taketomi Island the lowest (6.2%). Prevalence of anti-ATLA increased with age and was significantly higher in females (18.1%) than in males (12.2%) (p less than 0.001). For subjects younger than 20 years of age, the rate of anti-ATLA in males was slightly higher than that in females. For subjects 20 years of age and over, prevalence was higher in females than in males. In all age groups 40 years and over, prevalence was significantly higher in females than in males.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Intrafamilial clustering of anti-ATLA-positive persons.

A total of 1,333 persons in 627 families were surveyed for presence of antibody to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigen (anti-ATLA). Each person was classified according to the anti-ATLA status (positive for sample 1, negative for sample 2) of the head of household of his or her family. In sample 1, the sex- and age-standardized prevalence of anti-ATLA was 38.5%. This was five times as high as the standardized prevalence in sample 2 (7.8%). There were significant differences in prevalence of anti-ATLA between males in samples 1 and 2 and between females in samples 1 and 2. In every age group, prevalence in sample 1 was greater than that in sample 2 except for males aged 60-69 years. In each of four subareas, families in sample 1 had higher standardized prevalence (29.6-42.5%) than families in sample 2 (6.0-9.7%). Although crude prevalence decreased with family size in sample 1 (62.1-25.4%) as well as in sample 2, indirectly standardized prevalence was almost equal within each sample, regardless of number of family members. The degree of aggregation was independent of locality and family size. These data suggest that anti-ATLA-positive persons aggregate in family units.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMed1986

Age-specific prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) among asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in Okinawa and Kyushu, Japan.

A total of 1,741 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in two areas (Okinawa and Kyushu) in Japan were surveyed for the presence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and the corresponding antibody (anti-HBe) to determine the age-specific prevalence of these markers and the mean age of carriers with HBeAg. Prevalence of HBeAg was significantly higher in Kyushu (36.4% of 755 carriers) than in Okinawa (20.0% of 986 carriers) (P less than 0.001). The mean age of carriers with HBeAg was 25.5 years in Kyushu and 16.1 years in Okinawa, suggesting that HBeAg converted to anti-HBe earlier in Okinawa than in Kyushu. In contrast, the prevalence of anti-HBe was significantly higher in Okinawa (74.6% of 986) than in Kyushu (56.3% of 755) (P less than 0.001). The prevalence of HBeAg decreased with age up to 40-49 years of age and then increased in both areas. Prevalence of anti-HBe was inversely related to the prevalence of HBeAg in both areas. These data suggest that HBeAg and anti-HBe are chronological markers of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and that the duration of HBeAg persistence can be different in different area, even in the same country.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

No significant changes in adult T-cell leukemia virus infection in Okinawa after intervals of 13 and 15 years.

Two separate studies were carried out between 1968 and 1984; a total of 2,021 serum samples from healthy subjects were collected in two districts of Okinawa-on Iriomote Island and in Ishigaki City. The first samples were collected in 1970 on Iriomote Island and in 1968 in Ishigaki City. The second samples were collected after an interval of 13 years in Ishigaki City and after an interval of 15 years on Iriomote Island. These serum samples were tested for the presence of antibody to adult T-cell leukemia-associated antigen (anti-ATLA). The overall prevalence of anti-ATLA in both areas combined was 9.9% from 1968 to 1970 and that from 1981 to 1984 was 8.9%. At both times, anti-ATLA prevalence increased with age and was higher in females than in males. No significant changes in anti-ATLA prevalence was observed: after intervals of 13 and 15 years, the prevalence decreased from 10.2 to 9.9% in Ishigaki City and from 9.4 to 8.2% on Iriomote Island. These data suggest that there has been no significant change in the rate of infection with adult T-cell leukemia virus in recent years in the areas studied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Prevalence of immunologic markers of hepatitis A and B infection in hospital personnel in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

Between 1980 and 1983, a total of 1,883 serum samples from employees of four prefectural hospitals in Miyazaki prefecture, Japan were surveyed for antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) and for the following hepatitis B virus markers: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Overall prevalences were 36.9% for anti-HAV, 3.4% for HBsAg, 23.3% for anti-HBs, and 36.6% for anti-HBc. In the control group of 233 healthy persons, prevalences were 51.5% for anti-HAV, 3.0% for HBsAg, 28.3% for anti-HBs, and 33.5% for anti-HBc. No significant difference in the distribution of HBsAg was seen among five work categories. Anti-HBc prevalence was significantly higher in nurses than in office workers (p less than 0.05), other medical personnel (p less than 0.05), and controls (p less than 0.01). The differences between nurses and office workers and other medical personnel became greater with age, but a difference between nurses and the control group was recognized in every age group. A significant difference in the distribution of anti-HBc was seen between surgical physicians (36.7%) and nonsurgical physicians (27.1%). Prevalence of anti-HAV in physicians (32.8%), nurses (29.6%), and laboratory technicians (40.1%) was significantly lower than in the control group (51.5%). These data suggest that in the hospitals studied, hepatitis B is an occupational hazard to nurses and surgical physicians, but that hepatitis A is not.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Large-scale survey of hepatitis B virus infection in families.

To investigate HBV transmission in families on three islands in Okinawa, Japan, prevalence of HBV markers in two groups of inhabitants was determined. One group consisted of members of families in which there was at least one HBsAg carrier (carrier families); the other group consisted of members of families in which there were no HBsAg carriers (non-carrier families). A total of 3,261 serum samples were collected from subjects on Iriomote Island, Hateruma Island, and Yonaguni Island. These samples were tested for HBsAg by reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) and for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) by radioimmunoassay. Overall prevalences of HBsAg and anti-HBc were 8.2 and 65.8 per cent respectively. The prevalence of anti-HBC among members of carrier families (80.8%) was significantly higher than that among members of non-carrier families (61.6%) (P less than 0.001). The prevalence of anti-HBc among members of carrier families was higher in all age groups, and was particularly so in children. Within carrier families, the prevalence of anti-HBc was significantly higher in families in which there was at least one HBsAg carrier with HBeAg (94.5%) than in families with no HBeAg-positive carriers (76.1%). This difference was especially marked in young children. These data suggest that in families with HBsAg carrier(s), the risk of transmitting HBV to members, particularly to young children, is higher than in families without carriers, and that the risk is further increased in families with HBeAg-positive carrier(s).

Adolescent↗