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Biomedical subjects

Y Ina

Publications and source records attributed to Y Ina.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Significance of interleukin 6 in patients with sarcoidosis.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in various materials from patients with sarcoidosis were determined. The subjects of the study were 38 patients with sarcoidosis and 28 healthy controls. For detection of IL-6, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method was used. Interleukin 6 activity in serum was detected in 4 of 30 patients, but not in 19 controls. In bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, following 20-fold concentration, IL-6 activity was detected in four of ten patients (nonsmokers) and three of seven controls (two of two smokers and one of five nonsmokers). Interleukin 6 levels in the supernatants of cultured monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AMs) were significantly higher (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively) in patients with sarcoidosis than in controls. Interleukin 6 production from monocytes tended to correlate with that from AMs. A significant correlation (r = 0.70, p < 0.05) was found between IL-6 production from AMs and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in BAL fluid, although no correlation was observed between that from monocytes and CD4+/CD8+ ratio in BAL fluid. Taken together, IL-6 may be involved in the initiation and maintenance of alveolitis by activating and causing the proliferation of T cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Prognosis after pacemaker implantation in cardiac sarcoidosis in Japan. Clinical evaluation of corticosteroid therapy.

Corticosteroids (CS) are useful drugs for the treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis with severe conducting defects due to sarcoid granuloma. Despite the continuous administration of CS, many patients with severe cardiac involvement may eventually die of congestive heart failure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of CS in patients who had a pacemaker implanted. Questionnaires were obtained from 29 institutes, and 34 cardiac sarcoidosis patients (8 males and 26 females) with pacemaker implantation were enrolled in this survey. We analyzed the survival period in these patients by the Kaplan-Meier method. There was no statistically significant difference in the survival of these patients in terms of their age, sex or disease duration (time from the onset of sarcoidosis to cardiac involvement). However, their survival was affected by the grade of dyspnea, the presence of heart failure, and certain abnormal findings on a myocardial scintigram and echocardiogram. In order to evaluate the effect of CS on the prolongation of survival, we measured the survival of the patients treated with CS and those not treated with CS. However, because of the small number of patients not treated with CS, we were unable to detect any statistically significant difference in survival. Therefore, we analyzed 104 cases in order to evaluate CS therapy: the 34 cases from the questionnaires and 70 cases reported in the literature over the last 10 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cardiomyopathies↗
PubMed1994

[Clinical study of anti-phospholipid antibody in patients with sarcoidosis].

Serum antibodies against five types of phospholipids were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 55 patients with sarcoidosis. In 21 cases (38%), either IgG antibodies or IgM antibodies were detected. These antibodies were thought to mainly be infective type. This positive rate was significantly higher than that (7%) of the control group (70 cases) (p < 0.01). As to the immunoglobulin classes, 5 cases had IgG antibodies only, 11 cases had IgM antibodies only, and 5 cases had both IgG and IgM antibodies. No correlation was observed between the occurrence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (APL-Ab) and disease activity of sarcoidosis. Significant correlations were found between the occurrence of APL-Ab and skin lesions, many extrathoracic organ lesions and the persistence of abnormal chest X-ray findings for over 2 years and 5 years. From these data, it is suggested that the presence of APL-Ab is associated with prolonged disease activity of sarcoidosis.

Antibodies, Antiphospholipid↗
PubMed1994

[Recent advances in immunological diagnosis for tuberculosis].

Recent advances in immunological diagnosis for tuberculosis including tuberculin Mantoux test and serodiagnosis were reviewed. New tuberculins (T1327, T1456) were reported to be more specific than the conventional one (RT23). Tuberculins from atypical mycobacteria (PPD-B, PPD-Y, PPD-F) were reported as a useful tool for the diagnosis of atypical mycobacteriosis. Optical density index method is a most appropriate method for a clinical use among several methods for the expression of antigen titer in serodiagnosis using ELISA. The duration of disease is important for understanding the results. IgM antibody rises in the early stage of the disease and comes down in 10 weeks after onset, while IgG antibody rises lately. Anti-cord factor antibody is a highly specific antibody for tuberculosis and may be a potent candidate for a clinical diagnostic tool. Anti-PPD-B antibody was elevated in atypical mycobacteriosis and pulmonary tuberculosis also. The ratio of anti-PPD-B antibody to anti-PPDs antibody was elevated in atypical mycobacteriosis while it was lowered in pulmonary tuberculosis. It may be helpful for suggesting the causative organism when the sputum smear is positive. The opposite results have been reported on the serodiagnosis in HIV infection. The usefulness of serodiagnosis for tuberculosis in HIV infected patients remained controversial.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1994

[Levels of soluble CD4 and soluble CD8 in patients with sarcoidosis].

Levels of soluble CD4 (sCD4) and soluble CD8 (sCD8) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined in 36 patients with sarcoidosis and 20 healthy controls by an ELISA method. In addition, the possible sources of sCD4 and sCD8 were examined in detail. The sCD4 levels in serum did not differ significantly between sarcoidosis patients and controls. The sCD8 levels in the sera of sarcoidosis patients with a high serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) level were significantly higher than those of patients with a normal serum ACE level (413 +/- 148 U/ml vs. 297 +/- 76 U/ml, p < 0.01). The high ACE group also had significantly increased serum sCD8 levels as compared to controls (323 +/- 111 U/ml, p < 0.05). In the sarcoidosis patients, the mean serum sCD8 level was 308 +/- 46 U/ml in stage 0, 339 +/- 107 U/ml in stage I, 557 +/- 141 U/ml in stage II, and 474 +/- 211 U/ml in stage III. The stage II group had a significantly higher sCD8 level than either the stage 0 or I groups (p < 0.05). In the sarcoidosis patients, the sCD8 level correlated significantly with the level of either ACE or soluble Interleukin-2 receptor in serum (p < 0.05). The sCD4 level in BALF was significantly higher in sarcoidosis patients than in controls (4.10 +/- 1.90 U/ml vs. 2.39 +/- 0.12 U/ml, p < 0.01), while the sCD8 level in BALF tended to be higher in sarcoidosis patients than in controls (4.31 +/- 4.39 U/ml vs. 2.02 +/- 1.52 U/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The clinical course and prognosis of patients with severe, moderate or mild sarcoidosis.

During 1978-1990, 346 patients with sarcoidosis were enrolled in our institute. Of 346 patients, 295 patients were eligible for evaluation on the clinical course and prognosis. According of their clinical presentations, they were classified into 3 groups; severe, moderate and mild sarcoidosis. Of the 295 patients, 27 (9.2%) were classified as severe sarcoidosis who developed serious illness including involvement of the heart (8), lung (6), muscles (5), eyes (3), central nervous system (CNS) (3) or liver (2). The mean interval between the onset of disease to severe disability was 58.3 months. The interval was particularly long in those patients who presented with either pulmonary (100.8 months) or liver sarcoidosis (108 months). Of the 27 patients with severe sarcoidosis, 8 (29.6%) gradually became worse towards the end of their clinical course despite only mild clinical signs and symptoms at the first presentation. Therefore, the initial clinical symptoms and findings, including ocular involvement. ECG abnormalities, negative reaction to PPD, high value of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and a small number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood, were not useful in predicting prognosis. The relationship between the maximum serum ACE value during the clinical course and the duration of the active phase was statistically significant in the 123 patients who were monitored throughout their course, suggesting that the maximum serum ACE may be a marker for assessing prognosis. Corticosteroid was administered to 76 patients (22%) with serious systemic involvement. They included 26 (96.4%) of the 27 severe sarcoidosis and 50 (37.9%) of the 132 moderate sarcoidosis. Patients with mild sarcoidosis did not receive corticosteroids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Sarcoidosis complicated by non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Report of a case.

A 31-year-old male who had suffered from sarcoidosis since the age of eight developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 23 years after the sarcoidosis was diagnosed. During the course of chemotherapy the patient developed hepatic failure and died of pulmonary hemorrhages. This appeared to be a case of the sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome first described by Brincker and which has been rarely reported in Japan. We review the literature on this disorder and the immunologic abnormalities considered to participate in the lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Usefulness anti-PPD antibody in the medical practice of tuberculosis].

The decline rate of tuberculosis has decreased recently in Japan. One of the problems is the tendency of increasing doctor's delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. One of measures against this problem is to develop a new laboratory diagnostic method. We studied anti-PPD (Purified Protein Derivative of tuberculin) antibody in serum, pleural effusion, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL), and found its clinical usefulness in the medical practice of tuberculosis. Firstly the methods of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the antibody to PPD were examined. The expression of antibody titer in optical density was found to be the most accurate and most simple method, and was applied in this study. IgG, IgM and IgA antibody to PPD were measured in serum, BAL and pleural effusion obtained from 122 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 54 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, 39 patients with lung cancer, 39 patients with malignant pleurisy, 37 patients with pneumonia, 26 patients with chronic bronchitis, 51 patients with sarcoidosis, or 49 control subjects. Serum level of IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody to PPD was elevated in tuberculosis compared with those in other diseases or control subjects. The difference was most distinctive in IgG antibody. Serum IgG antibody was higher in chronic case than in acute case and IgM antibody was higher in acute case than in chronic case. IgG, IgM and IgA antibody in pleural effusion was elevated in tuberculous pleurisy compared with those in malignant pleurisy. IgG antibody was higher in chronic tuberculous pleurisy than in acute tuberculous pleurisy and IgM antibody was higher in acute pleurisy than in chronic one.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1993

[Usefulness of BAL in understanding of pulmonary diseases].

Since the introduction of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by Reynolds, et al. in 1974, direct examination of cells from interest sites in the lung has generated great progress in our understanding of pulmonary diseases. In the present study, BAL and the clinical usefulness of BAL in diagnosing and treating pulmonary diseases were described. In addition, recent research using BAL to elucidate the fundamental mechanism of pulmonary granulomatous disorders was also described.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMed1992

Soluble interleukin 2 receptors in patients with sarcoidosis. Possible origin.

We determined levels of soluble interleukin 2 receptors (IL-2R) in patients with sarcoidosis and further examined their origin. Thirty-nine patients with sarcoidosis and 18 healthy control subjects were studied. Soluble IL-2R levels in serum were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in sarcoidosis than in control subjects. In sarcoidosis, levels of soluble IL-2R in serum were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in patients with active disease than those with inactive disease and were significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) levels. IL-2R expression on monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AMs) was significantly (p < 0.01) increased in patients with sarcoidosis as compared with control subjects. Soluble IL-2R levels in the supernatants of cultured monocytes and AMs were higher in patients with sarcoidosis than in control subjects. Those of cultured T lymphocytes obtained from peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were detected in some patients with sarcoidosis, while undetected in control subjects. Furthermore, soluble IL-2R in serum was significantly correlated with soluble IL-2R in the supernatants of cultured monocytes and AMs (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). These results demonstrate that soluble IL-2R in serum is a useful index of the disease activity of sarcoidosis and is mainly derived from monocytes and AMs.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Mutation pattern of human immunodeficiency virus gene.

Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) show extensive genetic variation. This feature is the fundamental cause of pathogenicity of HIVs and thwarts efforts to develop effective vaccines. To understand the mutation mechanism of these viruses, we analysed nucleotide sequences of env and gag genes of the viruses by use of molecular evolutionary methods and estimated the direction and frequency of nucleotide substitutions. Results obtained showed that the frequency of changes between A and G was extremely high and the mutation pattern of HIVs was distinct from those of nuclear genes of their host cells. This distinction may be caused by the characteristics of the reverse transcription of HIVs. The mutation pattern obtained would be helpful to construct effective antiviral drugs.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel glycoprotein, gp34, that is specifically induced by the human T-cell leukemia virus type I transactivator p40tax.

We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding gp34, a novel glycoprotein expressed in cells bearing human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). HTLV-I has a trans-acting transcriptional activator, p40tax, that is thought to be implicated in leukemogenesis through the activation of cellular enhancers. With a subline (JPX-9) of the human T-cell line Jurkat, in which p40tax is inducible, gp34 was shown to be of cellular origin and to be transcriptionally activated by p40tax. It was also demonstrated that two species of mRNA are generated from one copy of the gp34 gene and that these mRNAs encode the identical gp34 product and differ in the 3' untranslated region. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of gp34 showed that it lacks typical signal peptides; however, it has a hydrophobic stretch for membrane anchoring and four possible N-linked glycosylation sites at the carboxy-terminal portion, indicating that it belongs to the family of membrane proteins whose carboxy-terminal portion protrudes out of the cell. The gp34 gene displayed relatively delayed induction compared with other genes activated by p40tax. Taken together with the observation of the dependence of gp34 expression on HTLV-I p40tax, unlike other p40tax-dependent genes such as those for the interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain and c-fos, which are expressed or induced under physiological conditions, we predict that the mechanism involved in the induction of gp34 expression by p40tax is distinct from and more intricate than those for the previously characterized genes.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Therapeutic efficacy of imipenem/cilastatin sodium on respiratory tract infections in lung cancer patients].

Imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) was used to treat respiratory tract infections (RTI) in 54 patients with lung cancer. Out of the 54 patients studied, 53 were evaluable for the utility of IPM/CS; 42 had pneumonia, 9 had obstructive pneumonia, 1 had a lung abscess and 1 had acute bronchitis. The efficacy rate was 71.7%. Seventeen causative organisms were isolated from 14 patients. They included Staphylococcus aureus 5 strains, Staphylococcus epidermidis 4 strains, Staphylococcus sp. 2 strains, Enterococcus faecalis 1 strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2 strains, Pseudomonas fluorescens 2 strains, Acinetobacter sp. 1 strain, and the eradication rate was 81.8%. Clinical adverse effects (nausea and vomiting) were observed in 1 patient. Abnormalities in laboratory test results were observed in 3 patients. They disappeared or returned to normal values after completion of therapy or discontinuation of IPM/CS administration. IPM/CS appears to be a useful antibiotic for RTI in patients with lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

[Interleukin-2 receptor expression in pulmonary granulomatous diseases].

Interleukin-2 receptor expression (IL-2R) on monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AM) was determined in patients with sarcoidosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. In sarcoidosis and tuberculosis, IL-2R on monocytes was detectable, while it was undetectable in healthy controls. IL-2R on AM in sarcoidosis and tuberculosis was significantly increased as compared to healthy controls. IFN-gamma, which has been shown to be increased in sarcoidosis and tuberculosis as compared to healthy controls, induced IL-2R on monocytes in healthy controls, suggesting that IFN-gamma is at least in part responsible for the induction or enhancement of IL-2R on monocytes or AM in sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. Phorbol myristate acetate which is known to be protein kinase C (PKC) activator induced IL-2R on monocytes, and PKC inhibitor, H7, inhibited IFN-gamma-induced IL-2R on monocytes in healthy controls. Calcium ionophore, A23187, induced IL-2R on monocytes and calmodulin antagonist, W7, inhibited IFN-gamma-induced IL-2R on monocytes. Based on these results, it seems that not only the PKC pathway but also the calcium-calmodulin pathway is involved in IFN-gamma-induced IL-2R.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Antigen-presenting capacity of alveolar macrophages and monocytes in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Using purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) as an antigen, antigen-presenting capacity by monocytes (Mo) and alveolar macrophages (AM) was determined in 17 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and nine healthy controls. All of the patients and healthy controls were positive for PPD skin test. Although Mo obtained from both the control and tubercular subjects revealed antigen-presenting capacity to autologous blood T-lymphocytes, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. In contrast, AM obtained from the tubercular patients, but not from the controls, showed antigen-presenting capacity to autologous blood T-lymphocytes and to lung T-lymphocytes. No significant difference was shown in HLA-DR antigen expression on AM between the control and tubercular patients. Besides, the exogenous addition of interleukin-1 (IL-1) did not induce antigen-presenting capacity by AM obtained from the controls. These results suggest that neither increased HLA-DR antigen expression on AM nor an increased release of IL-1 from AM is responsible for the enhanced antigen-presenting capacity in tuberculosis.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗
PubMed1991

[Serum soluble IL-2 receptor level in patients with sarcoidosis].

Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R) by an ELISA method in 28 patients with sarcoidosis and 16 healthy controls were studied, and the source of sIL-2R was further examined. sIL-2R in serum was significantly higher in sarcoidosis than in controls. In sarcoidosis sIL-2R in serum significantly correlated with serum ACE level, and was significantly higher in stage II or III patients than in stage O patients. sIL-2R in supernatants of cultured monocytes (Mo) and alveolar macrophages (AM) was significantly higher in sarcoidosis than in controls. sIL-2R in supernatants of cultured T lymphocytes obtained from peripheral blood or BALF was barely detectable in sarcoidosis, while it was undetectable in controls. Furthermore, sIL-2R in serum was significantly correlated with sIL-2R in supernatants of cultured Mo and AM. These results indicate that sIL-2R in serum is an useful index of the disease activity of sarcoidosis, and may be mainly derived from IL-2R on Mo and AM.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Molecular evolution of human T-cell leukemia virus.

Phylogenetic trees for the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) and its related viruses were constructed by use of nucleotide sequences of the long terminal repeat (LTR) and the tax gene. The trees showed that the viruses diverged from a common ancestral virus and that they are classified into two groups whose hosts are either primates or bovines. However, the topology of the trees for the viruses differed from that for the hosts. This suggests that HTLV-I and HTLV-I-related viruses evolved independently of host-species divergence and that interspecies transmission between human and monkeys occurred in the past. The nucleotide diversity of the tax genes of HTLV-I was estimated to be 0.025. This value is more than 10 times larger than that of human globin genes, but it is about 20 times smaller than that of hemagglutinin genes of influenza A viruses. Thus, the genetic variability of the HTLV-I genes seems to be higher than that of nuclear genes but much lower than the genes of typical RNA viruses. Furthermore, we examined functional constraints on the overlapping region of the rex and tax genes. The results obtained imply that for the overlapping region, the tax gene has much stronger constraints against amino acid changes than the rex gene.

Animals↗