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Biomedical subjects

Y Majima

Publications and source records attributed to Y Majima.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Nasal mast cells in experimentally induced allergic rhinitis in guinea-pigs.

The kinetics of mast cell accumulation in the nasal mucosa during allergen exposure were investigated in the animal model of experimentally induced allergic rhinitis. Guinea-pigs were divided into an unsensitized control group and five sensitized groups each containing five animals. Five sensitized groups were immunized intraperitoneally with ovalbumin, followed by intranasal administration of ovalbumin in each of four groups for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks, respectively. There were significant increases in the number of mast cells in the epithelium after 2 and 3 weeks in the groups receiving intranasal ovalbumin. No significant changes were detected in the lamina propria and the total number of mast cells. In the lamina propria, the distance between a mast cell and the basement membrane was significantly decreased in the groups after 2, 3 and 4 weeks of intranasal administration. These findings suggest that an infiltration of mast cells from the lamina propria to the epithelium occurred after 2 weeks of intranasal administration of allergen. An electron microscopic study showed no mast cells at the luminal surface of the epithelium and the majority of mast cells lying around the basal cells. This finding suggests that the allergen must penetrate into the epithelium in order to interact with mast cells in guinea-pig nose.

Animals↗

Distribution of substance P immunoreactive nerve fibers in the tracheal submucosal gland of cats.

Immunohistochemistry combined with electron microscopy was employed to investigate the distribution of substance P-immunoreactive (SP-IR) nerve fibers in the tracheal submucosal gland of cats. The SP-IR nerve fibers were found to form a network around the glands. Numerous varicosities were also detected within the basement membrane of the acini and secretory tubules. All the intraglandular varicosities showed close spatial contact with serous cells, mucous cells, and myoepithelial cells. Our findings suggest that substance P-induced mucus secretion from tracheal submucosal glands in cats may be caused not only by a glandular contractile response of myoepithelial cells, but also by direct stimulation to both serous and mucous cells.

Animals↗

[Syphilitic uveitis].

Three cases of syphilitic uveitis were described in which penicillin therapy combined with oral steroid regimen afforded rash disappearance of retinal edema in all cases. However, remarkable recuperation of vision was obtained in 2 cases.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

A patient with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent resection of the primary lesion 10 years ago and resection of a giant adrenal metastasis 8 and a half years later.

A 56-year-old male consulted us because of a palpable mass and pain of the left flank 8 and a half years after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma of the left lobe about 3 cm in diameter. Ultrasound examination of the abdomen demonstrated a tumor about 10 cm in diameter showing a mosaic of hyperechoic and hypoechoic areas on the upper pole of the left kidney. By angiography, the tumor was found to be supplied mainly by the inferior adrenal artery. PIVKA-II was increased. Adrenal metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma was suspected, and adrenalectomy was carried out. No intrahepatic metastasis was noted. The tumor was histopathologically identified as a pseudo-glandular type of moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma with a trabecular pattern similar to the primary lesion. In this patient, a resectable giant metastasis was observed only in the left adrenal gland and no intrahepatic metastasis was demonstrated 8 and a half years after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient has survived 10 years after the first operation. This case is considered to be important for evaluation of the treatment for distant metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Effects of nasal allergen challenge on dynamic viscoelasticity of nasal mucus.

The effects of nasal provocation on the rheologic properties of nasal mucus were investigated in patients with allergic rhinitis provoked by house dust. The elastic modulus (G') and the dynamic viscosity (eta') of nasal mucus were determined by an oscillating sphere magnetic rheometer. Before and after the allergen challenge, G' increased, whereas eta' decreased with increasing oscillatory frequency; these findings indicate that the nasal mucus under these conditions is a non-newtonian fluid and has the cross-linked gel-like nature typical of mucus. Both G' and eta' values after nasal provocation were significantly lower than before. The values of G' and eta' after allergen challenge were in the optimal viscoelasticity range for mucociliary transport.

Adolescent↗

Quantitative cytology of nasal secretions under various conditions.

Quantitative cytology was performed in nasal secretions of normal control (NC), seasonal allergic rhinitis in season (SAR), perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR), chronic sinusitis with mucoid secretion (MS), and chronic sinusitis with mucopurulent secretion (MPS). The majority of inflammatory cells were neutrophils in NC, MS, and MPS; the majority were eosinophils in SAR and PAR. The concomitant appearance of inflammatory cells in nasal secretions was found, i.e., there were significant correlations between neutrophil and eosinophil counts in MPS, and between eosinophil and basophil counts in SAR. The eosinophil/neutrophil ratio was more than 0.1 in SAR and PAR, but the ratio was less than 0.1 in all NC, all MPS, and in 93% of MS; this indicates that 0.1 in eosinophil/neutrophil ratio is the critical value between allergic and nonallergic nasal diseases.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence of gastroesophageal varices supplied by intrahepatic portal branch.

The contribution of the intrahepatic portal branch to the gastroesophageal varices is rare. This anomalous pathway (a large left intrahepatic portal branch) was proved by portographic study and by imaging techniques in a 54-year-old man with cirrhosis. The overall prevalence of this type of collateral in the literature is only 1.9% in 908 patients with portal hypertension. In addition, all are via the left portal venous branch. It may be speculated that the mechanism of this variation is due to dilatation of the rest of the intrahepatic portal system via a small anastomosis due to portal hypertension.

Collateral Circulation↗

Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies of substance P in guinea pig nasal glands.

The distribution of substance P-like immunoreactive (SP-IR) nerve endings in the nasal gland of the guinea pig was studied by using histochemical techniques to detect mucous glycoprotein and immunohistochemical techniques for SP, in combination with electron microscopy. Most nasal glands were negative for both AB and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. The SP-IR nerve fibers were found to form a network around these glands. The SP-IR nerve endings were located in the region between interdigitated cytoplasmic folds of acinar cells and along the cell surface, as well as in the intercellular spaces of proximal ducts. The acini which closely contacted with SP-IR nerve endings were serous in type. Our results suggest that substance P may contribute to the regulation of serous gland secretion in the guinea pig nasal mucosa.

Animals↗

Serial changes in serum alpha-fetoprotein prior to detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in liver cirrhosis.

In 49 liver cirrhosis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in which the hepatocellular carcinoma nodule was smaller than 30 mm in size, serial changes in serum alpha-fetoprotein levels prior to the detection of the hepatocellular carcinoma were studied retrospectively, and compared with those of 70 cirrhotic patients with no hepatocellular carcinoma. The changes in alpha-fetoprotein levels were classified into the 4 types normal, low plateau, high plateau and spiky type. The spiky type (spiky elevation during a short period) was more frequently noted in the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma than in those with liver cirrhosis. In a prospective analysis of 39 patients with liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma was detected in 6, and was also more frequently noted in the spiky type than the other types. Moreover, in the hepatocellular carcinoma patients with the spiky type of alpha-fetoprotein, hepatocellular carcinoma was suspected, on the basis of the tumor doubling time, to exist at the time of the first elevation of alpha-fetoprotein. These results suggest that the liver cirrhotics with the spiky type of alpha-fetoprotein may be considered to be a high-risk group of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aged↗

Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

Recently, small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been detected by following up patients with chronic liver diseases using ultrasonography (US). Most of the HCC patients have liver cirrhosis, and multinodular lesions are often found, even in cases of small HCC. Thus, surgical resection for small HCC is of limited efficacy. Our follow-up study indicated that a recurrent lesion was observed in 96.1% of small HCC cases after successful percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT). It is therefore very important to follow-up patients initially treated with PEIT with US for the detection of newly developed tumor nodules, because of the multicentric nature of HCC. A recurrence is subsequently again treated with PEIT. The 5-year survival rate of our 250 small HCC cases treated by PEIT is 46.7%. However, cases not followed by regular US after the first PEIT show significantly poorer 5-year survival rates. In future, it would appear to be of importance to search for means to inhibit or prevent recurrence.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

The morphologic transition in hepatocellular carcinoma. A comparison of the individual histologic features disclosed by ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy with those of autopsy.

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it has been strongly suggested that as the tumor increases in size, foci of less-differentiated malignant tissues arise in the well-differentiated tumor and increase until they replace the well-differentiated tumor tissues. It has also been suggested that tumor growth is attributed to such dedifferentiation. In the current study, the individual histologic features of ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy specimens, taken from 12 small HCC in an early stage, were compared with those of autopsy to confirm the dedifferentiation of HCC. In all 12 cases, autopsy was performed 6 months or more after the initial biopsy. Dedifferentiation was demonstrated in 9 of 12 cases (75.0%). Most of the biopsy specimens from minute HCC were well-differentiated. All tumors that had been well-differentiated when evaluated by biopsy were found to have become moderately differentiated at autopsy. This comparative study confirmed the dedifferentiation of HCC with tumor growth.

Aged↗

Nasal mucociliary transport of chronic sinusitis in children.

Nasal mucociliary function is one of the most important and indispensable mechanisms of the respiratory tract, providing protection against the atmospheric environment. We previously found mucociliary dysfunction in the noses of adult patients suffering from chronic sinusitis. In this study, using the saccharin method, we determined nasal mucociliary function in normal children and in children with chronic sinusitis. The mean (+/- SD) value of saccharin transit time in the nose was 28.2 +/- 19.9 minutes in patients with chronic sinusitis, this being significantly slower than that in the control group of children. The incidence of abnormally slow nasal mucociliary transport time (> 30 minutes) in patients was significantly higher than in controls of the same age. Mucociliary dysfunction may initiate a vicious cycle of self-mediated inflammation and may be important in recovery from chronic respiratory inflammation.

Adolescent↗

[Surgical treatments of adult chronic sinusitis--a study by questionnaire from 434 hospitals in Japan].

Information concerning surgical treatment of adult patients with chronic sinusitis was obtained through questionnaires from 434 hospitals in Japan. The hospitals were authorized for an in-service otorhinolaryngological training institute by the Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan. The questionnaires were sent to the hospitals in December, 1989, and answers were obtained from 370 hospitals within 2 months, an 85.3% response rate. The following results were obtained. In 96.2% of the hospitals, permaxillary sinus surgery was performed on patients whose maxillary and ethmoid lesions were severe. With moderate lesions of both the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses, permaxillary sinus surgery and endonasal sinus surgery were performed in 76.0% and 24.9%, respectively. Application of an endoscope for sinus surgery was reported by 89 hospitals. In January, 1990, a further survey was sent to the 89 hospitals where endoscopic sinus surgery was performed. Questionnaire responses were obtained from 75 hospitals. Rigid endoscope was used most frequently and operative microscope was also used. Endoscopy was applied to all of the sinus surgery procedures in 21.6%, and to a portion of the procedures in 74.3% of the hospitals. About 50% of the hospitals performed endoscopic surgery in fewer than 30% of sinus surgery cases. When questioned as whether endoscopic surgery had been successful, 42.6% said yes, 10.7% said no, and 42.6% were unsure.

Adult↗

[Clinical study on relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic liver disease].

The relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was investigated. Antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected in 88.8% and 87.0% of 240 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis, respectively. A history of blood transfusion was shown in only 21.8% (21/96) of the HCV antibody positive HCC patients. Of 196 patients with chronic hepatitis type C and the HCV antibody positive liver cirrhosis, 10 developed HCC during the follow-up period of two years. A high prevalence of HCV antibody was also shown among 83 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and HCC associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. HCV-RNA was detected in all patients with alcoholic HCC. These data support a causal association between hepatitis C virus and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

A technique for quantitative cytology of nasal secretions.

To quantitatively analyze cellular elements in mucopurulent nasal secretions from patients with chronic paranasal sinusitis, we studied five mucus-liquefying agents--dithiothreitol (DTT), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt, propylene glycol, serratio peptidase and urea--with Hanks' balanced salt solution used as a control. Agents were compared for the number of cells, the mucus-liquefying effect and the staining characteristic of cells in cytocentrifuge-prepared smears. The results indicated that the treatment of nasal secretions with 10 mM DTT provides more clear and detailed cytological preparations for quantitative cytology of nasal secretions.

Cell Count↗