Biomedical subjects

Y Takano

Publications and source records attributed to Y Takano.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Nonoperative treatment of reperforated duodenal ulcer: report of three cases.

During the period between 1983 and 1998, a total of 58 patients were admitted to the surgical department of Akita Red Cross Hospital with acute duodenal perforation. Of these 58 patients, 16 were treated operatively and 42 were treated nonoperatively. Among the 38 men and 4 women who received nonoperative treatment, 3 developed reperforation. The incidence of reperforation was 7.1% and the mean average interval from the initial treatment until reperforation was 3.5 years. Endoscopic biopsy and/or serum anti-H. pylori IgG measurement revealed Helicobacter pylori infection in all three patients. No serious complications developed during the nonoperative treatment of reperforation in these three patients, and their recovery was uneventful. The hospital stay ranged from 10 to 18 days, with a mean stay of 12 days after the first perforation and from 14 to 18 days, with a mean stay of 15.6 days after the reperforation. Nonoperative treatment proved successful as a life-saving procedure for reperforation of a duodenal ulcer in all three patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Cyclin D2 overexpression and lack of p27 correlate positively and cyclin E inversely with a poor prognosis in gastric cancer cases.

G1 cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) complexes play important roles in G1 cell cycle transition, and their overexpression is implicated for neoplasia. The p27 protein (p27) negatively regulates G1 progression by binding to G1 cyclins/CDK complexes and inhibits their activity, resulting in inhibition of entry to the cell cycle. We investigated overexpression of cyclin D1 (CCND1), cyclin D2 (CCND2), cyclin E (CCNE), CDK2, and CDK4, in addition to p27, in 260 gastric cancer cases on the basis of Western blots, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction Southern blots, and immunohistochemistry to clarify the roles of these proteins in tumor progression and prognosis. Examination of 20 cases of fresh cancer and matched normal tissues demonstrated a clear tendency for increased mRNA synthesis to be more frequent than expected from protein levels, and a direct correlation between p27 protein and mRNA was not found. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated 21. 5%, 34.2%, 30.4%, 44.2%, and 48.0% positivity for CCND1, CCND2, CCNE, CDK2, and CDK4, respectively, in the 260 gastric cancer cases. Overexpression of CCND2 and CDK4 significantly correlated with tumor progression. Moreover, CCND2 cytoplasmic staining (26.2%) appeared to be strictly linked with progression, whereas nuclear staining (7. 8%) demonstrated an inverse correlation. Survival curves showed CCND2 (especially cytoplasmic staining) and CDK4 positivity to be associated with a poor prognosis and CCNE positivity with a better prognosis. Tumors with high p27 labeling indices (LIs) were well differentiated, with low levels of invasion and lymph node metastasis. p27-negative cases (37.3%) demonstrated a poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis revealed positivity for CCND2 and negativity for p27 to be independent prognostic factors. There were no direct links among CCND2, CCNE, CDK4, and p27. The results indicate that CCND2 cytoplasmic localization might reflect an important physiological role in tumor progression, whereas CCNE overexpression correlates with differentiation and a good prognosis, possibly because of accumulation of inactive forms of CCNE-CDK2 complexes. Loss of p27 caused by degradation activity may affect tumor cell growth in the presence of an altered extracellular matrix, facilitating metastasis. Cell-cycle-regulatory proteins appear to work independently.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2000

Intratracheal administration of anaphylatoxin C5a potentiates antigen-induced pulmonary reactions through the prolonged production of cysteinyl-leukotrienes.

The effects of intratracheal administration of anaphylatoxin C5a on airway inflammation have been studied using two sources of material, zymosan activated serum (ZAS) and purified rat C5a des Arg, in order to determine the influence of complement activation on allergic airway disorders.The intratracheal administration of ovalbumin (OA) to OA-sensitized rats generated two phases of airway response, an immediate airway response (IAR) occurring within 15 min and a late airway response (LAR) beginning 4-6 h after the allergen challenge. The simultaneous administration of ZAS and OA into the trachea generated a sustained elevation of airway resistance (Raw) following IAR, while that of OA or ZAS alone resulted in Raw returning nearly to the baseline just after the IAR. The elevation of Raw after the combined challenge of OA and ZAS was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with a CysLT(1) receptor antagonist, pranlukast 30 mg/kg, but after that OA or ZAS alone was not significantly inhibited by pranlukast. The intratracheal administration of purified C5a produced an airway response that was similar to, but higher than, that evoked by ZAS. Namely, the challenge with OA plus C5a resulted in a higher IAR than OA plus ZAS, and also caused an early animal death up to 6 h, which was prevented by a combined pretreatment with pranlukast and the H(1) receptor antagonist, diphenhydramine.A histological examination at 6 h after the OA challenge identified an infiltration of inflammatory cells into the bronchial submucosal tissue, with a predominance of neutrophils and fewer eosinophils. On the other hand, a histological examination after the OA and ZAS challenge showed more severe infiltration of granulocytes into the bronchial submucosal tissue than that with OA or ZAS alone. The challenge with OA plus C5a was associated with severe perivascular leakage in the lungs and the combined pretreatment with both the antagonists led to a marked reduction in perivascular leakage. The quantitation of N-acetyl-leukotriene E(4) (N-Ac-LTE(4)), a major metabolite of cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cysLTs), in the bile indicated a significantly greater and longer excretion of cysLTs, from 1 to 6 h after the combined challenge, than that after either OA or ZAS alone. This suggested a prolonged generation of cysLTs in the lung by the combined challenge.In conclusion, our findings suggest that anaphylatoxin C5a may mediate the airway inflammatory response induced by a specific antigen challenge partly through a prolonged production of cysLTs and the release of histamine.

Airway Resistance↗

PubMed2000

Cell surface expression of immature H glycoprotein in measles virus-infected cells.

Two forms of hemagglutinin (H) protein, one with an apparent molecular mass of 78 kDa (78K H protein) and the other with that of 74 kDa (74K H protein), are present in cells infected with measles virus (MV). We previously observed that only the mature 78K H protein, a completely glycosylated form of the 74K H protein, was expressed on the cell surface of the infected cells. In the present study, we detected transient expression of the 74K H protein on the cell surface of infected cells by pulse-chase studies, although the level of this expression was much lower than that of the 78K H protein. On the cell surface the 74K H protein was present as dimers and sensitive to endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H digestion. Treatment with brefeldin A, which blocks the transport of membrane and secretory proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus, inhibited the cell surface expression of the 78K H protein, but not that of the 74K H protein. These data suggest that a part of the MV 74K H proteins could be transported directly to the cell surface - probably via an alternative pathway - without processing to the complex form in the Golgi apparatus.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Antihyperalgesic effects of intrathecally administered magnesium sulfate in rats.

Intrathecal administration of MgSO(4) is reported to cause paralysis. However, the characteristic sensory disturbances have not been thoroughly investigated. We examined the effect of intrathecally administered MgSO(4) on the nociceptive threshold, using three different nociceptive measures, formalin test, hot plate test and paw pressure test in rats. The dose of MgSO(4) was 30, 100 or 300 microg. In acute nociceptive tests, intrathecal MgSO(4) did not cause any significant changes in the pain threshold. However, phase 2 of the formalin test was suppressed dose-dependently. It is known that spinal NMDA receptors are involved in the changes seen during the second (tonic) phase of the formalin test and in vitro studies showed that Mg(2+) can cause voltage-dependent blockade of NMDA receptor channel in the neurons of spinal dorsal horn. Thus, the suppressive effect of intrathecally administered MgSO(4) on the tonic inflammation-evoked behavior is mediated by the spinal NMDA receptors. Our results suggest that intrathecal administration of MgSO(4) may be therapeutically beneficial for patients with tonic pain involving the spinal NMDA receptors.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Differential involvement of matrix vesicles during the initial and appositional mineralization processes in bone, dentin, and cementum.

The distribution of matrix vesicles and its role in biological mineralization were examined in bone and dental hard tissues of the rat after daily administrations of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-bisphosphonate (HEBP), a potent inhibitor of mineralization, for 7 or 14 days. Newly formed, nonmineralized matrices of the HEBP-affected bone and mesodermal dental hard tissues other than circumpulpal dentin contained numerous mineral-filled matrix vesicles (MV), randomly distributed throughout the collagenous matrix. The distribution density of the mineral-filled MV in the HEBP-affected matrices of calvaria, metaphyseal trabecular bone, alveolar bone, and cellular cementum ranged from 60 to 70 per 100 microm(2), and no statistically significant differences were noted among the values. In the HEBP-affected dentin, however, MV were located only in the nonmineralized matrix of mantle dentin and totally absent in the circumpulpal dentin layers. Instead, the HEBP-affected circumpulpal dentin contained a dense meshwork of noncollagenous matrix enriched with calcium and phosphorus. Comparable meshwork structures were undetectable in nonmineralized matrices of the other hard tissues affected by HEBP. These observations suggest that a certain population of MV (60-70 per 100 microm(2)) is involved in the process of appositional mineralization in most of the mesodermal hard tissues, in addition to their well-known role in initial mineral induction in these tissues. Circumpulpal dentin appears to be an exception, where MV are not required for the appositional mineralization process. Exclusive localization of dentin phosphoproteins in circumpulpal dentin layers must take place to facilitate appositional mineralization at the calcification front, in the absence of MV.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Circulating p53 antibody in patients with colorectal cancer: relation to clinicopathologic features and survival.

The presence of serum anti-p53 antibody has been reported to be associated with survival of patients with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. To clarify prognostic significance of p53 antibody in colorectal cancer, serum p53 antibody was measured in patients with colorectal cancer. The 89 patients included 71 with colorectal cancer and 18 with colon polyp. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect p53 antibodies in serum. Clinicopathological parameters such as age, sex, degree of differentiation of cancer, location of tumor, liver metastasis, stage classification, Dukes classification, CEA, CA19-9, and immunostaining of p53 and anti-p53 antibody were evaluated as prognostic factors of colorectal cancer. p53 antibody was positive in 18 of 71 (25%) with colorectal cancer, whereas it was positive in only 1 of 18 (6%) with colon polyp. The patients with p53 antibody had higher CEA and CA19-9 levels, higher positive rates of p53 protein expression in cancer cells, and higher liver metastasis rates. The p53 antibody positivity at stage classification I-IIIb/ Dukes classification A-C was significantly lower than that at stage classification IV/Dukes classification D. Overall survival in colorectal cancer patients with p53 antibody was significantly shorter than in those without p53 antibody. A Cox regression analysis showed that liver metastasis, stage classification, Dukes classification, CA19-9, and p53 antibody were significant prognostic factors in colorectal cancer. Serum anti-p53 antibody could serve as one of the prognostic factors in patients with colorectal cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Distribution of non-collagenous dentin matrix proteins and proteoglycans, and their relation to calcium accumulation in bisphosphonate-affected rat incisors.

It has been reported that multiple injections of 1-hydroxyethylidene- 1,1-bisphosphonate (HEBP) to rats prevent mineralization of incisor dentin, thereby revealing high concentrations of calcium in the non-mineralized matrix of circumpulpal dentin. To identify the molecules responsible for calcium accumulation in circumpulpal dentin matrix, rats were injected daily with HEBP (8 mg P/kg) for 7 d, and the incisors processed for various histochemical and immunohistochemical staining of non-collagenous matrices of dentin. Cuprolinic blue reactions for proteoglycans (PGs) were equally distributed in non-mineralized matrix of mantle and circumpulpal dentin layers. Dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and osteopontin (OPN) immunoreactions were found in non-mineralized circumpulpal dentin matrix, but not in mantle dentin. In normal incisors, however, predentin matrix showing significant DSP immunoreactivity was negative for Ca-GBHA reactions. HEBP-affected, non-mineralized OPN immunopositive bone matrix was also non-reactive for calcium. From these observations, neither PGs, OPN nor DSP appear to be responsible for calcium accumulation in HEBP-affected circumpulpal dentin. Stains-all reactive component, possibly dentin phosphoprotein (DPP), only showed the same distribution as that of Ca-GBHA in both HEBP-affected and normal dentin matrix, implicating a possible contribution of DPP to calcium accumulation in circumpulpal dentin and, hence, to appositional mineralization of dentin.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Msx2 deficiency in mice causes pleiotropic defects in bone growth and ectodermal organ formation.

The composite structure of the mammalian skull, which forms predominantly via intramembranous ossification, requires precise pre- and post-natal growth regulation of individual calvarial elements. Disturbances of this process frequently cause severe clinical manifestations in humans. Enhanced DNA binding by a mutant MSX2 homeodomain results in a gain of function and produces craniosynostosis in humans. Here we show that Msx2-deficient mice have defects of skull ossification and persistent calvarial foramen. This phenotype results from defective proliferation of osteoprogenitors at the osteogenic front during calvarial morphogenesis, and closely resembles that associated with human MSX2 haploinsufficiency in parietal foramina (PFM). Msx2-/- mice also have defects in endochondral bone formation. In the axial and appendicular skeleton, post-natal deficits in Pth/Pthrp receptor (Pthr) signalling and in expression of marker genes for bone differentiation indicate that Msx2 is required for both chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. Consistent with phenotypes associated with PFM, Msx2-mutant mice also display defective tooth, hair follicle and mammary gland development, and seizures, the latter accompanied by abnormal development of the cerebellum. Most Msx2-mutant phenotypes, including calvarial defects, are enhanced by genetic combination with Msx1 loss of function, indicating that Msx gene dosage can modify expression of the PFM phenotype. Our results provide a developmental basis for PFM and demonstrate that Msx2 is essential at multiple sites during organogenesis.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2000

Novel fungal transcriptional activators, Cmr1p of Colletotrichum lagenarium and pig1p of Magnaporthe grisea, contain Cys2His2 zinc finger and Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear cluster DNA-binding motifs and regulate transcription of melanin biosynthesis genes in a developmentally specific manner.

Colletotrichum lagenarium and Magnaporthe grisea are plant pathogenic fungi that produce melanin during the appressorial differentiation stage of conidial germination and during the late stationary phase of mycelial growth. Here, we report the identification of genes for two unique transcription factors, CMR1 (Colletotrichum melanin regulation) and PIG1 (pigment of Magnaporthe), that are involved in melanin biosynthesis. Both Cmr1p and Pig1p contain two distinct DNA-binding motifs, a Cys2His2 zinc finger motif and a Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear cluster motif. The presence of both these motifs in a single transcriptional regulatory protein is unique among known eukaryotic transcription factors. Deletion of CMR1 in C. lagenarium caused a defect in mycelial melanization, but not in appressorial melanization. Also, cmr1Delta mutants do not express the melanin biosynthetic structural genes SCD1 and THR1 during mycelial melanization, although the expression of these two genes was not affected during appressorial melanization.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2000

Elevated levels of macrophage-stimulating protein in induced sputum of patients with bronchiectasis.

We recently showed that macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP), a serum protein homologous to hepatocyte growth factor, promotes ciliary motility by activating its receptor, RON, on the airway ciliated epithelium. To investigate the functional involvement of MSP and RON in bronchiectasis, in which mucociliary clearance (MCC) is impaired, first we examined RON expression on the bronchial ciliated epithelium of patients with bronchiectasis. We confirmed RON expression at the apical surface of bronchial ciliated epithelium of patients with bronchiectasis as well as those of normal human bronchus. Next, we examined whether MSP is present in sputum of patients with bronchiectasis and normal control subjects. By Western blotting, we found that half of the MSP in sputum is present as a biologically active alpha/beta chain heterodimer (mature MSP). In addition, we found that the MSP concentrations in sputum were significantly elevated in patients with bronchiectasis (n=8; 16.8+/-3.0 ng ml(-1)) compared with normal controls (n=9; 8.4+/-2.4 ng ml(-1); P<0.05). In contrast, the difference in concentrations of serum MSP (pro-MSP) was not significant between the two groups. These results indicate that (i) MSP is supplied to the airways and converted to a biologically active form, (ii) MSP is increased in patients with bronchiectasis compared with normal controls. Taken together, our findings suggest that increased MSP may be involved in compensation for impaired MCC in bronchiectasis.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

High accumulation of plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator at the flow surface of mural fibrin in the human arterial system.

PURPOSE: We assessed the fibrinolytic activity of the organized mural thrombus lining of aneurysms and prosthetic grafts. METHODS: Between May 1995 and April 1998, the full-thickness mural thrombi of aneurysms and the pseudointima lining of vascular grafts were obtained from 12 patients, ranging from 55 to 78 years in age, who underwent elective surgery. These included five aortic arch aneurysms, four abdominal aortic aneurysms, and three patent synthetic vascular grafts. The specimens were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)/immunoblot and immunohistochemistry for human plasmin/plasminogen, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and fibrin degradation product (D-dimer). RESULTS: In the SDS-PAGE/immunoblot, 25- and 27-kd bands appeared specifically in experimental fibrin plates after limited digestion by plasmin and were also recognized in the mural thrombi. The presence of bands at 25 and 27 kd, which were most prominent in sections near the flow surface layer, was consistent with the hypothesis that the mural fibrin was digested by the endogenous plasmin. Apparent immunoreactivity was found at the flow surface of the masses at a thickness of 10 to 400 micrometer suggesting the presence of a plasminogen and tPA-rich layer, with D-dimer as a consequential product of fibrinolysis. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis that fibrin surfaces in the arterial system acquire fibrinolytic activity because of digestion by circulating endogenous plasmin was confirmed; this may contribute to the antithrombogenicity of these flow surfaces.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

The Colletotrichum lagenarium MAP kinase gene CMK1 regulates diverse aspects of fungal pathogenesis.

The infection process of Colletotrichum lagenarium, the causal agent of cucumber anthracnose disease, involves several key steps: germination; formation of melanized appressoria; appressorial penetration; and subsequent invasive growth in host plants. Here we report that the C. lagenarium CMK1 gene encoding a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase plays a central role in these infection steps. CMK1 can complement appressorium formation of the Pmk1 MAP kinase mutant of Magnaporthe grisea. Deletion of CMK1 causes reduction of conidiation and complete lack of pathogenicity to the host plant. Surprisingly, in contrast to M. grisea pmk1 mutants, conidia of cmk1 mutants fail to germinate on both host plant and glass surfaces, demonstrating that the CMK1 MAP kinase regulates conidial germination. However, addition of yeast extract rescues germination, indicating the presence of a CMK1-independent pathway for regulation of conidial germination. Germinating conidia of cmk1 mutants fail to form appressoria and the mutants are unable to grow invasively in the host plant. This strongly suggests that MAP kinase signaling pathways have general significance for infection structure formation and pathogenic growth in phytopathogenic fungi. Furthermore, three melanin genes show no or slight expression in the cmk1 mutant when conidia fail to germinate, suggesting that CMK1 plays a role in gene expression required for appressorial melanization.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Construction of an equalized cDNA library from Colletotrichum lagenarium and its application to the isolation of differentially expressed genes.

To establish an efficient screening system for differentially expressed genes of a phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum lagenarium, we constructed an equalized (normalized) cDNA library from C. lagenarium and used this library for differential screening. For the isolation of genes involved in infection-related developments of conidia, conidia undergoing appressorium differentiation were selected as the source of materials for construction of the cDNA library. The equalization of cDNA was performed twice using a kinetic method, and the products were cloned into a plasmid vector. Colony hybridization with nine probes of different abundance showed a reduction in abundance variation from at least 276-fold in the original library to 10-fold in the equalized cDNA library, which demonstrated that the cDNA was successfully equalized. By differential hybridization of 1900 cDNA clones in the equalized cDNA library and RNA blot analysis of candidate clones, we identified 11 independent cDNA clones, designated CAD1 through CAD11, that were expressed in appressorium-differentiating conidia, but not in vegetative mycelia. The transcripts of CAD1 and CAD2 hardly accumulated in preincubated conidia, whereas those of CAD3 and CAD4 accumulated highly and slightly, respectively. The amount of the four CAD transcripts increased at the early stage of the appressorium formation process. Sequence analysis of CAD1 revealed that CAD1 would encode for 101 amino acid polypeptides, which showed homology to metallothioneins. Deduced amino acid sequence of CAD2 would encode 278 amino acid polypeptides, and showed high homology to genes in aflatoxin, and sterigmatocystin gene clusters of Aspergillus parasiticus and A. nidulans, respectively.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Analysis of genomic imprinting of insulin-like growth factor 2 in colorectal cancer.

Genomic imprinting of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) has been shown to play an important role in the development of Wilms' tumor and adult cancers including lung and esophageal cancer. Although IGF2 has been reported to be overexpressed in colorectal cancer, the status of this gene has not been fully elucidated. To clarify genomic imprinting of IGF2 in colorectal cancer, we examined loss of imprinting (LOI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in surgically resected tissues by utilizing Apa1 polymorphism. Of 46 patients with colorectal cancer, 2 exhibited (2/15, 13%) LOH among 15 patients who were heterozygous for IGF2 DNA in nontumorous tissues. Four (4/12, 33%) patients showed LOI of IGF2 gene among informative patients. In these patients, the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry revealed that IGF2 mRNA is overexpressed in tumorous tissues, compared to nontumorous tissues. Of 15 patients in whom IGF2 was immunohistochemically more highly expressed in tumorous than in normal tissues, there were 2 with LOH and 4 with LOI. The results of the present study suggest that LOI of IGF2 plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Age-dependent decreases of phosphorus and magnesium in human Achilles' tendons.

To elucidate changes of human tendons with aging, the authors studied age-related changes of elements in human Achilles' tendons by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The subjects consisted of seven men and seven women, ranging in age from 61 to 97 yr. It was found that the content of calcium increased progressively with aging in the Achilles' tendons, whereas the contents of phosphorus and magnesium decreased gradually with aging. The previous investigations demonstrated that the content of calcium and phosphorus increased progressively with aging in most, but not all, human tissues, except for the bones. In ligaments, such as the anterior cruciate ligament and the ligament of the head of the femur, which are histologically similar to the Achilles' tendon, it was previously found that both the contents of calcium and phosphorus increased with aging in the ligaments. It should be noted that the content of phosphorus in the Achilles' tendons decreased during the aging process. In addition, it was found that there was a very high direct correlation between phosphorus and magnesium contents in the tendons, but not between calcium and phosphorus contents.

Achilles Tendon↗

PubMed2000

Age-related changes of elements in human ureter.

To elucidate changes of the ureter with aging, the authors investigated age-related changes of element contents in human ureters. The subjects consisted of seven men and seven women, ranging in age from 61 to 97 yr. The contents of calcium, sulfur, and iron in the ureters increased progressively with aging, whereas the contents of phosphorus and magnesium did not increase with aging. Significant relationships were found both between calcium and sulfur contents and between calcium and iron contents in the ureters, but not between calcium and either phosphorus or magnesium contents. It was noteworthy that a significant relationship was also found between sulfur and iron contents in the ureters. It remains uncertain whether calcium forms a compound with sulfur or iron in aged human ureters or not.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Correlations of calcium accumulations in arteries, veins, cartilages, ligaments, and bones in single humans.

To show the relationships of calcium accumulation in the thoracic aorta to the other tissues, calcium contents were determined with a microwave-induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometer on arteries, veins, cartilages, ligaments, and bones. These tissues were resected from 18 individuals, consisting of 11 men and 7 women who died in the age range 59-91 yr. As thoracic and abdominal aortas are routinely used for radiographic examination of arterial calcification, they appear to be standard tissues of the calcium accumulation. The calcium accumulations were determined in the femoral artery, the superior and inferior venae cavae, the internal jugular vein, cartilages of the articular disk of the temporomandibular joint and the intervertebral disk, both the ligaments of the anterior cruciate ligament and the ligamentum capitis femoris, and the calcaneus, in contrast with the thoracic aorta. As calcium increased in the thoracic aorta, it increased in the femoral artery, the articular disk of the temporomandibular joint, the intervertebral disk, both ligaments of the anterior cruciate ligament, and the ligamentum capitis femoris, but it did not increase in veins, such as the superior and inferior venae cavae and the internal jugular vein. In contrast, it decreased in the calcaneus.

Aged↗