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Biomedical subjects

Y Usui

Publications and source records attributed to Y Usui.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Urinary calcium and renal function in the Japanese female population.

The Japanese have not reached the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium (Ca, 600 mg/day), they are a Ca-deficient population. To determine factors influencing urinary Ca (U-Ca) in the Ca-deficient female population, age, body mass index (BMI), drinking habits, smoking habits and Ca intake were surveyed, and urinary albumin (U-Alb) and retinol binding protein (U-RBP) as renal function tests were analyzed in 210 Japanese females aged 24-76 years. The mean Ca intake for the subjects was 542.8 mg/day, which was less than the RDA for Ca. A significant positive correlation was found between U-RBP and U-Ca, but neither age, BMI, drinking habits, smoking habits, Ca intake nor U-Alb would affect U-Ca in the subjects. In a Ca-deficient status, a proximal tubular dysfunction may be a significant factor increasing Ca loss in urine, and may be a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Comparative evaluation of the elasticity and flexibility of bioimpregnated knitted grafts.

Longitudinal elasticities of whole human blood clot, whole canine blood clot, Factor XIII cross-linked fibrin, glutaraldehyde-fixed human albumin, and formaldehyde-fixed collagen, gelatin and collagen/gelatin were determined and normalized to human whole blood clot. Matrices of a knitted Dacron graft were then impregnated with albumin, collagen, and collagen/gelatin and their longitudinal elasticities were determined and normalized to a preclotted graft. Comparisons were also made for the longitudinal elasticities of a virgin graft, a manipulated control for a preclotted graft, and a manipulated control for the matrix-impregnated grafts. Flexibilities were then calculated based on the weights and elasticities of these grafts and normalized to the flexibility of the preclotted graft. Fibrin had twice and 39 times more longitudinal elasticity than human blood clot and collagen, respectively. The preclotted graft has longitudinal elastic properties similar to a virgin graft, and is 2.8, 2, and 1.4 times more elastic than the albumin, collagen and collagen/gelatin grafts, respectively. The preclotted graft was 2.5, 2, and 1.4 times more flexible than the albumin, collagen and collagen/gelatin grafts, respectively.

Albumins↗
PubMed1992

Comparative metabolism and requirement of vitamin K in chicks and rats.

The metabolic basis for the high vitamin K requirement of chicks compared with rats was investigated. When chicks and rats were fed the same diet, containing 500 micrograms phylloquinone/kg, the total amounts of phylloquinone and its epoxide metabolite found in the liver and plasma were similar in both species. However, phylloquinone 2,3-epoxide was present in high concentrations in chick liver and serum but not in rat liver and serum. This metabolite of the vitamin is normally reduced by a hepatic vitamin K epoxide reductase. The activity of this enzyme in chicks was approximately 10% of that in rats, and the inability of chicks to effectively recycle the epoxide of vitamin K seems to be the major factor in its high requirement. Other species differences in vitamin K metabolism were observed. Much higher concentrations of bacterial menaquinones were present in rat feces compared with chick feces, but neither species had appreciable hepatic concentrations of menaquinones. Chicks, but not rats, were found to have a liver concentration of menaquinone-4 that exceeded that of phylloquinone. This vitamer was present even when its recognized precursor, menadione, was not present in the diet, and the data indicate that chicks convert phylloquinone to menaquinone-4 under the conditions of these experiments. The mechanism of this conversion was not established.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1992

Case report of desquamative interstitial pneumonia: documentation of preserved pulmonary function after twelve clinical relapses.

We describe a case of desquamative interstitial pneumonia diagnosed in a 25-year-old woman who relapsed 12 times during a 20-year follow-up period. In each relapse, the involved sites were different and the patient ultimately recovered without resultant pulmonary ventilatory defects. Bronchoalveolar lavage performed during the 12th relapse revealed a remarkable increase in the number of total cells and showed a low CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the lymphocyte subset.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A case of cyclophosphamide-induced interstitial pneumonitis diagnosed by bronchoalveolar lavage.

A successfully treated case of cyclophosphamide pneumonitis, which developed during treatment for a leukemic phase of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is documented. Subtyping of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid easily excluded a possible diagnosis of pulmonary involvement of lymphoma. Bronchoalveolar lavage is a useful approach to determine the correct etiology of pneumonitis.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Hepatocellular carcinoma producing carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma producing carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 is reported. The serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen was 26,800 ng/ml and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, 5,500 U/ml on the final day. Immunohistochemical study revealed positive monoclonal antibodies for these two antigens within the cytoplasm of the hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by hexamethylene diisocyanate.

A case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) induced by hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) is described. Serial determinations of the lymphocyte surface phenotypes by two-color assay revealed the following: 1) increased activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and 2) increased percentage and absolute number of non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood (PB) during the recovery phase of the disease. These findings were considered to be related to the activity of the disease.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1992

[A case of endobronchial minute leiomyoma and literature review of the 66 cases of endotracheal and endobronchial leiomyoma reported in Japan].

A case of endobronchial minute leiomyoma successfully treated by bronchoscopically directed forceps biopsy is described. A 42-year-old male with a 20 pack-year smoking history was admitted for dry cough occurring at night. Chest X-ray showed no abnormal shadows. The tumor, measuring 2 by 2 mm, was located in the right B7. The clinical characteristics of the 66 cases of endotracheal and endobronchial leiomyoma reported in Japan are also discussed. The male to female ratio of this disease was 2:3. Middle-aged people were most, commonly affected. Usually, obstructive pneumonia or atelectasis, which develops distal to the lesion, causes respiratory symptoms and chest X-ray abnormality. However, 10% of cases were asymptomatic and 30% had a negative chest X-ray. There were 7 cases of endobronchial minute leiomyoma, measuring less than 10 mm in diameter. Of these, three cases had only hemoptysis and had no chest X-ray abnormality. In such cases fiberoptic bronchoscopy is may be the only useful procedure for the diagnosis of this disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Clinical statistics on operations for inpatients at Department of Urology, Tokai University Hospital 1975-1989].

Operations on inpatients during the 15-year period from 1975 to 1989 were analyzed statistically. A total of 3,791 operations were performed at our Department of Urology, including 717 operations on the kidney, 316 operations on the ureter, 583 operations on the bladder, 811 operations on the prostate, 136 operations on the urethra, 1,097 operations on the scrotum, 43 operations on the adrenal gland, 19 operations on the retroperitoneal space and 69 operations on other organs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[A case of brain stem encephalitis complicated with bifascicular block caused by rubella virus].

We reported a case of a 29-year-old man who had been in good health until contracting brain stem encephalitis due to a rubella virus 5 years previously, at which time the ECG revealed complete right bundle branch block and right axis deviation. An ECG obtained 6 months earlier had been within normal limits. Since yearly health checkups continued to show the same abnormalities, the patient was admitted for closer examination. At the time of admission, physical findings and blood tests revealed no abnormalities. No cardiomegaly nor pulmonary congestion was observed on chest X-rays either at the time of the original illness or at this time. An endomyocardial biopsy specimen obtained from the right ventricle revealed size variation of cardiac myocytes, moderate disarrangement, and mild myocardial interstitial fibrosis, indicative of post-myocarditic changes. The above findings suggest that bifascicular block (right bundle branch and posterior fascicle) appeared at the time of the rubella virus infection, in the pathogenesis of which the involvement of myocarditis was strongly suspected. Some patients developing myocarditis do not manifest cardiac symptoms such as heart failure. In these cases, conduction disturbances are the sole sequelae. To differentiate pathogenesis in such cases, endomyocardial biopsy was thought to be of value.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The contour lines of the upper lip and a revised method of cleft lip repair.

Many techniques for cleft lip repair have been reported, but these techniques do not consider the contour lines of the upper lip and, in fact, destroy them. The upper lip has complicated contour lines including the vermilion free margin, vermilion border, upper lip horizontal groove (upper lip groove), philtrum (dimple and columns), nostril sills, and nasolabial grooves. Incision lines should be designed so that the postoperative scars do not cross these contour lines. We feel that our incision lines and postoperative scars provide better aesthetic results and diminish hypertrophic scar formation.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1991

Viscous carboxymethylcellulose in the prevention of epidural scar formation.

Six chemical agents were evaluated for their efficacy in preventing epidural scar formation following laminectomy in rabbits. One agent was carboxymethylcellulose and the other five agents represented various compositions of modified carboxymethylcellulose. Four weeks after laminectomy, spines were harvested and decalcified, and transverse sections were prepared for histologic analysis. Subjective evaluation suggested that two agents appeared to inhibit epidural scar formation compared with the untreated controls. Objective evaluation was performed by quantitating scar tissue area at the laminectomy site with a digitizing tablet. In agreement with the subjective evaluation, two agents were found to have significantly reduced epidural scar tissue area compared with the control (control = 0.418 +/- 0.16 SE mm2vs. Agent 2 = 0.067 +/- 0.02 [P less than 0.05] and Agent 5 = 0.089 +/- 0.02 [P less than 0.05]). Of the remaining four agents, one of which was the unmodified carboxymethylcellulose, none showed significant reduction in scar tissue formation. These findings indicate that viscous preparations of modified carboxymethylcellulose can act as a barrier against epidural scar formation following laminectomy.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Platelet aggregation induced by strains of various species of coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Major species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were tested for their ability to induce platelet aggregation in rabbit platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Among 11 species of CNS tested, a majority of the strains of 10 species of CNS (S. epidermidis, S. simulans, S. capitis, S. hyicus, S. sciuri, S. cohnii, S. xylosus, S. hominis, S. haemolyticus, S. warneri) caused induction of the platelet aggregation and serotonin release, while S. saprophyticus did not show such activity. The addition of aspirin (10 mM) or quinacrine (1 mM) to PRP resulted in no remarkable effect on the platelet aggregation induced by these strains and it was shown that the platelet aggregation did not require arachidonate pathways. Complement system components were shown to be one of the plasma factors required for platelet aggregation by ten strains of each species of CNS. The bacterial substance participating in the platelet aggregation by ten species of CNS tested was indicated to be heat-stable and trypsin-resistant, while the activity of a strain of S. epidermidis was susceptible to trypsin.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Platelet aggregation by strains of enterococci.

The platelet aggregation capability of whole cells of Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium and E. avium was tested. The optimum ratios of bacteria to platelets in E. faecalis (strain SMU-37), E. faecium (strain SMU-138) and E. avium (strain SMU-197) were 1.0, 1.2 and 2.0, respectively. During the platelet aggregation induced by the three strains of enterococci, 65-69% of total serotonin was released. The aggregation was totally inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (10 mM) and apyrase (1 mg/ml), while no effect was shown by aspirin (10 mM), indomethacin (10 mM) and quinacrine (1 mM). By pretreatment of platelet-poor plasma with heat (56 C, 30 min) or zymosan, the reactivities with platelets of each strain of species were markedly diminished. These results suggest that enterococci-induced platelet aggregation was an ion-dependent, cyclooxygenase-insensitive event, and plasma component(s) was (were) required for the reaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Monoclonal IgM antibody protection in mice against infection with an encapsulated strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Passive protective activities of three different classes of monoclonal antibodies in mice against challenge with strain ATCC 31432 (capsular type I) of Staphylococcus epidermidis were examined. Monoclonal IgM antibody passively protected mice against challenge with the homologous strain, whereas monoclonal IgG1 and IgG2b antibodies did not. The protective activity of IgM was absorbed by the cell surface antigen extracted from the homologous strain but not by the antigen from heterologous strains. Rapid reduction of viable cells took place in the peritoneal cavity of mice immunized with monoclonal IgM as early as 6 h after the challenge with the homologous strain. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent inhibition assay showed there was remarkable inhibition with the homologous cell surface antigen but not with heterologous preparations from other strains. Results suggest that in the mouse the major passive protection against the S. epidermidis strain is provided by the IgM antibody to the cell surface antigen.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Minute squamous cell carcinoma arising in the wall of a congenital lung cyst.

A case of minute squamous cell carcinoma arising in a congenital lung cyst is reported. Two aspects of this case were notable. First, we were able to make the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma by bronchial lavage at an early stage. Second, to our knowledge, this is the first case of probable de novo origin of squamous cell carcinoma in a congenital lung cyst.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗