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A Kasamatsu

Publications and source records attributed to A Kasamatsu.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Overexpression of stathmin in oral squamous-cell carcinoma: correlation with tumour progression and poor prognosis.

Stathmin is an intracellular phosphoprotein that is overexpressed in a number of human malignancies. Our previous study using proteomic profiling showed that significant upregulation of stathmin occurs in oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC)-derived cell lines. In the current study, to determine the potential involvement of stathmin in OSCC, we evaluated the state of stathmin protein and mRNA expression in OSCC-derived cell lines and human primary OSCCs. A significant increase in stathmin expression was observed in all OSCC-derived cell lines examined compared to human normal oral keratinocytes. In immunohistochemistry, 65% of the OSCCs were positive for stathmin, and no immunoreaction was observed in corresponding normal tissues. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction data were consistent with the protein expression status. Moreover, stathmin expression status was correlated with the TNM stage grading. Furthermore, we found a statistical correlation between the protein expression status and disease-free survival (P=0.029). These results suggest that expression of stathmin could contribute to cancer progression/prognosis, and that stathmin may have potential as a biomarker and a therapeutic target for OSCC.

Aged↗

Fibrinogens Kawaguchi and Osaka: an amino acid substitution of A alpha arginine-16 to cysteine which forms an extra interchain disulfide bridge between the two A alpha chains.

Structural analyses of fibrinogens from patients with congenital dysfibrinogenemia, designated as fibrinogens Kawaguchi and Osaka, have been performed to identify the difference responsible for the lack of fibrinopeptide A release. For the structural studies, a new strategy was employed. Amino acid sequence analysis of one of the lysyl endopeptidase-peptides isolated from the abnormal fibrinogens indicated that in both fibrinogens, arginine-16 of the A alpha chain had been replaced by cysteine. To characterize the chemical nature of the sulfhydryl group of cysteine-16, a tryptic peptide containing cysteine-16 of the A alpha chain was prepared from intact fibrinogen Kawaguchi. The amino acid composition and the molecular weight determination of this aberrant peptide revealed that it was a dimeric NH2-terminal peptide corresponding to residues 1-19 derived from the abnormal A alpha chain. These results indicate that the half-cystine at position 16 in the abnormal A alpha chain forms an intramolecular disulfide bridge with the same residue in the other abnormal A alpha chain and that fibrinogen Kawaguchi is a homo dimer composed of two identical abnormal halves.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Fibrinogen Kawaguchi: an abnormal fibrinogen characterized by defective release of fibrinopeptide A.

A congenital dysfibrinogenemia was found in a 32-year-old asymptomatic female and her immediate family. The propositus, apparently a heterozygote for the abnormality, characteristically showed defective release of fibrinopeptide A from half of her fibrinogen molecules. No fibrinopeptide A was cleaved off from the isolated abnormal molecule by thrombin or snake venoms (Reptilase and Ancrod) as evidenced by radioimmunoassay, high performance liquid chromatography and determination of the NH2-terminal amino acids. The abnormal fibrinogen formed a solid gel solely by the release of fibrinopeptide B upon incubation with thrombin. We provisionally designate this abnormal fibrinogen as "Fibrinogen Kawaguchi", although possible identity with other abnormal fibrinogens is not excluded.

Adult↗