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Biomedical subjects

A Kuramoto

Publications and source records attributed to A Kuramoto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Expression of the heparin-binding growth factor receptor genes in human megakaryocytic leukemia cells.

K-sam/bek, N-sam/flg and FGFR3/sam3 establish gene family of the receptors for heparin-binding growth factors (HBGFs) or FGFs. These mRNAs were detected in human leukemia cells, CMK, K562 and HEL, which have megakaryocytic phenotype or the potency to differentiate into megakaryocytic lineage. In CMK cells N-sam/flg transcript level was enhanced by the culture with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). cDNA-polymerase chain reaction identified K-sam/bek mRNA in human platelets, suggesting the involvement of HBGFs in megakaryocytopoiesis and functions of platelets.

Base Sequence

Benchmark test of transport calculations of gold and nickel activation with implications for neutron kerma at Hiroshima.

A benchmark test of the Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code system (MCNP) was performed using a 252Cf fission neutron source to validate the use of the code for the energy spectrum analyses of Hiroshima atomic bomb neutrons. Nuclear data libraries used in the Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code calculation were ENDF/B-III, ENDF/B-IV, LASL-SUB, and ENDL-73. The neutron moderators used were granite (the main component of which is SiO2, with a small fraction of hydrogen), Newlight [polyethylene with 3.7% boron (natural)], ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), and water (H2O). Each moderator was 65 cm thick. The neutron detectors were gold and nickel foils, which were used to detect thermal and epithermal neutrons (4.9 eV) and fast neutrons (> 0.5 MeV), respectively. Measured activity data from neutron-irradiated gold and nickel foils in these moderators decreased to about 1/1,000th or 1/10,000th, which correspond to about 1,500 m ground distance from the hypocenter in Hiroshima. For both gold and nickel detectors, the measured activities and the calculated values agreed within 10%. The slopes of the depth-yield relations in each moderator, except granite, were similar for neutrons detected by the gold and nickel foils. From the results of these studies, the Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code was verified to be accurate enough for use with the elements hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, chlorine, and cadmium, and for the incident 252Cf fission spectrum neutrons.

Californium

A multicenter prospective study on the treatment of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A multicenter prospective study on the treatment of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was conducted by the Idiopathic Disorders of Hematopoietic Organs Research Committee (IDHORC), the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. The aim of the study was to establish an improved therapeutic guide for chronic ITP. Of the 247 eligible patients 175 have been followed up to the present time, 16 patients have died, and 56 have been lost to follow-up. The median follow-up time was 55 months (range: 1 to 91 months). Of the 206 patients treated with corticosteroids, 13.1% achieved sustained complete remission. Splenectomy produced remissions in 52.5% of 72 patients evaluated 12 months after operation. Eighty-five patients were treated with immunosuppressive agents, but the response rates were low and the effect was transient in most cases. In the patients followed up without any specific treatment, the mean platelet counts showed slight improvement. Of the 16 patients who died during the observation period, only one died of bleeding; the remaining 15 died of causes unrelated to thrombocytopenia. It is noteworthy that five patients who were treated with corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents died of infection.

Adolescent

[Analysis of breakpoints on BCR gene in acute leukemia patients with Ph1 chromosome].

Eight cases with Ph1 positive acute leukemia (7 of acute lymphocytic leukemia: ALL, and one of acute myelocytic leukemia: AML) were studied molecular biologically to identify location of breakpoints on BCR gene in each patient. Six of the 8 patients (5 of ALL and 1 of AML) had rearrangements at bcr (M-BCR) region. Their locations of the breakpoint in M-BCR were similar to those of 59 chronic myelocytic leukemia patients. One of the remaining two patients had gene rearrangements at m-BCR-1 region in BCR intron 1, and the last patient did not have gene rearrangements at any site of m-BCR-1 and IgL C lambda region. Two cases had gene deletion at either 3' or 5' side of the bcr. A patient with bcr rearrangement was also analyzed by PCR method with reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR) and had simultaneous expressions of bcr3-abl and bcr2-abl chimeric mRNAs. These results indicate that Ph1 positive acute leukemia have heterogeneous characteristics in terms of the molecular biology. The molecular analysis will help for classifying the leukemic types and for elucidating the pathogenesis in Ph1 positive acute leukemia.

Acute Disease

[Platelet membrane glycoprotein V and clinical significance of plasma GPVf 1 level].

Thrombin hydrolyzes platelet membrane glycoprotein V (GPV) which has leucine rich repetitive modules specifically, and releases GPVf1 (fragment of N terminal in GPV). The GPV related antigen level in plasma will thus reflect activation of platelet in vivo. The ELISA assay to measure the concentration of GPV and GPVf1 in plasma using polyclonal anti-GPV antibody, was established. The concentration of GPV and GPVf1 in plasma by using polyclonal anti-GPV antibody was established. The concentration of GPV related antigen in plasma is significantly higher in patients with thrombosis and correlated well with thrombotic episodes. It was suggested that the measurement of plasma-GPV-related antigen level is a useful marker for the diagnosis of thrombosis or prethrombotic states.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

[Study on the therapy of multiple myelomas--initial induction therapy (MP, IFN alpha, steroid pulse) and maintenance therapy (VMP, MP continuous, VEP, MCNU)].

Untreated twenty patients of multiple myeloma were treated with the chemotherapy protocol as follows: Initial induction therapy;MP continuous or MP intermittent----IFN alpha----steroid pulse. Maintenance therapy;alkylating agents which have no cross resistance were used ((V) MP----(MP)----(V) EP----MCNU). Remission rate (CR+PR) after the initial MP therapy was 45%, and that after including IFN alpha and steroid pulse therapy was 50%, Fifty percent survival rate was almost as same as those reported previously (34M). Our protocol presented here was based on the idea that, initially, myeloma cells with proliferative activity could be affected by MP therapy, and subsequent IFN alpha therapy would have effect even on the residual myeloma cells. Serial checks of 3H-TdR uptake of myeloma cells during the therapy supported this idea. During the maintenance therapy, clinical responses to the initial induction therapy were not aggravated in the responded cases when evaluated by the variation of serum M-protein level. We propose that considering from a point of proliferative activity of myeloma cells is important for designing therapeutic protocols for multiple myeloma.

Adult

Functional Ca2+ channel produced by purified platelet membrane glycoprotein IIB-IIIA complex incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayer.

The ability of the platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa complex to function as a Ca2+ channel was investigated by electrophysiological methods. The GPIIb-IIIa complex was purified with an electrically silent detergent, CHAPS, and reconstituted into liposomes. After incorporation of these liposomes to a planar phospholipid bilayer, Ba(2+)-permeable channel currents were detected. Since neither residual detergent nor dissociated GPIIb and IIIa produced any currents, the observed channel currents were attributed to the GPIIb-IIIa complex. These channel currents showed similar electrical properties with the Ca2+ channel previously described in platelet plasma membrane; a single channel conductance of approximately 10 pS in 53 mM Ba2+ solution and voltage-independency. It was concluded that the purified GPIIb-IIIa complex can act as a divalent cation-permeable channel in the artificial phospholipid bilayer.

Calcium Channels

Electrophysiological evidence that glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex is involved in calcium channel activation on human platelet plasma membrane.

The involvement of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa complex in calcium channel activity on the plasma membrane was investigated using an electrophysiological approach. Plasma membrane vesicles were prepared from thrombin-stimulated platelets and incorporated into planar lipid bilayers. Voltage-independent Ca2+ channel currents with a conductance of about 10 pS (in 53 mM Ba2+) were observed, in membranes derived from thrombin-stimulated, but not unstimulated platelet membranes. These channel activities were markedly reduced by exposure of membranes to EGTA at 37 degrees C. This reduction was specifically related to the dissociation of the GPIIb-IIIa complex since preincubation of the membranes with a monoclonal antibody to the GPIIb-IIIa complex (AP-2) could protect the channel activities from the effect of EGTA. Thrombasthenic platelets, which lack the GPIIb-IIIa complex, showed impaired channel activities characterized by decreased open probability and lowered conductance states. Furthermore, when platelets were stimulated by thrombin in the presence of EGTA, AP2, or the synthetic peptide RGDS, to prevent fibrinogen binding to the GPIIb-IIIa complex, open probabilities of the channel currents in these membrane vesicles were also decreased. These results suggest that the GPIIb-IIIa complex is involved in platelet Ca2+ channel activation and that ligand binding to the complex during platelet activation may modify the activation of Ca2+ channels.

Amino Acid Sequence