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Biomedical subjects

A Ueda

Publications and source records attributed to A Ueda.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Allergologic evaluation for workers exposed to toluene diisocyanate.

A cross-sectional investigation for allergology was performed of 15 painters exposed to high concentrations of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) (0.07-0.17 ppm) during the process of handling polyurethane varnish in a furniture manufacturing factory. Asthmatic reactions such as dyspnea, wheezing related to workshifts and contact dermatitis were observed in four and three cases respectively by questionnaire survey. Lung function tests on the painters showed significant decline in FEV1, %FEV1 and MMF compared to the referents. An increment in mast cell degranulation percentage could be seen in the painters. And also, patch testing with TDI were positive in five cases. From the results, it was suggested that both allergic pulmonary effects and contact sensitization had occurred in TDI-exposed painters in this factory.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The action of interleukin-4 on antigen-specific IgG1 and IgE production by interaction of in vivo primed B cells and carrier-specific cloned Th2 cells.

The production of anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) antibodies of different isotypes from in vivo primed B cells was studied using the plaque-forming cell method. It was shown that these B cells secrete anti-trinitrophenyl antibodies of different isotypes only in the presence of Th2 cells specific for keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and the hapten-carrier conjugate TNP-KLH. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated primed B cells without cells from the Th2 clone did not produce anti-TNP-specific IgG1 or IgE antibodies even in the presence of the hapten-carrier antigen TNP-KLH. Supernatants from these Th2 clones cultured with antigen-presenting cells and the complete antigen were unable to activate primed B cells for antibody secretion. Cognate interaction between primed B cells and carrier-specific Th2 cells is a prerequisite for hapten-specific IgG1 or IgE production. Anti-IL-4 antibody inhibited secretion of anti-hapten IgE antibody. Therefore, for production of anti-hapten antibody of the IgE isotype IL-4 is also necessary.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Increased production of the third component of complement (C3) by monocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We measured in vitro C3 production by peripheral blood monocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and found it to be significantly greater than that from normal controls. We also found that monocytes from SLE patients with active disease produced a markedly larger amount of C3 than those from SLE patients with inactive disease. Production of C3 by monocytes correlated with serum levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies and inversely correlated with serum C3 levels in SLE patients. Serial measurement of C3 in the culture supernatant from each SLE patient showed that C3 production by monocytes fell in parallel with a decrease of disease activity. The effect of corticosteroids was ruled out as there was no relation between the level of C3 production by monocytes and the dose of prednisolone. This seems to be the first study in which the C3 production was assayed at a cellular level in SLE patients, and this study suggests that the local C3 production is increased in SLE patients.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1990

[Quantitation of intact form of complement protein B and its fragment Ba in human serum by radioimmunoassay].

A sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay for intact complement protein B and its smaller fragment Ba is described which quantitates human B and Ba to 30 ng/ml. The assay was proved to be useful to evaluate the activation of the alternative pathway of the complement system by measuring intact B and Ba in normal human sera activated with zymosan. In sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the level of intact B was decreased and that of Ba was increased in the active phase, and the level of Ba was increased though intact B which was within normal limits in the inactive phase. The present result suggests that the activation of the alternative pathway is occurring both in the active and inactive phase in SLE, and the measurement of intact B and Ba concentration in pathological sera would be useful to evaluate the activation of the alternative complement pathway.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

An improved method for the detection of IgE antibody of defined specificity by ELISA using rat monoclonal anti-IgE antibody.

An improved method for the detection of IgE antibody of defined specificity by ELISA using rat monoclonal anti-IgE antibodies is described. The innovation consists of coating the plates first by a monoclonal rat anti-murine IgE antibody, adding the sera to this antibody-coated plates and then adding the biotin-conjugated antigen after the sera. The plates are then reacted with streptavidin-peroxidase and developed. This procedure eliminates possible competitions with other isotypes of the same specificity. The method is useful especially to quantitate IgE with defined specificity in the presence of high amounts of isotypes of the same specificity.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Occupational dermatoses in farmers growing okra (Hibiscus esculentus L.).

By questionnaire survey, 32 out of 52 workers (61.5%) reported previous or current skin diseases from okra cultivation. The sites of skin lesions were mainly the arms, fingers and fingertips. Positive patch test reactions with preparations of okra leaves or immature pods in 111 workers, compared to 63 control subjects, were significantly higher in okra workers than in controls (p less than 0.01), ranging from 9.8 to 30.0%. 37 out of 111 workers (33.3%) were diagnosed as having allergic contact dermatitis (n = 17; 15.3%) and irritant contact dermatitis (n = 18; 16.2%) from okra cultivation.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1989

Liver abnormalities and liver membrane autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The hepatic involvement of 57 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was studied with special reference to liver membrane autoantibody (LMA). Liver abnormalities were found predominantly in patients with active SLE (27/48 (56%) in active SLE v 3/20 (15%) in inactive SLE). They were, however, rather mild or moderate and tended to disappear as the disease activity of SLE decreased. In this respect the liver abnormalities observed in this study differed from those in patients with lupoid hepatitis. The incidence of LMA in active SLE (8/11 (73%] was significantly greater than that in inactive SLE (4/12 (33%)). The mean LMA index value in active SLE was 8.3, which was also greater than the 2.9 in inactive SLE. Furthermore, in active SLE the mean LMA titre was significantly higher in patients with liver abnormalities than in those without. These results suggest that LMA may be associated with the activity of SLE and may be one of the factors which cause transient liver abnormalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Avascular necrosis of bone in systemic lupus erythematosus: possible role of haemostatic abnormalities.

The pathogenesis of avascular necrosis of bone (ANB) was investigated in 111 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (24 with ANB, 87 without ANB); patients' ages, corticosteroid treatment, clinical and laboratory features associated with SLE, and haemostatic profiles were all taken into account. The mean ages of patients with and without ANB at the time of diagnosis of SLE was 24.1 and 31.2 years respectively. The mean maximal daily dose of prednisolone in the group with ANB was 50.8 mg, which was significantly higher than the dose (41.8 mg) in the group without ANB. Disease features of SLE, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, hyperlipidaemia, nephrotic syndrome, hypertension, and disease activity, were not found to be related to ANB. The percentage of patients who had lupus anticoagulant as well as a shorter activated partial thromboplastin time was greater in those with ANB than in those without. Multiple factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of ANB in SLE, and it is suggested that haemostatic abnormalities, which could be influenced by corticosteroids and young ages, play some part in the development of ANB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Individual growth study of the effects of chin cap force to the mandible].

This study was undertaken to investigate a certain regulation of the chin cap force to a growing human mandible, especially with regard to the effect on the growth amount and timing by means of allometric relation between stature and craniofacial complex. Materials were consisted of roentgencephalograms which had been taken from fifteen Japanese females with skeletal class III malocclusion and records of time length of chin cap use and stature. The results were as follows: 1. Chin cap had a great influence on mandible during the preadolescent and adolescent periods (P less than 0.01). 2. What was most influenced by orthopedic force was intercondylar width, followed by mandibular length, intergonial width, mandibular body length, and ramus height. 3. Restraint of growth was found in mandibular length, mandibular body length, and ramus height, but on the other hand acceleration of growth in intercondylar width and intergonial width was also found. In conclusion, it would be possible to say that if it is used propertly, chin cap therapy can be effective within certain limits for skeletal class III malocclusions in view of restraint and acceleration of mandibular growth.

Cephalometry↗
PubMed1988

Radioassays for quantitation of intact complement proteins C2 and B in human serum.

Availability of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies recognizing determinants on the major cleavage fragments of complement proteins C2 and B enabled development of sensitive radioassays which can be used to quantitate the intact proteins in human sera. Changes in C2 and B concentrations indicative of classical or alternative pathway activation, or both, were seen in normal serum after incubation with complement activators. We determined the normal range (mean +/- 2 SD) of C2 concentration to be 11-35 micrograms/ml in 32 healthy individuals, and that of protein B to be 74-286 micrograms/ml. Sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), septic shock, infections, and following orthopedic surgery were then assayed. Mean protein B concentration was significantly higher in SLE sera (P = 0.002) and in the infected and post-operative (acute-phase) sera (P less than 0.001), and the mean C2 concentration in the septic shock group (P less than 0.001) was significantly lower than the mean of healthy individuals. Intact C2 was not detected in known C2-deficient individuals. These assays allow parallel quantitation of the structurally and functionally homologous proteins of the classical (C2) and alternative (B) pathways, which is of interest in patients with genetic and acquired hypocomplementemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Interactions of extracellular collagen and corneal fibroblasts: morphologic and biochemical changes of rabbit corneal cells cultured in a collagen matrix.

Corneal fibroblasts, also known as keratocytes are surrounded by an extracellular matrix of collagen in vivo. To understand the physiology and pathology of these corneal fibroblasts, it is important to study their interactions with this extracellular matrix. We cultured rabbit corneal fibroblasts on tissue culture plastic dishes or in a hydrated collagen gel and compared the changes in morphology and mitotic activity. Corneal fibroblasts on plastic dishes were flattened and widely spread, whereas those in collagen gel became spindle-shaped with long processes. Examination with an electron microscope revealed that the corneal fibroblasts in collagen gel formed gap junctions with neighboring cells. Gap junctions were hardly ever observed between corneal fibroblasts cultured on plastic dishes. Corneal fibroblasts cultured in a collagen matrix showed much less incorporation of [3H]thymidine than did corneal fibroblasts cultured on plastic, and this incorporation decreased with increasing concentration of collagen. Our present results suggest that the morphologic and biochemical characteristics of corneal fibroblasts cultured in collagen gel are different from those cultured on plastic.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Anti asialo GM1 antibody detected in the patients' sera from systemic lupus erythematosus and Behçet's diseases with neurological manifestations.

A high incidence of antibody to asialo GM1 was observed in the sera from the patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Behçet's disease with neurological manifestations, using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and Thin-layer Chromatography (TLC) immunostaining. The sera from 60 out of 102 cases of SLE with neurological disorders and 6 out of 10 patients with neuro Behçet's disease showed antibody activity against asialo GM1 but not against the asialo GM2, GM1 and galactocerebroside. In 7 out of 123 cases SLE having a history without neurological manifestations and 1 out of 19 Behçet's patients without neurological disorders, antiasialo GM1 antibody could be detectable. However, sera from the patients with other autoimmune diseases, such as RA (60 cases) and P S S (32 cases) or from normal subjects did not show any antibody activity against asialo GM1. Antiasialo GM1 antibody activity presents in both IgM and IgG immunoglobulin classes by class specific ELISA and TLC immunostaining. These studies suggest that detection of antiasialo GM1 antibody may be useful in clinical diagnosis and these autoantibody plays a important role in the pathogenesis of neurological manifestations accompanying SLE and Neuro-Behçet's disease.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1987

Specific inhibitor of complement (C5)-derived chemotactic activity in systemic lupus erythematosus related antigenically to the Bb fragment of human factor B.

Serum and plasma from patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus contain a specific inhibitor of complement (C5)-derived chemotactic activity. We found that the inhibitor is antigenically related to the Bb fragment of complement factor B. Lupus plasma and purified inhibitor significantly reduced the chemotactic activity of zymosan-treated normal serum, an effect that was abolished by antibodies to factor B. Similar results were obtained when purified Bb was used. Neither purified inhibitor nor Bb inhibited the chemotactic activity of purified human C5a or C5a des Arg. As reported previously, the chemotactic activity of C5a des Arg was enhanced significantly by the addition of an anionic polypeptide (cochemotaxin) present in normal serum and plasma. Interestingly, both purified lupus inhibitor and Bb inhibited the chemotactic activity exhibited by mixtures of C5a des Arg and its cochemotaxin. This effect was due, most likely, to their ability to neutralize the enhancing effect of the cochemotaxin on the chemotactic activity of C5a des Arg. Immunoelectrophoresis and western blots revealed that the purified inhibitor reacted with anti-factor B and exhibited a similar charge and molecular weight as purified Bb.

Chemotactic Factors↗
PubMed1987

Probing functional sites on complement protein B with monoclonal antibodies. Evidence for C3b-binding sites on Ba.

We used four mouse monoclonal antibodies (Mab) as probes of functional sites of human complement protein B. Two Mab, HA4-1B (gamma 2a kappa) and HA4-15 (gamma 2a kappa), reacted with the same or adjacent epitopes on the Bb fragment of B, while the other two, HA4-1A (gamma 1 kappa) and FD3-20 (gamma 1 kappa), reacted with distinct epitopes on Ba. All reactive epitopes were expressed on native B and only one, recognized by the anti-Ba Mab HA4-1A was more reactive on isolated Ba than on B. These binding specificities were determined by direct binding radioassays and confirmed by inhibition studies. Immunoelectron microscopy of B and Bb in complex with anti-Ba and anti-Bb revealed that the recognized epitopes are on opposite sides of the molecule and are on discrete domains. All four Mab inhibited the hemolytic activity of B, although with different efficiencies and through different mechanisms. The main effect of the two anti-Bb Mab was an increased rate of loss of hemolytic sites from preformed EC3bBb C3 convertase presumably through accelerated dissociation of Bb. On the other hand, the main effect of the two anti-Ba Mab was inhibition of binding of B to C3b. HA4-1A was more efficient, inhibiting by 50% the binding of [125I]B to EC3b at 10 micrograms/ml as IgG and at 13 micrograms/ml as Fab. The data suggest that a binding site for C3b on intact B is located on the Ba portion of the molecule.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗