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Biomedical subjects

F Ando

Publications and source records attributed to F Ando.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Preproghrelin Leu72Met variant contributes to overweight in middle-aged men of a Japanese large cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Leu72Met polymorphism of the preproghrelin gene is associated with overweight/obesity in middle-aged and older Japanese. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SUBJECTS: A total of 2238 community-dwelling middle-aged and older Japanese people (age: 40-79 years) who participated in the first wave of examinations in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging from April 1998 to March 2000. MEASUREMENTS: The Leu72Met polymorphism of prepoghrelin gene, anthropometric variables including body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and whole-fat mass and biochemical variables including serum lipid levels, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance. RESULTS: The frequencies of the Leu72Leu, Leu72Met and Met72Met alleles were 63.4, 32.7 and 4.0%, respectively. No differences in the genotype distributions of the Leu72Met polymorphism were found between genders or age groups, and no significant associations were observed between polymorphism and anthropometric variables in women and older men. However, middle-aged men who were 72Met allele carriers showed a higher body weight change from body weight at 18 years of age, as well as a higher waist circumference and a tendency to a higher waist-hip-ratio than noncarriers. Although there were no significant differences in the genotype distribution according to BMI in women and older men, a significantly higher frequency of the 72Met allele was found in the higher BMI group (BMI> or =25 kg/m(2)) of middle-aged men than in the normal-weight group. No significant associations were observed between polymorphism and serum lipid, glucose or insulin levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the 72Met allele of the preproghrelin gene is a contributing factor for midlife weight change in men.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Differences in the relationship between lipid CHD risk factors and body composition in Caucasians and Japanese.

OBJECTIVES: To examine differences in the relationship between fat distribution and lipid coronary risk factors in Caucasian and Japanese population and further to determine whether the cut-points for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) proposed by WHO and NHLBI are applicable to Japanese population as a predictor of a lipid risk factor abnormality or not. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Subjects were 895 participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging in the US (BLSA) and 1705 participants of the Longitudinal Study of Aging by the National Institutes for Longevity Science in Japan (NILS-LSA). Subjects were divided into four demographic groups as younger (age<65 y) men and women, and older (age> or =65 y) men and women. Blood total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol and anthropometry were measured. Regression coefficients of BMI and WC on risk factors, sensitivity and specificity of the BMI and WC cut-points for blood lipid abnormality, and mean values of blood lipids at BMI or WC cut-points were computed in both populations. RESULTS: Height, weight, WC and BMI were significantly greater in the BLSA than those in the NILS-LSA subjects. Total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol were significantly greater in the NILS-LSA than in the BLSA subjects. Sensitivities of BMI and WC cut-points were much lower in the NILS-LSA than in the BLSA subjects. Specificities of BMI and WC cut-points were higher in the NILS-LSA than in the BLSA subjects. Mean values of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol at BMI=25 were significantly greater in the NILS-LSA than in the BLSA subjects. At the WC cut-point (94 cm for men, 80 cm for women), mean values of all lipids were significantly greater in the NILS-LSA than in the BLSA subjects with the exception of triglycerides in younger women. CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese subjects have smaller BMI and WC, worse total and LDL-cholesterol levels and better HDL-cholesterol levels compared to Caucasians. Sensitivities of BMI and WC for predicting lipid risk factor abnormality are much lower in Japanese. The cut-points for BMI and WC proposed by WHO and NHLBI may be too high for predicting an abnormality in triglycerides, total and LDL-cholesterol in Japanese. For detecting an abnormal HDL-cholesterol level, the BMI and WC cut-points may not be as beneficial for the Japanese population as for Caucasians.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Alcohol dehydrogenase 2 variant is associated with cerebral infarction and lacunae.

The authors examined the association of the alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) genotype with vascular events in community-dwelling Japanese (1,102 men/1,093 women). The allele ADH2*2 encodes an isozyme with a higher level of activity than ADH2*1. Here, the authors show that the ADH2*1 carriage is associated with high prevalence of cerebral infarction and lacunae in men. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that the risk of lacunae and cerebral infarction was increased by the ADH2*1 allele.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Association of polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha gene with body fat distribution.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor (ER) alpha gene are associated with body fat distribution. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, epidemiological study of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms, a T --> C (PvuII) and an A --> G (XbaI), in the first intron of the ERalpha gene. SUBJECTS: A total of 2238 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly Japanese population (age: 40-79 y). MEASUREMENTS: The ERalpha genotypes (by automated fluorescent allele-specific DNA primer assay system), anthropometric variables, fat mass (FM) and percentage FM (%FM) (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). RESULTS: FM and waist were inversely associated with age (r=-0.630 and -0.504, respectively) in women with the GG genotype. On the other hand, waist circumference of the AA genotype was positively correlated with age (r=0.231). Thus, for middle-aged women (40-59 y) with the AG or GG genotype body mass index (BMI), %FM, FM, waist, hip and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were larger than those with the AA genotype. In particular, FM and waist were greater by 20% and 9%, respectively, for the GG genotype, compared to the AA genotype. Alternatively, FM and waist were smaller by 18% and 6%, respectively, in older women with the GG genotype, compared to the AA genotype. No effect was found among the A --> G polymorphisms for men. For both genders, no difference was found in any variables among the TT, TC and CC genotypes with the exception of BMI of older men (60-79 y). CONCLUSION: No association was found between the ERalpha gene polymorphisms and body fat distribution in men. For women, the A --> G polymorphism, in particular the GG genotype, may contribute to the development of upper-body obesity in middle-aged individuals, but may serve to decrease the whole-body and abdominal fat tissue of older individuals.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2003

[Aortic regurgitation caused by prolapsed noncoronary cusp associated with dissecting aortic aneurysm treated by placing a prosthetic graft onto the anulus: report of a case].

A 70-year-old man with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) associated with dissecting aortic aneurysm underwent a radical operation. AR was thought to be due to dilated sinotubular junction and prolapsed noncoronary cusp caused by dissecting flap extended into the sinus of Valsalva. At operation, the noncoronary cusp was slightly prolapsed into the left ventricle, but all cusps were seemed to be thin and pliable. An isolated "tongue shaped" graft was placed onto the anulus of the noncoronary cusp, and a 26 mm Woven Dacron graft was used to replace the ascending aorta. Postoperative angiogram showed mild AR and improved left ventricular (LV) function. This procedure was effective to repair AR caused by prolapsed noncoronary cusp without elongation or thickening of the valve.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Tensile bond strength of light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement with delayed light exposure.

In the clinical situations, the time intervals between material mixing and light exposure during bracket bonding, using light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement (LCGIC), may vary for each individual bracket. This study determined the tensile bond strengths of LCGIC subjected to various time intervals, and evaluated the durability with thermocycling. Comparisons were made between LCGIC and light-cured composite resin (LCR). Two hundred and forty bovine teeth were chosen as specimens. Light exposure was performed 5, 10, 20, and 40 min after the commencement of powder/liquid mixing. The durability was evaluated by thermocycling for 2000 times at temperatures between 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C, with a 30-s dwell time. Tensile bond strengths of LCGIC and LCR after 5 min, representing the general condition in clinical use, equaled 5.7 +/- 1.5 MPa and 5.1 +/- 2.6 MPa, respectively. For the LCGIC groups, no significant differences were seen between bond strengths with and without thermocycling. Also, no significant differences were noted among any time intervals. For the LCR groups, there were also no significant differences with and without thermocycling. The tensile bond strength of LCR showed highly significant differences within groups across time. Compared with LCR, the failure sites for brackets bonded with LCGIC appeared to be predominantly at the bracket/adhesive interface. The standard deviations of LCR were high when compared with those of LCGIC. The bond strength of LCGIC with or without thermocycling surpassed the clinically required minimum. LCGIC may be an advantageous alternative to LCR for orthodontic bracket bonding.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Orthodontic bracket bonding with a plasma-arc light and resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement.

Developments in light-curing technology have led to the introduction of a plasma-arc light-curing unit that delivers high-intensity output for faster curing. The purposes of this study were to determine the shear bond strengths of light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement cured with a plasma-arc light-curing unit and to evaluate the durability of the resultant bond strength with thermal cycling. Comparisons were made between light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement and light-cured composite resin. Two light-curing units were used in this study: a plasma-arc light-curing unit and a conventional light-curing unit. The mean shear bond strengths of light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement with the plasma-arc and the conventional light-curing units were 20.3 MPa and 26.0 MPa, respectively. An analysis of variance showed no statistically significant differences between the plasma-arc and the conventional light-curing units. Light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement and light-cured composite resin demonstrated similar bond strengths and exhibited no statistical differences. There was no statistical difference in bond strength between the teeth that were thermal cycled and those that were not. Failure sites for the brackets bonded with light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement appeared to be predominantly at the bracket-adhesive interface. The SDs of light-cured composite resin were high for both light-curing units. Whereas the coefficients of variation for light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement ranged from 20% to 30%, those of light-cured composite resin ranged from 40% to 60%. The bond strength of light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement cured with either a conventional light-curing unit or a plasma-arc light-curing unit surpassed the clinically required threshold. The plasma-arc light-curing unit may be an advantageous alternative to the conventional light-curing unit for orthodontic bracket bonding with both light-cured resin-reinforced glass ionomer cement and light-cured composite resin.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed2000

Cancer incidence in old age.

The incidence of all cancer increases with age through most of the human life span, but its real incidence at very old ages has not been well elucidated to date. Clarification of the real incidence of cancer in old age, especially among centenarians, may well provide pivotal information to understand the characteristics of humankind. In this study, autopsy records of the Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan, 1991-1996, vols. 34-39 (Japanese Society of Pathology, Tokyo) were used. Cases over 90 years old were studied individually for accurate analysis. The incidence of cancer peaked in the 6th decade and that of multiple cases in the 8th decade. In groups over 90 years of age, the incidence at 5-year intervals did not show any significant decrement. Moreover, the metastatic rate and rate of death due to cancer among centenarians was about three-fourths and two-thirds, respectively, of that of cases aged 90-94 years. The decrease in the metastatic ratio and less mortality due to cancer occurring at the oldest ages are considered due to the nature of cancer itself. The fact that the incidence of cancer does not increase would suggest that certain people among those of advanced age have a special resistance to it.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Developmental changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin enantiomers in Japanese children.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify developmental changes in the pharmacokinetics and dynamics of warfarin enantiomers to establish rational pediatric dosage. METHODS: Plasma concentrations of unbound warfarin enantiomers, vitamin K1 and vitamin K-dependent proteins (that is, prothrombin fragments 1+2, protein C, and the protein-induced by vitamin K absence) and international normalized ratio were measured in 38 prepubertal (1 to 11 years), 15 pubertal (12 to 18 years), and 81 adult (37 to 76 years) patients given long-term warfarin therapy. Unbound oral clearance values for warfarin enantiomers and its body weight-, body surface area-, and liver weight-normalized values, as well as the pharmacodynamic parameters, were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The prepubertal, pubertal, and adult patients exhibited comparable mean plasma concentrations of unbound warfarin enantiomers for pharmacologically more active (S)-warfarin. Although the unbound oral clearance of (S)-warfarin for the prepubertal patients was significantly (P < .01) less than that for the adult group (346 versus 637 mL/min), the body weight-normalized unbound oral clearance for the prepubertal patients was significantly (P < .01) greater than that for the adults and showed a negative correlation (P < .05) with age. In contrast, no differences were observed in the liver weight-normalized unbound oral clearance for (S)-warfarin between the prepubertal and adult groups. The prepubertal patients showed significantly (P < .01 or .05) lower plasma concentrations of protein C and prothrombin fragments 1+2 and greater international normalized ratio and international normalized ratio/dose than the adults. In contrast, the pubertal patients showed largely similar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties to adults. CONCLUSION: Liver weight may be a better parameter than body weight for estimating the warfarin doses for prepubertal patients on the basis of the corresponding adult values. Augmented responses to warfarin in children should also be taken into account for estimating warfarin doses for children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Relationship between intraocular pressure and obesity in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Some cross-sectional studies have suggested that age, systolic blood pressure and obesity are positively related to intraocular pressure (IOP), but few longitudinal studies have examined this relationship. This study was carried out to evaluate the association between intraocular pressure and obesity by cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in a large Japanese population. METHODS: Data were collected from annual health examinations between 1989 and 1997 and reviewed retrospectively. Subjects of the cross-sectional analysis were 70 139 males and females aged 14-94 years. Among these subjects, 25 216 males and females who had undergone IOP measurements more than three times were analysed longitudinally. The association between IOP and obesity was examined cross-sectionally and longitudinally. RESULTS: Cross-sectional analysis: The mean IOP at the last visit was 11.6 mmHg. The IOP decreased gradually with age and was significantly higher in males than in females in almost all age groups. Body mass index (BMI) significantly correlated with IOP after controlling for age, gender and blood pressure. Longitudinal analysis: There was a significant association between longitudinal change in IOP and change in weight. This relationship remained significant after controlling for initial BMI, initial blood pressure, change in blood pressure, gender and age. CONCLUSION: This study showed a significant association between IOP and obesity in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. These findings suggest that obesity is an independent risk factor for increase in IOP.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Vasopressin-dependent upregulation of aquaporin-2 gene expression in glucocorticoid-deficient rats.

We determined alterations in renal aquaporin-2 (AQP2) gene expression in association with impaired water excretion in glucocorticoid-deficient rats. After adrenalectomy, Sprague-Dawley rats were administered aldosterone alone by osmotic pumps (glucocorticoid-deficient rats). As a control, both aldosterone and dexamethasone were administered. These animals were subjected to the studies on days 7-14. The expressions of AQP2 mRNA and protein in kidney of the glucocorticoid-deficient rats were increased by 1.6- and 1.4-fold compared with the control rats, respectively. An acute oral water load test verified the marked impairment in water excretion in the glucocorticoid-deficient rats. One hour after the water load, the expressions of AQP2 mRNA and protein were significantly reduced in the control rats, but they remained unchanged in the glucocorticoid-deficient rats. However, there was no alteration in [(3)H]arginine vasopressin (AVP) receptor binding and AVP V(2) receptor mRNA expression in the glucocorticoid-deficient rats. A V(2)-receptor antagonist abolished the increased expressions of AQP2 mRNA and protein in the glucocorticoid-deficient rats. These results indicate that augmented expression of AQP2 participates in impaired water excretion, dependent on AVP, in glucocorticoid deficiency.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed2000

A new comprehensive study on aging--the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA).

A new comprehensive longitudinal study of aging, the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA) started in November 1997. The participants of this study will be 2,400 residents aged 40 to 79 years who were age- and gender-stratified random samples selected from the NILS area. All participants provided written informed consent after a detailed explanation of the study. They will be examined at the NILS-LSA Examination Center every two years. Their first wave examinations will be finished by the end of March 2000. The examined variables number over 1,000, including clinical evaluations, medical examinations, anthropometry, body composition, physical functions, physical activities, psychological assessments, nutritional analysis and molecular epidemiology. By the end of September 1999, 1,643 men and women had completed their first wave examinations.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Ultrasonic evaluation of common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT)--influence of local plaque on the relationship between IMT and age.

Ultrasonic evaluation of the intima-media thickness in the common carotid artery (IMT-CCA) has been widely used as a marker of atherosclerosis. However, the definition of IMT-CCA is not uniform and it includes two quite different pathological changes; a general intima-media thickening and a local atherosclerotic change (plaque formation). The aim of this paper was to evaluate the IMT-CCA and local atherosclerosis separately, and to clarify how the IMT-CCA itself changes with age and how local plaques influence the relationship between the IMT-CCA and age. The subjects were 979 men and women aged 40 to 79 years who participated in the first wave examination of the National Institute for Longevity Sciences--Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA). The IMT-CCA measured at the thinnest point was significantly higher in men (0.61 +/- 0.15 mm) than in women (0.58 +/- 0.14 mm, p < 0.01) and it increased with age (trend p < 0.0001) in both genders. The IMT-CCA was higher with the presence of plaque in the bulbs (PLQ-BLB) than without PLQ-BLB (p < 0.0001). Although this was a cross-sectional study, the IMT-CCA increased 0.06 mm/10 years with PLQ-BLB and 0.04 mm/10 years without PLQ-BLB. The IMT-CCA could be partially explained by age, gender and PLQ-BLB (r2 = 0.317). In this middle-aged and elderly population, an increase in the IMT-CCA showed a moderate relationship with local atherosclerosis and age.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Eye examinations at the National Institute for Longevity Sciences--Longitudinal Study of Aging: NILS-LSA.

The National Institute for Longevity Sciences--Longitudinal Study of Aging (the NILS-LSA) started in 1997, and involves many kinds of examination. The objective of this paper is to outline the eye examinations in the NILS-LSA. The eye examinations consist of checks on refractometry, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, contrast sensitivity, kinetic visual acuity, visual fields, fundus photography, and lens estimation. The subjects were 1,077 men and women aged 40-79 years who participated in the first year examination of the NILS-LSA. All subjective measurements (distant visual acuity, kinetic visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and mean sensitivity of visual field) declined significantly from the 50s. Age-related structural changes in the lens or hypertensive and arteriosclerotic changes in retinal vessels began at least in the 40s. It is suspected that aging affects the subjective visual functions from the 50s. However, changes in the structure of eye may begin before the 40s. The data from the eye examinations of the NILS-LSA are useful to assess the aging effects on vision and to investigate the relationship between visual function and physical or psychosocial health problems among the elderly.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The effects of age on hearing and middle ear function.

Audiometric test results from 933 community dwelling males and females were presented to obtain the norm for each generation after middle age. Three aspects were adopted in this analysis; the cross-sectional aging transition of pure tone thresholds, the comparison in the self-perceived hearing difficulty among generations and the evaluation of middle ear function using multifrequency tympanometry. Subjects were divided into four age groups; 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. There were statistically significant differences in pure tone thresholds between almost any two age groups at each frequency in both genders, especially at higher frequencies. The pure tone thresholds were also discussed in regard to gender difference and laterality. A contradiction between self-perceived hearing difficulty and auditory accuracy was observed in the elderly generation. Analysis of tympanometric measurements was performed on static admittance at 226 Hz, tympanometric peak pressure at 226 Hz and resonance frequency of the middle ear. These variables did not show any systematic aging change. However, it was considered they represented the reference values of each generation.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗
PubMed2000

Age and gender differences in skin sensory threshold assessed by current perception in community-dwelling Japanese.

The purpose of this study was to investigate age and gender differences in current perception thresholds (CPT) in Japanese citizens. CPT values at frequencies of 2000, 250 and 5 Hz reflect different types of peripheral sensory nerve functions. Since there have been only a limited number of reports which investigated CPT values in community-dwelling people, little is known about variations with age and gender. The present study therefore concentrated on a large population of 1632 individuals (men; 818 mean age +/- standard deviation 59.4 +/- 10.9, women; 814, 59.4 +/- 11.1) in a Japanese community. Significant gender differences in CPT values at 250 and 5 Hz were observed. Multiple comparisons among 4 age groups (40s, 50s, 60s and 70s) showed age-related differences in CPT values at 2000 and 250 Hz in both genders. However, age and gender interactions with reference to CPT values appeared to be different between these latter two frequencies. At 5 Hz, only men showed age-related variations. These results indicated gender differences in fiber-specific aging changes.

Adult↗