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Biomedical subjects

H Ehara

Publications and source records attributed to H Ehara.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Epidemiology of spina bifida in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, 1976-1995.

The authors studied the epidemiology of spina bifida in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, from 1976 to 1995. Thirty-four patients (16 men and 18 women) were registered in this study. Consanguineous marriages, familial occurrence, and abnormalities in prenatal history were not observed. The incidence rate in the entire prefecture and in the eastern, central, and western regions was 0.234, 0.148, 0.425, and 0.230 per 1,000 live births, respectively. The incidence rate in the central region was greater than that in the eastern region with statistical significance (P < 0.05), but the cause of the cluster is unknown. The incidence rate of 0.234 per 1,000 live births for 20 years is compatible with the previous two studies of 1922-1940 and 1948-1954 in Japan. Such apparently stable trends suggest that environmental factors have affected the Japanese less than genetic factors. Seasonal variations are not demonstrated.

Demography↗
PubMed1997

New autosomal-recessive syndrome of Leber congenital amaurosis, short stature, growth hormone insufficiency, mental retardation, hepatic dysfunction, and metabolic acidosis.

We report on a new autosomal-recessive syndrome in 4 Japanese children in 2 families. The key manifestations are Leber congenital amaurosis, short stature, growth hormone insufficiency, mental retardation, hepatic dysfunction, metabolic acidosis, and autosomal-recessive inheritance. There were no consanguineous marriages. Abnormal eye movements were noticed neonatally, and ophthalmological examinations showed no visual acuity, pigmentary retinal degeneration, and nonrecordable electroretinograms in all cases. Inadequate weight gain and short stature gradually became apparent after birth, and at present the height range is -4.6 - -7.2 SD (standard deviations). Developmental delay was noted at age 4 months, and the developmental quotient is 50-70 at present. Deterioration of development and convulsions were not recognized. Elevated serum aminotransferase levels and metabolic acidosis were also found at age 4 months. Proximal renal tubular acidosis was clarified by bicarbonate tolerance tests in 1 case, and may have caused metabolic acidosis. Growth hormone secretion was insufficient by insulin tolerance test in 3 cases. One year of growth hormone therapy in 2 cases did not affect growth velocity. Hepatic dysfunction and metabolic acidosis ameliorated later. No renal cysts were found. A cranial computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed normal findings. Amino acids, organic acids, and very long chain fatty acid levels in plasma were all normal in the 3 cases examined. Histopathological and mitochondrial DNA analyses showed no evidence of mitochondrial disorders.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1997

Detection of micrometastatic prostate cancer cells in the bone marrow of patients with prostate cancer.

Thirty-five patients with prostate cancer were examined for micrometastases to the bone marrow using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene. Of nine patients with bone metastases detectable by bone scan imaging, five patients had PSA mRNA expression in the bone marrow detectable by RT-PCR. Of 26 patients with negative bone scan findings, seven patients had PSA mRNA expression detectable in the bone marrow. RT-PCR could detect micrometastatic prostate cancer cells in the bone marrow that were not detectable by bone scan imaging. Of 16 patients with a serum PSA concentration of 25 ng ml(-1) or greater, only nine (56.3%) had bone metastases detected by bone scans. Of the remaining seven patients, five had micrometastases to the bone marrow detected by RT-PCR. Overall, 14 of 16 patients (87.5%) with a serum PSA concentration of 25 ng ml(-1) or greater had metastatic bone diseases including bone marrow micrometastases. Of 19 patients with a serum PSA concentration of less than 25 ng ml(-1), two (10.5%) had only micrometastatic disease detected by RT-PCR. A significant correlation was observed between the incidence of bone involvement and the serum PSA concentration. This study suggests that RT-PCR will potentially develop into a relevant tool to assess bone involvement including bone marrow micrometastases and establish a precise correlation between serum PSA concentration and metastatic bone disease in patients with prostate cancer.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1997

[Clinical efficacy of post-TUR prophylactic chemotherapy for superficial bladder cancer--the result of co-operative prospective randomized trial].

We have performed a prospective randomized clinical trial of post-operative prophylactic therapy for superficial bladder cancer since October in 1991. The criteria were as follows; age < or = 80 y.o., Ta/T1, TCC G1/G2, without CIS lesion and resectable cancer by TUR. The therapeutic arm was divided into three as follows: arm A intracystic instillation with Epirubicin; arm B: oral administration with 5-FU; arm C: combination of arm A and arm B. The number of registered patients were 20 in arm A, 18 in arm B, and 18 in arm C. The patient characteristics in every group were not significantly different. The prophylactic efficacy of arm A was superior to that in the other two groups.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed1996

[Enhancement of cytotoxic effect of anticancer agents of renal cell carcinoma].

BACKGROUND: Human renal adenocarcinomas do not adequately respond to cancer chemotherapy. Their multidrug resistance is mainly conferred by the P-glycoprotein (P-gp). In this study, we analyzed effects of P-gp modulators on enhancement of anticancer activities against human renal cell carcinomas. METHODS: ACHN/ADM human renal adenocarcinoma cells with a high level expression of P-gp and 28 surgical specimens of renal cell adenocarcinomas were recruited. Adriamycin (ADM) and vinblastin (VLB) were used as anticancer drugs, and verapamil (Ver) and cyclosporin A (CsA) were as P-gp modulators. The chemosensitivity was determined by the ATP-assay. RESULTS: Ver and CsA exhibited 1.5-fold and 6-fold increase, respectively, in the anticancer activities of ADM against ACHN/ADM cells. The anticancer activities of VLB were also enhanced by the modulators; 7-fold for Ver and 11-fold for CsA. In the chemosensitivity test of clinical specimens, the cancer for which the viability of the cells assessed by the ATP-assay was 50% or less than 50% after exposure to the anticancer drug with or without a P-gp modulator was defined as sensitive to the drug. Of the 14 clinical specimens exposed to anticancer drugs without Ver, only 3 tumors and 1 tumor were sensitive to ADM and VLB, respectively, whereas with Ver, 6 tumors and 4 tumors were sensitive to ADM and VLB, respectively. Of the other 14 clinical specimens exposed to anticancer drugs without CsA, only 3 tumors and no tumor were sensitive to ADM and VLB, respectively, whereas, with CsA, 9 tumors and 6 tumors were sensitive to ADM and VLB, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study indicate that Ver and CsA have effects on enhancement of the anticancer activities of ADM and VLB against human renal adenocarcinomas. The addition of Ver or CsA to chemotherapy will be a potential circumvention of P-gp-mediated multidrug resistance of renal cell adenocarcinomas.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1996

[Transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis with cystic formation: a case report].

A 75-year-old man consulted our hospital complaining of gross hematuria. Retrograde pyelography revealed a filling defect and deformity of the upper calix of the left kidney. Abdominal echography and computed tomography revealed a left renal cystic tumor with irregular wall thickness measuring 7 by 5 cm. As left renal pelvic tumor or left renal cell carcinoma was suspected, left total nephroureterectomy was performed. Macroscopically, the cystic tumor contained a papillary tumor connected to the renal pelvis and histopathological diagnosis was grade 1 transitional cell carcinoma. Cystic formation caused by obstruction of the upper calix was suspected. After adjuvant chemotherapy, he has been well without recurrence or metastasis for 19 months after the operation. This is the 15th case of renal pelvic tumors with cystic formation including tumors in the pyelocaliceal diverticulum reported in Japan.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

[Molecular approach to detection of micrometastatic prostatic cancer cells in the lymph nodes and the bone marrow].

We detected micrometastatic prostate cancer cells in lymph nodes and bone marrow using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCT) specific for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). RT-PCR revealed PSA mRNA in two lymph nodes obtained from two patients with negative histological and immunohistochemical analyses for lymph node metastases. Of 26 patients with negative bone scan imaging, 7 had PSA mRNA detected in the bone marrow by RT-PCR. The RT-PCR will be a relevant tool to allow a more accurate clinical assessment of lymph node and bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer.

Bone Marrow Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Expression of estrogen receptor in diseased human prostate assessed by non-radioactive in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.

To understand the role of estrogen in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia, expressions of estrogen receptor (ER) mRNA and ER protein by in situ hybridization and by immunohistochemistry, respectively, were investigated in human prostatic tissues. In non-malignant region, ER mRNA and ER protein were found in cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively, of stromal cells, but not in glandular epithelial and basal cells. In benign regions, ER mRNA/ER protein positive cells were found in fibromyoadenomatous and myoadenomatous hyperplasia, but not in adenomatous hyperplasia. A striking feature was periacinar arrangement of ER mRNA/ER protein positive stromal cells in all prostate carcinoma treated with androgen withdrawal. The ER mRNA/ER protein positive cells were immunohistochemically identified as fibroblasts, myoblasts, and smooth muscle cells. These results indicate that stromal cells are the primary target of estrogen in prostate, and that androgen withdrawal upregulates the expression of ER gene.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[A case report of prostate cancer resistant to endocrine therapy successfully treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy].

A 73-year-old male with low abdominal pain on urination and frequent urination was diagnosed as poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of prostate. He received endocrine therapy with DESD and bilateral orchiectomy. This treatment was not effective, so he was given intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with MTX, ADM and CDDP using the reservoir system. After 2 courses of this chemotherapy the regression rate was 75%, and the pathological examination after the chemotherapy revealed no cancer cells. There is no established chemotherapy for prostate cancer at present. Thus this case is very suggestive for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

[A study on predicting factors of the effect of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy in patients with bladder cancers: the usefulness of in-vitro chemisensitivity test measuring intracellular ATP contents (ATP assay)].

We studied a relationship between in vitro sensitivity of the tumors to anti-cancerous drugs and histopathological effectiveness of an intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy in 15 patients with bladder cancers. The in vitro sensitivity test was performed by measuring intra-cellular ATP contents (ATP assay). The intra-arterial chemotherapy were performed by injecting methotrexate (MTX), adriamycin (ADM) and eisplatin (CDDP) from the internal iliac artery. When the intra-cellular ATP contents of the tumor cells treated with an anti-cancerous drug decreased to less than 50% of the untreated tumor cells, the tumor was evaluated as sensitive to the drug. The effectiveness of the chemotherapy were histopathologically evaluated by a pathologist according to the response criteria for bladder cancer treatment. When the histopathological responses of higher than grade 2 were observed in the tumor, the chemotherapy was evaluated as effective. In 8 of 9 tumors sensitive to ADM, chemotherapy were effective histopathologically and in all 6 tumors resistant to ADM, histopathological response of the chemotherapies were poor. The overall coincidence ratio between sensitivity to ADM and the histopathological effectiveness of the chemotherapy was 93%, showing statistically significant correlation. In 7 of 12 tumors sensitive to CDDP, the chemotherapies were effective and in 2 of 3 tumors resistant to CDDP, the chemotherapies were ineffective. Although the overall coincidence ratio between the sensitivities to CDDP and chemotherapeutic effectiveness was 60%, there was no significant correlation between them. In 7 of 8 tumors sensitive to both of ADM and CDDP, the chemotherapies were effective and in 6 of 7 tumors resistant to at least one of them, the chemotherapies were ineffective. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Detection of micrometastatic prostate cancer cells in lymph nodes by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

We have developed a highly sensitive method for detecting prostate cancer cells using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific for prostate-specific antigen gene. Forty-four lymph nodes obtained from 22 patients with prostate cancers were analyzed by RT-PCR to detect metastatic prostate cancer cells. RT-PCR could detect prostate-specific antigen mRNA in five lymph nodes with histologically and/or immunohistochemically identifiable metastases and in four lymph nodes with negative histological and immunohistochemical analyses for metastases. RT-PCR was a more sensitive method than histology and immunohistochemistry in detecting metastatic prostate cancer cells and could be applied for diagnosing micrometastases of prostate cancer to lymph nodes. This highly sensitive RT-PCR will be a relevant tool to allow a more accurate clinical assessment of lymph node metastases of prostate cancer and to understand lymphatic dissemination of prostate cancer biologically.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Growth and developmental patterns in Prader-Willi syndrome.

Eleven Japanese patients with Prader-Willi syndrome were studied from infancy, and examined with respect to their growth and development. The chromosomal aberration was observed in 40% of the patients using a high-resolution chromosome banding technique. The birth weight in 10 out of the 11 patients was below the mean and the rate of body weight gain was severely retarded by 6 months in all cases, which suggested an insufficient utilization of nutrients in uterine life and in early infancy. The rate of height increase as well as that of body weight increase were also transiently retarded from 10 to 18 months of age in eight cases, and the body weight gain increased dramatically after 10-18 months due to hyperphagia. The patients' mean milestones of development were delayed (the mean developmental quotient was 50) in comparison with those of control patients; there was no difference between the developmental milestones of the two groups with and without the chromosomal aberration.

Adolescent↗