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Biomedical subjects

H Inamura

Publications and source records attributed to H Inamura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Acute pancreatitis possibly caused by allergy to bananas.

We are reporting a forty-seven year old female who had three attacks of acute pancreatitis after having; eaten bananas. She was treated with a light diet and intravenous fluids during each of her admissions. The treatment concluded with the disappearance of clinical symptoms such as epigastralgia, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea within a few days. In addition, elevated serum and urine amylase levels returned to normal values in parallel with the clinical symptoms. The data during her three attacks of acute pancreatitis were as follows: serum total IgE level = 644 IU/mL, specific IgE to bananas = 2.18 UA/ml. No remarkable abnormalities were present in sonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Endoscopic examination of the upper digestive tract showed the ampulla of Vater swollen and edematous, thus a biopsy was performed. Toluidine blue staining and immunohistochemical staining against human mast cell tryptase with the biopsy specimens showed mast cells accumulating in mucosa and submucosa. By avoiding consumption of bananas, she has not suffered from any additional attacks of pancreatitis since the third attack in the last thirty-four months up to this day of December 10, 2004.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Expression of adhesion molecules on cord-blood-derived, cultured human mast cells and effect of dexamethasone on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression on the mast cells treated by phorbol myristate acetate.

BACKGROUND: Increase in mast-cell number at sites of allergic inflammation has been observed, and glucocorticoids applied to the sites have been shown to result in a significant reduction in mast cells. However, the expression of adhesion molecules on cultured human mast cells and their regulation by glucocorticoids is poorly understood. METHODS: Cultured human mast cells were raised from human umbilical cord-blood cells, and the expression of adhesion molecules on the mast cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. The cells were also incubated with 10 ng/ml phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) for the indicated time, and the effect of dexamethasone on adhesion molecule expression on PMA-treated, cultured human mast cells was examined. RESULTS: Cord-blood-derived, cultured human mast cells constitutively expressed intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), very late antigen-4 (VLA-4), and macrophage-1 antigen (Mac-1). Weak expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) was observed on the cells, whereas they failed to express vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Kinetic studies showed that after a transient downregulation reaching a minimum at 8 h, the expression of ICAM-1 was markedly upregulated on PMA-treated mast cells after a 24-h incubation. In contrast, the expression of VLA-4 and Mac-1 was decreased after the incubation with PMA for 24 h. The PMA-induced upregulation of ICAM-1 was inhibited by dexamethasone in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that cord-blood-derived, cultured human mast cells constitutively express integrins and ICAM-1, but not VCAM-1, and demonstrate for the first time that dexamethasone inhibits the upregulation of ICAM-1 on PMA-treated, cultured human mast cells.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗
PubMed2000

Identification of the intraparotid facial nerve on magnetic resonance imaging.

As a result of recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, direct imaging of the intraparotid facial nerve has become possible. The usefulness of MRI is well known in the diagnosis of parotid tumors. Using a 0.5 T midfield MR unit, this study aimed to visualize the intraparotid facial nerve in 5 normal volunteers and 14 patients with parotid tumors (on 24 normal sides and 14 affected sides). Under appropriate conditions for MRI, the facial nerve was detectable on 9 out of 10 affected sides and 17 out of 20 normal sides. The running course of the facial nerve was consistent with MRI findings in five patients who underwent surgery. The imaging conditions suitable for visualizing the intraparotid facial nerve are reported and the usefulness of MRI in the diagnosis of parotid tumors is discussed.

Adenolymphoma↗
PubMed2000

Magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with bilateral facial paralysis due to malignant lymphoma.

In malignant lymphomas, especially non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, invasion to the central nervous system (CNS) often occurs. A patient is reported here with bilateral facial paralysis due to invasion of a malignant lymphoma to the CNS. Contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed swelling of the entire length internal auditory meatus and enhancement in the entire length of the facial nerve. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and MRI revealed that later facial nerve injury was present before the onset of paralysis due to a malignant lymphoma. Therefore treatment should be performed with consideration given to the possible invasion of the tumor to the CNS.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Development of a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for blood and urinary eosinophil-derived neurotoxin: a preliminary study in patients with bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), also called eosinophil protein X (EPX), has been suggested to be a useful marker of eosinophilic inflammation. However, no commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for EDN is available yet. METHODS: EDN was purified from pooled urine from healthy male volunteers. Polyclonal and monoclonal anti-EDN antibodies were subsequently raised, and a sandwich ELISA for EDN was established. EDN levels in serum, plasma and urine from asymptomatic patients with bronchial asthma were measured by the ELISA method. Some of the blood samples were also measured by a commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit. RESULTS: The ELISA method detected human EDN with a minimum detection limit of less than 0.62 ng/ml and did not cross-react with other eosinophil granule cationic proteins including eosinophil cationic protein. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation of the ELISA method ranged from 2.6 to 3.6% and from 6.5 to 9.4%, respectively. Good linearity was observed with serially diluted different samples, and the recoveries of the purified EDN added to serum samples ranged from 85 to 110%. Median EDN concentrations in serum (36.9 vs. 19.1 ng/ml), plasma (23.0 vs. 14.5 ng/ml) and urine (118.2 vs. 72.1 microg/mmol Cr) were significantly raised in asymptomatic asthmatic patients compared with healthy control subjects. EDN levels in serum, plasma and urine from the patients significantly correlated with the number of peripheral blood eosinophils, but not total serum IgE levels. A significant relationship between EDN values measured by the EPX-RIA kit and the EDN-ELISA method was observed. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a novel efficient ELISA method to specifically measure blood and urinary EDN, which may be useful to study the role of eosinophils in allergic diseases including bronchial asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMed1999

Nerve growth factor release with mast-cell-derived mediators in a patient with systemic mastocytosis after middle-wave ultraviolet irradiation.

BACKGROUND: The symptoms of a 56-year-old man with systemic mastocytosis became worse with exposure to sunlight. We evaluated mast-cell-derived mediators and cytokines before and after exposure to ultraviolet light in the patient. METHODS: The patient was irradiated with middle-wave ultraviolet light, so-called ultraviolet light B, and the levels of mediators and cytokines were measured serially. The point mutation Asp816Val in c-kit was investigated by analyzing polymerase chain reaction products from the complementary DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Before irradiation, the levels of mast-cell-derived mediators and metabolites were elevated. Among various cytokines measured, including soluble c-kit and stem cell factor, only the level of nerve growth factor was elevated. After irradiation, the nerve growth factor level was further increased along with the levels of mast-cell-derived mediators and metabolites. The point mutation Asp816Val in c-kit was not detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-wave ultraviolet light may activate mast cells to release nerve growth factor and mediators in systemic mastocytosis.

Cytokines↗
PubMed1998

Phase-contrast microscopic studies using cinematographic techniques and scanning electron microscopy on IgE-mediated degranulation of cultured human mast cells.

BACKGROUND: Isolating human mast cells is a laborious procedure. Recently, cultured human mast cells raised from umbilical cord blood cells have become available. It is necessary to investigate whether IgE-mediated activation of these cells is mediated by exocytosis. OBJECTIVE: To verify IgE-mediated activation of these cultured human mast cells morphologically. METHODS: The mast cells were raised from human umbilical cord blood cells in the presence of stem cell factor and interleukin-6. IgE-sensitized cultured human mast cells were activated by anti-IgE, and morphological changes of the cells were examined under phase-contrast microscopy using cinematographic techniques and scanning electron microscopy. Histamine release from the cells was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Under the condition in which a significant histamine release was observed from the mast cells, phase-contrast microscopy showed that the cultured human mast cells became swollen and extruded granules. Scanning electron microscopy disclosed the extrusion of smooth and round bodies from pores formed on the activated mast cell surface. CONCLUSION: IgE-mediated histamine release from cultured human mast cells is accompanied by exocytosis morphologically, indicating that cultured human mast cells will help in studying the functional properties of human mast cells.

Cell Degranulation↗
PubMed1997

[An analysis of telephone health counseling for Japanese employees and their families abroad, "Japan health Care Line (overseas)"].

In the past 6 years, the "Japan Health Care Line" has accumulated over 2,000 cases of telephone counseling calls, mainly on health problems, by Japanese living abroad on business, and their families, in 55 countries. The characteristics of these Japanese from medical aspects (physical and psychological), life style, and education were determined; and factors that influence their life abroad as well as some of their problems were analyzed. The role that telephone counseling can play in alleviating their anxiety, in helping them adapt, and in maintaining their health was also examined. The clients were Japanese employees and their families whose health insurance associations had joined this service. Data were recorded on a card for 14 items-the caller, the person needing the advice, age, sex, area of residence, length of stay, hour of call, number of calls etc. The data and main complaints were categorized in three ways: 1) by medical fields for business reports; 2) by coding the complaints; and 3) by the ICD-10 classification. Of the callers, 80% were in their 20's and 30's, meanwhile, as to the persons who need the advice, 30% of them were under 10, and 30% were in their 30's. There were many cases in obstetrics-gynecology, pediatrics, and general medical information. In the contents of the counseling, conditions or symptoms of the client were foremost, and together with advice on treatment, comprised half the calls. A study was made on the correlation between the clients' length of stay/location and the main complaints. Clients living abroad less than 1 year tended to call more, especially for vaccination, translation, mental problems, and medical systems, but did not call much in fields of obstetrics-gynecology, dentistry-oral surgery, examination data and treatments. Location did not make much difference in the fields of consultations, except for obstetrics-gynecology and dermatology. Middle and Near East countries had special characteristics to their consultations. There were differences in fields of counseling in calls from developing countries and developed countries. In the former countries, calls on orthopedics, urology, tropical diseases, and infectious diseases were numerous, while in the latter, pediatrics and mental problems were.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Inhibition by thromboxane antagonists of airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine induced by 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha in guinea-pigs.

We studied the effect of intravenous administration of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha on airway responsiveness to histamine and airway wall thickening in guinea-pigs. Guinea-pigs were killed and the lungs were fixed in formalin. Slides from paraffin-embedded sections of the lungs were stained and the airways that were cut in transverse section were measured by tracing enlarged images using a digitizer. Moreover, airway resistance (Raw) was determined by a pulmonary mechanics analyser and we calculated two indices, an index of airway wall thickening and the one of airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine, from changes of baseline-Raw and peak-Raw following intravenous administration of histamine before and after the intravenous administration of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha. Intravenous administration of 10 micrograms/kg 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha for 1 h did not induce an increase of the relative thickness of the airway wall by the histological examination. In analysis of airway function, intravenous administration of 10 micrograms/kg 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha for 1 h induced airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine without airway wall thickening. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonists ONO-NT-126 and ONO-8809 inhibited the 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha-induced airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine, suggesting that the effect of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2 alpha on bronchial hyperresponsiveness is likely to be mediated through TXA2.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Incorporation of radioactive phosphate from adenosine triphosphate into phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate in human peripheral blood hypodense eosinophils is less than in the normodense eosinophils.

Peripheral blood eosinophils from patients with atopic dermatitis and normal healthy controls were isolated on a Percoll gradient and incubated with [gamma 32P]ATP in the presence of Mg2+. After stopping the reaction, lipid extraction was performed with acidic medium and phospholipids were separated by thin-layer chromatography on 1% (w/v) oxalic acid-impregnated silica gel plates. In the autoradiographs considerable amounts of the radioactivity were found to be incorporated into phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate. 32P incorporation into phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate in hypodense eosinophils from atopic dermatitis patients was less than in normodense eosinophils from the same patients and controls.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗