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Biomedical subjects

H Niizeki

Publications and source records attributed to H Niizeki.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Calcitonin gene-related peptide is necessary for ultraviolet B-impaired induction of contact hypersensitivity.

Since nerve termini on Langerhans cells (LC) contain calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and since ultraviolet B radiation (UVR) causes CGRP to be released from cutaneous nerve endings, we examined whether CGRP participates in the immune aberrations caused in skin by UVR. First, intradermally injected CGRP, in a dose-dependent manner, reduced LC density and impaired CH induction when hapten was painted on the injected site. Second, CGRP antagonist restored CH induction after UVR. Third, anti-TNF-alpha Abs injected before CGRP prevented the loss of LC density and restored CH induction. Fourth, CGRP failed to impair CH induction in mast cell-deficient mice. Fifth, CGRP induced mast cells to release TNF-alpha. We conclude that CGRP plays an essential role in the loss of CH induction after UVR. These data indicate that UVR, by causing the release of CGRP from cutaneous nerve endings, triggers mast cell release of TNF-alpha, which impairs CH induction.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Hapten-specific tolerance induced by acute, low-dose ultraviolet B radiation of skin is mediated via interleukin-10.

Because interleukin (IL)-10 is an immunoregulatory cytokine that is produced by keratinocytes exposed to UVB radiation (UVR), we determined whether IL-10 participates in either failed contact hypersensitivity (CH) induction or tolerance after acute, low-dose UVR. Murine recombinant IL-10 (200 ng) was injected intradermally on shaved abdominal skin. To assess the effects of IL-10 on CH induction, dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB, 185 microg) was painted on the skin within 30 min after IL-10 was injected, and the mice were assayed 5 d later by ear challenge with dilute DNFB. To assess tolerance, DNFB (185 microg) was painted a second time on normal body-wall skin 14 d after DNFB was first painted on IL-10-injected skin; CH was then assayed on day 19. We found that mice that received DNFB on IL-10-injected skin developed CH comparable in intensity to that observed in PBS-injected controls. Thus, this dose of IL-10 did not prove to be deleterious to CH induction if hapten was painted on the injected site within 30 min. By contrast, mice that first experienced DNFB within 30 min, 1 d, or 3 d after IL-10 had been injected intracutaneously displayed hapten-specific tolerance. Moreover, intraperitoneally injected anti-IL-10 antibody prevented UVR- and cis-urocanic acid-dependent tolerance; anti-IL-10 antibody had no effect on TNF-alpha-induced tolerance and failed to restore CH induction after UVR exposures. These data indicate that IL-10 is an important mediator of the tolerance induced when hapten is painted on the skin of animals exposed to acute, low-dose UVR.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[An experience with omentopexy for the repair of postoperative bronchopleural fistula].

Postoperative bronchopleural fistula has been the most troublesome complications in the thoracic surgery. In this report, we presented a case of bronchopleural fistula successfully closed by omentopexy. A 51-year-old man had undergone left upper lobectomy and S6 segmentectomy for primary lung cancer. Bronchopleural fistula due to postoperative pneumonia was developed and completion pneumonectomy with the intercostal-musclo-pexy was performed. Post-re-operative course was unsuccessful, bronchopleural fistula remained, so we tried re-closure of the bronchial stump by omentopexy without thoracoplasty or muscle flap plombage. About a half year after 3rd operation, he relapsed into bronchopleural fistula. Then fibrin gluing was performed via a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope without hospitalization, and the omental flap was fixed completely to the bronchial stump. We believe the omentopexy a useful procedure for treating postoperative bronchopleural fistula which can't make any chest-wall deformation.

Bronchial Fistula↗
PubMed1996

Photoallergic drug eruption due to pyridoxine hydrochloride.

Photoallergy to vitamin B6 is very rare; only a few cases of contact dermatitis and one case of photosensitive dermatitis due to pyritinol have been reported. We report here the first case of photoallergic drug eruption due to pyridoxine hydrochloride. A 71-year-old man developed papulo-squamous erythemata which were confined to sun-exposed sites. Photopatch testing, together with the clinical course, was helpful in reaching the initial diagnosis; this was confirmed by an oral challenge test. Photoallergic drug eruption due to vitamin B6 should be considered a rare cause of photosensitive dermatitis.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Unusually located lymphocutaneous nocardiosis caused by Nocardia brasiliensis.

We report a patient with primary lymphocutaneous Nocardia brasiliensis infection affecting the face and left arm. The mode of infection was via skin abrasions which occurred 2 weeks prior to the development of the skin lesions. Treatment with intravenous minocycline for 4 weeks resulted in a cure. We also review 12 previously reported Japanese cases of lymphocutaneous nocardiosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

A Japanese case of the fibrillar type of dermatitis herpetiformis.

BACKGROUND: Although dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a relatively common disease in Caucasian populations, this disease is very rare in Asian populations including the Japanese. METHODS AND RESULTS: We present a Japanese DH patient, who showed a fibrillar pattern of deposition of IgA, IgG, IgM and C3. The HLA typing revealed no B8/DR3. The survey of the Japanese literature and the comparison to studies on American or European DH revealed several interesting differences: high frequency of the fibrillar pattern, relatively high incidence of deposits of immunoglobulins other than IgA, rarity of gluten-sensitive enteropathy and HLA-B8/DR3 in Japanese DH. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that there may be a significant difference in pathophysiology between Caucasian and Japanese DH patients.

Complement C3↗
PubMed1994

Prenatal diagnosis of oculocutaneous albinism by analysis of the fetal tyrosinase gene.

Tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism, the most severe subtype of a heterogeneous group of albinism, is an autosomal recessive trait caused by mutations in the tyrosinase gene. Prenatal diagnosis had been made previously only by evaluating fetal skin obtained by biopsy, an invasive procedure that cannot be performed earlier than 19 weeks of gestation. A pregnant mother of a 9-year-old Japanese boy with tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism wanted a prenatal diagnosis. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization revealed that the child is homozygous and the parents heterozygous for the pathologic mutation of the tyrosinase gene in exon 2 (single base insertion) but not for the one in exon 1. Prenatal diagnosis was made by analyzing the tyrosinase gene in fetal cells obtained by amniocentesis at 14 weeks of gestation, which demonstrated that the fetus was heterozygous for mutant tyrosinase gene. Pregnancy was therefore continued and a normal male infant was born. This procedure, the analysis of the fetal genomic tyrosinase DNA, is a rapid and reliable approach to the prenatal diagnosis of oculocutaneous albinism at a relatively early stage of pregnancy and is safer and less invasive than previous methods using fetal skin biopsy.

Albinism↗
PubMed1994

HLA-DQA1, -DQB1 and -DRB1 genotyping in Japanese pemphigus vulgaris patients by the PCR-RFLP method.

We performed HLA-DQA1, -DQB1 and -DRB1 genotyping using the PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) method for 32 Japanese pemphigus vulgaris (PV) patients. There was a significant association of either DQB1*0503 or DRB1*1405 with PV, and a negative association of either DQA1*0103 or DQB1*0601 with PV was found. Since the DQB1*0503+ patients had various DR14-related alleles, we concluded that the association with DQB1 is primary and that the association with DRB1 is simply due to linkage disequilibrium between the DQ and DR genes. These results may indicate that specific HLA class II antigens confer the susceptibility to PV among Japanese.

Alleles↗
PubMed1994

A case of pemphigus foliaceus after interferon alpha-2a therapy.

We present here a 63-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C who developed bullous lesions and anti-intercellular antibodies when he received interferon (IFN) alpha-2a, 9 MU subcutaneously, 3 times a week for 3 months. The direct immunofluorescence was consistent with pemphigus features. The indirect immunofluorescence showed negative before IFN treatment, but it became positive after 3 months. The immunoblot study showed no specific bands. This is the third report of the bullous lesions with anti-intercellular antibodies following IFN therapy.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1993

Intestinal Behçet disease: serial changes at radiography.

To clarify the characteristic radiographic findings and serial radiographic changes in nonsurgical cases of intestinal Behçet disease (BD), seven patients were followed up for an average of 4 1/2 years (range, 8 months to 11 years 4 months). They underwent repeated examination with barium meal studies and double-contrast barium enema meal studies and double-contrast barium enema radiography. Initial radiography revealed one to three deep ulcers in the terminal ileum or ileocecal region in five patients. The ulcers healed while patients were treated with medical therapy but recurred during the follow-up period. In four of these five patients, follow-up radiography demonstrated various changes within each case: At each examination, an enlarged ulcer or a newly developed ulcer was often found in conjunction with a healed ulcer. In the other two patients, multiple shallow ulcers or innumerable aphthoid ulcers were seen throughout the entire colon, and these ulcers showed a good response to medical treatment. These results indicate that serial radiographic changes in patients with intestinal BD may mimic those in patients with Crohn disease, with findings in the terminal ileum and colon that wax and wane with medical treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A case of bovine sex cord tumour with annular tubules.

A case of sex cord tumour with annular tubules was found in the right ovary of a 17-month-old Holstein cow. The tumour was characterized by tubules encircling hyaline bodies, which were composed of concentric lamellae of basal lamina. Several irregular tubular structures and a small component of granulosa cell differentiation were seen. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells stained positively for oestradiol or testosterone.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Inhibition of programmed cell death by cyclosporin A; preferential blocking of cell death induced by signals via TCR/CD3 complex and its mode of action.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is reported to inhibit programmed cell death. We confirmed this by using T-cell hybridomas which are inducible to programmed cell death by activation with immobilized anti-CD3 antibody or with anti-Thy 1.2 antibody. Cell death and DNA fragmentation, characteristic features of programmed cell death, were almost completely blocked by CsA or FK506. To investigate whether CsA inhibits only the cell death through the signals via the TCR/CD3 complex or all of the programmed cell death induced by various reagents, we further established CD4+8+ thymic lymphomas which result in programmed cell death after activation with calcium ionophore, dexamethasone, cyclic AMP or anti-CD3 antibody. It was revealed that CsA could block only the cell death mediated by the TCR/CD3 complex. For the clarification of the site of action of CsA, Ca2+ influx and endocytosis of receptors after stimulation with anti-CD3 antibody were monitored in the presence of CsA, and no significant effects of CsA were observed. Furthermore, prevention of cell death was examined by adding CsA at various periods of time after initiation of culture. CsA was found to exert its effect even when added after 4 h of cultivation, and the kinetic pattern of suppression was similar to that of the suppressive effect on IL-2 production. These observations indicate that in the events of programmed cell death, the major site of action of CsA will not be the inhibition of the immediate membrane events after activation of the TCR/CD3 complex but rather the interference in the function of molecules that transmit signals between membrane events and the activation of genes in the nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

HLA class II antigens are associated with Japanese pemphigus patients.

We investigated the HLA class II antigens in 30 Japanese cases of pemphigus, 17 cases of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and 13 cases of pemphigus foliaceus (PF), by both serologic and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses. We detected two major haplotypes susceptible to PV, i.e., DRw12-DQw7 and DRw6-DQw5. In contrast, DR2 was absent in PV. RFLP analyses showed that DRw6 PV patients had a disease-associated restriction fragment representing DQw5, the same association as that found in DRw6 Jewish PV patients. However, DRw12 Japanese PV patients had DQw7, whereas DR4 Jewish PV patients had DQw8. On the other hand, all 13 PF patients were serologically typed for DQw1, which could not be further subdivided into DQw5 by RFLP analyses. These results suggest that Japanese and Jewish PV patients may be immunogenetically closely related to each other, but Japanese PV patients appear to be immunogenetically different from Japanese PF patients.

Autoantibodies↗