Biomedical subjects

H Tsutsumi

Publications and source records attributed to H Tsutsumi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Ca2+/calmodulin-activated protein phosphatase (PP2B) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PP2B activity is not essential for growth.

Protein phosphatase (PP2B) whose activity is stimulated 12-20-fold by Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) was partially purified by CaM-Sepharose and heparin-agarose chromatographies from cell extract of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PP2B activity was not detectable in a mutant in which two genes (CMP1 and CMP2) encoding homologs of mammalian PP2B catalytic subunit were disrupted. We have previously shown that the double gene disruption has no significant effect on the growth of yeast [1991, Mol. Gen. Genet. 227, 52-59]. The results indicated that CMP1 and CMP2 are the only genes that encode the PP2B catalytic polypeptide in S. cerevisiae, and PP2B activity is not essential for the growth of the yeast under normal conditions.

Calcium↗

PubMed1992

Serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in patients with repeated infections.

We have already reported significant elevation of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the acute phase of infection. In this study, we compared the responses to infection between patients with frequently repeated infection (repeaters) and others (non-repeaters). We examined the clinical data and serum G-CSF levels in 48 patients with acute infections. Serum G-CSF levels were significantly lower in repeaters than in non-repeaters (197.7 +/- 370.0 vs. 1014.1 +/- 924.4 pg/ml. P less than 0.001). There were no significant differences in age, serum total protein, or cholinesterase between the groups, but serum albumin was significantly lower in repeaters than in non-repeaters (2.87 +/- 0.5 vs. 3.31 +/- 0.4 g/dl. P less than 0.005). It is suggested that administration of recombinant G-CSF may be useful for patients with repeated infections.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

[Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies with meropenem in the pediatric field. Pediatric Study Group of Meropenem].

Pharmacokinetic and clinical evaluations in pediatrics were made on meropenem (SM-7338, MEPM), a new parenteral dehydropeptidase-1 stable carbapenem used without any inhibitors, at 33 medical institutions. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Pharmacokinetic studies. MEPM at a dose of 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg was administered to 53 children by 30-minute drip infusion. Peak plasma concentrations (Cmax's) and plasma half-lives (T1/2's) of these doses were 28.5, 47.2 and 130.0 micrograms/ml, and 0.80, 0.93 and 0.94 hours, respectively. A clear dose response was observed in Cmax's and T1/2 values were quite similar to those observed in adults. In the first 6 hours after administration, 54.4 to 68.1% of the administered drug was recovered in urine. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of MEPM in patients with purulent meningitis were 0.13 microgram/ml at a dose of 6 mg/kg, and 0.64 to 4.22 micrograms/ml at a dose of 29 to 44 mg/kg within day 4 of onset. The penetration rate of MEPM showed an intermediate value among those for other cephalosporin antibiotics. 2. Clinical study. Clinical efficacies of MEPM were evaluated in 389 cases. The most common doses used were 10 to 20 mg/kg/once, 2 to 3 times a day. The maximum dose was 173 mg/kg/day q.i.d. MEPM gave "excellent" or "good" responses in 242 (97.6%) out of 248 cases in which causative organisms were documented and in 134 (95.0%) out of 141 cases in which causative organisms were not identified. Clinical efficacy rates were 100% in 11 patients with purulent meningitis, 85.7% in 7 with septicemia, 98.8% in 173 with pneumonia, and 100% in 65 with UTI. Bacteriologically, 260 strains (96.7%) out of 269 strains were eradicated by MEPM treatment. Eradication rates were 89.2% for Staphylococcus aureus (37 strains) and 100% for Streptococcus pneumoniae (35 strains). The overall eradication rate for Gram-positive bacteria was 94.6%. Among Gram-negative bacteria, 98.3% out of 172 strains were eradicated. The eradication rate of Haemophilus influenzae (73 strains) was 98.6% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11 strains) was 90.9%, and all of Branhamella catarrhalis (15 strains), Escherichia coli (42 strains), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (6 strains) were eradicated. Out of 84 cases for which previous antibiotic therapies of 3 days or longer were not successful, MEPM gave "excellent" or "good" responses in 77 cases (91.7%) and excellent bacteriological responses (95.7%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMed1992

[Clinical pharmacology and efficacy of meropenem].

We studied a newly developed carbapenem, meropenem (MEPM), and obtained the following results. 1. Pharmacokinetics of MEPM in pediatrics was examined in 3 patients. MEPM was injected intravenously at a dose of 16-22 mg/kg by drip infusion for 30 minutes, and its concentrations in serum and urine were determined using bioassay. The average peak value of serum levels of MEPM was 38.4 micrograms/ml and T1/2 beta of MEPM was 1.26 hours. The urinary recovery rate for the first 6 hours after administration was 65.6%. 2. Clinical evaluations of MEPM in pediatrics were done in 14 patients with ages ranging, 1 month to 14 years, with various bacterial infections. Excellent or good clinical responses were observed in all patients, and bacteriological eradication were obtained in 7 out of 8 cases. No serious side effects were observed in any cases, but 2 showed mild and transient GOT, GPT elevations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Fatal and near fatal asthma.

Despite the recent development of apparently effective asthma drugs, the number of deaths from asthma has not declined. The authors tried to establish an optimal strategy for the prevention of acute asthmatic death by analyzing the circumstances of acute fatal or near-fatal asthma. Data were collected from 51 adult patients admitted to Bokutoh Tertiary Emergency Center due to acute asthma between November 1985 and May 1990 and 38 asthmatic patients admitted to Yokohama City Hospital in 1990. Pre-admission data were obtained through interviews with the patients, their families, or doctors who had seen them. A total of 89 patients were classified into three subgroups: group 1 consisted of patients dead-on-arrival (DOA); group 2, non-DOA patients with disturbed consciousness; and group 3, patients with less severe episodes. Little background information was significantly different among groups, but symptomatic episodes in group 1 patients tended to occur more rapidly. The speed of onset of the episodes was also dependent on the asthma control status. Prehospital care of groups 1 and 2 patients was very poor despite severity of the symptoms. All patients in groups 2 and 3 were successfully treated and discharged, but five of the 26 patients in group 2 died during follow-up periods. Prognosis of patients after discharge appeared to be dependent upon asthma control status before the acute episodes. It was concluded that acute fatal or near fatal asthma could occur in apparently low-risk patients as well as high-risk ones. It was also suggested that the optimal strategy for preventing asthma deaths might be variable.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes (CMP1 and CMP2) encoding calmodulin-binding proteins homologous to the catalytic subunit of mammalian protein phosphatase 2B.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomic clones that encode calmodulin-binding proteins were isolated by screening a lambda gt11 expression library using 125I-labeled calmodulin as probe. Among the cloned yeast genes, we found two closely related genes (CMP1 and CMP2) that encode proteins homologous to the catalytic subunit of phosphoprotein phosphatase. The presumed CMP1 protein (62,999 Da) and CMP2 protein (68,496 Da) contain a 23 amino acid sequence very similar to those identified as calmodulin-binding sites in many calmodulin-regulated proteins. The yeast genes encode proteins especially homologous to the catalytic subunit of mammalian phosphoprotein phosphatase type 2B (calcineurin). The products of the CMP1 and CMP2 genes were identified by immunoblot analysis of cell extracts as proteins of 62,000 and 64,000 Da, respectively. Gene disruption experiments demonstrated that elimination of either or both of these genes had no effect on cell viability, indicating that these genes are not essential for normal cell growth.

Alleles↗

PubMed1991

Identification of human urine stains on cloth.

Experimental stains of human urine prepared on 4 different types of cloth and cloth stains in practical cases were examined by 2 methods which have been established in this laboratory. A chemical method determining uric acid and urea nitrogen content and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine uromucoid. The former method uses the quotient uric acid/urea nitrogen as an indicator and the latter the quotient ELISA score/protein concentration. All stains were identified as human urine stains by both methods when the specimens were taken from the centre of the stains but when taken from the periphery some of them, especially those on cloth such as cotton or silk, could not be identified as human urine stains. These results indicate that the central part of stains should be preferentially used for the identification of human urine stains, especially those made on cloth such as cotton or silk.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Clinical characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subgroup infections in Japan.

The subgroup characteristics of 130 strains of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) isolated in Sapporo during 9 epidemic years 1980-1989 were determined. Monoclonal antibodies raised against the RSV Long strains were used. Subgroup A included 77 (59.2%) isolates and subgroup B 52 (40.0%) strains, while 1 strain was considered to be a variant of a subgroup A strain. The distribution by age of infants and children was different for the 2 subgroups: less than 1 year of age infants with subgroup A infection dominated, greater than 1 year of age subgroup A infections were less common than subgroup B infections. These was no difference in type of illness between the subgroups. Bronchiolitis was the dominant diagnosis in all patients.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1990

Levels of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in patients with infections.

To clarify the physiologic roles of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in infectious states in vivo, we examined the serum levels of G-CSF in patients with infection. Serum samples from 24 patients in the acute stage of infection (14 men and 10 women, age 65 to 101, without hematologic disorders), as well as samples from 32 age-matched normal elderly volunteers were investigated. Sixteen of the initial 24 patients were reexamined after the recovery phase. G-CSF levels were examined by quantitative enzyme immunoassay. The G-CSF level in normal elderly controls, 25.3 +/- 19.7 pg/mL, was not different from that reported in other findings. There was no statistically significant relationship between their G-CSF level and peripheral white blood cell count or neutrophilic granulocyte count. The G-CSF level in the acute stage of infection was 731.8 +/- 895.0 pg/mL, with a range of 30 to 3,199 pg/mL. There was no significant difference in G-CSF levels between patients with respiratory tract infection and those with urinary tract infection. In all 16 cases examined, the serum G-CSF level in the acute stage of infection was significantly higher than that after recovery phase, the latter being the same as the level in normal elderly controls. G-CSF must therefore play a significant role in human infectious states in vivo.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1990

Estimation of intracranial pressure using computed tomography scan findings in patients with severe head injury.

The relationship between initial intracranial pressure and the findings of the first computed tomography scan on admission was assessed in 100 consecutive moderate-to-severe head injury patients using a method of multiple regression analysis. Intracranial pressure was measured through a slender subarachnoid catheter with a transducer. Thirty-nine checkpoints of computed tomography findings, including a shift of midline structure, the status of ventricles or cisterns, and the amount of subarachnoid hemorrhage, were investigated. The results were as follows: (1) The computed tomography findings that contributed to estimating intracranial pressure were the appearance of cisterns, the size of a subdural hematoma (number of slices), ventricular size, status of subarachnoid hemorrhage, status of cerebral contusion, magnitude of midline shift, and ventricular index, in that order. (2) Approximately 80% of predicted cases of intracranial pressure were included within the range of measured intracranial pressure +/- 10 mmHg. When the predicted intracranial pressure was less than 30 mmHg, the discrepancy between both intracranial pressures was small. It is concluded that an equation using several computed tomography findings gives a reasonably accurate intracranial pressure for the initial stage of severe head injury.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Identification of human urinary stains by the quotient uric acid/urea nitrogen.

Uric acid (UA) and urea nitrogen (UN) were determined in urinary stains and the UA/UN x 20 values were calculated. The values in human urinary stains were 1.11-4.21, while those in other mammals except some of chimpanzees, were under 0.7, and those in fecal stains of birds were over 80. Most of the stains of other human body fluids or plant juices tested contained neither UA nor UN, and some contained one, but never the other. Ascorbic acid (AS) of up to 100 mg/dl in urine did not interfere with UA determination when dried human urinary stains were analyzed. It was also found that the contents of UA were very low at the peripheral parts of urinary stains. The present results indicate that the quotient UA/UN is useful for identification of human urinary stains in forensic practice provided that the peripheral part of the stain is not used.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1990

Storage of blood for methemoglobin determination: comparison of storage with a cryoprotectant at -30 degrees C and without any additions at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C.

Changes in methemoglobin (Met-Hb) concentrations during storage of whole blood or mixtures of blood and a cryoprotectant at refrigerated or various freezing temperatures were examined using blood samples from nitrite-administered rats and from autopsy cadavers. When whole blood was stored at 3 degrees C, Met-Hb reduction was observed in blood samples from nitrite-administered rats and in the blood from a victim poisoned by a weed killer containing some oxidant. When samples were stored at -30 degrees C, Met-Hb formation by autoxidation was inevitably observed in blood samples stored as whole blood, whereas addition of a cryoprotectant to whole blood could prevent Met-Hb formation in all the blood samples. When whole blood was stored at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C, Met-Hb concentrations were practically stable until at least 30 days regardless of the initial values except in the control rat blood samples stored at -80 degrees C which showed slight formation of Met-Hb. From the results obtained, both the storage with a cryoprotectant at -30 degrees C and that without any additions at -80 degrees C or -196 degrees C proved to be suitable for long-term storage of blood samples from autopsy cadavers for Met-Hb determination.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Determination of total hemoglobin in forensic blood samples with special reference to carboxyhemoglobin analysis.

For the determination of total hemoglobin (Hb) in blood containing elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), a newly developed reagent containing a 100-fold concentration of ferricyanide (20 g/l) and a 2-fold concentration of Sterox SE was compared with a standard reagent (0.2 g/l ferricyanide), the reagent of van Kampen and Zijlstra, using forensic blood samples and experimentally heated blood samples. There were no significant differences between the spectra of hemiglobincyanide (HiCN) solution produced with our reagent and the van Kampen and Zijlstra reagent using experimentally heated blood samples. Although the spectra of HiCN changed gradually with increased heating time and with the passage of time after mixing, the absorbance at 540 nm (A540) did not change until at least 120 min for both the reagents. When forensic blood samples containing elevated COHb were mixed with the van Kampen and Zijlstra reagent, total-Hb concentrations determined 5 min after mixing were 10-20% higher than those determined after 180 min. The overestimates of total Hb determined after 5 min resulted in comparable underestimates of percentage saturation of COHb (COHb%) when COHb% was obtained from the ratio of COHb content, determined by gas chromatogrpahy, to total-Hb concentration in blood. However, there was an extremely good correlation between the values of total Hb in forensic blood samples determined with the van Kampen and Zijlstra reagent after 180 min and those determined with our reagent after 5 min. From the results obtained, our reagent proved to be suitable for the determination of total Hb in forensic science practice.

Blood Preservation↗

PubMed1990

[Multiple myeloma superimposed on adult T cell lymphoma].

A 77 year-old male was admitted to the hospital because of lumbago and M-proteinemia. IgA (kappa) monoclonal protein (8,100 mg/dl) was demonstrated in serum, and Bence Jones protein (kappa) in urine samples. The bone marrow examination showed an increased number of pathological plasma cells (34. 5%). Multiple osteolytic lesions were evident on X-ray films. A diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) was made. He had exudative erythematous skin lesions on his back. His serum was positive for antibody to ATLA. A biopsy specimen from the skin lesions showed Pautrier's micro-abscess which were filled with Leu 3a positive T lymphocytes. 159 base pairs of human T cell leukemia virus I (HTLV-I)/pX position was identified from a cutaneous sample utilizing the polymerase chain reaction method. Thus, a diagnosis of MM superimposed on adult T cell lymphoma was made. An extensive search failed to find any cases complicated with these two diseases except a report by Tagawa et al. concerning a patient with ATL who developed IgA (kappa) MM during a five year follow up. Therefore, this is the first reported case of MM superimposed on ATL.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

[Clinical study on developmental hydrocephalus and its operative timing in lumbo-sacral meningomyelocele].

Nine infants with lumbo-sacral meningomyelocele were evaluated in the diagnosis and the operative timing of hydrocephalus. Seven cases received early operation for meningomyelocele within 36 hours after birth. Two cases with closed meningomyelocele were operated on 8 days and 32 days after birth. All of them were not infected in the central nervous system before and after its surgery. Five out of nine cases had rapidly developed hydrocephalus within a few weeks, and received ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (Shunt group: Case1-5). Two cases with gradual enlargement of the lateral ventricles and two cases with normal development have been observed without shunt procedure (Non-shunt group: Case 6-9). The authors recorded the head circumference, Evans' index on CT, and intracranial pressure of those infants at birth and following days. The head circumference at birth was almost within a normal size in both groups. On the other hand, an average of Evans' index in shunt group at birth was greater than that of non-shunt group. Moreover, the growth rate of head circumference and lateral ventricle of shunt group were more markedly increased than that of non-shunt group. The head circumference and the ventriculomegaly on a computed tomography at birth were poor prediction of hydrocephalus, however, there was positive correlation between the rate of head growth and the rate of hydrocephalic development. That is to say, the growth rate of a head circumference and growth of Evans' index suggested the prediction of a progressing hydrocephalus during the first few weeks.

Cephalometry↗

PubMed1990

[Myelodysplastic syndromes in the aged].

Seventy-five cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the aged (over 60 years) were analysed for hematological findings, immunological parameters and response to treatment in respect to prognostic significance. They were diagnosed according to the FAB classification, but patients with hypoplastic marrow were included if myelodysplasia was evident. Thirty-four percent of patients with primary acquired refractory anemia (PARA) or primary acquired sideroblastic anemia (PASA), and 36% of patients with RA with excess of blasts (RAEB) had hypoplastic bone marrow. The positive rates of antinuclear antibody in PARA or PASA, and of rheumatoid factor in PARA or PASA and in RAEB were higher than those in normal aged controls. Cellularity of bone marrow was inversely related to the length of survival. Among the patients with PARA or PASA, survival time was significantly longer in the group of hypoplastic bone marrow than in the group of hyper- or normo-plastic bone marrow, and in the group of good responder to treatment than in the group of poor responder and nontreated patients.

Aged↗

PubMed1989

Effect of breast feeding on the development of anti-idiotype antibody response to F glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus in infant mice after post-partum maternal immunization.

Groups of lactating BALB/c mice were immunized in the immediate postpartum period with high doses of mAb (Ab-1) to the F-glycoprotein (F-gp) of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This antibody possessed neutralizing activity against the whole virus. The immune response to F-gp was studied in the breast feeding infant mice of such mothers at regular intervals before and after weaning. All infant mice exhibited anti-F-gp activity in serum, which was detected until 6 wk of age. Splenic cells of such breast feeding infant mice collected after weaning exhibited in vitro synthesis of antibody against Ab-1, the antibody previously used for maternal immunization. Subsequent immunization with homologous purified RSV F-gp resulted in a booster response for IgG, IgM, and plaque-neutralizing antibody to the immunizing RSV protein and to the whole virus in the infants primed via breast feeding. The enhanced antibody response was specific for the antigenic epitopes of the virus protein recognized by the monoclonal antibody used for maternal immunization. Similar booster effect was seen in control infants of nonimmunized mothers who were immunized with a polyclonal Ab-2 prepared by repeated immunization with Ab-1 in DBA/2 mice. These data demonstrate induction of RSV-specific anti-idiotype antibody in the neonates via the process of breast feeding, secondary to maternal immunization after the delivery of the neonate. Use of idiotypic vaccines in the mother and the transfer of RSV-specific idiotypes may offer an alternate approach to the development of effective immunoprophylaxis for RSV infection in early infancy.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Antigenic variation of human RSV strains isolated in Japan.

Antigenic variations of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) strains were analyzed using a collection of nine, seven, two, and one monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), respectively, raised against the fusion protein (F), large glycoprotein (G), nucleoprotein (NP), and phosphoprotein (P) components of the Long strain of RSV. Competitive binding assay by these MAbs demonstrated eight, four, and two distinct epitopes on F, G, and NP components, respectively. Comparison of prototype Long with ten field strains isolated in Sapporo, Japan, during a 9-year period from 1980 to 1988 by radioimmunoprecipitation (RIP), immunofluorescence (IF), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test revealed four different patterns of reaction to these MAbs. Thus, prototype Long reacted to all 19 MAbs. Six field strains have shown a different reactivity to one of nine anti-F and to one of seven anti-G antibodies (subgroup A). Three of the remaining isolates failed to react with three of nine anti-F and with all of seven anti-G antibodies (subgroup B). One strain (58-104) isolated in 1983 was similar to subgroup A except for a lack of reaction with two anti-G antibodies. All field strains reacted with two anti-NP and one anti-P antibodies. The numbers of altered epitopes in subgroup A were 1/8 and 1/4; in subgroup B, 3/8 and 4/4; and in 58-104, 1/8 and 2/4 on the F and G components, respectively. No other variations have been observed among field isolates tested.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗