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Biomedical subjects

H Usami

Publications and source records attributed to H Usami.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Cardiomyopathy and myocarditis in children.

Five cases of postmyocarditic change with clinical profiles of cardiomyopathy in children are described. Some cases with a history of acute myocarditis show postmyocarditic hypertrophy, which may be related to certain immunologic processes. Others with no apparent clinical history of acute myocarditis present with a clinical picture of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and show improvement. Based on long-term observation, these cases are considered to represent postmyocarditic hypertrophy. Long-term follow-up with full laboratory examination, including endomyocardial biopsy is considered necessary in establishing the final diagnosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Production of cytotoxic factor into mouse peritoneal fluid by OK-432, a streptococcal preparation.

A cytotoxic factor was induced by the injection of LPS into the peritoneal fluids of mice which had been previously primed with a streptococcal antitumor preparation, OK-432. No cytotoxic effect on L-929 cells was observed in the peritoneal fluids of mice singly treated with OK-432 or LPS. Various mouse and human tumor cell lines were effectively killed by this peritoneal cytotoxic factor, though normal cell lines were insensitive, which indicates that this factor is not species-specific. The highest level of cytotoxic activity was obtained when LPS was given to mice 5 days after the injection of OK-432. The optimal time for collection of peritoneal fluids for the cytotoxic factor was 2 h following the LPS injection. Interferon activity was found to be negative by the plaque reduction test using L-929 cells with vesicular stomatitis virus. These results suggest that this cytotoxic factor is similar to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the mouse serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Purification and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus FRI 1169 and 587 toxic shock syndrome exotoxins.

An exotoxin was purified from a toxic shock toxin (TST)-producing Staphylococcus aureus strain, FRI 1169, and another exotoxin was purified from a pyrogenic exotoxin C (PEC)-producing S. aureus strain, 587. Both strains had been isolated from toxic-shock syndrome patients. The two exotoxins were purified by the same method of ion-exchange chromatography, chromatofocusing, and gel filtration. After purification, those exotoxins gave a line of identity against an anti-TST serum and also were immunologically similar to TST in a double-diffusion test. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, each exotoxin gave a single band with a relative mobility identical to that of the other. Their molecular weights (24,000), isoelectric points (7.0), amino acid compositions, and NH2-terminal amino acid sequences (the first four residues) were identical. Both produced fever and enhanced host susceptibility to lethal endotoxin shock in rabbits, comparable with PEC. These findings show that the two exotoxins are the same protein, which is assumed to be TST. When injected into rabbits, the culture supernatant of strain 587 showed biological activity like that described above, whereas the culture supernatant neutralized with anti-TST immunoglobulin did not. This showed that PEC-producing strain 587 does not produce any toxin with these biological activities in rabbits except TST.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1983

In vitro production of immune interferon (IFN gamma) by murine spleen cells when different sensitizing antigens are used in vivo and in vitro.

OK-432, a killed preparation of Streptococcus pyogenes, as well as bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and Corynebacterium parvum are all known to induce immune interferon (IFN gamma) in mice. To examine the mechanisms of IFN gamma induction by OK-432, DDI mice were sensitized with various doses of OK-432, either by a single injection of a 1-mg dose or repeated injections of 0.1-mg doses given intraperitoneally. Spleen cells removed from the mice 7-9 days after the last injection produced high-titered IFN gamma (600-800 IU/ml) in vitro in the presence of 5 micrograms/ml of OK-432. In the absence of OK-432, however, in vitro IFN gamma production of sensitized spleen cells was quite limited. Moreover, when inducers of different antigenic entities such as serologically unrelated Streptococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, or Con A were added in vitro, instead of OK-432, to the OK-432-sensitized spleen cells, high-titered IFN gamma production also occurred. This may indicate that the signal required by T cells to produce IFN gamma in vitro need not necessarily be the same as that required to sensitize mouse macrophage in vivo. Once sensitized with OK-432, mice spleen cells continued to produce high-titered IFN gamma for more than 3 but less than 5 weeks.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Primary chylopericardium recovered without surgical treatment.--Report of a case and review of the literature.

A case of 7-year-old girl who had recurrent chylopericardium is presented. She was asymptomatic and physical examination disclosed only enlarged cardiac dullness on percussion and distant cardiac sound on auscultation. In despite of numerous pericardiocentesis, institution of medium-chain triglyceride diet and corticosteroid therapy, chylous pericardial effusion persisted. Four years later the amount of pericardial effusion began to decrease and 5 years later it disappeared completely. Her cardiac size became normal on the chest X-ray. She remained totally asymptomatic throughout the course of this disease. If the patient is asymptomatic and can well tolerate daily life, surgery is not necessarily indicated, and the patients should be treated medically as long as possible. A review of previously reported cases are given.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Myocardial infarction and left coronary ostial stenosis in infancy simulating anomalous origin of the left coronary artery. A case report.

A case of a 3-month-old male infant with myocardial infarction due to left coronary ostial stenosis is presented. Clinically it was quite similar to anomalous origin of the left coronary artery. Postmortem examination revealed quite narrow left coronary ostium and myocardial infarction with aneurysm of the left ventricular apex.

Coronary Vessel Anomalies↗
PubMed1980

Production of L-forms of Streptococcus pyogenes and their antitumor effects.

Unstable L-forms of Streptococcus pyogenes were effectively isolated when protoplasts induced by muralysin were cultivated on a gradient plate containing penicillin-G. By this method, L-forms were obtained from the strains of serotype 3 and 4, from which they had been considered to be difficult to obtain. After 30 to 40 subcultures, two L-form strains (L-forms of Su and C-512) were successfully transferred into fluid medium without serum and penicillin. The antitumor effects of these stable L-forms were compared with these parent cocci. Treatment of the L-form of Su, which has antitumor effect, showed a considerable prolongation of life span in mice inoculated with Meth-A ascites tumor. On the other hand, the L-form of C-512, which has no antitumor effect, produced no effect on the tumor growth. Using two different transplantable tumors, the antitumor properties of th L-form of Su were investigated by comparing them with protoplast and cell wall fraction derived from the Su strain. In ascites tumors, the L-form treatment showed visible effects, while the cell wall produced no inhibitory effect. On the contrary, in solid tumors the antitumor effects obtained by the administration of the cell wall were never improved by the L-form. In both types of tumor, L-form showed antitumor activities similar to protoplast.

Animals↗