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Biomedical subjects

I Takagi

Publications and source records attributed to I Takagi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Malignant lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue arising in the thymus of a patient with Sjögren's syndrome. A morphologic, phenotypic, and genotypic study.

A 59-year-old woman with Sjögren's syndrome had an anterior mediastinal tumor. The tumor had epithelium-lined thymic cysts. Histologically, centrocyte-like (CCL) cells were present as clusters intermingling with small lymphocytes and plasma cells, invaded the epithelium, and formed characteristic lymphoepithelial lesions; the tumor was identified as malignant lymphoma arising in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Within the tumor, trapped Hassall's corpuscles were recognized. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated monotypic cytoplasmic kappa light chains in a small portion of the CCL cells. Furthermore, Southern blot hybridization studies showed rearrangements of immunoglobulin heavy chain, immunoglobulin kappa light chain, and T-cell receptor beta genes. The findings are consistent with thymic low-grade B-cell MALT lymphoma.

Cytoplasm

Morphological study of parafollicular cells and the parathyroid gland in the house shrew (Suncus murinus).

A morphological study of parafollicular cells in the thyroid gland and parathyroid gland of the house shrew (Suncus murinus) was made. The results indicated that (1) there were two pairs of parathyroid glands which were located in the upper part of the house shrew thyroid gland, (2) the volumes of the house shrew parathyroid glands ranged from 0.014 to 0.079 mm3, (3) the number of parafollicular cells along the follicles was largest in the upper part of the thyroid lobe, while no parafollicular cells were present in the isthmus, and (4) there were about 20 parafollicular cells per 100 follicular cells and 1.519 parafollicular cells per follicle. The number of parafollicular cells per 100 follicular cells was thus about 5 times larger than that in rats and the number of parafollicular cells per follicle about 2.5 times larger than that in rats.

Animals

Poly (lactic/glycolic acid) microspheres containing antigen as a novel and potential agent of immunotherapy for allergic disorders.

In order to establish a safer and simpler antigen administration method in immunotherapy, we prepared biodegradable microspheres containing antigen and evaluated its safety and efficacy using guinea pigs. Poly (lactic/glycolic acid); (LGA) microspheres containing ovalbumin (OA) were fabricated by solvent evaporation. Over 70% of the OA was released from the microspheres within 3 days, and release was completed within 14 days in vivo. The local tissue reactions to the OA-LGA microspheres were apparently weaker than those to OA-alum. Repeated injections of high dose OA-LGA microspheres to OA-sensitized guinea pigs (high-LGA group) for 8 weeks at intervals of 2 weeks elicited an excellent therapeutic effect, i.e. a significant increase in the threshold value of antigen inhalation test, with a significant increase in IgG2 blocking antibody. The therapeutic efficacy of the high-LGA group was comparable to the conventional immunotherapy model (conventional group) and was superior to the antigen-alum model (alum group). We concluded that administration of antigen-LGA microspheres could become a new immunotherapeutic method for allergic disorders, being safer and requiring a lower frequency of antigen injections than the conventional method.

Animals

Phase II evaluation of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a Japanese Esophageal Oncology Group Trial.

Thirty-nine patients with advanced measurable squamous cell carcinomas were treated with two or more courses of 70 mg cisplatin/m2 on day 1 and 700 mg infused 5-fluorouracil/m2 on days 1-5 every 21 days. The overall response rate was 35.9 (95% confidence limits, 24.8-55.1%). Responses were seen in primary sites in the esophagus of five patients, in the lung of seven, the liver of one and the mediastinal lymph nodes of one. The average response duration was 3.5 (range 1-12) mo for patients who achieved partial response. The average survival time after the first administration was 9.5 mo for patients who responded to the treatment whereas, for those who did not, it was 5.6 mo. The major form of toxicity was myelosuppression and there were six patients with grade 3 toxicity and one with grade 4. The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil for advanced squamous cell carcinoma, and the results showed that it had a reasonable effect and might possibly be used as a postoperative chemotherapy because of its mild side effects.

Adult

Tetrahymena 14-nm filament-forming protein has citrate synthase activity.

The Tetrahymena 14-nm filament-forming protein (49K protein) is a structural protein involved in oral morphogenesis and in pronuclear behavior during conjugation. Cloning the 49K protein gene from a Tetrahymena thermophila cDNA library, we found that its primary structure exhibits a high sequence identity (51.5%) with porcine heart citrate synthase and retains functional domains. The 49K protein actually possesses citrate synthase activity, and is detected in mitochondria. These results suggest that the 49K protein has dual functions as both a respiratory enzyme and a structural protein in the cytoskeleton.

Amino Acid Sequence

[Study on eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and arylsulfatase B in nasal secretions and sera from patients with nasal allergy].

Recently four tissue toxic proteins namely major basic protein (MBP), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) were found in eosinophilic leucocytes. Although the characteristics of these proteins concerning tissue damage in the local site of type I allergic reaction have been investigated mainly in lower respiratory tract, the actual clinico-pathological roles of these proteins in nasal allergy are not clarified. Contrary, eosinophils also have histaminase, arylsulfatase, phospholipase D, which are considered to act on a negative feedback mechanism in allergic reaction through inactivation of chemical mediators. Therefore, estimation of ECP and simultaneously arylsulfatase B in nasal secretion and the sera from patients with nasal allergy may clarify the dynamics of clinico-pathological state, especially in the late phase of allergic reaction in each patients. ECP concentrations in the nasal secretions from 22 patients and in the sera from 12 patients with nasal allergy were measured by RIA method. The activities of arylsulfatase B in the nasal secretions and the sera were also estimated in the same specimens as ECP by measuring its hydrolytic activity using p-nitro cathecol sulfate as a substrate. The results obtained were as follows; 1) There was a significant correlation between ECP concentrations in the nasal secretions and the severities of clinical symptoms, especially the degree of nasal obstruction. ECP concentrations also significantly correlated to the score of eosinophilic leucocytes in the nasal smears. 2) The serum ECP concentrations significantly correlated to the number of eosinophilic leucocytes in the peripheral blood, and also showed slight tendency of correlation to the severity of clinical symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Proteins

Application of cryo-sapphire knife in rapid frozen ultrathin sectioning for electron microscopy.

Conventional sectioning of frozen and fixed tissues is usually performed using the glass knife. Although the glass knife is economical, it has several disadvantages. In this study, the Authors have examined the sectioning quality of the sapphire knife in frozen tissues as an alternative to the glass knife. It was concluded that the sapphire knife has better quality and durability than the conventional glass knife in cutting frozen tissues.

Animals

Phase II evaluation of combined cisplatin and vindesine in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: Japanese Esophageal Oncology Group Trial.

In the present phase II study, 31 patients with advanced measurable esophageal carcinomas were treated with a combination of 30 mg vindesine/m2 and 70 mg cisplatin/m2. The overall response rate was 16.1% (95% confidence limits, 7.1-32.6%). Responses were seen in metastatic sites, including the liver in two patients, a lung in one, neck or mediastinal lymph nodes in two and primary sites in two. The response durations were between one and two months for patients achieving partial response. The average survival time after first administration was 5.5 months for patients who responded to treatment, whereas, for those who did not, it was 7.3 months. The major form of toxicity was myelosuppression, 14 patients developed grade 2-3 toxicity and one sepsis which led to death. No superiority of the combined chemotherapy over either cisplatin or vindesine therapy alone was suggested for cases of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus by the present study.

Aged

[Study of surgical treatment of advanced small lung cancer].

We analyzed 15 patients with small but advanced primary lung cancer operated from 1965 to 1988. The size of tumors were less than 2.0 cm in largest dimension and their pathological stages III A, III B and IV. The histological types were adenocarcinoma in 13 cases and squamous cell carcinoma in 2 cases. Nine patients (69%) had elevated levels of preoperative serum CEA. The prognosis of patients with intrapulmonary metastases was better than that of those with pleural dissemination. In adenocarcinoma patients with mediastinal lymph node metastases, the survival rate of cases with small cancer less than 2.0 cm in diameter was higher than those with large cancer more than 5.0 cm in diameter.

Adenocarcinoma

Penetration and stainability of modified Sato's lead staining solution.

The penetration and stainability of modified Sato's lead staining solution containing calcined lead citrate were studied. Modified Sato's lead solution was preserved for 1 week and for 2 years, each at room temperature and at 4 degrees C. Specimens were stained with these solutions to measure the stainability. After 2-min staining, specimens were stained to the depth of 1.0-1.2 microns even when there had been 2-year preservation of the staining solution. This modified solution could be preserved for a long time and good penetration and stainability could still be obtained. This solution is also suitable for the observation of semithin sections.

Animals

A phase II study of vindesine in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Japanese Esophageal Oncology Group.

A phase II study of Vindesine for esophageal carcinoma was carried out cooperatively by 10 Japanese institutions. Fifty patients were enrolled in the study over a year and ten months. Four patients could not be evaluated because less than 4 weeks had elapsed since their preceding therapy. There were one complete remission and five partial remissions among the 46 remaining patients, a response rate of 13.0%. The patient experiencing the complete remission is still alive more than 24 months after treatment. The main side effects were depilation, anorexia, stomatitis and leukopenia. Thrombocytopenia and elevations of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were not marked. There was no mortality connected with the administration of Vindesine. It was concluded that Vindesine is useful in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma as a single agent.

Aged

An unusual case of bronchial carcinoid predominantly consisting of large cells.

A 58-year-old woman presented an unusual variant of bronchial carcinoid. A tumor measuring 20 x 25 mm was recognized upon gross examination in the upper lobe of the right lung. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of large polyhedral cells with a pseudoglandular arrangement similar to pheochromocytoma cells. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells contained serotonin, S-100 protein and neuron-specific enolase. Thus, we consider this neoplasm to be a large cell variant of bronchial carcinoid which, to our knowledge, has not been described in the literature.

Bronchial Neoplasms

[Clinical usefulness of bleomycin combined with preoperative irradiation in cancer of the esophagus].

The clinical usefulness of bleomycin combined with irradiation was evaluated using 154 preoperatively treated cases with cancer of the esophagus. With the appearance rate Ef-3 (highly effective: no viable tumor cell in the esophageal specimen resected after preoperative treatment) the radiation effect was observed, in comparison with those three groups (30 Gy alone, 40 Gy alone and 30 Gy + 67.5 mg of bleomycin). Dose modifying actor (DMF) of bleomycin for the preoperatively irradiated esophageal cancer was 1.2-1.3. As a serious interstitial pneumonitis was sometimes caused by the administration of bleomycin, it was concluded that the usage of bleomycin combined with preoperative irradiation for cancer of the esophagus, is less useful than that for cancer of the uterine cervix and the head and neck region.

Bleomycin