Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Inada.
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In order to elucidate the relationship between secretory pathway and processing for precursor molecule of peptide hormones, we performed immunoelectron microscopic studies to localize POMC-derived peptides in mouse cultured L cells (fibroblasts without secretory granules) and in mouse AtT20 cells (ACTH secreting pituitary tumor cells with secretory granules) which had been transformed with human POMC gene. From the electron microscopic localization patterns, L42 cells were considered to serve as a model of constitutive pathway without processing of POMC, and A53 cells were considered to serve as a model of transgranular (regulated) pathway with processing of POMC. Immunoblotting supported these interpretations.
The relationship between inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules in cases of acute pancreatitis was studied. Twenty-five patients were divided into three groups based on the severity of their disease as rated by the Ranson score. They were also divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of the complications of the multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and the prognosis. As the severity of acute pancreatitis increased, the plasma levels of TNF-alpha, slCAM-1, sE-selectin, and sVCAM-1 also increased. The levels of all of these soluble adhesion molecules were significantly higher in the MODS-complicated group than in the non-MODS-complicated group. The levels of TNF-alpha, slCAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were significantly higher in patients who eventually died than in patients who survived. Significant correlations were observed between the levels of TNF-alpha and slCAM-1, between those of TNF-alpha and sVCAM-1, and between the levels of slCAM-1 and sVCAM-1. These results suggest that inflammatory cytokines stimulate the expression of adhesion molecules on the vascular endothelium and that mediators, including these adhesion molecules, are closely involved in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. The plasma levels of these soluble adhesion molecules reliably reflected the severity of the disease.
We investigated the perioperative serum procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations in 5 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for acute aortic dissection (2 men, 3 women; mean age 72 +/- 9 years, age range 52-81 years). Surgery used cardiopulmonary bypass with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Blood samples were taken prior to surgery, upon arrival in the intensive care unit, and 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h after intensive care unit arrival. Prior to surgery, the PCT level was 4.2 +/- 3.4 (range 0.8-8.3) ng/ml. The PCT increase was greatest at 24 h (5.8 +/- 4.5 ng/ml). Preoperatively, the C-reactive protein concentration was 8.0 +/- 8.3 (range 0.9-23.8) mg/dl, and the white blood cell count was 8.5 +/- 3.1 x 10(3). C-reactive protein continued to increase at 48 h, while the white blood cell count peaked at 24 h. In spite of no symptoms of infectious diseases or septicemia, all patients had a significant preoperative PCT elevation. This finding may have something to do with the specific preoperative condition of acute aortic dissection. However, more clinical investigation is needed to clarify the PCT changes during and after surgery for acute aortic dissection.
AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the cause and risk of recurrence after thoracoscopic surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS: A total of 204 patients under 60 years of age who underwent axillary thoracotomy and 139 patients who underwent thoracoscopic surgery were compared. In addition, among the patients who underwent thoracoscopic surgery, recurrent and non recurrent cases were reviewed and compared. RESULTS: Postoperative recurrence rate was significantly higher among the thoracoscopic surgery group. There were some significant differences between the recurrent and non recurrent cases in the Brinkman index, the duration from the onset of pneumothorax to the initial consultation, and the number of patients who had past history of pneumothorax. The recurrence rate was higher in patients with an air leak in the chest drainage tube before operation than in patients without an air leak. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate training under supervision of experienced surgeons is necessary for minimizing complications and procedure failures. A history of heavy smoking or an air leak in the chest drainage tube before surgery may be an index of recurrence after surgery.
Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness, safety, validity and benefits of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for performing pulmonary lobectomy in 24 patients with clinical NO stage I primary non-small-cell lung cancer compared with 30 patients who underwent a conventional thoracotomy. There were no significant differences in the intra-operative blood loss, duration of operation, or duration of chest tube drainage between the VATS group and the standard lobectomy group, but in this VATS' experience, patients had less postoperative pain. Numbers and distributions of dissected lymph-nodes were similar in patients whether undergoing standard thoracotomy or VATS lobectomy. We can confirm that the safety and validity of VATS are virtually identical to those of the standard thoracotomy approach in the lobectomy. However, the former technique causes less discomfort to patients and requires a shorter recovery period of laboratory data and IL-6 concentrations in thoracic drainage fluid. We conclude that VATS major lung resection is technically feasible. Stringent patient selection is important and special training is needed.
Changes in the blood levels of type II phospholipase A2 (PLA2) were investigated over time in patients with acute pancreatitis from an early stage after manifestation of the disease. The serum level of type II PLA2 at the first examination and the maximum level during the course of illness were both correlated with the severity of the disease. Serum levels of type II PLA2 were significantly higher in patients with acute pancreatitis complicated by multiple organ failure (349.1 +/- 146.6 ng/ml) than in those with acute pancreatitis not complicated by multiple organ failure (66.9 +/- 50.1 ng/ml). The serum levels of type II PLA2 were also significantly higher in patients who eventually died (316.8 +/- 150.5 ng/ml) than in those who survived (148.9 +/- 167.9 ng/ml). There was a significant correlation between the serum levels of type II PLA2 and those of TNF-alpha during the course of illness (r = 0.8037, p < 0.0001). The serum levels of type II PLA2 reliably reflected the severity of acute pancreatitis even in the early stages of the disease. These results suggest that type II PLA2 may be closely involved in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis.
Ten patients (mean age, 40 years; 2 women) with endotoxemia received 2.5 gm of immune globulin daily for 4 days or 5 gm daily for 2 days. In all patients, plasma endotoxin levels decreased to normal levels (< or = 9.8 pg/ml) within a mean of 3.2 days after starting immune globulin treatment, and body temperatures decreased to < 37 degrees C within 4.5 days. In 10 antibiotic-treated (control) patients with endotoxemia who did not receive immune globulin, plasma endotoxin levels declined to normal levels in 6 and their body temperatures dropped to normal levels within 5.0 days; no changes in body temperature were noted in the 4 patients whose plasma endotoxin levels did not decrease.