Biomedical subjects
K Ouchi
Publications and source records attributed to K Ouchi.
Therapeutic significance of palliative operations for gastric cancer for survival and quality of life.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There have been few reports on the objective assessment of quality of life (QOL) in patients with gastric cancer following palliative operations. The benefit of a palliative operation for survival and QOL of patients with gastric cancer is not clear. METHODS: Survival and hospital-free survival (HFS), which is considered to be one objective indicator of QOL, were studied in 95 patients undergoing palliative operations for gastric cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the clinicopathologic factors potentially related to survival of patients. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, palliative gastrectomy and absence of peritoneal dissemination were significantly correlated with better survival. The significance of palliative gastrectomy for survival was, therefore, evaluated for various degrees of peritoneal dissemination: P0 no dissemination; P1, metastasis to the adjacent peritoneum; P2, a few scattered metastases to the distant peritoneum; and P3, numerous metastases. Survival and achievement of HFS for 3 months or longer were higher following palliative gastrectomy than gastrojejunostomy. Among gastrectomies, however, total gastrectomy performed in patients with P2 or P3 showed a poorer outcome for survival and HFS than total gastrectomy performed with P0 or P1 and distal gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: As a palliative measure, gastrojejunostomy and total gastrectomy performed with P2 or P3 peritoneal dissemination had no beneficial effect on the prolongation of survival or improvement of QOL of patients with gastric cancer.
Thermal analysis of bones from ovariectomized rats.
Thermal analyses [thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA)], X-ray diffraction, and infrared absorption analysis of bones from ovariectomized rats were carried out. The rats were divided into five groups: sham operated (Sham); ovariectomized (OVX); OVX given traditional Chinese (Kampo) medicine, Unkei-to; OVX given 17 beta-estradiol; and OVX given the estradiol vehicle, respectively. The activation energy (delta E), a kinetic parameter from TG data of OVX rats, increased by 57% from that in Sham rats. The administration of Unkei-to and 17 beta-estradiol to OVX rats clearly restored the delta E to the levels of Sham rats, while the vehicle for 17 beta-estradiol had no effect. DTA data from thermal analyses of rats from the Sham, OVX, and OVX given various compounds were almost the same except for OVX rats given 17 beta-estradiol. The X-ray diffraction pattern and infrared absorption spectrum of bone powders from Sham rats were not different from those of OVX rats or others. These results strongly suggest that kinetic parameter, delta E calculated from TG data, may be a useful method for assessing both experimentally induced osteoporosis and drug effects on it.
Palliative operation for cancer of the head of the pancreas: significance of pancreaticoduodenectomy and intraoperative radiation therapy for survival and quality of life.
The benefits of a palliative operation and intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for survival and quality of life (QOL) of patients with cancer of the head of the pancreas are not clear. Survival and hospital-free survival (HFS), which are considered to be objective indicators of QOL, were studied in 13 patients who underwent palliative pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and 32 patients who underwent surgical bypass. Although there was no significant difference in the survival of patients who underwent PD or bypass (median survivals of 9 months and 7 months, respectively), HFS for 3 months or longer was achieved in 84.6% of the patients who underwent PD, which was significantly higher than that of the 53.1% in patients who underwent surgical bypass (p < 0.05). Among TNM stage III patients, a significant difference in survival was observed between surgical bypass associated with IORT and bypass alone (p < 0.05); the median survival time of the IORT group was 10 months, whereas that of the control group was 5 months. In addition, HFS of 3 months or longer was achieved in 83.3% of patients who underwent bypass with IORT but in only 25.0% of the patients who underwent surgery alone (p < 0.01). The addition of IORT to palliative PD neither prolonged survival nor improved HFS. These results show the beneficial effect of palliative PD on QOL, and the efficacy of IORT for survival and QOL was proved in cases with stage III pancreatic cancer who underwent surgical bypass. For patients subjected to palliative PD, however, IORT is not thought to be beneficial for either survival or QOL.
Chlamydia pneumoniae in coronary and iliac arteries of Japanese patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.
Recent studies suggest the association of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases with Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in western populations. It is of great interest whether such an association exists in Asians with their distinct genetic background. Symptomatic patients with coronary heart disease (29) or arteriosclerosis obliterans (10) who underwent directional endo-atherectomy were studied. Atherectomy specimens of coronary and iliac arteries were examined for C. pneumoniae by culture, nested PCR and immunohistochemical stain (IHC) with one Chlamydia genus-specific, two C. pneumoniae species-specific, and two C. trachomatis species-specific monoclonal antibodies. Among the 29 patients with coronary artery disease, C. pneumoniae was detected in the coronary arteries of 13 by IHC, 16 by PCR and 20 by IHC or PCR, or both. C. pneumoniae was also found in the iliac arteries of four patients by IHC, three by PCR and five by IHC or PCR, or both, of the 10 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans. Attempts to isolate C. pneumoniae by culture were unsuccessful. The re-stenotic rate after atherectomy was higher in the C. pneumoniae-positive group than in the negative group, but not significantly so. These findings support the high incidence of C. pneumoniae in atherosclerotic lesions of symptomatic patients with coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis obliterans in Asians.
[Evaluation of a synthetic peptide based species specific EIA kit for detection of antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis with clinical specimens].
We have evaluated a new kit, PEPTIDE Chlamydia (Meiji Milk Products Co., Ltd, Tokyo), for detecting species specific antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis with synthetic peptide as an antigen. Serum samples from women with C. trachomatis cervicitis (n = 45), healthy pregnant women (n = 100), and children suffering from C. pneumoniae lower respiratory tract infection (n = 9) were used. We have measured the serum IgG or IgA antibodies to C. trachomatis of those sera with PEPTIDE, Sero IPALIZA Chlamydia (Savyon Diagnostics, Israel), and HITAZYME Chlamydia (Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd, Hitachi). Serum samples with discrepant results were further analyzed by a microimmunofluorescence test and immunoblotting (western blotting). IgG and IgA serum positive rate to C. trachomatis of sera from women with C. trachomatis cervicitis were similar in three kits, that is, 91% and 80% in PEPTIDE, 89% and 82% in Sero IPALIZA, and 84% and 76% in HITAZYME, respectively. IgG and IgA serum positive rate to C. trachomatis of sera from healthy pregnant women were 18% and 9% in PEPTIDE, 12% and 15% in Sero IPALIZA, and 15% and 13% in HITAZYME, respectively. Serum antibodies to C. trachomatis in serum samples from children with C. pneumoniae infection were all negative in PEPTIDE, but falsely positive in several cases in Sero IPALIZA or HITAZYME. In sera with discrepant results, PEPTIDE gave more identical results with a micro-IF test and immunoblotting analysis than Sero IPALIZA or HITAZYME. These results indicate that PEPTIDE is an useful kit to detect more species specific antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis than former kits.
Distribution of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in the athersclerotic carotid artery.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has recently become noteworthy in relation to atherosclerosis. We investigated by immunohistochemistry the distribution of C pneumoniae infection in the atherosclerotic carotid artery. METHODS: Twenty carotid atherosclerotic lesions that were resected during carotid endarterectomy were investigated. Parallel sections were stained immunohistochemically with monoclonal antibodies for a C pneumoniae-specific antigen, macrophages, and smooth muscle cells. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity for the C pneumoniae-specific antigen was observed in 11 of 20 specimens (55%), and intense immunoreactivity was observed in 7 of 20 (35%). C pneumoniae infection was observed in endothelial cells, macrophages and in smooth muscle cells that had migrated into the atheromatous plaque, as well as in smooth muscle cells and small arteries in the media underlying the atheromatous plaques. C pneumoniae infection was most prominently observed in smooth muscle cells. The severity of the infection as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry was not significantly related to general risk factors for atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: C pneumoniae widely infects endothelial cells, macrophages, and smooth muscle cells in the atherosclerotic carotid artery. The results of the present study can help us to understand how C pneumoniae infection contributes to the progression of carotid atherosclerosis.
[A rapid determination of allantoin by high-performance liquid chromatography using tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-HCl buffer as a mobile phase].
A rapid and simple method for the determination of allantoin in pharmaceuticals by reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography using an ODS column was presented. In general, it is difficult to retain allantoin to the ODS column owing to its very low hydrophobicity. We solved these problems by the use of a Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing tetra-n-hexyl-ammonium bromide (THAB) as an ion-pair reagent for the mobile phase. Comparatively low concentrations of Tris-HCl buffer (0.9 mM) and THAB (0.5 mM) gave a high capacity factor (k'). As a results of the examination of the chromatographic behavior, it is confirmed that the retention mechanism of allantoin to the ODS column on the present method was not the ion-pair mode, but the ion-exchange mode. Calibration curves for allantoin showed a good linearity in the range of 10 to 400 micrograms/ml (r = 0.9999). The reproducibility (R.S.D., n = 6) was invariably good (0.37%). The lowest concentration of allantoin for the determination was 200 ng per 20 microliters of injection. The present method was successfully applied to the determination of allantoin in commercial eyedrops with good recovery (99.4%). It was found that allantoin in pharmaceuticals could be determined by the present method in short time and without any complicated derivatization.
[Significance of blood levels of E-cadherin for diagnosis of colonic cancer].
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[Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in children with asthma exacerbation].
Little is known about the significance of C. pneumoniae in wheezing state in children. In this study, a total of 33 children with exacerbation of bronchial asthma were serologically and bacteriologically analyzed to investigate whether C. pneumoniae infection is associated with wheezing in children with bronchial asthma. 1) Of the 33 patients 12 (39%) had an acute antibody rise against C. pneumoniae. C. pneumoniae was isolated from 8 patients (24%) by culture. Based on these findings, 15 cases (45%) were diagnosed as C. pneumoniae infection. 2) There were no significant difference in clinical signs, symptoms and laboratory studies between with and without C. pneumoniae infection. The high incidence of C. pneumoniae infection in children with exacerbation of bronchial asthma suggests its significance as a cause of wheezing. Although there was no specific symptom in C. pneumoniae infection, this infection should be suspected in wheezing children for diagnosis and proper treatment.
The effects of retraction forces applied to the anterior segment of orthodontic arch wires: differences in wire deflection with wire size.
Orthodontic arch wire deflection was studied in relationship to retraction forces applied to arch wires during anterior retraction with sliding mechanics. Two different sizes of orthodontic stainless steel arch wires (SS wires) .016" x .022" and .019" x .025", were examined. Retraction forces were generated using an elastic polymer material to measure arch wire deflection and applied to the arch wires by a commonly-used anterior retraction device with power chains hooked from the first molar areas to the pre-welded posts at distal site of the lateral incisors. The force application caused both the .016" x .022" and the .019" x .025" arch wires to deflect. The amount of deflection increased almost in proportion to the retraction force applied. With the same retraction force applied, the amount of deflection of the .019" x .025" wire was approximately 47.1% of that of the .016" x .022" wire.
Interstitial deletion of 6q21-q23 associated with split hand.
We report on a 7-month-old boy with interstitial deletion of 6q21-q23 and split-hand defect. He died at 7 months. This is the fifth patient with distal limb anomaly associated with a rearrangement of 6q21 region, and supports previous suggestions that there may be candidate gene(s) for distal limb development in the 6q21 region.
Histologic features and clinical significance of venous invasion in colorectal carcinoma with hepatic metastasis.
BACKGROUND: In colorectal carcinoma, venous invasion has been related to patient survival. Liver metastasis develops more frequently when venous invasion is present. However, the histologic features and clinical significance of venous invasion are not well understood. METHODS: A histologic study of venous invasion in colorectal carcinoma was performed on 19 patients with synchronous hepatic metastasis (Group A), 16 patients with metacaronous hepatic metastasis (Group B), and 26 patients with Dukes Stage C tumors who survived for 5 years without recurrence (Group C). The histologic features of venous invasion were classified into three types: tumor cells that were distant from the vein walls were categorized as floating type, those filling the lumen of a vein as filling type, and those surrounded by a vein obliterated with inflammatory reaction as occlusive type. RESULTS: Venous invasion was present in 89.5% of Group A patients and 75% of Group B patients, which was significantly higher than the 15.4% observed in Group C patients (P < 0.001). A slight to extensive degree of venous invasion was found in Groups A and B, but no extensive venous invasion was found in Group C. All patients in Groups A and B (except one patient) had floating, filling, or a combination of floating and filling types of venous invasion, whereas all patients in Group C had the occlusive type of venous invasion. A majority of the patients in all three groups showed invasion of extramural veins. CONCLUSIONS: There is a close relationship between venous invasion and the development of liver metastasis in patients with colorectal carcinoma. Patients with no sign of metastasis had a lower incidence and lower extent of venous invasion, and inflammatory damage to the vein walls around the intravenous tumor appeared to reduce the likelihood of distant metastasis.
Effects of urinastatin and free radical scavengers on hepatic lipid peroxidation in endotoxemia.
In gram-negative septicemia, endotoxin-induced free radicals probably damage the liver cells by membrane lipid peroxidation. Phosphotidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH), a primary lipid peroxidation product can be applied as a parameter to measure the extent of liver damage. The protective effects of urinastatin and free radical scavengers, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase against hepatic lipid peroxidation and tissue energy reserves in the liver during endotoxemia were evaluated in rats with gram-negative septicemia induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). One hundred and sixty-five rats were divided into three groups. The first two groups consisted of 45 rats each. Group (1) was used for blood endotoxin level and liver function tests, group (2) for hepatic energy charge and PCOOH measurement, and group (3) (n = 75) for survival study. In each group, control animals received saline injection only. Urinastatin was injected twice intravenously through tail veins using 50,000 u/kg at 0 and 12 hr after CLP. SOD 90,000 u/kg and catalase 50,000 u/kg were given subcutaneously just before CLP and every 3 hr thereafter up to 24 hr. Liver and blood specimens were taken at time points 0, 12, and 24 hr after CLP. Increased concentration of PCOOH in liver denotes that endotoxemia can damage the liver by hepatocellular lipid peroxidation. Attenuation of lipid peroxidation, which correlated with liver enzyme leakage, was noted by finding significant decreased concentrations of PCOOH (P < 0.001), improvement in energy charge (P < 0.05), and survivability (P < 0.05) was seen in urinastatin or radical scavenger-treated groups. These results suggested that urinastatin has protective effect against free radical-induced lipid peroxidation probably by inhibiting proteases especially elastase, from polymorphonuclear leucocytes. SOD and catalase, which scavenged oxygen free radicals, also suppressed free radical-induced lipid peroxidation. Improvement in survivability was also seen in treated groups.
Phase ordering kinetics in the Swift-Hohenberg equation.
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[Assay of specific anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies by ELISA method. 2. studies on clinical usefulness and serological diagnostic standards].
We measured anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) specific antibody titers by means of a newly-developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using an anti-C. pneumoniae specific antibody detection reagent. The clinical usefulness of this method was hereby evaluated. The IgG, IgA and IgM titers in 418 serum specimens obtained from patients with respiratory tract infections were measured by this new ELISA method, and the results were compared with the titers determined for the same specimens with the micro immunofluorescence (Micro-IF) method. The results showed good correlation coefficients for IgG, IgA and IgM. The two assay methods showed high agreement rates for positivity and for negativity. Specimens which did not yield the same results with the ELISA method and the Micro-IF method were subjected to analysis by the Western blot method, and the rates of agreement with the ELISA results were high. In addition, the child (0 approximately 15 yrs old; n = 122) and adult (16 approximately 90 yrs old; n = 133) cases were classified on the basis of being antigen-positive or antigen-negative at the initial examination, and their antibody-positive rates were determined. The adults showed no statistically significant differences in the antibody-positive rates for either IgG or IgA antibodies as a function of the pretreatment antigen status. However, the children showed statistically significant (p < 0.001) differences in the antibody-positive rates for both IgG and IgA antibodies as a function of the antigen status in the antigen-positive group compared with the rates in the antigen-negative group. Furthermore, the IgM-positive rates for the children were high in the antigen-positive group compared with the rates in the antigen-negative group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The IgM-positive rates in the adults were also significantly (p < 0.05) different between the antigen-positive group and the antigen-negative group. The Micro-IF method was applied to 34 specimens from antigen-positive patients, and 22 specimens were found to show an IgG titer of > or = 512 or an IgM titer of > or = 16. The diagnoses of these patients were acute respiratory disease in sixteen, pneumonia in four. Application of the ELISA-method to those 22 specimens showed all of them to exhibit IgG absorbance of > or = 0.6 and IgA absorbance of 0.2. The results described above indicate the clinical usefulness of our new ELISA method for the detection of antibodies specific for C. pneumoniae. The significance of this ELISA method for serological diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infections and the criteria for diagnosis of acute infections were also discussed.
Investigation of nosocomial respiratory infection due to Pseudomonas cepacia by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction.
We used DNA fingerprinting by the arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) technique for an epidemiologic investigation of Pseudomonas cepacia nosocomial isolates obtained from patients attending our hospital. This approach was compared with conventional phenotypic typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The patterns of gel electrophoresis of the products of AP-PCR differed significantly according to differences in the concentration of Mg2+ and in pH. AP-PCR and PFGE was identical in their resolving power, as the two methods generated four different profiles and identified the same group of strains. The AP-PCR method constitutes an easy alternative to the well-established PFGE method.
Isolation of a cold-sensitive fermentation mutant of a baker's yeast strain and its use in a refrigerated dough process.
Conventional baker's yeast converts sugars in dough into CO2 and ethanol to a significant extent when the dough is stored for days at 5 degrees C. We have isolated Csf (cold-sensitive fermentation) mutants of a commercial baker's yeast by a selection method including as the critical step a nystatin treatment to mutagenized cells at 10 degrees C in the presence of antimycin A. The fermentative activity of mutant strain CSF3 was substantially zero at 5 degrees C and one-fifth that of the parent at 10 degrees C but was restored to the same level as the parental activity at 25 to 40 degrees C. In contrast with the parent, the mutant strain normally produced white bread dough and butter roll dough even after the dough was stored for a week at 5 degrees C.