Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Umeda.
Indwelling double-curved ureteral stents were placed in 19 patients for 28 months. We used these stents to bypass ureteral obstruction and as adjunct surgery of upper urinary tract troubles. There were 5 cases with stent problems such as stone formation and spontaneous breakage. The duration of stenting with problems was longer than that without problems with statistical significance.
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In order to evaluate the effectiveness of a mass screening program for stomach cancer, a case-control study was conducted in Nose town in Osaka, Japan. The case series consisted of all deaths from stomach cancer during the period 1969-1981 (54 in males and 37 in females). For each case, 3 controls of the same sex and from the same precinct as the case, and born within 5 years of the case birth-year, were selected at random from Nose town residents alive at the date of death of the relevant case. We then investigated whether each case and corresponding controls had ever had screening tests before the date of diagnosis of the case. From the matched analysis of the distribution of screening in case-control combination, the odds ratio of screened vs. unscreened among those who died from stomach cancer compared to those who did not was calculated as 0.595 (90% confidence interval: 0.338-1.045) among males and 0.382 (0.185-0.785) among females. When the screening tests conducted within 12 months of diagnosis were ignored on the presumption that they were symptom-related, the odds ratio was calculated as 0.519 (0.297-0.905) among males and 0.486 (0.239-0.986) among females. These data strongly suggest that the mass screening program is effective in reducing stomach cancer mortality.
Accuracy of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was examined. The subjects were 5339 patients who underwent ultrasonography of the upper abdomen, during the year 1980 at our hospital. Out of 5339, 113 cases were found to be hepatocellular carcinoma by a 3-year follow-up study, checking against the records of regional cancer registry. Diagnostic accuracy based on 6 months of follow-up was as follows: for identification of liver tumors, sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy were 94.9%, 98.7%, and 98.9% respectively; for diagnosis of HCC, sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy were 58.9%, 99.9%, and 99.3% respectively. In conclusion, the ability of ultrasonography to detect hepatocellular carcinoma is adequately high, and thus, ultrasonography can be employed as a diagnostic procedure for mass screening.
A case of unilateral seminoma in Down's syndrome is reported. The relation of testicular cancer with Down's syndrome and the necessity of the follow-up biopsy of the contralateral testis are discussed.
Ten patients with reactivated stage D prostatic cancer were treated with the combination therapy of vincristine, ifosfamide and peplomycin (VIP therapy). This treatment gave a good relief of bone pain in 4 out of 8 patients (50%) and improvement of dysuria in 2 out of 6 patients (33%), but objective responses of primary and metastatic lesions were poor. The over-all response rate was 20% by Karnofsky's category of response, 10% by the response criteria of Shida et al., 50% by National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria in the United States and 10% by the response criteria of Koyama and Saito's group. The toxicity of VIP therapy was mild to moderate except for hepatic insufficiency shown in one case.
The plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin, testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy and age-matched control patients were not different. Although all 6 drugs used were effective for treating these benign prostatic hypertrophy patients the 3 drugs, chlormadinone acetate, oxendrone and allylestrenol, were especially recommended.
The physiology and morphology of visual interneurons in the lobula complex of the fleshfly, Boettcherisca peregrina, were studied using intracellular recordings and intracellular cobalt stainings, respectively. Using responses to movements of a spot of light and on-off stimuli at single positions, we classified the interneurons into five physiological groups ON, OFF, ON-OFF, non-directional motion sensitive (NDM) and directional motion sensitive (DM) neurons. They could be further divided into four morphological types, depending on the location and extent of their dendrites and terminal branches.
The family of a case of hereditary deficiency of OKT4 epitope on helper T cells was investigated. A 30-year-old woman was found to have hardly any OKT4+ T cells (0.7%, normal 24-51%), but normal OKT3, OKT8, OKT11, OKIa1, Leu1, Leu2a, Leu3a, Leu7, and B1 positive cells. The response to mitogens (PHA, PWM, and Con A) and helper-or suppressor-T-cell functions of her peripheral lymphocytes were normal. She had normal helper-T-cell populations detected with OKT4A (39.1%) and Leu3a (39.5%) monoclonal antibodies. One of her sisters had the same defect, but other members of the family had normal lymphocyte subsets. Lymphocyte functions were also found to be normal in all family members examined. The peak position of the fluorescence intensity of OKT4+ cells was about half that of normal controls in five members of this family. Considering that these were carriers of OKT4 epitope deficiency, the OKT4 epitope abnormality was inherited as an autosomal codominant trait in this family. Similar OKT4 epitope deficiency with normal Leu3a+ and OKT4A+ cells was found in 38 of 8866 (0.43%) other subjects in Japan by the examination of routine blood samples.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulated phosphorylation of pig epidermal proteins, one of which was pig epidermal keratin. In order to further characterize phosphorylated proteins and specify the EGF-dependent protein phosphorylation, we attempted to identify phosphorylated keratin proteins and to analyze phosphorylated phosphoamino acids of keratin proteins stimulated by EGF. Four major polypeptide bands of pig epidermal keratin were immunoprecipitated by antihuman callus keratin antibody which reacted with fine networks of fibrous keratin of pig epidermal cells grown in vitro. Four major polypeptide bands were greatly phosphorylated by EGF in a dose-dependent manner. The analysis of phosphorylated phosphoamino acids revealed that EGF stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of pig epidermal fibrous keratin.
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To perform AIH, an artificial spermatocele was inserted into the epididymis for obstructive azoospermia (probably caused by congenital defect of the spermiduct on one side and by accidental vasosection in hernioplasty on the other). The graft used was a cup-shaped alloplastic spermatocele made of silicon-dacron, developed by Wagenknecht et al. The epididymal duct was incised microscopically. The graft was sutured to the epididymal involucrum, punctured through the scrotal skin by an injection needle and aspirated spermatozoa accumulated in the internal cavity, and subjected to AIH. Postoperatively, acceleration of spermatogenesis was attempted by injecting i.m. HCG 2,000 U-HMG 150 U twice a week, but spermatozoa both qualitatively and quantatively sufficient to perform AIH could not be obtained. Spermatozoa were no longer found after two and a half postoperative months. Despite the present failure, we would like to develop a method of grafting of this kind as more precise therapeutic means through further technical improvements in grafting.
Twenty-three patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic urothelial tumors were treated by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Radical operation with or without radiation resulted in tumor free conditions in 8 patients. Fifteen patients who had a few dimensionally estimable disease parameters, underwent chemotherapy. Objective responses were obtained in 6 of the 15 patients (1 CR and 5 PR). The objective response of low grade or low stage tumors or cases with high Karnofsky performance ratings was moderate. Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDDP), doxorubicin (ADM) and cyclophosphamide or a CDDP-containing combination appeared to be beneficial for patients with advanced urothelial tract tumors with palliative purpose.
Li+ inhibited growth of Escherichia coli when glucose, galactose, fructose, or glycerol was added as the sole source of carbon. Growth inhibition was not observed when lactate or a mixture of amino acids was used as the carbon source. A mutant possessing elevated activity of Li+ extrusion was not inhibited by Li+. These results suggested that intracellular Li+ inhibited the glycolytic pathway, most likely triose metabolism, without affecting gluconeogenesis. We also found that pyruvate kinase I was inhibited by Li+.
Endogenous protein phosphorylation of pig epidermis by epidermal growth factor (EGF) was studied to elucidate biologic roles of EGF on epidermal cells. EGF stimulated phosphorylation of keratin proteins (Mr: 65,000, 60,000, 56,000, and 51,000) identified by the Ouchterlony immunodiffusion analysis, a low Mr protein (16,000 dalton) of the urea-SDS-mercaptoethanol soluble fraction, and a 30,000 dalton Tris-HCl soluble protein. The phosphorylated epidermal proteins such as keratin proteins and a 30,000 dalton protein of the Tris-HCl soluble fraction were slightly dephosphorylated following the addition of unlabeled phosphate. Anti-EGF serum eliminated the EGF-stimulated phosphorylation of keratin proteins, a low Mr protein, and a 30,000 dalton Tris-HCl soluble protein. The overall results indicate that EGF specifically stimulated phosphorylation of several epidermal proteins, one of which was keratin protein.
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