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Biomedical subjects

M Shiroma

Publications and source records attributed to M Shiroma.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Clinical significance of serum soluble IL-2R levels in patients with adult T cell leukaemia (ATL) and HTLV-1 carriers.

The levels of soluble IL-2Ralpha (sIL-2Ralpha) in serum were measured in HTLV-1 carriers and ATL patients in order to evaluate their possible correlation with clinical status. Mean sIL-2R levels in ATL patients were found to be 9704 U/ml for the acute/lymphoma type, 1961 U/ml for the chronic type and 788 U/ml for the smouldering type. The level for asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers was 475 U/ml, and 165 U/ml for healthy young adult HTLV-1- controls. The serial measurement of sIL-2R in ATL patients, healthy HTLV-1 carriers, and HTLV-1 carriers with diseases other than ATL showed a good correlation between serum levels of sIL-2R and the pathophysiological status of disease. Furthermore, an increase in the sIL-2Ralpha level in serum indicated the exacerbation of HTLV-1 infection and autoimmune diseases. The measurement of sIL-2Ralpha levels is therefore a very useful parameter for determining disease status.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Comparison of speech perception with cochlear implant and hearing aid--analysis according to speech strategy and hearing level].

This study was carried out to compare the speech perception ability of patients using hearing aids with hearing levels of 81dB or more (55 patients) and those with cochlear implants (67 patients). The patients with hearing aids were divided into group A (hearing levels 81-90dB, 7 patients), group B (91-100dB, 11 patients), group C (101-110dB, 19 patients), group D (111-120dB, 7 patients), and group E (121-130dB, 6 patients). The patients with cochlear implants were using the strategies of F0F1F2 (14 patients), MPEAK (32 patients) and SPEAK (21 patients). Speech perception tests of monosyllables, words, and sentences under conditions of auditory plus vision were administered. The means and standard deviations of percentages giving the correct answer in F0F1F2, MPEAK and SPEAK were 45.2 +/- 14.7%, 45.7 +/- 14.6% and 62.6 +/- 15.9% for monosyllables, 44.8 +/- 18.9%, 56.3 +/- 15.0% and 73.4 +/- 15.5% for words, and 64.0 +/- 26.4%, 60.5 +/- 15.9% and 84.7 +/- 13.8% for sentences. In comparison with the results for patients with hearing aids, and speech perception for F0F1F2 and MPEAK was equivalent to that of group C, and that for SPEAK was better than that of group B but poorer than that of group A. In other words, the speech perception ability in conventional cochlear implant strategies--F0F1F2 and MPEAK--corresponded to that of patients with hearing levels of 101-110dB, but that in the new strategy, SPEAK, gave better results than 91-100dB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Etiological and clinical evaluation of low acute respiratory infections in children].

Viral laboratory diagnosis was correlated with clinical and epidemiological data from 80 hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI). They all were less than 5 years-old and were studied from May to September 1993. Fifteen percent of them were malnourished and 75% had some unsatisfied basic necessity. Nasopharingeal aspirates were obtained the first day of hospitalization, and diagnosis for respiratory viruses was performed by the immunofluorescence test with monoclonal antibodies. Routine laboratory determinations, x-ray studies, and clinical data were not conclusive to determine viral etiology. Forty-one percent of the children had a positive viral diagnosis: the most important agent was Respiratory Syncytial Virus (78.7%) followed by Adenovirus (9.1%), Influenza A (6.1%) and Parainfluenza (3%). The peak of incidence was observed in June and the majority of the patients remained hospitalized less than 10 days. Six children died: two of them had viral pneumonia and could not receive mechanical respiratory assistance. The percentage of children who received antibiotics was high, 61.2%, in spite of the fact that 34.7% of these patients had a laboratory confirmed viral etiology. The availability of rapid laboratory viral diagnosis may contribute to decrease the use of antibiotics and improve the management of patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Japanese-language results for the speak strategy from Cochlear Pty Limited.

Recognition of speech sounds with a new speech-coding strategy, Speak, was compared with that of the Multipeak (Mpeak) strategy. Results of consonant, word, and sentence tests on 10 postlingually deaf subjects demonstrated that the performance of the Speak strategy significantly exceeded that of the Mpeak strategy under both quiet and noise conditions. Information transfer ratios for consonant features were improved by 20% to 40% with the Speak strategy under the noise condition. Thus, the Speak coding strategy can provide better speech sound perception than the Mpeak coding strategy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Immunodeficiency secondary to juvenile paracoccidioidomycosis: associated infections.

Four patients with acute paracoccidioidomycosis, hypoalbuminemia, ascites and associated infections are reported. They have been admitted to hospital 35 times, 4 of them due to active paracoccidioidomycosis, 14 to associated infections, 14 to ascites, edema and diarrhoea and 3 to herniorrhaphy. Two of them recovered after sepsis and central nervous system, muscular and subcutaneous cryptococcosis. The remaining two died. One had infectious diarrhoea (S. flexneri), peritoneal tuberculosis and sepsis (S. epidermidis); the other had bacterial meningitis, erysipelas, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus sepsis and miliary tuberculosis. Their immunodeficiency was attributed to enteric protein loss and/or malabsorption and malnutrition and was recognized by reduced response to delayed hypersensitivity skin tests in four patients and hypogammaglobulinemia in three of them. The authors discuss the need for prospective studies to be carried out, aiming at the mechanisms involved in secondary infections. Alternatives for maintaining the patients' adequate nutritional state should be investigated, to guarantee proper immune response and thus the ability to control intervening infections in patients with juvenile paracoccidioidomycosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Factors contributing to phoneme recognition ability of users of the 22-channel cochlear implant system.

A study was carried out to determine which factors contributed to the vowel and consonant recognition ability of recipients of the 22-channel cochlear implant system. On the basis of the statistical analysis, no isolated factor showed a strong correlation with vowel recognition score. On the other hand, negative correlations were found between patients' consonant recognition scores and postoperative psychophysical percepts such as threshold levels and maximum comfortable loudness levels. However, multiple regression analysis also showed that the combination of lower threshold levels, a larger number of usable electrodes, and wider dynamic ranges contributed to higher consonant recognition scores.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Changes of the threshold level in patients with 22-channel cochlear implant].

Psychophysical responses of the patients to electrical stimulation were examined in order to clarify long-term effects of the cochlear implant in 9 patients who had received a 22-channel cochlear implant. Measured items were the minimal threshold level (T-level), the maximum comfortable level (C-level), and the dynamic range between T- and C-level. Measurements were repeated for each electrode every three months over more than 6 months. Following results were obtained. 1) The changes of the T-level were classified into four types as follows, a type with no change, a type with gradual decrease, a type with decrease in two to three months followed by gradual increasing threshold and a type with gradual increasing just after surgery. Even in a last type, the maximum increase in the T-level did not exceed 200 microA and, in most cases, these changes were stabilized within a few months after implantation. 2) The dynamic range gradually increased. It was obvious in both in the middle and apical electrodes, while such increased threshold was not observed in the basal electrodes. 3) In some cases, a few basal electrodes could not been used since they caused uncomfortable sensation or those dynamic ranges became below a certain extent. As a result, it was suggested that the electrical stimulation had not induced serious degeneration of the ganglion cells and the auditory nerve fibers. The reduction in the number of usable electrodes might be due to the surgical trauma to the intracochlear tissue. Therefore, exposing of the scala tympani should be minimal in order to avoid the damage of the cochlea.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Severe yellow fever with 23-day survival.

In a severe case of jungle yellow fever, acquired in the Brazilian mid-west region, clinical and laboratory evidence of hepatic and renal failure, cardiovascular disturbance, coma and bleeding disorder developed. The patient was treated in an intensive care unit and hemodialysis was performed. In spite of severe liver dysfunction, most biochemical parameters returned to normal values but the patient finally died of respiratory failure on the 23rd day, due to secondary bacterial pneumonia. A post-mortem liver biopsy showed regeneration of normal liver architecture. Without the bacterial respiratory complication, the patient probably would have survived.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Polymyositis in Chagas's disease.

Polymyositis marked the clinical onset of Chagas's disease in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. This is unusual, although clinically unimportant muscle involvement in trypanosomiasis has been described. The plasma cell infiltrate and vascular deposition of IgM and C3 suggest that the humoral immune system may play a role in the pathogenesis of chagasic polymyositis. It is not known whether the rheumatoid diseases predisposed to the polymyositis.

Adult↗