Images in cardiology. Left coronal ostium to right atrium fistula causing right ventricular failure and pulmonary hypertension.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Yoda.
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In the latest revision in 2004, the 3rd edition, the Water Safety Plans (WSP) was newly introduced into the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. The Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) is a basic concept that underlies the WSPs, and is also known as the product quality management method in the field of food and the medical manufacturing industries. In the amendments of the Drinking Water Quality Standards in Japan, water suppliers are required to reasonably achieve both safe water and efficient water quality management. Therefore, the HACCP concept is focused as an adequate management method covering a whole process of water supply systems, in a systematic way. The purpose of this study is to investigate a practical procedure in introducing the HACCP into water quality management in Japan. In comparison to conventional applications of the HACCP, unmanageable variations of raw water quality, continuous treatment and supply, and numerous standards of water quality items need to be considered. The HACCP system is expected to achieve a quick response to improvements in water quality, accountability towards consumers and a decrease in accidents.
BACKGROUND: Acute otitis media (AOM) is the commonest infectious disease of childhood. Its treatment is based on a probabilistic antibiotic therapy. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of different bacteria responsible for AOM in children in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study, between November 2002 and August 2003. To identify bacterial isolates, 60 children under 15 years old with AOM were enrolled. In 52 cases, the sample was recovered by aspiration of a spontaneous otorrhea and in eight cases, it was taken by paracentesis. Nasopharyngeal swabs were cultured. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed on isolates. RESULTS: 75% of children were under 24 months of age. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recovered in 31.8% of cases followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (21%), Proteus (7.4%) and Staphylococcus (6.2%). The rate of penicillin-nonsusceptible S. pneumoniae (NSSP) was 11.8%. Resistance to erythromycin was 6%. For Pseudomonas, resistances to antibiotics were 35.5% to ceftazidim and 16% to pefloxacin, respectively, but all the strains were sensible to colistin, iminepem and ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSION: These data can modify therapeutic approaches for treatment of AOM in our country. This study should encourage surveillance of AOM microbiology.
AIM: Mitral valve procedure after previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with functioning internal mammary artery (IMA) grafts has high risk. Especially, internal mammary artery grafts injury may be fatal. The anterolateral right thoracotomy affords easy access to the right atrium with minimal dissection, and minimizes the risk of injury to the IMA grafts. We reviewed our operative technique and outcome after mitral valve procedure after previous CABG with functioning IMA grafts. METHODS: Thirteen patients (11 male and 2 female, mean age of 67.7+/-8.5 years, range 54 to 80 years) underwent mitral valve replacement after previous CABG with functioning IMA grafts from march 1993 to september 2002. The mean interval between the previous CABG and the mitral valve procedure was 3.8 years (range 9 months to 8 years). Four patients had simultaneous mitral valve procedures at initial CABG (2 repairs and 2 replacements). The operation has performed through the anterolateral right thoracotomy, under ventricular fibrillation with moderate hypothermia and without cardioplesia. RESULTS: Mitral valve repair was performed in 3 patients, mitral valve replacement in 10 patients. The mean coronary bypass time was 69.1+/-16.2 min (range 45 to 98 min). The operation time was 159.3+/-29.4 min (range 120 to 219 min). Intensive care unit stay days was 1.9+/-1.6 days (range 1 to 5 days). Peak CK/CK-MB values were 555.1+/-290.4 IU/16.6+/-10.7 IU (range 176 to 924 IU/7 to 44 IU). Peak troponin I value was 9.5+/-5.2 pg/mL (range 4 to 17.8 pg/mL). There was no IMA injury and no early death. Other complications were newly arrhythmia in 3 patients, renal insufficiency in 1 patient, reoperation for bleeding in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: Anterolateral right thoracotomy approach, ventricular fibrillation with moderate hypothermia without cardioplesia were a safe and good method for mitral valve operation after previous CABG with functioning IMA graft.
BACKGROUND: Preoperative autologous blood donation reduces exposure to homologous blood transfusions in cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to ascertain, how much volume of predonated autologous blood needed to avoid of homologous blood transfusion in scheduled off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). METHOD: Fifty patients underwent scheduled OPCAB. These patients donated 400 ml (group A, n = 30) or 800 ml (group B, n = 20) of autologous blood before operation. These patients donated at a rate of 400 ml per week. All patients were given an equal volume of saline solution at the time of autologous donation. RESULT: There were no significant differences mean age, mean body weight, mean preoperative hematocrit values, mean graft number or mean volume of intraoperative blood loss between groups A and B. There was significant difference the mean postoperative day-7 hematocrit value (33.4 +/- 1.5% vs 38.7 +/- 1.5%, p < 0.05). The rates of avoiding homologous blood transfusion were 63.3% in group A and 100% in group B (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Autologous blood transfusion was effective for reducing the homologous blood requirement. We believe that 800 ml predonation is sufficient to avoid homologous blood transfusion in scheduled OPCAB, further patients with cardiovascular disease including severe coronary artery should be donated with the administration of saline.
BACKGROUND: Preoperative autologous blood donation is commonly used to reduce exposure to homologous blood transfusions among patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how much volume of predonated autologous blood need to avoid of homologous blood transfusion in cardiac procedure. METHODS: One hundred twenty-eight patients underwent scheduled cardiac procedure between January 1998 and December 1999. Group 1: 400 ml predonated, operation without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) [n = 33], group 2: 800 ml predonated, operation without CPB (n = 23), group 3: 800 ml predonated, operation with CPB (n = 36), group 4: 1,200 ml predonated, operation with CPB (n = 36). Surgical procedures underwent only off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) in groups 1 and 2. In groups 3 and 4 included coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve replacement, CABG + valve replacement and atrial septal defect repair. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean body weight, mean preoperative hematocrit values or mean volume of intraoperative blood loss between groups 1 and 2. There were no significant differences in mean age, mean body weight, mean preoperative and postoperative day-7 hematocrit values, mean volume of intraoperative blood loss or mean CPB time between groups 3 and 4. The mean postoperative day-7 hematocrit value was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2. Homologous blood transfusion was avoided in 63.6% of those with predonation of group 1 versus 100% at group 2 (p < 0.05), 86.1% at group 3 versus 94.4% at group 4 (p < 0.05). In group 3, all patients who underwent redo operation or CABG + valve replacement needed homologous blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Autologous blood transfusion is effective for reducing the homologous blood requirement. It also seems that predonation of 800 ml may be sufficient to avoid homologous blood transfusion in cardiac surgery, however predonation of 1,200 ml is desirable in cases of redo operation or CABG + valve replacement.
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Aortic dissection etiology involve many factors that are difficult to identify clearly. We report a 47-year-old man who underwent a Bentall operation with reattachment of bypass grafts for a dissecting aneurysm (DeBakey type II) 4 years after combined triple coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve replacement. This case appeared to be associated with factors leading to dissecting aneurysm although it remains unclear which was more influential congenital bicuspid aortic valve or proximal anastomosis of venous grafts or both. This case suggests the need to consider appropriate timing in surgical intervention for cases of congenital bicuspid aortic valves and the selection of additional aortic valve replacement in initial surgery.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the bond strength between porcelain and experimental cast titanium alloys. Eleven binary titanium alloys were examined: Ti-Cr (15, 20, 25 wt%), Ti-Pd (15, 20, 25 wt%), Ti-Ag (10, 15, 20 wt%), and Ti-Cu (5, 10 wt%). As controls, the bond strengths for commercially pure titanium (KS-50, Kobelco, Japan) and a high noble gold alloy (KIK, Ishifuku, Japan) were also examined. Castings were made using a centrifugal casting unit (Ticast Super R, Selec Co., Japan). Commercial porcelain for titanium (TITAN, Noritake, Japan) was applied to cast specimens. The bond strengths were evaluated using a three-point bend test according to ISO 9693. Since the elastic modulus value is needed to evaluate the bond strength, the modulus was measured for each alloy using a three-point bend test. Results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA/S-N-K test (alpha = 0.05). Although the elastic moduli of the Ti-Pd alloys were significantly lower than those of other alloys (p = 0.0001), there was a significant difference in bond strength only between the Ti-25Pd and Ti-15Ag alloys (p = 0.009). The strengths determined for all the experimental alloys ranged from 29.4 to 37.2MPa, which are above the minimum value required by the ISO specification (25 MPa).
Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived hormone. Recent genome-wide scans have mapped a susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome to chromosome 3q27, where the gene encoding adiponectin is located. Here we show that decreased expression of adiponectin correlates with insulin resistance in mouse models of altered insulin sensitivity. Adiponectin decreases insulin resistance by decreasing triglyceride content in muscle and liver in obese mice. This effect results from increased expression of molecules involved in both fatty-acid combustion and energy dissipation in muscle. Moreover, insulin resistance in lipoatrophic mice was completely reversed by the combination of physiological doses of adiponectin and leptin, but only partially by either adiponectin or leptin alone. We conclude that decreased adiponectin is implicated in the development of insulin resistance in mouse models of both obesity and lipoatrophy. These data also indicate that the replenishment of adiponectin might provide a novel treatment modality for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the expression of the novel adipose tissue-specific protein GBP28 in adipose tissue and serum are altered in mice under a variety of conditions. DESIGN: Mice were fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks, fasted for 48 h or exposed at 4 degrees C. SUBJECTS: C57BL/6J mouse, male, 4--6 weeks old. MEASUREMENTS: GBP28 mRNA, GBP28 protein, blood glucose, insulin and fad pad weight of the mice. RESULTS: We first confirmed that the mouse has GBP28 and its characteristics are the same as human GBP28. Serum concentration and mRNA levels of GBP28 significantly increased in the mice exposed to cold. CONCLUSION: GBP28 may play a role in homeostasis, regulating body temperature and basal metabolic rate in response to changing environmental conditions. International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 75-83
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Plasma hyaluronan biding protein (PHBP) is a novel serine protease, which has an amino acid sequence homology to that of hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA), and has a similar domain structure to that of urinary plasminogen activator (u-PA), found in human plasma. We searched the PHBP substrate in human plasma by measuring the digested protein bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The results showed that fibrinogen and fibronectin were the major substrates of PHBP. PHBP cleaved the alpha-chain at multiple sites and the beta-chain between lysine53 and lysine54 but not the gamma-chain of fibrinogen. Therefore, PHBP did not initiate the formation of the fibrin clot and did not cause the fibrinolysis directly. PHBP did not cleave (activate) prothrombin and plasminogen, but it converted the inactive single chain urinary plasminogen activator to the active two chain form.
The inhibitor for the serine protease activity of plasma hyaluronan binding protein (PHBP) was purified from human plasma by polyethylene glycol (PEG) fractionation, diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-Sephacel ion-exchange chromatography, Phenyl Toyopearl 650M hydrophobic chromatography, Bio Gel A-0.5 m gel-filtration and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The serine protease activity of PHBP was measured with Boc-Phe-Ser-Arg-methylcoumarine amide (MCA) as the synthetic substrate of PHBP. The results of the amino acid sequence analyses of the purified PHBP inhibitor indicated that it was C1 inhibitor of the serpin family. C1 inhibitor formed a complex with PHBP, suggesting that it is the actual inhibitor of PHBP in human plasma. On the other hand, dextran sulfate and phosphatidylethanolamine enhanced the auto-fragmentation and the serine protease activity of pro-PHBP, but kaolin did not. These results suggested that the serine protease activity of PHBP was regulated in a similar manner to that of factor XII of the coagulation system.
We prepared anti-plasma hyaluronan binding protein (PHBP) mouse monoclonal antibodies and studied the fragmentation profile of PHBP with them. PHBP is present in human plasma as a single polypeptide chain (70 kDa). During the purification, PHBP partially fragmentated into the 50-kDa N-terminal fragment and the 27-kDa C-terminal fragment. After the incubation of the purified PHBP, the 70-kDa precursor form was completely cleaved to the 50- and 27-kDa fragments, followed by the 50-kDa to the 26-kDa, and the 27-kDa to the 17-kDa plus the 8-kDa fragments, respectively. Because the purified PHBP contained no other detectable proteins and PHBP has a typical serine protease domain, we concluded that the fragmentation of PHBP was caused by own serine protease activity. PHBP cleaved the C-terminal side of Arg in the peptide effectively and that of Lys weakly. The results of the pre-incubation experiments of PHBP suggested that the single-chain form of PHBP is a precursor, the two-subunit structure is an active form and the three- or four-chain structure is an inactive form of a serine protease.
BACKGROUND: During the cardiovascular surgeries in elderly people, only a few cases can avoid the homologous blood transfusion, because of their preoperative anemic tendency and low hemopoietic abilities. We examined the capability to avoid the homologous blood transfusion in over 75 year old patients by the preoperative autologous blood collection. Sixty-six patients underwent scheduled cardiovascular surgery between January 1996 and December 1999. The groups were divided into three categories of preoperatively collected autologous blood amounts: high-amount (800-1,200 ml), medium-amount (200-800 ml), and low-amount (0 ml). Each group was divided into two subgroups in according to the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). There were no differences among the each group in age, body weight, or preoperative and postoperative day-7 hematocrit values. RESULTS: Only 21.2% of patients could donate the expected blood amounts preoperatively. Mean volume was 641 ml. In groups used CPB, no patient was transfused homologous blood in high-amount group. On the contrary, 100% patients were donated in medium and low amount groups. In groups operated without CPB, homologous blood transfusion was required 14.3% in high-amount group, 25.0% in medium-amount group, and 83.3% in low-amount group. CONCLUSION: It seems that predonation of more than 800 ml may be sufficient to avoid the homologous blood transfusion in using CPB operation and more than 400 ml in non using CPB operation.
We report successful surgery for a thrombosed St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve 16 years after the initial mitral valve replacement even under conditions of satisfactory anticoagulation therapy. A 61-year-old-female had intermittent claudication and was admitted to our hospital for examination. The prosthetic valve sounds were normal to auscultation and the left ankle-pressure index was decreased to 0.6. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed no mitral regurgitation and a mean mitral valve gradient of 6-7 mmHg. Furthermore, transesophageal echocardiography revealed that one of the leaflets of the prosthetic valve was entirely immobilized at the closing position and a mobile soft tissue mass, 5 mm in diameter, was detected at the atrial side of the obstructed leaflet. Although 96,0000 IU of urokinase was administered intravenously for a week, we could not confirm any change in leaflet mobility. At the time of surgery, the posterior leaflet of the SJM valve, which was implanted at an anatomical orientation, was obstructed at the closing position with old and fresh thrombi. We decided upon replacement with a CarboMedics 29 M prosthetic valve. Postoperative medication consisted of warfarin plus low-dose aspirin. Generally, valve thrombosis occurs within 5 years after valve replacement. However, valve thrombosis is possible even in a reliable SJM valve and as long as 16 years after replacement. Therefore, the implantation of an SJM valve at an anti-anatomical orientation might lower the incidence of valve thrombosis in addition to life-long anticoagulation therapy.
OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: In the present study, the involvement of the binding of IHRP (inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor family heavy chain-related protein) and actin in phagocyte activity was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The actin polymerization and the phagocytic activity of the polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells were studied in the presence of IHRP. RESULTS: IHRP inhibited the polymerization of actin and the phagocytic activity of the PMN cells. CONCLUSION: 1) IHRP may bind to actin released from the damaged cells and suppress its toxic action by preventing the formation of actin fibril. 2) IHRP may bind to cell surface actin on PMN cells and inhibit their phagocytic activities. 3) From these results, IHRP may act as an anti-inflammatory protein.