Biomedical subjects

N Saita

Publications and source records attributed to N Saita.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Pulmonary granulomatosis caused by aspirated green tea.

We describe the first reported case (to our knowledge) of pulmonary granulomatosis caused by aspirated green tea. In this case, we found granulomatous alveolitis with lymph follicles, T lymphocytosis with predominantly CD8+ cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, positive serum precipitin and proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to the tea infusion, and efficacy of steroid therapy. These results indicate that the pathogenesis of the disease was due to both humoral and cellular immunities to the aspirated green tea.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Atypical peritracheobronchial vasculitis and an effective treatment.

We report an interesting case of vasculitis in which the inflammatory lesion was limited to the peritracheobronchus. This case showed positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, diffuse peritracheobronchial swelling, and vasculitis in its histology. Steroid therapy was effective for both roentgenological and serological findings. Although the biopsy specimen shows only inflammation and does not satisfy the WHO criteria of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), a possible diagnosis of WG should not be disregarded.

Autoantibodies↗

PubMed1993

Induction of an eosinophil chemotactic factor production from T lymphocytes by a B cell lymphoma line.

Production of an eosinophil chemotactic factor (ECF) from human mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) was induced by coculture with an irradiated B cell lymphoma line, BALL-1. BALL-1 induced ECF production from OKT4-positive T lymphocytes without evident IL-2 production. Treatment of MNL with anti-IL-2 antibody failed to suppress the BALL-1-induced ECF production, whereas the treatment strongly inhibited IL-2-induced ECF production. Control supernatants of BALL-1 cells alone did not induce ECF production. BALL-1 fixed with periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde, but not acetone or ethanol, induced evident ECF production. The isoelectric point of BALL-1-induced ECF (m.w. 10-30 kD) was around pI 7, whereas that of the IL-2-induced ECF was around pI 5. A combination of monoclonal antibodies against IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF suppressed the activity of the IL-2-induced ECF but not that of the BALL-1-induced ECF. BALL-1-induced ECF suppressed a respiratory burst from an eosinophilic cell line (YY-1) induced by N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine, whereas the IL-2-induced ECF did not, suggesting that the biological function of these two ECF is different, at least in the effect on respiratory burst of eosinophils. From the present results we propose that one reason for infiltration of eosinophils into the stroma of tumors is that some tumor cells can stimulate OKT4-positive T lymphocytes to produce an ECF, and that eosinophils attracted by this ECF exhibit biological functions which are different from those of eosinophils attracted by other ECF.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1992

[Case report: chronic aggressive pulmonary sarcoidosis with bilateral cavitation].

A 34-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital because of progressive exertional dyspnea and weight loss (8 kg in one year). Twelve years previously, he had had an episode of uveitis accompanied with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. Scalene node biopsy at that time revealed non-caseating epithelioid granulomas. Four years later, a follow-up chest radiograph showed bilateral fine nodular lesions. The bilateral parenchymal lesions gradually increased in density, and eventually, formed a confluent air-space consolidation containing multi-ocular cavities. On physical examination, the patient was emaciated (Ht 165 cm, Wt 40 kg). Nodular cutaneous lesions were present on his face and elbows. Hypoxemia with hypercapnea (PaO2 56 Torr, PaCO2 51 Torr) was noted. Repeated sputum cultures yielded negative results for acid-fast bacilli, fungi, and other pathological organisms. A transbronchial lung biopsy specimen obtained from near the cavitary lesion revealed non-caseating granulomas compatible with sarcoidosis. Skin lesion biopsy showed similar findings. The cavitation, was therefore considered to be due to ischemic necrosis of confluent sarcoid granulomas. Prednisolone (40 mg daily) was given with a prompt improvement of symptoms including dyspnea, as well as the radiographic abnormalities. We conclude that uncomplicated pulmonary sarcoidosis may rarely develop into an aggressive parenchymal disease with cavitation. It is of importance to differentiate such cases from infectious diseases (tuberculosis, mycosis etc.) because of the need for corticosteroid treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Fibroblast proliferation factors in pulmonary granuloma induced by Trichosporon cutaneum in rabbits: presence of a lymphocyte-derived fibroblast proliferation factor and its functional specificity.

The fibroblast proliferation activity (FPA) in pulmonary granulomatous lesions in rabbits which were exposed once (primary response) or twice (secondary response) to Trichosporon cutaneum was examined using R9ab, a rabbit fibroblast cell line cell, and fibroblasts from the lesions of the primary and secondary responses. The FPA in lung extracts and cell-free culture supernatants of bronchoalveolar lavage cells from the secondary response was more evident than that from the primary response. FPA from the primary response were recovered at about 60, 18, and 4.5 kD and those from secondary response at about 60, 26, 18, and 4.5 kD on Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. Among the FPA, the activity with a molecular weight of 26 kD and a pI of 7.0 was derived from lymphocytes, whereas the other activities were derived from macrophages. The macrophage-derived fibroblast proliferation factors (FPF) enhanced proliferation of fibroblasts from the lesions of both primary and secondary responses, while the lymphocyte-derived FPF enhanced only proliferation from the secondary response. It was further found that lymphocyte-derived FPF could chemotactically attract fibroblasts from the secondary but not the primary response, indicating functional specificity of lymphocyte-derived FPF on fibroblasts in the secondary response. The present results suggest that this lymphokine with fibroblast proliferation and chemotactic activity plays an important role in the granuloma formation in the secondary response to T. cutaneum.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Interleukin-1 production by polymorphonuclear leukocytes during the course of acute inflammation in rabbits.

Inflammation-induced immune enhancement was observed when an antigen was introduced during an early period of casein-induced inflammation. An immune potentiation factor was detected at the early inflammatory site of mice and rabbits. This immune potentiation factor of rabbits was identified as interleukin-1 (IL-1) in respect of either its biologic activities or its molecular structure. Expression of IL-1 mRNA was observed only in peritoneal exudate cells from the early inflammatory site in parallel with the generation of the immune potentiation activity. The inflammation-induced immune potentiation was assumed to be mediated by newly synthesized IL-1 at the early inflammatory site. By using immunocytochemical staining, it was definitely proved with respect to a single cell level that the polymorphonuclear leukocytes were the major cells in synthesizing IL-1 at the casein-induced inflammation in rabbits.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1988

Electroporation of cell membrane visualized under a pulsed-laser fluorescence microscope.

Controlled permeability can be conferred to cell membranes by exposing cells to a microsecond electric pulse of sufficient intensity (electroporation). By constructing a fluorescence microimaging system with a submicrosecond time resolution we have been able to resolve temporally and spatially the events in a single cell under a microsecond electric pulse. An enormous membrane conductance, corresponding to a loss of 0.01-0.1% of the membrane area, was observed in those membrane regions where the transmembrane potential induced by the electric pulse exceeded a critical value. The conductance decreased to a low level in a submillisecond after the pulse, leaving a moderately electroporated cell.

Animals↗