Biomedical subjects

N Sunaga

Publications and source records attributed to N Sunaga.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A case of primary peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma initially presented by massive bilateral pleural effusions.

Primary peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma (PSPC) is a rare primary peritoneal tumor. Clinically, PSPC usually presents with general abdominal discomfort resulting from variable amounts of ascites. In a state of small amounts of ascites, initial manifestation of massive bilateral pleural effusion is unusual. A 76-year-old female nonsmoker with no asbestos exposure complained of dyspnea during exercise. Chest radiograph showed a massive bilateral pleural effusion. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed irregular pleural thickening and a small amount of ascites. Abdominopelvic CT revealed nodular thickening of the parietal peritoneum, mesenteric or omental nodules, omental cake, and lymphadenopathy in paraaortic regions. Adenocarcinoma cells were found via cytologic examination in bilateral pleural fluids and ascites. Because the primary site of the adenocarcinoma was not found, a surgical biopsy of the right pleural thickening was performed. The final diagnosis was PSPC. The patient was treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Physicians should be aware of a possibility of PSPC when the radiographic findings show massive bilateral pleural effusion due to pleural carcinomatosis, with high serum levels of CA125.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

DNA methylation-associated inactivation of TGFbeta-related genes DRM/Gremlin, RUNX3, and HPP1 in human cancers.

The transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta)-signalling pathway is deregulated in many cancers. We examined the role of gene silencing via aberrant methylation of DRM/Gremlin and HPP1, which inhibit TGFbeta signalling, and RUNX3, which facilitates TGFbeta-signalling, of all genes that are thought to be tumour suppressors, are aberrantly expressed, and are thus thought to have important role in human cancers. We examined DRM/Gremlin mRNA expression in 44 cell lines and the promoter methylation status of DRM/Gremlin, HPP1, and RUNX3 in 44 cell lines and 511 primary tumours. The loss of DRM/Gremlin mRNA expression in human cancer cell lines is associated with DNA methylation, and treatment with the methylation inhibitor-reactivated mRNA expression (n=13). Methylation percentages of the three genes ranged from 0-83% in adult tumours and 0-50% in paediatric tumours. Methylation of DRM/Gremlin was more frequent in lung tumours in smokers, and methylation of all three genes was inversely correlated with prognosis in patients with bladder or prostate cancer. Our results provide strong evidence that these TGFbeta-related genes are frequently deregulated through aberrant methylation in many human malignancies.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Trait anxiety affects the pupillary light reflex in college students.

This study was designed to examine whether anxious personality, i.e. trait anxiety, influences the autonomic nervous functions in humans without manipulation of experimental stressors. The degrees of state and trait anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate, pupillary light reflex (PLR), and body temperature were measured at the same hour on four different days in 14 healthy college students. A multiple regression analysis showed that trait anxiety predominantly influenced state anxiety and the PLR parameters. A single regression analysis showed that trait anxiety positively correlated to the initial pupillary diameter and the constricted diameter of PLR and negatively to the amplitude of PLR. It was concluded that trait anxiety predicts state anxiety and a smaller amplitude of PLR in humans at rest.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Anxiety affects the postural sway of the antero-posterior axis in college students.

To examine whether the postural balance is influenced by the degree of anxiety, body sway during orthostatic standing while gazing at a visual target was examined in college students. Students, physically and mentally healthy, were divided into two groups according to the degree of state anxiety; high anxiety group (HA) and low anxiety group (LA). A fast Fourier transform analysis of the postural sway in antero-posterior axis showed that frequency components of 0.02-0.21 Hz, reflecting vestibular inputs, were 16% greater and those of 2.02-10.0 Hz, reflecting somatosensory inputs, were 24% smaller in HA. These differences between HA and LA were abolished when the eyes were closed. It is concluded that the interactions of visual inputs with vestibular and somatosensory inputs are influenced by anxiety.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Physical and transcriptional map of a 311-kb segment of chromosome 18q21, a candidate lung tumor suppressor locus.

Here, we report the complete genomic sequence and the characterization of the 311-kb region of 18q21, a candidate tumor suppressor locus containing a region of homozygous deletion in a lung cancer cell line, Ma29. This region contained two known genes, SMAD4 and ME2 (mitochondrial malate oxydoreductase), and two novel genes, D29 (deleted in Ma29 HGMW-approved symbol ELAC1), encoding an evolutionarily conserved protein, and B29 (beside the Ma29 deletion HGMW-approved symbol C18orf3), with no significant homology to any known genes. The deleted DNA segment in Ma29, which was estimated to be 195 kb in size, included all the coding exons of ME2 and D29, but not the coding exons of SMAD4 and B29. The deleted region also included exon 0, a 5'-noncoding exon, of SMAD4, and the expression of SMAD4 was greatly reduced in Ma29 cells. Mutations of SMAD4 and D29 were detected in 1 of 45 lung cancer cell lines examined, while those of ME2 and B29 were not detected, indicating that these four genes are not major targets for 18q21 deletions. The physical and transcriptional map constructed in this study will provide basic information for the identification of a tumor suppressor gene(s) at 18q21 involved in lung carcinogenesis.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed2001

Constitutive activation of the Wnt signaling pathway by CTNNB1 (beta-catenin) mutations in a subset of human lung adenocarcinoma.

Constitutive activation of the Wnt signaling pathway as a result of genetic alterations of APC, AXIN1, and CTNNB1 has been found in various human cancers, including those of the colon, liver, endometrium, ovary, prostate, and stomach. To investigate the pathogenetic significance of constitutive activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in human lung carcinogenesis, CTNNB1 alterations in exon 3, a region known to represent a mutation hot spot, were screened in 46 lung cancer cell lines and 47 primary lung cancers. Missense mutations causing substitutions of Ser/Thr residues critical for regulation by GSK-3beta were detected in one (2%) of the cell lines, A427, and two (4%) of the surgical specimens. The three lung cancers with CTNNB1 mutations were adenocarcinomas. To explore the prevalence of constitutive activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in human lung cancer, we assessed 15 lung cancer cell lines representing major histological subtypes of lung cancers for constitutive Tcf transcriptional activity (CTTA). CTTA was observed only in the A427 adenocarcinoma cell line, but not in the remaining 14 cell lines. The data indicate that constitutive activation of the Wnt signaling pathway caused by CTNNB1 mutation is involved in the development and/or progression of a subset of lung carcinoma, preferentially in adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

OGG1 protein suppresses G:C-->T:A mutation in a shuttle vector containing 8-hydroxyguanine in human cells.

8-Hydroxyguanine (8-OHG) is an oxidatively damaged mutagenic base which causes G:C-->T:A transversions in DNA. OGG1 was cloned as a human gene encoding a DNA glycosylase that specifically excises 8-OHG from DNA in vitro. However, it was not clear whether OGG1 protein suppresses G:C-->T:A transversions caused by 8-OHG in human cells in vivo. In the present study we have examined the ability of OGG1 protein to suppress G:C-->T:A transversions caused by 8-OHG in human cells by bacterial suppressor tRNA (supF) forward mutation assay using a shuttle vector DNA, pMY189. Introduction of a single 8-OHG residue at position 159 of the supF gene in plasmid pMY189 resulted in a 130-fold increase in mutation frequency compared with untreated plasmid pMY189 after replication in the NCI-H1299 human lung cancer cell line. G:C-->T:A transversions at position 159 were detected in >90% of the supF mutants from the 8-OHG-containing plasmid. The mutation frequency of the 8-OHG-containing plasmid was significantly reduced by overexpression of OGG1 protein in NCI-H1299 cells and, in particular, the occurrence of G:C-->T:A transversion at position 159 in the supF gene was suppressed. Furthermore, frequencies and spectra of mutations of the untreated pMY189 plasmid did not differ significantly with overexpression of OGG1 protein. These results indicate that OGG1 protein has the ability to suppress G:C-->T:A transversions caused by 8-OHG in human cells in vivo.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2000

A phase II study of combined chemoradiotherapy for limited disease-small-cell lung cancer.

A study to evaluate the efficacy of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and etoposide chemotherapy with combined radiotherapy was undertaken in 26 patients with limited disease-small-cell lung cancer. Patients were treated with cisplatin (80 mg/m2) intravenously (i.v.) on day 1, doxorubicin (30 mg/m2) i.v. on day 1, and etoposide (80 mg/m2) i.v. on days 1, 3, and 5, every 4 weeks for four cycles. Thoracic irradiation of 40 Gy in 20 fractions was delivered during 4 weeks to the primary site starting on day 8 of the second cycle of chemotherapy. The objective response rate was 100%. A complete response was observed in 10 patients (38%). The median survival time was 23 months, and the 3-year survival rate was 42%. Seven patients (27%) continued to survive at least 8 years and remain free from disease. Grade III/IV leukopenia was observed in 25 patients (96%). Grade III/IV thrombocytopenia developed in 19 patients (73%). Grade III/IV esophagitis was not seen. Interstitial pneumonitis occurred in two patients. This regimen is effective and has acceptable toxicity for use in the treatment of limited disease-small-cell lung cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

[Pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with primary lung cancer].

The patient was a 61-year-old man admitted with the complaints of cough, arthralgia, and swelling of the legs. A chest roentgenogram and chest computed tomographic scan revealed a giant mass in the right upper lobe. Transperitoneal lung biopsy was performed, and a diagnosis of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was made. Physical examination confirmed swelling of the legs and clubbing of fingers on both hands. Bone scintigrams showed marked accumulation of 99 m-Tc-MDP in the long bones, bones of the hands, and patellae. These findings yielded a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with primary lung cancer. Although a high serum level of growth hormone was also detected, immunohistochemical analysis did not find growth hormone in the tumor itself. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed but did not stop progression of the disease. The patient subsequently experienced worsening arthralgia and swelling of the legs. Steroid therapy rapidly alleviated the arthralgia and swelling, but not the clubbing of the fingers. Thereafter, the patient's serum CRP and ICTP dropped to normal levels, and the abnormal findings of bone scintigrams subsequently disappeared. The pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy was not clearly attributable to growth hormone. Steroid therapy was effective in this case. Bone scintigrams and serum CRP and ICTP may be useful indicators in the therapeutic follow-up and monitoring of patients with pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1999

Serum pro-gastrin-releasing peptide is a useful marker for treatment monitoring and survival in small-cell lung cancer.

We investigated the usefulness of serum pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (Pro-GRP) as a tumor marker for diagnosis, treatment monitoring and the prediction of relapse and prognosis in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Serum samples were obtained from 127 patients with primary lung cancer (48 patients with small-cell carcinoma, 31 with adenocarcinoma, 36 with squamous cell carcinoma and 11 with large-cell carcinoma). The cutoff levels of serum Pro-GRP and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were set at 46 pg/ml and 10 ng/ml, respectively. The specificity of Pro-GRP was significantly higher than that of NSE (Pro-GRP: 93.7%, NSE: 65.8%, p < 0.01). According to the histological type of lung cancer, the positive rates of Pro-GRP were 75% (36/48) in the small-cell carcinomas, 9.7% (3/31) in the adenocarcinomas, 5.6% (2/36) in the squamous cell carcinomas and 0% (0/10) in the large cell carcinomas. The median levels of Pro-GRP in limited disease (LD) and extensive disease (ED) patients were 199 and 295.5 pg/ml, whereas those of NSE were 14.8 and 29.3 ng/ml, respectively. The positive rates of Pro-GRP in LD and ED patients were 80.0% (16/20) and 71.4% (20/28), whereas those of NSE were 70.0% (14/20) and 89.3% (25/28), respectively. The positive rate of NSE tended to elevate with the progression of disease, whereas that of Pro-GRP was already high at an early stage. Among the 29 patients with SCLC who could be followed, the serum Pro-GRP levels of 18 responders were significantly decreased after treatment (p < 0.01), whereas those of the 11 nonresponders were not significantly different between before and after treatment (p = 0.72). In the 9 patients with SCLC who relapsed, the serum Pro-GRP levels were again elevated at the time of relapse. Seventeen patients whose ratio of the Pro-GRP level after treatment to the level before treatment was below 50% (taking the levels before treatment as 100%) survived significantly longer than did the patients whose ratio was over 50% (p < 0.01). The results of the present study suggest that serum Pro-GRP has high specificity and could be a useful marker of SCLC for treatment monitoring and prognosis.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

[Construction, reliability and validity of Feelings of Unreality Inventory].

The present research assumed that a feeling of unreality is the defining characteristic of depersonalization phenomena. In Survey 1, two scales were constructed: the State Feelings of Unreality Scale for measuring a feeling of unreality as a transitory state and the Trait Feelings of Unreality Scale for assessing individual differences in disposition to experience that state. Both scales had high internal consistency. The Trait Feelings of Unreality Scale had sufficient test-retest reliability. In Survey 2, the Trait Feelings of Unreality Scale was found to be moderately correlated to level of maladjustment. Survey 3 showed that those higher in State Feelings of Unreality experienced greater negative affect. The results of Surveys 2 and 3 supported the construct validity of the Trait Feelings of Unreality Scale and the State Feelings of Unreality Scale, respectively.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Direct transfer of plasmid DNA from intact yeast spheroplasts into plant protoplasts.

We developed a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated direct DNA transfer method from intact Saccharomyces cerevisiae spheroplasts into Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts. To monitor the DNA transfer from yeast to plant cells, beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene in which a plant intron was inserted was used as a reporter. This intron-GUS reporter gene on a 2 microns-based plasmid vector was not expressed in yeast transformants, while it expressed GUS activity when the plasmid DNA was introduced into plant cells. When a mixture of 1 x 10(8) of S. cerevisiae spheroplasts harboring the plasmid and 2 x 10(6) of A. thaliana protoplasts was treated with PEG and high pH-high Ca2+ solution (0.4 M mannitol, 50 mM CaCl2, 50 mM glycine-NaOH pH 10.5), GUS activity was detected in the extract of the plant cells after a three-day culture. The GUS activity was higher than that of a reconstitution experiment in which the mixture of 1 x 10(8) of S. cerevisiae spheroplasts which did not carry the reporter gene, 2 x 10(6) of A. thaliana protoplasts and the same amount of the reporter plasmid DNA as that contained in 1 x 10(8) of S. cerevisiae spheroplasts, was treated with PEG and high pH-high Ca2+ solution. Moreover, the GUS gene expression was resistant to micrococcal nuclease treatment before and during PEG treatment. From these results, we concluded that plasmid DNA can be directly transferred from intact yeast spheroplasts to plant protoplasts by a nuclease-resistant process, possibly by the cell fusion.

Arabidopsis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between evoked otoacoustic emissions and middle-ear dynamic characteristics.

Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs) are considered to originate from outer hair cell movement and to be transmitted to the external auditory meatus through the ossicular chain and eardrum in a retrograde fashion. Therefore, the effect of the middle ear on EOAEs seems to be large. A sweep frequency middle-ear analyzer (MEA) has been developed that gives much more information on middle-ear dynamic characteristics than a conventional impedance meter. In this paper, applying our own EOAE measuring system and the MEA, EOAEs and middle-ear dynamic characteristics of normal subjects were measured, and an attempt was made to clarify the relationship between EOAEs and middle-ear dynamic characteristics. It is concluded that EOAEs are detected most distinctly at the middle-ear resonance frequency and that EOAEs are most detectable in normal subjects whose middle-ear mobility is moderate.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Weekly CODE chemotherapy with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer.

We used cisplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide (CODE) plus recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) weekly for salvage chemotherapy in relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We reviewed the medical charts of patients between January 1993 and December 1996 at the National Nishi-Gunma Hospital. Twenty patients were treated with salvage chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 55.0%. The median survival time of extensive disease patients from the start of CODE therapy was 23 weeks and the 1-year survival rate was 21.0%. Toxicities were severe, especially in myelosuppression. CODE could be selected as a salvage therapy for chemotherapy- relapsed SCLC cases.

Aged↗