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Biomedical subjects

T Akama

Publications and source records attributed to T Akama.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Nitroglycerin tape for Raynaud's phenomenon of rheumatic disease patients--an evaluation of skin temperature by thermography].

Topical nitroglycerin has been tried for the alleviation of Raynaud's phenomenon in rheumatic diseases, but its effect is not widely recognized. We evaluated the effect of nitroglycerin tape (NTG tape) for peripheral circulatory failure of 7 patients with rheumatic diseases (4 women and 3 men, aged 35-73 years). The underlying rheumatic diseases included: systemic sclerosis 4 patients, polyarteritis nodosa (PN) 1 patient, cutaneous PN 1 patient and digital microinfarction with pulmonary fibrosis 1 patient. An NTG tape (containing 2.5 mg of nitroglycerin) was applied unilaterally on one forearm or leg, and the change in skin temperature was evaluated by thermography. Skin temperature of the extremities significantly increased at 2 and 3 hours after the application of NTG tape. Feeling of cold and/or pain improved in all patients. Adverse effect was headache in one patient. These results suggest that NTG tape may deserve further use in the treatment of peripheral circulatory failure in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1993

Ankylosing spondylitis successfully treated with methotrexate.

A 37-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriasis who was successfully treated with methotrexate (MTX) is reported. In 1980, he had low back pain, limited motion in the lumbar spine, radiological findings of bilateral sacroiliitis, and HLA-B27 positivity. In January 1991, he developed psoriasis and he had difficulty in performing desk work in spite of treatment with antirheumatic drugs. In May 1991, MTX 7.5 mg/week per os was started. Joint symptoms, psoriasis, and acute phase reactants improved within 1 month after the treatment and this improvement continued for more than 6 months after the treatment. After discharge he was able to return to his job.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Anti-interleukin-6 autoantibodies in rheumatic diseases. Increased frequency in the sera of patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence and the roles of anti-interleukin-6 (anti-IL-6) autoantibodies in rheumatic diseases, and to further elucidate clinical and pathophysiologic significance of anticytokine autoantibodies. METHODS: Anti-IL-6 IgG autoantibodies were measured by the 125I-IL-6 binding activity of IgG, which was isolated from serum by protein A-Sepharose. RESULTS: Nine of 52 sera (17.3%) from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) contained anti-IL-6 antibodies, whereas only 1.9% of sera from normal subjects and 0-5% of sera from patients with other rheumatic diseases were positive for the antibodies. Moreover, anti-IL-6 autoantibodies were found predominantly among patients with the limited form of SSc (42.9%), compared with those with the diffuse form (7.9%). CONCLUSION: Anti-IL-6 IgG autoantibodies were detected in patients with SSc, particularly those with the limited form of the disease, at a significantly increased frequency compared with normal subjects and patients with other rheumatic diseases. These results suggest that the development of anti-IL-6 autoantibodies and IL-6 may have a role in the pathophysiology of SSc.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Determination and stability studies of urea in urea creams by high-performance liquid chromatography].

A method was developed for determining urea in urea creams by high-performance liquid chromatography using strong acidic cation exchange gel. Elution was carried out with 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH 3.4) at 40 degrees C, and detection was made with a UV-spectrometer at 200 nm. This method was used for studying and comparing the stability of urea creams produced by ourselves and by other manufactures. The assay showed that there were differences in the stability of the tested creams.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1992

Sjögren's syndrome with hydronephrosis caused by pseudolymphoma.

A 67-year-old woman with Sjögren's syndrome was found to have left hydronephrosis and stenosis of the left ureter. Exploratory laparotomy disclosed a nodule at the ureteropelvic junction of the left ureter. Histopathological examinations of the biopsied specimen of this nodule showed lymphoid hyperplasia within the ureteral wall. Low dose prednisolone improved hydronephrosis and pseudolymphoma within several months. Hydronephrosis secondary to pseudo-lymphomatous infiltration of the ureter is a rare but, if properly treated, reversible complication of Sjögren's syndrome.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Significance of plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a novel potent vasoconstrictor peptide discovered in the supernatant fraction of cultured endothelial cells. We measured plasma levels of ET-1 using a sensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Plasma concentrations of ET-1 in 31 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) (1.90 +/- 0.47 pg/ml) were higher than those (1.31 +/- 0.10 pg/ml) in 25 age and sex matched healthy subjects. Patients with SSc with diffuse scleroderma had higher levels of ET-1 compared with those with limited scleroderma. Plasma ET-1 levels correlated inversely with carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLco). Measurement of plasma ET-1 levels may be useful as a predictor of prognosis of SSc.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Clinical features of patients with mild systemic lupus erythematosus.

Clinical features of 16 patients with mild systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were compared with those of 21 control patients with moderate or severe disease. Age at the time of diagnosis of SLE was higher in mild disease group. The incidence of the coexistence of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) at the time of diagnosis of SLE was higher in patients who later developed mild disease. Anti-Sm antibody and decreased levels of C3, C4, and CH50 occurred less frequently in patients with mild disease. SLE patients with the coexistence of SS at the time of diagnosis of SLE may represent a subset with a benign prognosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Effect of vitronectin on the healing of rabbit corneal epithelial damage].

Vitronectin is one of the major cell-adhesive glycoproteins in mammalian plasma. We investigated the effect of topically applied vitronectin on the healing of rabbit corneal epithelial damage. Vitronectin was purified from rabbit serum by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography and autoclaved at 121 degrees C for 20 min after adjusting the concentration to 0.2 mg/ml with saline. Rabbit corneal epithelium was abraded with ethanol and a laser blade in the central portion of the cornea which had been demarcated with a 6.5 mm trephine. Vitronectin eye drops were instilled into the right eye, and sterile saline drops into the left eye as control. The dimensions of the circular epithelial defect were measured at various times after wounding. The area of epithelial damage of vitronectin-treated eyes was smaller than that of control eyes at 2hr-12hr after abrasion (p less than 0.01). These results suggested that topically applied vitronectin might accelerate the corneal epithelial wound healing at an early stage. Vitronectin can be considered as a candidate for treatment of corneal epithelial damage.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Interleukin-1-inhibitory IgG in sera from some patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Inhibition of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) activity was detected in 7 of 41 serum samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These 7 sera inhibited not only IL-1 alpha-induced endothelial cell adherence to neutrophils, but also IL-1 beta-induced endothelial cell adherence, although to a lesser extent. These sera showed no influence on tumor necrosis factor-induced endothelial cell adherence. No inhibitory activity was found in 40 sera from normal control subjects. Studies to further examine these effects included gel filtration analysis of 2 of the RA sera. The inhibitory activity was eluted near Mr 158 kd and above Mr 250 kd. Analysis by protein A affinity chromatography showed that IL-1-inhibitory activity was present in protein A-binding fractions. Purified IgG (by DE-52 column chromatography) from RA patients was found to be as potent an inhibitor as the protein A-binding fractions, which suggests that the major inhibitory activity in RA sera is attributable to IgG molecules. These purified IgG molecules also inhibited IL-1-induced proliferation of mouse thymocytes but did not influence IL-2-dependent proliferation of the CTLL-2 murine T cell line. The 7 patients whose sera showed IL-1-inhibitory activity had mild RA and low titers of rheumatoid factor. The findings, taken together, suggest a possible regulatory role of IL-1-inhibitory IgG in RA disease activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Immunological characterization of human vitronectin and its binding to glycosaminoglycans.

The cell-adhesive glycoprotein vitronectin in human plasma was characterized with a monospecific anti-vitronectin antibody. Vitronectin, a mixture of monomeric 75 and 65 kDa polypeptides, was found to have different ratios of amounts of 75 and 65 kDa polypeptides in immunoblots of sera from various healthy human donors. Two states of vitronectin were previously reported; the open state binds to heparin, but the cryptic state does not (Hayashi et al. (1985) J. Biochem. 98, 1135-1138). The anti-vitronectin antibody was suggested to react more strongly with the open state of vitronectin than with the cryptic state. To quantitate all vitronectin regardless of its state, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of vitronectin was developed based on prior boiling of vitronectin-containing samples in 2% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulfate and 40 mM dithiothreitol to destroy conformational differences. About 12-20% of the vitronectin molecules in plasma were found to bind to heparin-Sepharose under physiological conditions. Vitronectin in plasma bound 30-fold more efficiently to heparin immobilized by amino groups than by carboxyl groups. Its affinity for heparin was higher than for chondroitin sulfate A or C, or dermatan sulfate. Vitronectin was also found to contain covalently-linked small polypeptides of 15 and 13 kDa. These light chains seemed to be disulfide-bonded to the 65 kDa polypeptide, and might be endogenously derived from nicks in the carboxy-terminal portion of the 75 kDa polypeptide in plasma.

Chromatography↗
PubMed1985

Activation of vitronectin (serum spreading factor) binding of heparin by denaturing agents.

Vitronectin (serum spreading factor), a cell-adhesive glycoprotein present in mammalian serum, has previously been the subject of conflicting reports concerning its binding to heparin. Vitronectin purified from human plasma does not bind to heparin under physiological conditions, but it does so after treatment with denaturing agents including 8 M urea or 6 M guanidine-HC1, or heating at 100 degrees C for 5 min. These treatments seem to expose a heparin-binding site in vitronectin; this finding thus resolves the conflicts concerning this function.

Binding Sites↗