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T Fujito

Publications and source records attributed to T Fujito.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Systemic amyloidosis following ankylosing spondylitis associated with congestive heart failure. A case report.

We report the case of a 38-year-old man who developed fatal, systemic amyloidosis following ankylosing spondylitis. He was admitted for symptoms of congestive heart failure. Based on parotid gland biopsy and echocardiography, he was diagnosed as having systemic amyloidosis following active ankylosing spondylitis. However, the clinical course was rapidly progressive and eventually the patient died of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. The association has been reported thus far in a limited number of cases worldwide. The literature has featured localized lesions and a benign clinical course of the amyloidosis. This case, the first report from Japan, indicates that the amyloidosis associated with ankylosing spondylitis might exhibit a rapidly progressive clinical course, thereby suggesting that in such a case, meticulous treatment is required.

Acute Disease↗

Structural analysis of highly oriented poly(p-phenylene-terephthalamide) by 15N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance.

The structure of an aromatic polyamide, poly(p-phenylene-terephthalamide) (PPTA), was studied in the solid state using 15N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Spectra of uniaxially aligned molecules placed with the axis of alignment both parallel with and perpendicular to the applied magnetic field were analyzed to yield the orientations of specific molecular bonds with respect to the fiber axis. The 15N chemical shift tensor was characterized by simulating powder pattern spectra of both PPTA and a model compound, benzanilide. Chemical shift and dipolar coupled chemical shift line shapes were calculated through Euler angle transformations from the principal axis system (PAS) reference frame to the fiber axis system (FAS) frame. The orientations of NH and NC' bonds in PPTA are determined as well as the orientational distribution of the PPTA fiber axis. The structural parameters determined for PPTA are compared with those obtained by X-ray diffraction.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗

Days required for 75% suppression of ventricular premature contractions by antiarrhythmic agents obtained from continuous in-hospital ECG monitoring.

To determine the number of days required to obtain 75% suppression of ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) by antiarrhythmic agents, which was expressed as t1/4, we performed 32 in-hospital continuous all day ECG monitoring trials in four groups of 28 symptomatic patients (ages; 54 +/- 20 years-old) with frequent VPCs. Nine patients had no organic heart disease (group 1, 11 trials), nine had valvular heart disease (group 2, 10 trials), three had dilated cardiomyopathy (group 3, 3 trials) and seven had myocardial infarction within two to four weeks onset (group 4, 8 trials). All patients were monitored by ECG telemetry with an arrhythmia analyzer, which could count hourly and daily VPCs. Class I antiarrhythmic agents were given in 18 trials, class II in two trials and class I+ class II in 12 trials. Plasma concentrations of the antiarrhythmic agents were monitored in 11 trials. In 21 trials, t1/4 could be obtained; ten (91%), six (60%), three (100%) and two trials (25%) in the four groups, respectively (p < 0.05). The value of t1/4 in the four groups was 6 +/- 6, 7 +/- 6, 14 +/- 11 and 13 +/- 2 days, respectively (mean 8 +/- 7 days; N.S.). Immediate response to the initial antiarrhythmic agent administration, expressed as percent VPC count after three hours, correlated significantly with t1/4 (r = 0.696, p = 0.0006), but ejection fraction, patient's age, control VPC counts or plasma antiarrhythmic agent level did not correlate with t1/4. In conclusion, t1/4 is a useful index for the evaluation of VPC suppression, revealing wide inter-individual variations and can be roughly estimated from the immediate response to the initial antiarrhythmic agent administration.

Adolescent↗

Torsades de pointes in paced patients with sick sinus syndrome after disopyramide administration.

Three ventricular inhibited mode (VVI) pacemaker implanted patients, all above 65 years, female and having sick sinus syndrome suffered from torsades de pointes; one patient after 2.5 years and the other two patients within a day of disopyramide therapy. All had hypopotassemia and plasma disopyramide was below the therapeutic range in two patients. Torsades de pointes was induced following ventricular paced beats and suppressed by cessation of disopyramide in all or by setting a higher pacing rate in one. In our department, permanent VVI pacemakers were implanted in 43 patients with sick sinus syndrome including 26 with bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome, nine of whom were treated by disopyramide. Torsades de pointes was observed only in those disopyramide treated bradycardia-tachycardia patients. Our report stresses the proarrhythmic nature of combined VVI pacing and antiarrhythmic agents in the presence of hypopotassemia.

Aged↗

Oxygen demand-supply relationship in peripheral tissues as a therapeutic indicator in acute myocardial infarction with advanced heart failure.

Oxygen demand-supply relationships in peripheral tissues were studied in 14 patients who had acute myocardial infarction with advanced pump failure. Seven patients with acute myocardial infarction but without pump failure were studied as a control. In all patients, a Swan-Ganz catheter and a radial arterial cannula were inserted for the purpose of hemodynamic monitoring, and arterial and mixed venous blood were sampled. Initially, oxygen delivery (DO2) (p < 0.01) was lower, and oxygen extraction ratio (OER) (p < 0.001) and oxygen tension at 50% saturation (P50) (p < 0.01) were higher in patients with pump failure than in the controls. During the therapeutic course, with an increase in the cardiac index and DO2, oxygen uptake (VO2) did not change but OER (p < 0.001) and P50 (p < 0.01) significantly decreased in 6 survivors with pump failure. In contrast, an increased VO2 (p < 0.01) and no change of OER and P50 were observed in 8 nonsurvivors with pump failure. These results suggest that reversibility of oxygenokinetics might be an important factor for recovery from critical heart failure.

Aged↗

Features of coronary artery lesions related to left ventricular aneurysm formation in anterior myocardial infarction.

To determine the factors of left ventricular aneurysm formation in acute myocardial infarction, the authors studied the distribution of coronary artery lesions and the left ventricular wall motion of 43 patients with anterior myocardial infarction. Of 15 patients with aneurysm, 9 (60%) showed a single-vessel disease with severe stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending artery. Of 9 patients with triple-vessel disease, 8 (89%) had no aneurysm. In patients with the aneurysm, the Gensini score of the culprit lesion was significantly higher (p < 0.05) and the score except for the culprit lesion was less (chi 2 = 5.7, p < 0.05). In 23 patients with single-vessel disease, the collateral score was significantly less (p < 0.05) in patients with the aneurysm. The systolic wall motion on the ventriculogram appeared more impaired in the anterior infarct area but well maintained in the posterior noninfarct area in patients with the aneurysm. In conclusion, the important factors of left ventricular aneurysm formation were as follows: (1) A culprit lesion of the myocardial infarction was severe, but other coronary artery lesions were mild. (2) Collateral vessels were poor. (3) The left ventricular wall motion of the infarct area was impaired, but that of the noninfarct area was relatively good.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

[A case of angina pectoris with cardiac arrest at treadmill stress test].

We reported a case of angina pectoris with cardiac arrest immediately after treadmill exercise test, and the effect of PTCA in the same case. A 69-year-old Japanese male had chest oppression on exertion. Initial treadmill test showed 2 mm ST-segment depression in leads V4-6. Two minutes after exercise, he had atrio-ventricular (A-V) block and cardiac arrest with episodes of fainting. He was resuscitated by chest thump. Coronary angiography showed 90% stenosis in the right coronary artery (RCA). PTCA for RCA was able to dilate the stenotic lesion. The second treadmill test after PTCA did not induce bradycardia nor A-V block. It was suggested that the RCA lesion may play a critical role.

Aged↗

Global and regional abnormalities of left ventricular diastolic filling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Left ventricular diastolic filling was studied by left ventriculography in 17 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). In 8 patients this manifested as a spadelike shape (HCM-S type) on the left ventriculogram, and in 9 patients as a banana shape (HCM-B type). Seven patients were studied as controls. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was higher in HCM than in controls. In HCM, peak filling rate was decreased from 1.57 +/- 0.28 of the control to 1.28 +/- 0.20 (p less than 0.05), and the time to peak filling rate was prolonged from 27 +/- 6%DT of the control to 37 +/- 7%DT (p less than 0.01). Serial volume analysis in diastole showed filling fraction was also significantly decreased to 8.2 +/- 4.1 (p less than 0.001) at the 25% diastole time and 29.6 +/- 7.2 (p less than 0.01) at half time, compared with 19.8 +/- 6.3 and 32.8 +/- 5.8 for controls, respectively. In HCM-S type, the rate of distention of left ventricular radial axes at the apical area was lower at early and mid-diastole. In HCM-B type, the rate at the basal area was lower at early and mid-diastole. Results suggest that the left ventricular diastolic filling in HCM was impaired not uniformly but regionally in the hypertrophic area at early and mid-diastole.

Adult↗

Headache angina with fatal outcome.

We report 2 fatal cases of angina pectoris in patients who complained primarily of headache during the ischemic attack. The first patient, who was hospitalized because of headache and chest pain, demonstrated repeated ST-segment elevation and fatal ventricular fibrillation on ambulatory ECG monitoring. The second patient had post-infarction angina preceded by headache and by ST-segment elevation in the precordial leads. She eventually died of reinfarction. The mechanism of the headache in relation to the angina pectoris is discussed.

Aged↗

Phenotypic expression of human epidermal growth factor in foetal submandibular gland and pleomorphic adenoma of salivary gland.

The phenotypic expression of the human epidermal growth factor (EGF) was investigated immunohistochemically in human foetal submandibular glands from the 5th to 10th month of gestation, adult normal submandibular glands and 48 cases of pleomorphic adenomas. In foetal submandibular glands, both the terminal buds and primary ducts at the intermediate stage of gestation were positive for EGF, and in particular, the outer layer cells of primary ducts showed strong EGF-immunoreactivity. EGF-positive cells decreased as the gestational stage advanced and only ductal cells were weakly positive for EGF at the terminal stage of gestation. In the adult normal submandibular gland, weak immunoreactivity for EGF was restricted to ductal cells. However, 41 (86%) of the 48 pleomorphic adenomas had EGF-positive cells which were distributed among the ductal, chondroid and myxoid portion. No EGF-immunoreactivity was detected in the solid portion of pleomorphic adenomas. These results suggest that EGF may play an important role in the growth and differentiation of foetal cells as well as the proliferation of tumour cells in pleomorphic adenomas.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗

A contribution to the course and prognosis of the atypical psychosis.

The course and the prognosis of atypical psychosis were discussed on 58 cases. In contrast to schizophrenics, the relative length of admission was quite short. It seemed there was a certain difference in the clinical pictures between the late and early onset groups. We recognized two contradictory tendencies to repeat similar pictures to a certain extent on one hand and to indicate age-specific properties on the other in the course of psychosis. In a few patients, a compensatory myth formation was observed. And finally, some patients began to display moderate defect symptoms, but the group with defects could be differentiated from the group without defects from the genetical as well as from the clinical viewpoints.

Adolescent↗

On adolescent manic-depressive psychosis. Long-term observation and follow-up study.

Discussions were held on the clinical properties and the prognosis of 13 adolescent manic-depressive cases. The precipitating factors were significantly frequent in the first episodes. In general, the successive episodes seemed to become somewhat longer as far as the mixed or atypical episodes were concerned. In addition, the cycle-duration and the length of intervals seemed also to become longer along with an increase in age. Besides the atypicalness in clinical pictures, we emphasized on the frequent changes in phase-components even within a few months. The course in most cases was bipolar, while there were a few cases that indicated relatively long remissions lasting for several years after frequent episodes. Only one case was diagnosed as atypical psychosis in the later stage.

Adolescent↗

A mechanism of ischemic preconditioning during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Manifestation of ischemic preconditioning and its mechanisms during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was evaluated. Twenty-two patients with angina pectoris, who had one-vessel coronary artery disease of the proximal left anterior descending artery but without visual collateral circulation, underwent elective PTCA performed by balloon inflations of 90 s, repeated three times or more. Changes in standard 12-lead electrocardiogram, hemodynamics and oxygen saturation of the great cardiac vein by a fiber-optic catheter were analyzed. Anginal chest pain occurred in 21 patients (95%) during the first balloon inflation, and in only 9 patients (41%) during the third inflation. In comparison with the first inflation, the third produced less shifts in ST junction (p < 0.01) and peak T (p < 0.01), which were measured and averaged by 4 chest leads from V2 to V5. The heart rate-blood pressure product during the third inflation was equivalent to that during the first. The great cardiac vein oxygen saturation decreased equally during the first and third inflations. However, the ratio of the saturation at reactive hyperemia after balloon deflation to baseline was higher (p < 0.01) in the third than in the first inflation. The adenosine content of the great cardiac vein measured in 11 patients just prior to balloon deflation was also higher (p < 0.05) in the third inflation than the value in the first. Repeated coronary artery occlusion during PTCA could cause ischemic preconditioning, which may be derived from mechanisms common to accelerated reactive hyperemia, for example an increase in intrinsic adenosine levels.

Adenosine↗

Acute myocardial infarction during pregnancy.

We report a 30-year-old woman who developed an acute myocardial infarction at 24 weeks of gestation. She did not undergo any kind of acute intervention. On the 8th hospital day, premature delivery was performed safely following premature rupture of membrane. Coronary angiogram was normal and no spasm was induced by provocative test with ergometrine maleate. The patient had abnormal values of fibrinogen, thrombin-antithrombin III complex and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex. Thus, thrombus formation might have been associated with the onset of acute myocardial infarction. This is the first case of acute myocardial infarction during pregnancy, showing normal coronary angiogram and negative pharmacological provocation of coronary spasm.

Adult↗