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T Kamura

Publications and source records attributed to T Kamura.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Analysis of the partial nucleotide sequences and deduced primary structures of the protease domains of mammalian blood coagulation factors VII and X.

In order to obtain sequence data for the blood coagulation factor VII and factor X in several mammalian species, we amplified and sequenced the DNA segments of exon VIII from each gene by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The DNA segments from the following species were successfully amplified: factor VII from the rhesus monkey and dog, and factor X from the rhesus monkey, Syrian hamster and rat. In each factor, the nucleotide sequences and predicted primary structures of the protease domain showed a high degree of homology among species; amino acid identities of approximately 68%-92% and 80%-98% were demonstrated among species in factor VII and factor X, respectively. The locations of the active site residues and five Cys residues were evolutionarily conserved in both factors. Interestingly, the amino acids involved in the human genetic variants, both factor VII 304-Arg and factor X 326-Arg, were always conserved across species. The data presented here will be helpful for investigating human genetic variants of factor VII or X, and will provide considerable information for constructing in vitro site-specific mutants of these factors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[CD7 positive acute myelogenous leukemia exhibiting pleural involvement as an initial manifestation].

A 51-year-old man had suffered from massive pleural effusion due to invasion of malignant cells. The analysis of bone marrow aspiration showed the proliferation of myeloperoxidase-positive blasts. The surface marker analysis of the blasts revealed the positivities for CD7 and CD19 as well as CD13, CD33 and CD34, while the karyotypes of 20 cells were normal. Therefore, CD7 positive AML was diagnosed. The patient was treated with araC and daunorubicin as a remission induction therapy. Peripheral blood stem cells were harvested by leukapheresis after first and second consolidation therapies. Then, 3 x 10(4) cells/kg of CFU-GM were infused. Complete remission has been maintained for 8 months after autologous blood stem cell transplantation. Pleural involvement as an initial manifestation is rare in AML. Extramedullary growth of AML cells may be related to their immaturity, indicated by the expression of the cell surface antigens.

Antigens, CD↗

Reassessment of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess different methods of measuring the depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma as a prognostic factor. METHODS: Eighty-eight cases of stage I or II endometrial carcinoma treated initially by hysterectomy between 1979-1989 were reviewed histologically. Three methods of measuring myometrial invasion were evaluated: 1) percentage of invaded tumor thickness to whole thickness of myometrium, 2) percentage of whole tumor thickness to total thickness of tumor and myometrium, and 3) distance from the tumor-myometrial junction to the uterine serosa. We evaluated the effect of several factors on prognosis by multivariate analysis using Cox regression models. RESULTS: Myometrial invasion determined by these three measurement methods was associated significantly with survival in a univariate analysis. When myometrial invasion assessed by each method and other prognostic factors were entered into a multivariate model, the distance from the tumor-myometrial junction to the uterine serosa, lymph-vascular space invasion, and cervical stromal involvement were identified as independently significant prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: This method of evaluating myometrial invasion by measuring the distance from the tumor-myometrial junction to the uterine serosa was most useful as a correlate with survival.

Carcinoma↗

Antiproliferative lymphokine production by human peripheral blood lymphocytes and lymph node lymphocytes detected by a modified double layer soft agarose clonogenic assay.

The double layer soft agarose clonogenic assay using colony formation of target cells as an endpoint was adapted for the detection of antiproliferative lymphokine production from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and lymph node lymphocytes (LNL). The colony formation of cervical cancer cell lines, HeLa, CAC-1, and TMCC, in the upper layers was significantly inhibited by the inclusion of either PBL or LNL pretreated with PHA in the lower layers. Without stimulation by PHA, neither resident PBL nor LNL exhibited antiproliferative activity on the tumor cells in the upper layers. The antiproliferative activity against target cells increased in relation to the density of lymphocytes in the lower layers, and was dependent on protein synthesis by lymphocytes. Since the cell to cell contact between the effector cells and target cells is not possible in this assay, the reduction of colony formation should be attributed to soluble factor(s) that were secreted from the lymphocytes. Additionally, an antibody against IFN-gamma neutralized most of the antiproliferative activity, and equivalent levels of IFN-gamma were found to be present in the supernatant of PBL and LNL lower layers by a radioimmunoassay. The double layer soft agarose assay system should thus serve as a useful method for studying antiproliferative lymphokine production by lymphocytes.

Animals↗

Diversity of primary structures of the carboxy-terminal regions of mammalian fibrinogen A alpha-chains. Characterization of the partial nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences in five mammalian species; rhesus monkey, pig, dog, mouse and Syrian hamster.

The partial amino acid sequences of fibrinogen A alpha-chains from five mammalian species have been inferred by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From the genomic DNA of the rhesus monkey, pig, dog, mouse and Syrian hamster, the DNA fragments coding for alpha-C domains in the A alpha-chains were amplified and sequenced. In all species examined, four cysteine residues were always conserved at the homologous positions. The carboxy- and amino-terminal portions of the alpha-C domains showed a considerable homology among the species. However, the sizes of the middle portions, which corresponded to the internal repeat structures, showed an apparent variability because of several insertions and/or deletions. In the rhesus monkey, pig, mouse and Syrian hamster, 13 amino acid tandem repeats fundamentally similar to those in humans and the rat were identified. In the dog, however, tandem repeats were found to consist of 18 amino acids, suggesting an independent multiplication of the canine repeats. The sites of the alpha-chain cross-linking acceptor and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor cross-linking donor were not always evolutionally conserved. The arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence was not found in the amplified region of either the rhesus monkey or the pig. In the canine alpha-C domain, two RGD sequences were identified at the homologous positions to both rat and human RGDS. In the Syrian hamster, a single RGD sequence was found at the same position to that of the rat. Triplication of the RGD sequences was seen in the murine fibrinogen alpha-C domain around the homologous site to the rat RGDS sequence. These findings are of some interest from the point of view of structure-function and evolutionary relationships in the mammalian fibrinogen A alpha-chains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin in benign or malignant ovarian tumors.

We compared the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) between benign and malignant human ovarian tissues by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis using the monoclonal antibody specific to alpha-SMA. In normal human ovaries, alpha-SMA was found in the blood vessel walls, muscle fibers, and stromal cells surrounding the follicles. The main source of alpha-SMA in the benign ovarian tumors was the blood vessel walls which highly expressed the alpha-SMA throughout the tumor. In malignant tumor tissues, however, the vessels located in or close to the cluster of cancer cells did not express alpha-SMA. It corresponded to the results of the Western blot analysis, showing that the amount of alpha-SMA in malignant ovarian tumor tissues was much smaller than that in benign tumor tissues. Thus, the alteration in alpha-SMA expression seems to reflect the qualitative difference in vessels between benign and malignant ovarian tissues, and therefore alpha-SMA is considered to potentially be a histopathologically useful marker for indicating the malignant potential of ovarian tumors.

Actins↗

Relationship between paraaortic lymph node involvement and intraperitoneal spread in patients with ovarian cancer--a multivariate analysis.

In 125 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (FIGO stages I-IV), 32 (26%) had paraaortic lymph node (PAN) metastases. The estimated 5-year survival rate of PAN-negative patients was 71%, while that of PAN-positive patients was 17% (P < 0.0001). Positive rates of PAN metastasis at each stage level, based only on intraperitoneal spread of the disease, were 2% for stage I, 9% for stage II, 43% for stage III, and 87% for stage IV. According to univariate analysis, histological grade, and all disease site parameters examined, such as subdiaphragmatic surface, liver and spleen capsule, intestines and mesentery, omentum, pelvic peritoneum, sigmoid colon and rectum, uterus and tubes, and peritoneal cytology, showed a statistically significant correlation to the presence of PAN metastasis. Multivariate analysis using the logistic regression model revealed that the omental involvement, uterine and tubal involvement, and histological grade were independently correlated with PAN metastasis. The relative risk of PAN metastasis in the patients with these three factors is 18.5 times higher than that in patients without these factors. The present data suggested that, for the disease with omental and/or uterine and tubal involvement, surgical evaluation of PAN is mandatory in order to perform correct FIGO staging.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma with sarcoma-appearing mural nodule of anaplastic carcinoma.

An ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma with sarcoma-appearing solid mural nodules in an 18-year-old Japanese woman is reported. Right ovarian cyst had two poorly circumscribed, solid nodules and several tiny studs. Microscopically, the epithelial elements consisted of benign, low malignant potential and malignant mucinous tumors. The mural nodules were made up of highly malignant anaplastic cells simulating sarcoma. In one of the mural nodules, continuity between the malignant mucinous cells and sarcoma-appearing cells was identified. Immunohistochemically, the sarcoma-appearing nodule was uniformly positive for vimentin and focally positive for epithelial markers such as EMA, CAM5.2, and AE1/AE3. This case demonstrated an orderly transformation and dedifferentiation of epithelial cells to undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. Although she had stage IIb disease, she lived disease free for 3 years and 5 months after surgery followed by 10 courses of chemotherapy containing cisplatin and Adriamycin.

Adolescent↗

SPECT imaging in a case of primary respiratory tract amyloidosis.

SPECT findings in a very rare case of primary amyloidosis localized in the laryngotracheobronchial area are reported. SPECT using Tc-99m PYP revealed widespread uptake in the larynx and the entire tracheobronchial tree up to the subsegmental divisions; the areas corresponded to diffuse thickening and calcification of the walls on CT. SPECT using Ga-67 citrate also showed marked uptake in the same area, consistent with the findings shown by SPECT using Tc-99m PYP.

Adult↗

Association of endometrial epithelial metaplasias with endometrial carcinoma and hyperplasia in Japanese and American women.

We reviewed endometrial tissue from 166 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma and hyperplasia--91 seen at Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, and 75 at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.--to compare the prevalence of epithelial metaplastic changes in the two populations. Metaplasias were more common in the benign endometrium associated with carcinoma at George Washington University (78%) than at Kyushu University (54%). They were associated with carcinomas of lower grade and accompanied by hyperplasia at both institutions. These results indicate that endometrial metaplasias, like endometrial hyperplasias, tend to be associated with less virulent endometrial carcinomas and to be more common in American women (who represent a high-risk population for endometrial carcinoma) than in Japanese women (in whom the risk is low but rising.

Endometrial Hyperplasia↗

Evaluation of leukaemic contamination in peripheral blood stem cell harvests by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

A major issue in autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ABSCT) for leukaemia is whether peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvests are less contaminated with leukaemic cells than bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC). We compared leukaemic contamination in PBSC harvests and BMMNC, obtained simultaneously, by using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of leukaemia-specific chimaeric messenger RNA (mRNA), in three patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), one with Ph-positive acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), and two with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). Our two-step PCR method employed 'nested primers' in the second step and can detect one leukaemic blast diluted into 10(6) HL-60 cells. In three of four patients with Ph-positive ALL and AML we detected leukaemic contamination in both PBSC harvests and BMMNC. In the remaining patient with ALL, both PBSC harvests and BMMNC were PCR-negative. Both PBSC harvests and BMMNC from one patient with APL were PCR-positive. In contrast, PBSC harvests from another patient with APL, whose BMMNC could not be obtained because of bone marrow necrosis, were PCR-positive after the first course of consolidation chemotherapy, but became PCR-negative after the second course. The present study does not support the hypothesis that PBSC harvests are less contaminated by leukaemic cells than BMMNC, but suggests that PBSC harvests are contaminated when BMMNC are contaminated.

Adult↗

Platinum accumulation in the kidney and changes in creatinine clearance following chemotherapy with cisplatin in humans.

To evaluate the effects of repeated administration of cisplatin on kidney platinum (Pt) accumulation and renal function, Pt content in the kidney was determined in 31 autopsy cases and changes in creatinine clearance (CCr) were retrospectively assessed in 26 of 31 autopsy cases. There was no significant correlation between the cumulative dose of cisplatin and Pt content in the kidney. However, the kidney Pt level was correlated with the dose of cisplatin injected within a 7-month period prior to the patient's death. We suggest that the dose of cisplatin injected during a relatively short period before a patient's death affects Pt content in the kidney. Neither the total dose of cisplatin nor the Pt content in the kidney was significantly correlated with the decrease in CCr following chemotherapy with cisplatin.

Cisplatin↗

Multivariate analysis of the histopathologic prognostic factors of cervical cancer in patients undergoing radical hysterectomy.

Three hundred forty-five patients with invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix, Stages Ib (211 patients) and II (134 patients), underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. The influence of histologic factors including histologic subtype, maximum depth of cervical stromal invasion, degree of stromal invasion, longitudinal tumor diameter, lymph-vascular space invasion, corpus invasion, parametrial invasion, vaginal invasion, and pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastases on survival were examined by multivariate analysis. Univariate analysis revealed that all the variables except corpus invasion and vaginal invasion were significant in survival (P less than 0.05). Among these variables, however, PLN metastases, histologic subtype, and longitudinal tumor diameter were identified as independent and significant prognostic factors by multivariate analysis using Cox regression models. The prognostic index (PI), defined by the model (an indicator of the patient's place in the prognostic spectrum), was able to divide the patients into three prognostic groups. The key factors in the definition of these groups were (1) squamous cell carcinoma, small tumor diameter, and no PLN metastases for the good prognostic group and (2) PLN metastasis in two or more node groups, adenocarcinoma with one positive PLN group, or squamous cell carcinoma with one PLN group and large diameter for the poor prognostic group. These prognostic findings could predict the prognosis more precisely than that of clinical staging.

Adult↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology in patients with gynecologic malignancies.

Four hundred five fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytologies were obtained from 352 sites in 287 patients with gynecologic malignancies. The majority of specimens were aspirated for recurrent or metastatic disease. The most common clinical diagnosis was cervical carcinoma (128 cases) followed by ovarian carcinoma (80 cases) and others (79 cases). The sites of FNA were lymph node (134 cases), retroperitoneal lymphocyst (57 cases), pelvic mass (52 cases), subcutaneous mass (34 cases), and others (75 cases). Of 335 sites excluding inadequate specimens, 162 (48.4%) revealed malignant cells. There was no difference in the accuracy of FNA between diseases in the superficial sites and those in the deep sites. However, the sensitivity for local recurrent diseases was lower than that for primary or metastatic diseases (86.4% vs 100.0%). The overall accuracy of FNA cytology was 95.2%, and it was satisfactory for the diagnosis of gynecologic malignant diseases. FNA should be repeated if the initial FNA specimen is inadequate for diagnosis. When distinct malignant cells are observed in FNA cytology, a biopsy may be omitted.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Acquired von Willebrand's disease in association with essential thrombocythemia: regression following treatment.

Acquired von Willebrand's disease in a 40-year-old woman affected with essential thrombocythemia (ET) is reported. The profile of plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) revealed decreased ristocetin cofactor activity and diminished large multimers of vWF in spite of a normal vWF antigen level. There was no evidence of circulating inhibitor against the factor VIII complex. The vWF abnormality improved by controlling the platelet count following treatment for ET with interferon-alpha 2b and ranimustine. The possible mechanism of the development of AvWD in ET is briefly discussed.

Adult↗

Deficiency of coagulation factor XIII A subunit caused by the dinucleotide deletion at the 5' end of exon III.

A congenital deficiency of the coagulation Factor XIII A subunit (F XIII A) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized by a life-long bleeding tendency complicated by a difficulty in healing. Thus far, no molecular genetic analysis of this disorder has been reported. In this study, we demonstrate the molecular abnormalities in a family with this disorder. We performed Northern blot analysis of peripheral blood monocytes obtained from the propositus and found a 4-kb single band of F XIII A mRNA whose size was identical with that of normal subjects. Exons II-XV, which encode all the amino acids, were individually amplified by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All PCR products from the propositus had lengths indistinguishable from those of the wild type on agarose gel, suggesting that this defect results from either a point mutation or a short deletion/insertion. The sequencing of F XIII A cDNA from the propositus revealed a deletion of the dinucleotide AG within the AGAG repeat at the position of 210 to 213. Concerning the genomic sequence, a deletion of dinucleotide AG was also demonstrated in the intron B-exon III boundary. This deletion appeared to cause a frameshift mutation making a new stop codon shortly thereafter, and leading to a deficiency of plasma F XIII A. The heterozygosity of the F XIII A deficiency in the patient's offspring was documented by the nucleotide sequences of their exon III.

Alleles↗