Biomedical subjects

Toshiyuki Ojima

Publications and source records attributed to Toshiyuki Ojima.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Associations between nondipping of nocturnal blood pressure decrease and cardiovascular target organ damage in strictly selected community-dwelling normotensives.

BACKGROUND: In hypertensives, nondippers are more likely than dippers to suffer silent, as well as overt, hypertensive target organ damage. In this study, we investigated whether a nondipper status was associated with target organ damage in normotensives. METHODS: We performed ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring, echocardiography, and carotid ultrasonography and measured natriuretic peptides and urinary albumin (UAE) in 74 normotensive subjects with the following criteria: 1) clinical BP <140/90 mm Hg; 2) average 24-h ambulatory BP <125/80 mm Hg. RESULTS: The left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and the relative wall thickness (RWT) measured by echocardiography were greater in nondippers than dippers (LVMI: 103 +/- 26 v 118 +/- 34 g/m(2), P <.05; RWT: 0.38 +/- 0.07 v 0.43 +/- 0.09, P <.01). Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were higher in nondippers than dippers (ANP: 14 +/- 10 v 36 +/- 63 pg/mL, P <.01; BNP: 16 +/- 12 v 62 +/- 153 pg/mL, P <.05). There were no significant differences in UAE and intima-media thickness measured by carotid ultrasonography. CONCLUSIONS: Normotensive nondipping may not reflect renal damage, but may have a predominant effect on cardiac damage. Nondipping of nocturnal BP seems to be a determinant of cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling, and may result in a cardiovascular risk independent of ambulatory BP levels in normotensives.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Case-control study of giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic features of the formation of giant coronary aneurysm due to Kawasaki disease and its risk factors are not still clear. METHODS: One hundred and five patients with giant coronary aneurysms were selected from the 15th and 16th nationwide surveys of Kawasaki disease in Japan. With all other patients reported from the same hospital as a control group, odds ratios (OR) were calculated for some potential risk factors. RESULTS: Some factors affecting the formation of giant coronary aneurysms were revealed. Of these factors, the following were considered to be useful for the treatment of patients with Kawasaki disease: male sex (OR compared with females = 1.99), 0 years old (OR compared with 1-2 years = 1.71), visiting the hospital on 1-3 days of illness (OR compared to 4-6 days = 1.72), leukocyte count (OR with 1000 /mm3 increase = 0.56), neutrophil concentration among leukocyte (OR with 10% increase = 1.11), hemoglobin concentration (OR with 1 mg/dL increase = 0.73), alanine aminotransferase level (ALT; OR with 10 IU/dL increase = 1.02) and serum sodium level (OR with 1 mEq/L increase = 0.80). CONCLUSIONS: The observation of 105 cases with giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease reported in the nationwide survey provides information about some risk factors and other considerations about the aneurysms.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed2003

Respiratory symptoms correlating to smoking prevalence: the National Nutrition Survey and the National Life-style Survey in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Although the fact that smoking habits have adverse effects on health, whether the high proportion of smokers elevates the prevalence of symptoms relating to the smoking in a community is still unknown. METHODS: An ecologic study about whole Japan was conducted. Age-adjusted smoking prevalence was calculated using the National Nutrition Survey data from 1986 through 1995 by prefecture and sex. Age-adjusted respiratory symptom prevalence were observed using the National Life-style Survey data in 1995. Correlation among 46 and/or 43 prefectures was examined by sex. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between smoking prevalence and wheezing prevalence among males (r = -0.301). Among females, positive correlations were observed on the symptoms of nasal obstruction (r = 0.355), nasal discharge (r = 0.344), sore throat (r = 0.481), cough (r = 0.350), sputum (r = 0.594), wheezing (r = 0.451), palpitation (r = 0.363), dyspnea (r = 0.587), and frontal chest pain (r = 0.472). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking prevalence was deeply related to respiratory symptoms among females in Japan.

Female↗

PubMed2002

Gene expression of interleukin-12 receptor beta2 chain and Th1 population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in chronic hepatitis C.

Gene expression of interleukin 12-receptor beta2 chain mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was examined in patients with chronic hepatitis C (n=7) and in healthy control subjects (n=6) by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The level of interleukin 12-receptor beta2 chain mRNA was higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in healthy subjects (P=0.032). The level of interleukin 12-receptor beta2 chain mRNA had a weak correlation with the ratio of Th1 to Th2 populations (r=0.714, P=0.020). There was a tendency for the level of interleukin 12-receptor beta2 mRNA to increase both in chronic hepatitis C (P=0.109) and in healthy volunteers (P=0.144) after the incubation of PBMCs with interferon-alpha in vitro. During interferon-alpha administration to the patients with chronic hepatitis C, the level of interleukin 12-receptor beta2 chain mRNA in PBMCs was increased in all four cases. Although this is a preliminary study with a small sample size, our results suggest that the level of interleukin 12-receptor beta2 chain mRNA is higher than normal in patients with chronic hepatitis C and can be further enhanced by interferon therapy.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Relationship between blood pressure level in early pregnancy and subsequent changes in blood pressure during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether women with high blood pressure in the first trimester are likely to exhibit a large increase in blood pressure during pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal study of 1599 pregnant women, among whom 29 women (1.8%) received antihypertensive medication during pregnancy. The blood pressure levels measured during the first (7.9 +/- 2.4 weeks), second (20.7 +/- 1.2 weeks) and third trimesters (38.4 +/- 1.7 weeks) were analyzed. The obstetric outcomes were examined in five subgroups divided according to the quintile of the first-trimester mean arterial pressure level. RESULTS: The net change in blood pressure levels (third-trimester value minus first-trimester value) was significantly inversely correlated with the first-trimester blood pressure levels irrespective of the use or lack of use of antihypertensive drugs. Women with the highest quintile first-trimester mean arterial pressure had the largest body weight, exhibited a fall in blood pressure and had the smallest increase in body weight during pregnancy, and were significantly more likely to have a growth-restricted infant. CONCLUSIONS: Women with high initial blood pressure tended to exhibit a fall in blood pressure, whereas women with low initial blood pressure tended to exhibit a large increase in blood pressure during pregnancy. Women with high initial blood pressure and a small increase in body weight during pregnancy tended to have growth-restricted infants.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic features of giant coronary aneurysm due to Kawasaki disease and its risk factors are still not clear. METHODS: Sixty-six patients with giant coronary aneurysms were reported to a 15th nationwide survey of Kawasaki disease in Japan. With all other patients treated in the same hospital as a control group, odds ratios were calculated for certain potential risk factors. RESULTS: Infant males aged less than 1 year,neutrophil concentration among leukocyte, late administration of intravenous gammaglobulin (IVGG) therapy and additional administration of IVGGwere considered as risk factors of giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease. In univariate analysis, use of IVGG therapy and a large amount of IVGG (2500+ mg/kg)elevated the risk, whereas the relationship disappeared after the adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: The observation of 66 cases with giant coronary aneurysms due to Kawasaki disease reported to the nationwide survey provides some risk factors and consideration about the aneurysms.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed2002

Trends in asthma morbidity and mortality in Japan between 1984 and 1996.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the increased prevalence of asthma in Japan has influenced its mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted by the data obtained from Patient Survey and Vital Statistics of Japan between 1984 and 1996. Asthma fatalities were expressed as the number of deaths from asthma per 100,000 asthmatic patients receiving medical treatment on the day when the survey was conducted. RESULTS: Mortality, prevalence and asthma fatalities showed different changing patterns among several age groups. Asthma mortality for the 10-24 and 25-44 year-old groups increased during the study period, while for other age groups, it decreased. The prevalence increased for all groups classified by age and sex. Asthma fatalities peaked in 1987 among the 10-24, 25-44 and 45-64 year-old groups, and decreased for others throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: There is a possibility that an age-specific phenomenon is at work here because asthma mortality increased only in the 10-24 and 25-44 year-old groups, although the prevalence of asthma increased in all groups, whether classified by age or sex. The asthma fatality of the 10-24, 25-44 and 45-64 year-old groups peaked in 1987: it is conceivable that this was influenced by the particular drug therapy used. The increase in asthma mortality in the 10-24 and 25-44 year-olds might be influenced by the increased prevalence.

Adolescent↗