PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Y Kusano

Publications and source records attributed to Y Kusano.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Prevalence of fatty liver in Japanese children and relationship to obesity. An epidemiological ultrasonographic survey.

The prevalence of fatty liver in children is unknown and its relationship to obesity is poorly defined. The present study of 810 northern Japanese children (4-12 years old) determined the prevalence of fatty liver in the pediatric population and its relationship to obesity. Diagnosis of fatty liver was based on established real-time ultrasonographic criteria. The overall prevalence of fatty liver was 2.6% and was higher for boys (3.4%) than for girls (1.8%), although not statistically significant (P = 0.15). Fatty liver was found in children as young as 6 years of age. There was no significant association between the prevalence of fatty liver and height (physical growth). There was a strong positive correlation between fatty liver prevalence and established obesity indices: Rohrer's Index--chi 2 linear trend = 59.2, P < 0.0001; body mass index--chi 2 linear trend = 91.6, P < 0.0001; and age-gender-adjusted Japanese standard index of weight for height--chi 2 linear trend = 93.2, P < 0.0001. However, direct measurement of abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness by ultrasonography was the best predictor of fatty liver: chi 2 linear trend = 159, P < 0.0001. These results indicate that fatty liver may develop very early in life, and there is a direct relationship between degree of obesity and fatty liver in children.

Body Height↗
PubMed1995

Alternation of QRS morphology and effect of radiofrequency ablation in idiopathic ventricular tachycardia.

UNLABELLED: We performed electrophysiological studies in 13 patients with idiopathic VT and attempted radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation in 4 of them. RESULTS: VT was induced by programmed stimulation in all patients and the mean cycle length was 363 +/- 58 msec. In 8 of 13 patients (62%), alternation of either the cycle length and/or morphology of VT was observed. Transient entrainment was achieved in all patients by rapid pacing from the right ventricular outflow tract so reentry was considered the underlying mechanism of VT. The site of earliest activation (EAS) during VT was located at the apicoposterior portion of the left ventricular septum and used as the target site for RF catheter ablation. Spikelike presystolic activity was detected 20-40 msec prior to the large deflection of the local electrogram in four patients. VT was terminated by a few seconds of RF current in all four patients, but subsequently new VTs with a slightly different morphology were induced in three of them and re-mapping showed a shift of the EAS. After additional RF ablation at the new EAS, VT was no longer induced. No complication was noted and VT did not recur during a follow-up period for a mean of 9.3 +/- 5.2 months. CONCLUSION: RF catheter ablation seems useful and safe for idiopathic VT. The alternation of QRS morphology and the findings at the time of catheter ablation suggest that an alternative pathway or multiple exists may be present in some patients with idiopathic VT, because the change in VT morphology was associated with a shift of the EAS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Successful radiofrequency catheter ablation for macroreentrant ventricular tachycardias in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot after corrective surgery.

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation was applied to two macroreentrant ventricular tachycardias (VTs) documented after corrective operation for tetralogy of Fallot. The activation wavefront of VT with a right bundle branch block pattern was found to revolve in a clockwise manner around a presumed myotomy scar in the right ventricle, and VT with a left bundle branch block pattern revolved around the same anatomical obstacle in a counterclockwise manner. In both VTs, the biggest conduction delay was confirmed at the right ventricular outflow tract. RF applications to the slow conduction area terminated each VT within a few seconds but were insufficient to cure the VTs. RF lesions were then applied to the slow conduction area in a line to intersect the macroreentrant circuit, and both VTs became noninducible.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Altered expression of a novel cellular gene as a consequence of integration of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1.

By analysing a genomic DNA clone derived from the human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected cell line, TL-Su, we found that an integrated HTLV-1 provirus interrupted the poly(A) signal-containing exon of a novel gene, RY-1. Nucleotide sequence analysis of a cDNA derived from Jurkat cells revealed that the normal RY-1 mRNA could encode a novel protein that has an unique primary structure, suggesting that a nucleic acid binding property was involved. Proviral integration led to an accumulation of aberrant RY-1 mRNA species in the cells. All the aberrant RY-1 cDNAs derived from TL-Su cells terminated at the poly(A) site of the R region of the HTLV-1 long terminal repeat and initiated in the intron, approx. 800 bp upstream from the putative second exon. Furthermore, another intron, downstream from this position, remained unspliced in some of the cDNAs. In addition to the activation by the integrated viral elements of cryptic promoters located upstream, mechanisms involving altered rates of degradation or transport from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of intron-containing RNA were suggested.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Radiofrequency current catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia.

UNLABELLED: Radiofrequency current catheter ablation was attempted for 17 morphologies of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 14 patients. Five patients had underlying heart disease. The site of VT origin was determined as the earliest site of ventricular activation, or by pacing within the area of slow conduction. In 15 VTs, ablation was performed during VT, and 12 VTs (80%) were terminated within an average of 5.4 +/- 4.2 seconds. After ablation, 14 VTs (14/17 = 82%) of 11 patients (11/14 = 79%) could not be induced by electrical stimulation. Radiofrequency ablation appeared to be more effective in VTs without underlying heart disease (91%), and in VTs originating from the right ventricle (100%). Successful ablation sites usually showed a normal local electrograms during VT. Ablation in the slow conduction area was attempted in 3 VTs, and 2 VTs became noninducible. The mean number of applications of radiofrequency current for each VT origin was 7.7 +/- 6.4 at 20-50 Watts. In 4 patients, application of radiofrequency current was required 10 or more times because of a possible large arrhythmogenic area, or because of reinduction of VT, even though VT was terminated by radiofrequency current. No major complication was observed except for complete right bundle branch block in 1 patient. IN CONCLUSION: (1) Radiofrequency catheter ablation was considered to be effective and safe, especially for VT without underlying heart disease or VT originating from the right ventricle. (2) Ablation during VT was considered to be useful for identifying the proper ablation site and to avoid creating an unnecessary lesion.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Evidence for slow conduction areas during pacing in patients with sinus rhythm, and their relation to the site of VT origin.

UNLABELLED: In 52 patients with reentrant monomorphic sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), the site of VT origin was determined by endocardial mapping and the interval from stimulus artifact to the onset of QRS complex (St-QRS) was measured during pace-mapping. Eleven patients had remote myocardial infarction (group 1), 25 patients had other underlying heart diseases (group 2), and 16 had idiopathic VT (group 3). At St-QRS interval of 40 msec or longer was defined as abnormal. (1) Long St-QRS interval: Thirteen sites with long St-QRS intervals were detected in 13 (25.0%) of 52 patients: 5 patients in group 1 (45.5%), 7 (28.0%) patients in group 2 and one (6.3%) in group 3. (2) Local electrogram: The local electrogram at sites with a long St-QRS interval was wide and 113 +/- 38 msec in duration during sinus rhythm which increased to 159 +/- 64 msec during VT (p < 0.05). In sinus rhythm, an abnormally prolonged local electrogram was observed in 11 of 13 sites with a long St-QRS interval, and mid-diastolic potential or continuous activity was observed in 3 sites during VT. (3) Relation to VT origin: At sites with a long St-QRS interval, concealed entrainment was observed in 3 patients, and the earliest activated local electrogram during VT in 5 patients. CONCLUSION: Sites with a long ST-QRS interval were observed in 25% of the patients with VT, and their incidence tended to be higher in patients with ischemic heart disease. Such sites were associated with abnormal local electrograms and some of the sites were considered to be the active limb of the reentry circuit.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Frequency of presumed reentry with an excitable gap in sustained ventricular tachycardia unassociated with coronary artery disease.

In sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) unrelated to coronary artery disease, the incidence of reentry with an excitable gap was examined, and rapid pacing was performed to entrain VT in 48 episodes in 42 consecutive patients. Coronary artery disease was excluded by coronary arteriography. The underlying heart diseases were postoperative congenital heart diseases (n = 5), dilated (n = 7) or hypertrophic (n = 4) cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (n = 6) and miscellaneous heart diseases (n = 5), as well as no demonstrable heart disease (n = 15) in which 8 patients had verapamil-responsive VT. Except for 1 patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 48 morphologically distinct monomorphic sustained VTs were induced. Twenty-five VTs showed right bundle branch block morphology and 23 left bundle branch block morphology, and VT was entrained in 84 and 96%, respectively. The overall incidence of the entrainment was 89.6% (43 of 48 monomorphic VTs), and the frequency of the ability to entrain VT ranged between 33.3 and 100% in the subgroups. The lowest frequency was found in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In conclusion, most inducible monomorphic sustained VT unassociated with coronary artery disease was presumed to be reentry with an excitable gap.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Catheter ablation with radiofrequency current of ventricular tachycardia originating from the right ventricle.

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) with radiofrequency current would be safer than the conventional ablation with direct current shocks. Seven patients who had eight morphologically distinct symptomatic monomorphic VTs underwent catheter ablation with radiofrequency current. The mean age +/- SD was 52 +/- 16 years, and the mean cycle length of the clinical VT was 298 +/- 36 milliseconds. Sustained VT was induced by programmed stimulation with or without isoproterenol in four patients and developed during the infusion of isoproterenol alone in two patients. Of these, four VTs were entrained with rapid pacing. The ablation was attempted at the site of earliest activation through the distal electrode and the external patch electrode on the back during VT in seven episodes in six patients. In the other patient it was applied during sinus rhythm. Energy was 40 to 50 W in the first case and 30 to 40 W in the others, and was given for 30 seconds. All VTs were terminated within 6 seconds, 3.6 +/- 0.8 seconds after the application of the radiofrequency current. Additional current was given to one to four predetermined sites by mapping. The mean number of applications was 4.0 +/- 1.3 sites. Except in the first patient, VT was eliminated successfully and VT was not induced by programmed stimulation, by the administration of isoproterenol, or by treadmill exercise testing. VT did not recur during the follow-up period of 6.8 +/- 1.1 months.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Alternation in the fusion complex during constant pacing of sustained ventricular tachycardia.

In a patient with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), we observed two different conduction times through the reentry circuit at the critical paced cycle length. The cycle length of the VT was 420 msec and overdrive pacing initially performed at a paced cycle length of 400 msec and repeated at decrements of 10 msec until the VT was interrupted at a paced cycle length of 320 msec. During rapid pacing, constant fusion and progressive fusion were confirmed. The first post-pacing return cycle was identical to each paced cycle length. The conduction time between the stimulus artifact and the orthodromically captured electrogram at the left ventricle was constant at 350 msec in each paced cycle length. However, only at a pacing cycle length of 360 msec two conduction times were alternatively observed, one of 350 msec and the other of 365 msec. When the conduction time changed from 350 msec to 365 msec, morphological alternation both in the surface QRS complex and in the orthodromically captured electrogram was evident. Dual slow pathways or a single slow pathway with plural exits from the reentry circuit is a likely mechanism of the alternation.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Pleomorphic ventricular tachycardia arising from a new site during antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

UNLABELLED: We analyzed the site of VT origin and the induction mode of VT in 9 patients who showed new VT morphologies with different bundle branch block patterns after administering antiarrhythmic drug(s). In all patients, VT exhibiting the clinical morphology was induced in the drug free state. (1) VT origin: In 6 patients, VTs showing LBBB pattern had a site of origin at the right ventricular free wall, and VTs with RBBB pattern originated from the left ventricular free wall. VT from the intraventricular septum of the right ventricle showed RBBB pattern in two patients and VT with LBBB pattern arose from the posteroseptum of the left ventricle in one patient. (2) VTs with new morphologies: After administering drug(s), VTs with new morphologies were induced in 18 studies and the mean cycle length of these VTs was not different from that in the control study. Among them, the induction mode was less aggressive in 4 of 7 drug studies and more aggressive in 1 study. (3) VTs with the same morphology: VTs with morphologies identical to those of the clinical VTs were induced in 15 studies. However, the drugs' effect was evident. The mean cycle length of these VTs was significantly prolonged, and VTs were induced by less aggressive modes or at longer coupling intervals. IN CONCLUSION: (1) After administering drug(s), different electrophysiologic characteristics were observed between the VTs with new morphologies and the VTs with the same morphology. (2) If a new VT was induced by less aggressive modes after administering drug(s), the drug(s) might act to facilitate inducibility: proarrhythmic effect.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Ataxic polyneuropathy and anti-Pr2 IgM kappa M proteinemia.

A case of ataxic neuropathy associated with IgM kappa M proteinemia is reported. Double filtration plasmapheresis effectively treated the neuropathy. The IgM kappa antibody had anti-Pr2 cold agglutinin activity. We demonstrated reactivities of the IgM kappa antibody to sialosyl paragloboside, sialosyl lactosaminyl paragloboside, GT1b, GD1a, GD1b, GM3 and GD3 on high-performance thin-layer chromatography immunostaining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which is previously unreported antigenic specificity of the M proteins in cases of paraproteinemic neuropathy. IgM M protein with anti-Pr2 cold agglutinin activity may play a pathogenetic role in peripheral nerve demyelination, because the target antigens of the M protein are present in myelin and possibly in endothelial cells of the peripheral nervous system.

Ataxia↗
PubMed1992

Successful radiofrequency current catheter ablation of sustained ventricular tachycardia.

We performed radiofrequency current catheter ablation in two patients with nonischemic sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT). In one patient, two morphologically distinct VTs were induced by electrical stimulation. One showed right bundle branch block pattern and the other left bundle branch block pattern. The earliest site of activation during each VT was determined at the septum of the right ventricle. However, these two sites were close to the His-bundle electrogram recording area. In the other patient, a VT with a left bundle branch block pattern occurred spontaneously after the administration of isoproterenol. The earliest site of activation during VT was determined at the outflow tract of the right ventricle. During tachycardia, radiofrequency current ablation (40 W x 30 sec) was delivered to the earliest site of activation. A few seconds after fulguration, each VT was terminated and additional radiofrequency currents were given near these sites. After the ablation, VT could not be induced by the electrical stimulations, nor did it recur. No side effects were observed and the atrioventricular conduction remained intact. We feel that nonischemic VTs could possibly be treated by using radiofrequency current catheter ablation.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Incidence and mechanism of interruption of reentrant ventricular tachycardia with rapid ventricular pacing.

BACKGROUND: Information concerning the electrophysiological characteristics of the reentrant circuit is still limited. To understand the incidence and mechanism of pacing-induced interruption of ventricular tachycardia (VT), rapid pacing was performed to entrain VT, and the local electrogram at the VT origin and the surface electrocardiogram were analyzed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 25 patients, evidence of transient entrainment was confirmed in 20 patients, but the critical paced cycle length at which VT was interrupted was obtained in 13 patients when the paced cycle length was decreased in steps of 10 msec. During pacing at the critical cycle length (defined as block cycle length), changes in the local electrogram at VT origin were confirmed in all of the 13 patients; that is, 1) a change in morphology and 2) a change in the timing of activation: a sudden shortening in the stimulus to local electrogram time (third entrainment criterion by Waldo). The two changes mean that the exit is activated from a different direction (retrograde capture) because of an orthodromic block in the slow conduction zone. The QRS complex in the surface electrocardiogram showed a change in configuration from the fusion complex to the fully paced one at the same time when the exit was captured antidromically. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our observations in these patients, ventricular tachycardia interruption is very often associated with orthodromic block in the reentrant circuit at a critical cycle length of rapid pacing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Entrainment of ventricular tachycardia in arrhythmogenic right ventricular tachycardia.

In two patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) was induced by programmed stimulations during serial drug testings. One patient had five and the other had two VT morphologies, and the sites of origin were determined by endocardial catheter mappings. When overdrive pacing was performed, constant fusion in the QRS complex was observed in the two patients. Constant fusion of a different degree was also observed at different paced cycle lengths. Both patients had dilated right ventricles and wall-motion abnormality, and the diagnosis of ARVD was further confirmed by the specimen resected at the site of origin of VT. Therefore, VT in ARVD can be entrained and reentry is the most likely mechanism of such VT.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Effects of o,p'-DDD on pituitary-gonadal function in patients with Cushing's disease].

O,p'-DDD has a cytotoxic action and inhibits the cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme, 11 beta-hydroxylase, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase coupled with delta 5 to 4 isomerase and 21-hydroxylase of the adrenal cells. However, the effects of o,p'-DDD on gonadal steroidogenesis are still unknown. In the present study, the effects of o,p'-DDD on Plasma cortisol, pregnenolone, 17 alpha-hydroxypregnenolone (17-OH-pregnenolone), progesterone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OH-progesterone), 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC), corticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), delta 4-androstenedione (androstenedione), estradiol, and LH and FSH were investigated in 3 patients with Cushing's disease before and after the administration of o,p'-DDD. The results are presented here. In Case 1 (18 yr old female) who had had secondary amenorrhea for 2 years, the plasma levels of cortisol, pregnenolone, 17-OH-pregnenolone, DHEA, androstenedione, testosterone, estradiol and corticosterone were elevated. The basal levels of plasma LH and FSH and the responses of both gonadotropins were lower than those of women with eumenorrhea. The plasma levels of progesterone, DHEA and testosterone decreased to normal 2 months after the beginning of the administration of o,p'-DDD. She restored menstrual cycles ranging from 40 to 50 days 3 months after the administration of o,p'-DDD, but with anovulatory bleeding. She showed a biphasic body temperature pattern with plasma progesterone and estradiol levels indicating corpus luteum formation 11 months after the start of the treatment, when plasma cortisol as well as progesterone and androgen were reduced to normal. The basal levels of FSH and LH and responses of these gonadotropins were slightly improved at that time. The plasma levels of cortisol, DHEA and androstenedione were high in Case 2 (38 yr old male) and Case 3 (45 yr old male), whereas plasma testosterone level was normal in Case 2 and low in Case 3. The plasma levels of these 3 steroids were normalized 28 days after the beginning of the o,p'-DDD administration. These results suggest that o,p'-DDD does not interfere with gonadal steroidogenesis in Cushing's disease.

Adolescent↗