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Showing papers by "Kumamoto University published in 1988"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results localize an epitope of HIV type-specific neutralization and suggest that neutralizing antibodies may be effective in controlling cell-associated, as well as cell-free, virus infection.
Abstract: A monoclonal antibody was produced to the exterior envelope glycoprotein (gp120) of the human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-IIIB isolate of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This antibody binds to gp120 of HTLV-IIIB and lymphadenopathy-associated virus type 1 (LAV-1) and to the surface of HTLV-IIIB- and LAV-1-infected cells, neutralizes infection by cell-free virus, and prevents fusion of virus-infected cells. In contrast, it does not bind, or weakly binds, the envelope of four heterologous HIV isolates and does not neutralize heterologous isolates HTLV-IIIRF and HTLV-IIIMN. The antibody-binding site was mapped to a 24-amino-acid segment, using recombinant and synthetic segments of HTLV-IIIB gp120. This site is within a segment of amino acid variability known to contain the major neutralizing epitopes (S. D. Putney, T. J. Matthews, W. G. Robey, D. L. Lynn, M. Robert-Guroff, W. T. Mueller, A. J. Langlois, J. Ghrayeb, S. R. Petteway, K. J. Weinhold, P. J. Fischinger, F. Wong-Staal, R. C. Gallo, and D. P. Bolognesi, Science 234:1392-1395, 1986). These results localize an epitope of HIV type-specific neutralization and suggest that neutralizing antibodies may be effective in controlling cell-associated, as well as cell-free, virus infection.

436 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Long-term prognosis for patients with variant angina is relatively good and that use of calcium antagonists improves it, and multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model showed that intake of calcium antagonist, extent and severity of coronary artery disease, and ST segment elevation in both the anterior and inferior leads were significant independent predictors of survival without myocardial infarction.
Abstract: Two hundred forty-five patients with variant angina were followed for an average of 80.5 months (range, 36-184 months). Survival rate at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 98%, 97%, 97%, and 93%, respectively. Survival rate without myocardial infarction at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years was 86%, 85%, 83%, and 81%, respectively. By univarite analysis, ST segment elevation in both the anterior and inferior electrocardiographic leads was the most important factor influencing survival, followed by use of calcium antagonists, left ventricular function, smoking, and alcohol intake. The variables that significantly correlated with survival without myocardial infarction were use of calcium antagonists, left ventricular function, extent and severity of coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass surgery, and disease activity. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model showed that intake of calcium antagonists, extent and severity of coronary artery disease, and ST segment elevation in both the anterior and inferior leads were significant independent predictors of survival without myocardial infarction. We conclude that long-term prognosis for patients with variant angina is relatively good and that use of calcium antagonists improves it.

415 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These 62 patients with the Kabuki make-up syndrome were collected in a collaborative study among 33 institutions and analyzed clinically, cytogenetically, and epidemiologically to delineate the phenotypic spectrum and to learn about its cause.
Abstract: These 62 patients with the Kabuki make-up syndrome (KMS) were collected in a collaborative study among 33 institutions and analyzed clinically, cytogenetically, and epidemiologically to delineate the phenotypic spectrum of KMS and to learn about its cause. Among various manifestations observed, most patients had the following five cardinal manifestations: 1) a peculiar face (100%) characterized by eversion of the lower lateral eyelid; arched eyebrows, with sparse or dispersed lateral one-third; a depressed nasal tip; and prominent ears; 2) skeletal anomalies (92%), including brachydactyly V and a deformed spinal column, with or without sagittal cleft vertebrae; 3) dermatoglyphic abnormalities (93%), including increased digital ulnar loop and hypothenar loop patterns, absence of the digital triradius c and/or d, and presence of fingertip pads; 4) mild to moderate mental retardation (92%); and 5) postnatal growth deficiency (83%). Thus the core of the phenotypic spectrum of KMS is rather narrow and clearly defined. Many other inconsistent anomalies were observed. Important among them were early breast development in infant girls (23%), and congenital heart defects (31%), such as a single ventricle with a common atrium, ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, coarctation of aorta, patent ductus arteriosus, aneurysm of aorta, transposition of great vessels, and right bundle branch block. Of the 62 KMS patients, 58 were Japanese, an indication that the syndrome is fairly common in Japan. It was estimated that its prevalence in Japanese newborn infants is 1/32,000. All the KMS cases in this study were sporadic, the sex ratio was even, there was no correlation with birth order, the consanguinity rate among the parents was not high, and no incriminated agent was found that was taken by the mothers during early pregnancy. Three of the 62 patients had a Y chromosome abnormality involving a possible common breakpoint (Yp11.2). This could indicate another possibility, i.e., that the KMS gene is on Yp11.2 and that the disease is pseudoautosomal dominant. These findings are compatible with an autosomal dominant disorder in which every patient represents a fresh mutation. The mutation rate was calculated at 15.6 X 10(6).

390 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that the localization of the committed stem cells for various hemopoietic cell lineages differs in the early embryo, although the location of the pluripotent stem cells is yet to be determined.
Abstract: A stromal cell clone, ST2, which can support both myelopoiesis and B lymphopoiesis of adult bone marrow was used as an in vitro microenvironment for investigating the ontogeny of the B cell progenitor in murine embryos. The B cell progenitor clonable on an ST2 layer first become detectable in the embryonal body rather than in the yolk sac around day 9.5 of gestation. As soon as it develops in the embryo, it enters the blood circulation and becomes detectable both in the developing fetal liver and the yolk sac of the 10 day embryo. On the other hand, mast cell and polymorphonuclear cell progenitors, which are also generated on the ST2 layer, develop first in the yolk sac and migrate to the fetal liver around day 10-11 of gestation. At the late stage of embryonal development, day 15-16 of gestation, the B cell progenitor enters the femur as vascularization of the femur starts. These results suggest that the localization of the committed stem cells for various hemopoietic cell lineages differs in the early embryo, although the localization of the pluripotent stem cells is yet to be determined.

284 citations


Journal Article
Motoaki Shichiri1, Yamasaki Y, Nao K, Sekiya M, Ueda N 
TL;DR: In vivo monitoring was conducted in human subjects and a good linear relationship was observed between the tissue and plasma glucose concentrations, indicating the clinical usefulness of the needle-type glucose sensor.
Abstract: To explore the clinical performances of the needle-type glucose sensor, in vivo monitoring was conducted in human subjects. The tissue glucose concentrations measured by glucose sensor were lower than the plasma glucose concentrations by 15%, but a good linear relationship was observed between the tissue and plasma glucose concentrations. The sensing sites between abdomen and forearm did not affect the tissue glucose monitoring. The tissue glucose concentrations after meal intake showed 5 min delayed response to the blood glucose concentrations. After 3 days' continuous monitoring, the "relative" sensor output to the plasma glucose concentration decreased by 26% and the "relative" response time to reach peak value prolonged from 5 min to 13.5 min. These data indicate the clinical usefulness of the needle-type glucose sensor.

274 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Intracoronary injection of acetylcholine is sensitive and reliable for the induction of coronary spasm in patients with variant angina.

269 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A method of fault tree analysis of human errors based on the concept ‘error possibility’ instead of the error rate and it is shown that the proposed method gives us information.

245 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The translation product of murine TRF/IL-5 cDNA triggers resting as well as activated murine B cells for terminal differentiation into Ig-secreting cells (IgM, IgG1, or IgA) accompanied by increased mRNA expression for secreted forms of relevant Ig heavy chain (mu, gamma, or alpha).
Abstract: TRF has originally been defined as a T-cell-derived lymphokine that triggers activated B cells for a terminal differentiation into Ig-secreting cells. HPLC-purified TRF from Sup of a murine TRF-producing B151 cell is an acidic glycoprotein, exerts BCGF II activity and induces expression of IL-2 receptors. It does not show IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, BSF-1/IL-4, or IFN gamma activity. We prepared monoclonal TB13 and NC17 antibodies against HPLC-purified B151-TRF which are specific for and can inhibit TRF as well as BCFG II activity of B151-TRF. Moreover, TB13 as well as NC17 antibody can immunoprecipitate the 46 Kd molecule from B151 Sup which exerts TRF as well as BCGF II activity. Complementary DNA (pSP6K-mTRF23) encoding for murine TRF/IL-5 was cloned and its entire nucleotide sequences were determined. The murine TRF/IL-5 cDNA encodes 133 amino acids including N-terminal strongly hydrophobic regions. Secreted recombinant TRF/IL-5 (apparent m.w. of 46 Kd) has 113 amino acid residues and also comprises homodimers of a molecule with an apparent m.w. of 25 to 30 Kd. TRF/IL-5 mRNA is constitutively expressed in constitutively TRF-producing B151 and is inducible in some T cell lines upon stimulation with PMA or Con A. TRF/IL-5 mRNA is also expressed in Tbc-primed T cells upon the stimulation with PPD, whereas its expression is not effectively induced in non-primed spleen cells by stimulation with Con A or PMA plus calcium ionophore. The translation product of murine TRF/IL-5 cDNA triggers resting as well as activated (DNP-primed or LPS-stimulated) murine B cells for terminal differentiation into Ig-secreting cells (IgM, IgG1, or IgA) accompanied by increased mRNA expression for secreted forms of relevant Ig heavy chain (mu, gamma, or alpha). Among these, increases in the level of mu, and alpha-specific mRNA for the secreted form of IgM and IgA, respectively, are prominent. Moreover, TRF/IL-5 induces maturation of resting B cells into IgM-secreting cells. TRF/IL-5 promotes growth of activated B cells as well as BCL1 cells. TRF/IL-5 is, therefore, a growth as well as a differentiation inducing factor for B cells. Moreover, it induces functional IL-2 receptors on resting as well as activated B cells, besides TRF and BCGF II activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

233 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Thirty-three patients with variant angina were studied during coronary angiographic examination with selective intracoronary injection of acetylcholine (ACh), andeteen of the 25 patients in whom multivessel coronary spasm was documented showed angiographically normal or nearly normal coronary arteries after administration of nitroglycerin.
Abstract: Multivessel coronary spasm has been described but its incidence in patients with variant angina still remains unclear. Thirty-three patients with variant angina were studied during coronary angiographic examination with selective intracoronary injection of acetylcholine (ACh). In all but three patients, the location of ischemia during attack was determined by the electrocardiographic findings, by exercise 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy, and by two-dimensional echocardiography during a hyperventilation test, and the coronary artery (or arteries) responsible for the attack was predicted before the study. ACh induced spasm of at least one coronary artery in all but one patient. ACh induced spasm of both the left and right coronary arteries (i.e., multivessel coronary spasm) in 24 patients: in two of the four patients who were predicted to have spasm of the left coronary artery, in six of the 11 predicted to have spasm of the right coronary artery, in 13 of the 15 predicted to have spasm of both the left and right coronary arteries, and in three of the three in whom coronary artery responsible for attack had not been predicted. This ACh-induced spasm of the left and right coronary arteries occurred separately and no patients showed hemodynamic instability during attack. In one patient in whom multivessel coronary spasm had been predicted and ACh failed to induice coronary spasm, ergonovine maleate (0.2 mg) induced spasm of both the left and right coronary arteries simultaneously, resulting in severe prolonged hypotension. Nineteen of the 25 patients in whom multivessel coronary spasm was documented showed angiographically normal or nearly normal coronary arteries after administration of nitroglycerin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

211 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that CaM kinase II is widely distributed in the tissues, and strong immunoreactivity was observed in the islet of pancreas and moderate immunore activity in skeletal muscle and kidney tubules.
Abstract: Polyclonal antibodies against Ca2+/calmodulin-de-pendent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) of rat brain were prepared by immunizing rabbits and then purified by antigen-affinity column The antibodies which recognized both sub-units of the enzyme with MrS 49K and 60K were used for the study on the distribution of CaM kinase II in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues In the brain, a light-microscopic study demonstrated strong immunoreactivity in neu-ronal somata and dendrites and weak immunoreactivity in nuclei The densely stained regions included cerebral cortex, hippocampal formation, striatum, substantia nigra, and cer-ebellar cortex In substantia nigra, neurites were stained, but not neuronal somata Electron microscopy revealed that the immunoreactive product was highly concentrated at the postsynaptic densities In addition to neurons, weak immunoreactivity was also demonstrated in glial cells, such as as-trocytes and ependymal cells of ventricles and epithelial cells of choroid plexus In other tissues, strong immunoreactivity was observed in the islet of pancreas and moderate immunoreactivity in skeletal muscle and kidney tubules Immunoreactivity was demonstrated in all of the tissues tested The results suggest that CaM kinase II is widely distributed in the tissues

185 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results strongly suggest that the process of intra‐marrow B cell development is controlled by more than one signal acting on different stages of B cell differentiation.
Abstract: B lymphopoiesis supporting activities of two stromal cell clones, MC3T3-G2/PA6 (PA6) and ST2, were compared. When normal bone marrow cells were cultured in these clones under Whitlock-Witte-type condition, mature B cells were generated only in the culture with the ST2 layer. The cells maintained on the PA6 layer, however, contained the precursor cells giving rise to mature B cells when transferred to the ST2 layer. Thus, PA6 is a stromal cell clone capable of supporting the early B progenitors but cannot support a further maturation step into pre-B cells. The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene configuration of B progenitors maintained on the PA6 layer diversified after their transfer onto ST2 layer. This suggests that they are actually the earliest progenitors. This marked difference in the stromal cell activities between PA6 and ST2 could also be distinguished by stromal cell-dependent pre-B cell lines. Among four ST2-dependent pre-B cell lines tested, two grew only on the ST2 layer, which is capable of supporting B lymphopoiesis, while the others grew both on the ST2 and PA6 layers. These results strongly suggest that the process of intra-marrow B cell development is controlled by more than one signal acting on different stages of B cell differentiation.

Journal ArticleDOI
Kyoko Takata1, S Horiuchi1, Norie Araki1, M Shiga1, M Saitoh1, Yoshimasa Morino1 
TL;DR: Endocytic uptake of AGE-proteins by macrophages appeared to be mediated by a scavenger receptor for aldehyde-modified proteins, providing evidence for the biological importance of the scavengers receptor in eliminating senescent macromolecules from the circulation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the physicochemical and biological properties and solubilizing abilities of 3-hexylated β-cyclodextrins (HA-β-CyDs), 2-hydroxypropyl β-Cyclodextrin (HP-βCyD), and Hydroxyethyl-β -Cyclodextrin (HE-β Cyclodexrin) were compared with those of parent β-cycle.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present work on tumor vascular permeability has led to the following findings, which confirmed that kinin is generated via the kallikrein‐dependent cascade in the ascitic tumor fluid and blocked this kinin‐generating cascade with Kunitz‐type soybean trypsin inhibitor, and the formation of ascites was suppressed.
Abstract: Enhanced vascular permeability in tumor tissue has profound pathological consequences in tumor biology. However, details of the mechanism involved are not clear. The present work on tumor vascular permeability has led to the following three findings. (i) Ascitic tumor fluid contained kinin (about 1-40 ng/ml), which is known to enhance vascular permeability and induce pain in vivo. (ii) Kinin is generated via the kallikrein-dependent cascade in the ascitic tumor fluid. By blocking this kinin-generating cascade with Kunitz-type soybean trypsin inhibitor the formation of ascites was suppressed. (iii) Blocking of kinin-degrading enzymes (kininases I and II) by an appropriate kininase inhibitor (e.g., captopril) may result in increased permeability, leading to accumulation of the ascitic fluid. This phenomenon was verified by an about 1.2-1.5 fold increase in leakage of 51Cr-labeled bovine serum albumin into the ascites when kininase inhibitors had been administered orally 30 min before intravenous administration of the bovine serum albumin.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The mechanism of this recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia with QRS morphology of the right bundle branch block and left axis deviation was best explained by reentry with an area of slow conduction.
Abstract: Recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) with QRS morphology of the right bundle branch block and left axis deviation was studied in 4 patients without any underlying heart diseases. The mean VT rate was 155 beats/min and the endocardial catheter mapping during VT showed the earliest activation site at the left ventricular lateral wall near the apex. In all patients, rapid pacing from the right ventricular outflow tract during VT resulted in constant fusion beats except for the last entrained beat (thus VT was entrained), while pacing from the right ventricular apex and from the earliest activation site failed to demonstrate entrainment. During entrainment from the right ventricular outflow tract (mean pacing rate 168 beats/min), conduction intervals from the pacing site to the earliest activation site (St-A interval) and to the right ventricular apex (St-B interval) were measured in 3 patients. The St-A intervals were 400, 410 and 440 ms and the St-B intervals were 80, 70 and 90 ms, respectively. A small dose of verapamil (1.0 mg) was administered during VT, which resulted in a decrease of VT rate by a mean of 23 beats/min. During entrainment from the right ventricular outflow tract the St-A interval was prolonged in all 3 patients while the St-B interval remained the same. In conclusion, the mechanism of this VT was best explained by reentry with an area of slow conduction. Verapamil slowed the rate of VT by prolonging conduction within the area of slow conduction. Tachycardia entrainment makes possible a selective examination of antiarrhythmic drug effect on the area of slow conduction within the reentry circuit of VT.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Complementary and genomic DNA clones corresponding to the human ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) [EC 2.3.1.3]mRNA have been isolated and analyzed and found 20 nucleotide substitutions among these sequences, of which 6 related to amino acid changes.
Abstract: Complementary and genomic DNA clones corresponding to the human ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) [EC 2.1.3.3]mRNA have been isolated and analyzed. The OTC gene is about 73 kilobase pairs (kb) long and contains 10 exons interrupted by 9 introns of highly variable sizes. The smallest intron is 80 base pairs and the largest, 21.7 kb. The 5'- and 3'-flanking regions, entire exons and all the exon/intron boundaries were sequenced. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of isolated OTC cDNAs as well as the corresponding regions of the genomic DNA were compared with those of human OTC cDNA (Horwich, A.L., Fenton, W.A., Williams, K.R., Kalousek, F., Kraus, J.P., Doolittle, R.F., Koningsberg, W., & Rosenberg, L.E. (1984) Science 224, 1068-1074). We found 20 nucleotide substitutions among these sequences, of which 6 related to amino acid changes. The nature of these nucleotide substitutions is discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Kinins in the ascitic fluid from a patient with gastric cancer were purified by gel filtration and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to demonstrate for the first time the presence of [hydroxyprolyl3]bradykinin in vivo.

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Apr 1988-Cancer
TL;DR: The results suggested strongly that DCP was synthesized by the hepatoma cells as a serologic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Abstract: Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin [DCP], a protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II and also abbreviated PIVKA-II, was evaluated as a serologic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its plasma levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (E-1023) using an anti-DCP monoclonal antibody in 514 patients with various diseases. Of 120 patients with HCC, 76 (63%) had abnormal DCP levels greater than 0.1 arbitrary unit (AU)/ml and 58 (48%) showed levels greater than 0.3 AU/ml. When a diagnostic minimum level of 0.3 AU/ml was applied for DCP, false-positive cases of HCC were virtually eliminated. In some patients with HCC, plasma DCP levels normalized after surgical resection of the tumor. However, they rose again later with recurrence of the disease. The sensitivity of DCP in the diagnosis and monitoring of HCC was increased by serial and simultaneous determinations of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), because high DCP levels were observed more often in low AFP-producing HCC patients. Elevated plasma DCP levels were not related to low vitamin K concentration in the serum. In fact, in many patients vitamin K administration resulted in only a moderate reduction of DCP levels. These results suggested strongly that DCP was synthesized by the hepatoma cells.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using immunohistochemistry, the distribution and characteristics of cells detected by the newly developed monoclonals HIS-CI (B lymphocytes), HIS-C7 (leucocytes) and CVI-ChIgM-59.5 (IgA) are described in bone marrow, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, and spleen of chickens of different ages.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Of considerable significance is the finding that the ratio of cholesteryl ester to total cholesterol in LpA-I was significantly lower than that in L pA- I/A-II in both males and females, which might suggest that Lp a-I could be a carrier of free cholesterol.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Liver dysfunction of unknown origin may play some role in the onset of vitamin K deficiency in infancy in infants over 2 weeks of age.
Abstract: Throughout Japan a total of 543 cases of vitamin K deficiency occurring in infants over 2 weeks of age were reported from January 1981 to June 1985. Of these cases, 427 showed no obvious reasons for vitamin K deficiency; this sort of case is known as “idiopathic vitamin K deficiency in infancy”. Another 57 cases had bleeding episodes due to vitamin K deficiency associated with obvious hepatobiliary lesions, chronic diarrhoea, long-term antibiotic therapy, etc; this sort is called “secondary vitamin K deficiency in infacy”. The third group, consisting of 59 cases, was made up of the socalled “near miss” type, in which a haemorrhagic tendency, without any obvious clinical haemorrhage, was discovered by Normotest, at the time of mass screening in most cases. In the idiopathic group, 269 cases (63.0%) developed bleeding episodes between the 1st and 2nd months of age, and 387 cases (90.0%) were entirely breast-fed. Intracranial baemorrhage was observed in 353 cases (82.7%) of this group. Moreover, slight elevation of serum transaminase and direct type bilirubin levels were observed in the idiopathic group. Liver dysfunction of unknown origin may play some role in the onset of vitamin K deficiency in infancy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is speculated that athletic subjects have a higher turnover of bone status compared with nonathletic subjects.
Abstract: The levels of serum osteocalcin, in addition to other parameters, were monitored in athletic (N = 9) and nonathletic (N = 10) university male students before, immediately after, and 60 min after 30 min of exercise on a running ergometer and at a constant workload of approximately 50% of their maximum capacity; there was adequate replenishment of drinking water. In both groups, the increase in serum parathyroid hormone levels observed immediately after exercise correlated well with a decrease in ionized calcium as well as the total calcium, and also with an increase in serum phosphorus, whereas the concentration of serum albumin remained stable. The response of serum osteocalcin differed between the two groups, in that (1) the concentration before exercise was significantly higher in athletic than in nonathletic students (P less than 0.001), and (2) the maximum level was evident in the former group 60 min after exercise, whereas it was present in the latter group immediately after exercise. We speculate that athletic subjects have a higher turnover of bone status compared with nonathletic subjects.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The only haematological abnormality in these patients was the presence of few atypical lymphoid cells in the peripheral blood.
Abstract: Summary We have studied 15 individuals (aged 14-74 years) with antibodies to HTLV-I in their serum and random integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA in their peripheral blood lymphocytes. All but one of these patients suffered from a variety of non-specific complaints which did not correspond to those of adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL). All of them were born in Kyushu and Okinawa which are endemic areas for HTLV-I infection; 25% of their family members were also seropositive for HTLV-I. The only haematological abnormality in these patients was the presence of few atypical lymphoid cells in the peripheral blood. The CD4/CD8 ratios were normal but the proportion of Tac positive cells was slightly higher than normal. These individuals with polyclonal integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA seem to represent an intermediate state between smouldering ATL (monoclonal integration) and healthy HTLV-I carriers (with antibodies but no detectable HTLV-I proviral DNA). Patients with this intermediate state of HTLV-I infection may be at risk to progress to ATL. The natural history of HTLV-I infection in humans leading to the development of ATL is reviewed in the light of these new findings.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Upon increasing the precipitate size by prolonged aging, the microstructure of the martensite in aged specimens recovers to that observed in solution-treated specimens.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Surgical repair with reattachment of avulsed muscles to the ischium and proximal tendinous sheaths of the muscles restored function or corrected deformity.
Abstract: In two rare cases with avulsion of the hamstring muscles from the ischial tuberosity without fracture of the ischium, the clinical features were: (1) sudden onset of pain in the buttock; (2) difficulty on standing after trauma; (3) a palpable defect and tenderness on the area distal from the ischial tuberosity; and (4) weakness of flexion of the knee with a loss of normal outline of the hamstring muscles on the dorsal aspect of the knee. There was no roentgenologic evidence of fracture of the ischium. Surgical repair with reattachment of avulsed muscles to the ischium and proximal tendinous sheaths of the muscles restored function or corrected deformity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The 8 patients with simultaneous multivessel coronary spasm had a higher degree and longer duration of ST segment elevation and a higher incidence of arrhythmias during the attack induced by hyperventilation than did the 19 patients with single vessel coronary spasms, and all of them had no significant organic stenosis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A high-speed fuzzy controller hardware system employing min-max operations facilitates approximate reasoning at 1,000,000 FIPS (fuzzy inferences per second) and is able to be used for various purposes in programming.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that T. cutaneum is a major causative agent of summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and yeasts isolated from patients' homes were a different species isolated from 10 different homes.
Abstract: Environmental mycological studies were carried out in 22 homes of patients with summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis and in 195 homes of control subjects In 10 patients' homes, indoor sampling was performed by open-plate culture, house dust culture, and swab culture (group 1), but in the other 12 patients' homes, sampling was only by house dust culture (group 2) We isolated 302 strains of yeasts from the 22 patients' homes and 962 strains of yeasts from the homes of control subjects The incidence of yeasts, except genera Trichosporon, was not significantly different between homes of patients and control subjects when homes were assessed by three culture methods T cutaneum was isolated from seven of 10 patients' homes in group 1, and their colonizing places were revealed by the swab culture method In group 2, the cells were isolated from four of 12 patients' homes No T cutaneum, however, was isolated from the control subjects' homes Among the isolated yeasts from patients' homes, 23 strains were reactive to the patients' sera at 1:128 or higher in indirect fluorescent antibody titers; 10 yeasts were T cutaneum, isolated from 10 homes of 14 patients, but the other 13 yeasts were each a different species isolated from 10 different homes Furthermore, inhalation challenge with the culture-filtrate antigen prepared from T cutaneum was performed on the nine patients of six homes in group 1 and the two asymptomatic family members Of the nine patients, six were positive, one was probable, and two patients were negative Neither of the two asymptomatic family members responded These results suggest that T cutaneum is a major causative agent of summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The identification and characterization of IL-5-R should provide new insight into the apparent diverse biological activities ofIL-5 and help clarify the role of T cell-replacing factor in B cell growth and differentiation.
Abstract: T cell-replacing factor (TRF)/IL-5 is a glycosylated polypeptide that acts as a key factor for B cell growth and differentiation. Since IL-5 action is probably mediated by specific cell surface receptor(s), we have characterized the binding of IL-5 to cells using biosynthetically [35S]methionine-labeled IL-5 and 125I-IL-5 that had been prepared using Bolton-Hunter reagent. The radiolabeled IL-5 binds specifically to BCL1-B20 (in vitro line) (a murine chronic B cell leukemic cell line previously shown to differentiate into IgM-secreting cells in response to IL-5) within 10 min at 37 degrees C. There are two classes of binding sites with high affinity (Kd = 66 pM) and low affinity (Kd = 12 nM) for IL-5 and an average number of binding sites for high affinity and for low affinity were 400 and 7,500 per cell, respectively. The specificity of binding of radiolabeled IL-5 has been confirmed by demonstrating that only unlabeled IL-5 and anti-IL-5 mAb but not by IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IFN-gamma, and GM-CSF inhibit radiolabeled IL-5 binding to BCL1-B20 cells. Treatment of surface-bound radiolabeled IL-5 with bivalent crosslinkers identified a membrane polypeptide of Mr 46,500 to which IL-5 is crosslinked. A variety of cell types have been surveyed for the capacity to bind specifically radiolabeled IL-5 with high affinity. BCL1 cells MOPC104E (murine myeloma cell line) expressed IL-5-R, whereas BAL. 17 and L10 A (B cell lymphoma) did not. T cell line, mastocytoma cell line, or macrophage tumor cell line did not display detectable levels of IL-5-R. were hardly detectable on normal resting B cells but were expressed on LPS-activated B cells, fitting the function of IL-5 that acts on activated B cells for their differentiation into Ig-secreting cells. Intriguingly, early B cell lines (J-87 and T-88) that grow in the presence of IL-5 expressed significant but low numbers of high-affinity binding sites for IL-5. The biological effects of IL-5 were mediated by high-affinity binding sites. The identification and characterization of IL-5-R should provide new insight into the apparent diverse biological activities of IL-5.