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Volume 51 (1996 - 199･･･
- Issue 4 Pages 711-
- Issue 3 Pages 641-
- Issue 2 Pages 551-
Volume 51, Issue 2
Displaying 1-7 of 7 articles from this issue
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Personal Experience and View of an EpidemiologistSuketami TOMINAGA1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 551-557
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSAs the number of cancer deaths has increased, the number of cancer researchers including cancer epidemiologists has increased. Compared to the approaching methods of epidemiologic studies on cardiovascular diseases, those of cancer epidemiology are different. In cancer epidemiology a case-control study has been used most frequently, while in cardiovacular disease epidemiology a cross-sectional study with health examinations in a defined population has been used most frequently. In the latter study a cross-sectional study has been repeated periodically forming a cohort study in a model area. Only few large scale cohort studies on cancer had been conducted previously, but in recent years several large scale cohort studies on cancer have been conducted by several research groups. In recent years there is a trend that epidemiologists in cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other related areas collaborate in conducting a large scale cohort study. Chemoprevention studies on cancer have been initiated by cancer epidemiologists in recent years.View full abstractDownload PDF (1366K) -
A Historical View in EpidemiologyToshihide TSUDA, Akira BABAZONO, Yoshio MINO, Hiroaki MATSUOKA, Eiji Y ...1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 558-568
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSChanges of causal inference concepts in medicine, especially those having to do with chronic diseases, were reviewed. The review is divided into five sections. First, several articles on the increased academic acceptance of observational research are cited. Second, the definitions of confounder and effect modifier concepts are explained. Third, the debate over the so-called “criteria for causal inference” was discussed. Many articles have pointed out various problems related to the lack of logical bases for standard criteria, however, such criteria continue to be misapplied in Japan. Fourth, the Popperian and verificationist concepts of causal inference are summarized. Lastly, a recent controversy on meta-analysis is explained. Causal inference plays an important role in epidemiologic theory and medicine. However, because this concept has not been well-introduced in Japan, there has been much misuse of the concept, especially when used for conventional criteria.View full abstractDownload PDF (2329K) -
With Special Reference to Age-associated Pathologies and Their ModulationToshio TAKEDA1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 569-578
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe secescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) has been under development by our research team at Kyoto University since 1970 through selective inbreeding of the AKR/J strain of mice donated by the Jackson Laboratory in 1968, based on the data of the grading score of senescence, life span, and pathologic phenotypes. At present, there are 12 lines of SAM; the 9 secescence-prone inbred strains (SAMP) include SAMP1, SAMP2, SAMP3, SAMP6, SAMP7, SAMP8, SAMP9, SAMP10 and SAMP11, and the 3 senescence-resistant inbred strains (SAMR) SAMR1, SANR4 and SAMR5. Data from survival curves, the Gompertzian function and the grading score of senescence, together with growth patterns of body weight of these SAMP and SAMR mice revealed that the characteristic feature of aging common to all SAMP mice is “accelerated senescence”: early onset and irreversible advance of senescence manifested by several signs and gross lesions such as the loss of normal behavior, various skin lesions, increased lordokyphosis, etc., after a period of normal development. Routine postmortem examinations and the pathobiological features revealed by systematically designed studies have shown several pathologic phenotypes, which are often characteristic enough to differentiate among the various SAM strains: senile amyloidosis in SAMP1, -P2, -P7, -P9, -P10 and -P11, secondary amyloidosis in SAMP2 and -P6, contracted kidney in SAMP1, -P2, -P10, -P11, immunoblastic lymphoma in SAMR1 and -R4, histiocytic sarcoma in SAMR1 and -R4, ovarian cysts in SAMR1, impaired immune response in SAMP1, -P2 and -P8, hyperinflation of the lungs in SAMP1, hearing impairment in SAMP1, degenerative temporomandibular joint disease in SAMP3, senile osteoporosis in SAMP6, deficits in learning and memory in SAMP8 and -P10, emotional disorders in SAMP8 and -P10, cataracts in SAMP9, and brain atrophy in SAMP10. These are all age-associated pathologies, the incidence and severity of which increase with advancing age. The SAM model in which these pathobiological features have been carefully monitored will be a valuable tool for the clarification of the pathogenic mechanisms of age-associated pathologies and in research for effective methods to modulate or ameliorate these pathologies.View full abstractDownload PDF (1987K) -
Noriko KUBO, Kiyomi SAKATA, Masaki NAGAI, Hiroshi YANAGAWA1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 579-587
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSTo determine effective measures to popularize knowledge on the health effects of smoking and drinking and to change health behavior, an interview survey of 2000 persons aged 18 or older randomly chosen from national census forms throughout Japan was carried out.
The coverage rates of the information concerning smoking and drinking were 97.3% and 92.5%, respectively. Television, newspapers and magazines were the major sources of health information concerning smoking and drinking. In addition, men who gave up or controlled smoking or drinking usually obtained health information from doctors, while those who had never controlled smoking usually obtained health information from their friends and families. Men who could not control drinking effectively usually obtained health information from the health examination consultant at the workplace. However, according to the answers from men who gave up or controlled drinking, the health information useful in changing health behavior was obtained from the health examination consultant at the workplace and from persons who had a disease history. Women who gave up or controlled drinking answered that the health information from their friends and families was helpful to change the health behavior.View full abstractDownload PDF (1227K) -
Tsugumichi SATO, Tadashi NIIOKA, Masaaki KURASAKI, Yutaka KOJIMA1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 588-598
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIncreased use of motor vehicles has produced various risks to human health due to air pollution by noxious gases, heavy metals and roadside dust. Since the late 1970s, the wide spread use of studded tires for cars has caused pavement wear, resulting in not only economic losses, but also roadside air pollution in cold and snowy regions in Japan. The most serious environmental problem in Sapporo, a city with heavy snowfall, in the 1980s, was roadside dust derived from studded tires. The inhabitants suffered from this dust in the early winter and in the early spring when the streets were not covered with snow. To investigate the influence of such roadside dust upon human health, particle numbers in classified sizes of roadside dust were counted after the roadside dust in the air was collected with a device we constructed at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180cm above the pavement surface. The results indicated that the concentration of roadside dust in the air did not greatly vary according to the height from the pavement surface. The results also suggested that xenogranuloma, reported in lungs of stray dogs, under roadside dust-pollution conditions such as those examined here, may occur in humans in the future.View full abstractDownload PDF (4628K) -
Patterns of the Exposure and Official Diagnosis of PatientsKiyotaro KONDO1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 599-611
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSData obtained from all residents, who lived in the Agano river villages where Minamata disease occurred as of June 1965, were used to analyze its incidence patterns and to evaluate validity of the official recognition of the disease. The residents totaled 18, 253 (8, 911 males and 9, 342 females), including 262 (151 males and 111 females) recognized patients and 378 (186 males and 192 females) rejected applicants.
Consumption of the contaminated river fish was associated with hair Hg measurements (ppm), but there were few residents who denied the consumption but showed elevated Hg values, probably due to false-negative answers in the census survey in 1965.
Incidence rates of the recognized patients increased with the upgrading codes for fish ingestion, but analysis of the association of fish ingestion among the recognized applicants indicated that there were ca. 50% false-positive diagnosis. This analysis showed that The Government made best efforts to help very mild cases despite the fact that such a generous attitude inevitably causes overdiagnosis.
Incidence rates of the rejected applicants also showed a dose-response. This is extremely important because a rejection meant that compensation was refused by the polluting company. Protest groups insisted the existence of Minamata disease showing only sensony symptoms. but this concept has not been accepted by the Government and the polluters. The present study disclosed a doseresponse relationship in the rejected cases giving positive ground for the opinions proposed by protest groups.
Proportions of such “Hg-associated sensory disorders” (cases with unexplained sensory disorders which are associated with river fish ingestion) were 15-30% among the exposed applicants, 6.6-15% among the all rejected applicants, and 3.9-10% among the unexplained sensory disorders in the regional population.
Owing to the river pollution, there was 5-11% increase of the unexplained sensory disorders among the local residents, in addition to recognizable Minamata disease.View full abstractDownload PDF (2406K) -
Hideki SATO, Tatsuya ABE, Takashi KIKUCHI, Tetsu ENDO, Hiroko HASEGAWA ...1996 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 612-616
Published: July 15, 1996
Released on J-STAGE: February 17, 2009
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSRecently, the numbers of city marathon runners and joggers have increased. They believe that exercise can enhance their fitness level and health maintenance. However, many researchers have suggested that exhausting exercise may increase the risk of infection and free radical generation. In this study, eight male and ten female city marathon runners who participated in the Akita Nairiku Resort Cup 100-km Challenge Marathon Race were studied using luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) to examine the ability of their neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, serum opsonic activity using LDCL, serum concentrations of the third and fourth components of the complement (C3, C4), the total number of leukocytes, and proportion of leukocytes were also determined. Evaluation of LDCL was undertaken using the maximum light emission (peak height) and the time to reach the maximum light emission (peak time) in the response curve of LDCL. Following the race, the peak time was prolonged by 11% in males and 15% in females, and the peak height increased by 68% in males and 48% in females. These results suggest that exhausting exercise stimulates neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species. The total number of leukocytes increased about twofold, whereas the number of neutrophils increased about threefold after the race as compared to before. The rate of the increase in leukocytes was closely associated with that of neutrophils (r=0.96, p<0.01). Therefore, the leukocytosis observed in this study was dependent on neutrophilia. Serum opsonic activity and serum concentrations of C3 and C4 were not changed following the race. The increase in the ability of neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species and neutrophilia after the race, suggests that a large quantity of reactive oxygen species may be produced in vivo following exhausting exercise.View full abstractDownload PDF (781K)
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