Amino acids play a central role in many biological activities. Several recent studies have reported that plasma amino acids can be used as biomarkers to assess disease risk or progression, or to select proper treatment. This review summarizes recent clinical research using a novel approach of multivariate analysis called “AminoIndex Technology”, which is based on plasma amino acids profile for cancer screening. A multicenter study was conducted to explore and validate the application of “AminoIndex Technology” to cancer screening for gastric, lung, colorectal, prostate, and breast cancers. AminoIndex_® Cancer Screening (AICS) scoring involves evaluating cancer based on amino acid concentrations using 5 types of AICS values. AICS enables simultaneous testing for multiple cancers regardless of cancer or tissue type. Furthermore, because AICS can detect stage II (stage B) or earlier cancers and can easily be performed on a plasma sample, it can be conducted in conjunction with comprehensive medical examinations or regular health check-ups. It is expected that “AminoIndex Technology” will be applied to cancer screening and various other areas of clinical utility.

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Background The present study aimed to determine the gynecologic health status of asymptomatic women examined in Ningen Dock, a special Japanese health check-up system.
Methods Medical records of Japanese women who underwent gynecological examinations between February 2002 and September 2010 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results Of the cervical smears from 7,585 women aged 18-82 years, 91 (1.2%) were classified as dysplastic and malignant changes: 81 given the designation low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 4 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 2 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and 4 cervical squamous cell carcinoma. No case of cervical adenocarcinoma was found. Ultrasonographic examinations detected uterus enlargements and ovary tumors in 7.7 and 2.4 % of the subjects, respectively. Most of them (85.7 %) revealed no gynecologic abnormalities.
Conclusion In the present study, which was based on the records from Ningen Dock where asymptomatic persons undergo a medical examination at their own expense, the incidences of abnormal cytologic and/or ultrasonographic findings were very low.

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Background Few studies have been done on the effect of flaxseed-oil supplementation on metabolic syndrome (MetS) components from the viewpoint of serum fatty acids.
Methods A12-month longitudinal study was conducted from November 2009 to December 2010. Study participants were 4 male and 6 female workers (aged 48.1±10.4 yrs.), who visited a clinic for a health check-up. They were assigned to intermittent flaxseed-oil supplementation (α-linolenic acid 2.14g/day) for 2-month periods; from baseline to 2 months and from 6 to 8 months with no supplementation for each subsequent 4-month period. Optimization of their total energy intake(1,800±150 kcal/day) based on individual clinical status and physical activity (2.5 Ex/day) was maintained until 12 months. Clinical data and dietary intake variables were analyzed at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months.
Results Two months after baseline, serum docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had significantly increased (p <0.05). After 6 months, 4 months after the end of the initial supplementation, arachidonic acid (AA) had significantly increased (p <0.01). After 8 months, there was a significant increase in DHA similar to the one at 2 months (p <0.01). After 12 months, there was a significant increase in AA similar to the one at 6 months (p <0.01). Among MetS criteria, BW, BMI, systolic BP (p <0.01 each) and diastolic BP (p <0.05) had significantly decreased after 2 months of flaxseed-oil supplementation. HbA1c had significantly decreased after 8 months (p <0.01). Dietary energy intake was maintained at the same level as at 2 months after baseline.
Conclusion This study showed that intermittent flaxseed-oil supplementation brought about increases in serum DHA levels as well as effects in MetS risk factors.

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Background We previously reported on an association between increased echogenicity of the pancreas not accompanied by fatty liver and lifestyle-related diseases. In the present study, we examined an association between metabolic syndrome and increased echogenicity of the pancreas not accompanied by fatty liver.
Methods We evaluated 1993 subjects who underwent abdominal ultrasonography as examinees of the Medical Health Check-up Center of Murakami Memorial Hospital in 2001 and then underwent abdominal ultrasonography again during the 2009-2010 period. Positive hepato-pancreatic contrast on abdominal ultrasonography was defined as bright pancreas.
Results During the 2001 ultrasonography examinations, bright pancreas was detected in 776 subjects. This group of subjects had a higher BMI, BW, BP, smoking status and alcohol consumption, significantly higher levels of ALT, γ-GTP, LDL - cholesterol, HDL - cholesterol, TG, fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c, and lower serum amylase. During the 2009 and 2010 examinations, a larger number of subjects (866) were found to have bright pancreas.
Conclusion Bright pancreas not accompanied by fatty liver was strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, a lifestyle-related disease. Therefore, it seems necessary to consider bright pancreas to be abnormal and to follow up patients with this condition while providing guidance on lifestyle improvement and/or other interventions.

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Background Though the usefulness of exercise-induced QRS axis shifts (ΔQRS) for detecting coronary artery stenosis has been reported, the relationships between ΔQRS and risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) remain unclear.
Methods Consecutive asymptomatic subjects (n=496), who had undergone a double Master's 2-step electrocardiographic test to screen for heart diseases in a health check-up, were enrolled in this cross-sectional observational study. We divided them into a positive ΔQRS group (>10°) and a negative ΔQRS group (≤10°) and analyzed data with reference to risk factors for CHD in the 2 groups.
Results Significant differences were found between the magnitude of ΔQRS and the following multiple risk factors for CHD: age, systolic BP, diastolic BP, pulse pressure, TG, HDL cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, BMI, waist circumference, metabolic syndrome, and Framingham risk score.
Conclusion The magnitude of ΔQRS may be useful in a noninvasive assessment of the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals.

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Background A chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for high-molecular-weight-adiponectin (HMW-ADPN) was recently developed, and has been shown to be faster, more accurate and less expensive than conventional ELISA. In the present study, we investigated relationships between metabolic parameters and HMW-ADPN levels measured by CLEIA in the health check-up setting.
Methods Informed consent was obtained from 1,036 males and 416 females who participated in this study, comprising Japanese teachers and other working individuals ranging from 40 to 71 years in age. Subjects receiving anti-diabetic medication or with suspected inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP) level > 1 mg/dL] were excluded from the analyses.
Results Median levels of serum HMW-ADPN measured by CLEIA were 2.50 μg/mL in males and 4.95 μg/mL in females. The serum HMW-ADPN level in males with metabolic syndrome (MetS) (2.13±1.14, n = 173) was significantly lower than that in those without MetS (3.02 ± 3.43, n = 860, P < 0.0001). HMW-ADPN levels were correlated positively with serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in both males and females, and correlated inversely with body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, plasma glucose, serum triglycerides, uric acid, CRP, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), etc. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the serum HMW-ADPN level was correlated independently with serum HDL-cholesterol, sex, HOMA-IR and CRP (F < 20, P < 0.0001, R² = 0.392).
Conclusions These results suggest that measuring serum HMW-ADPN by CLEIA is useful, and that the serum HMW-ADPN level is closely correlated with parameters related to MetS and/or cardiovascular diseases.

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We present a case report on a Japanese patient who had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) associated Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). The patient was a 39-year-old man who was a former homosexual. He was found to have atypical bilateral pneumonia in a health check-up. PCP was suspected because of his low oxygen saturation, ground-glass opacities in both lung fields, and marked elevation of beta-D-glucan. A diagnosis of PCP was finally established through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the causative pathogen in bronchoalveolar lavage. AIDS was diagnosed by positive HIV antibody. This is the first report of the clinical diagnosis of a case of AIDS associated PCP detected in a health check-up (Ningen Dock).

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