Juntendo Medical Journal
Online ISSN : 2188-2134
Print ISSN : 0022-6769
ISSN-L : 0022-6769
Search
Advanced search
OR
Browse
Search
Volume 57, Issue 5
Displaying 1-19 of 19 articles from this issue
Show all abstracts
    • |<
    • <
    • 1
    • >
    • >|
Contents
  • Clinical Significance of Anti-U1 RNP Antibodies Recognizing The Conformation Structure on U1 RNA/70-kd Protein Complex in Patients with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
    MASAYUKI NAWATA, MASAKAZU MATSUSHITA, RAN MATSUDAIRA, HIROFUMI YAMADA, ...
    2011 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 477-487
    Published: October 31, 2011
    Released on J-STAGE: November 11, 2014
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.14789/pjmj.57.477
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Objectives: To study the clinical significance of anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antibodies recognizing the conformational structure of the U1 RNA/70-kd protein complex in patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Methods: Antibodies recognizing the conformational structure of U1 RNP were detected in sera from 185 MCTD patients by comparing results obtained with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using recombinant 70-kd, A and C proteins as the antigen sources (P-ELISA) with results obtained with ELISAs making use of those proteins plus in vitro-transcribed U1 RNA (C-ELISAs). Results: Fifteen of the 185 MCTD sera were positive in C-ELISAs but negative in P-ELISAs. Immunoprecipitation assays showed that 13 of those 15 sera contained anti-U1 RNP antibodies that specifically recognized the conformational structure of the U1 RNA/70-kd protein complex. Comparison of the clinical characteristics demonstrated that 69% of patients with anti-U1 RNA/70-kd protein complex antibodies also fulfilled the criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Moreover, the frequencies of almost all clinical features associated with SLE were higher in patients with antibodies against the U1 RNA/70-kd protein complex than in those without the antibodies; in particular, the frequencies of CNS lupus and positivity for anti-double stranded DNA antibodies were significantly higher in patients positive for anti-U1 RNA/70-kd protein complex antibodies. Conclusions: These findings suggest that MCTD patients positive for anti-U1 RNA/70-kd complex antibodies that specifically recognize the conformational structure of the complex exhibit characteristic clinical features strongly associated with SLE and may represent a special subset of MCTD.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (1309K)
  • Role of gamma aminobutyric acid A receptor associated protein (GABARAP) in the podocytes of GABARAP Tg mice
    MIYUKI TAKAGI, KATSUHIKO ASANUMA, ISEI TANIDA, YASUHIKO TOMINO
    2011 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 488-493
    Published: October 31, 2011
    Released on J-STAGE: November 11, 2014
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.14789/pjmj.57.488
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Objectives : Podocytes are highly specialized, terminally differentiated epithelial cells that cover the outer aspect of the glomerular basement membrane. Defects in podocyte structure and function lead to a pathologic lesion described as glomerulosclerosis. Gamma aminobutyric acid A receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) was first reported as a protein interacting with the γ2 subunit of the GABAA receptor. GABARAP has been characterized as another homologue of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), although the precise role in autophagy remains unclear. We previously reported that LC3, a promising marker of autophagy, played an important role in recovery from podocyte damage in an experimental nephrosis model. In the present study, to evaluate the role of GABARAP in podocytes, we generated a transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) - GABARAP. Materials and Methods : GABARAP cDNA fused to EGFP was inserted using chicken-actin (CAG) promoter in order to generate pCAG-GFP-GABARAP transgenic (Tg) mice. Body weight, urinary albumin excretion and blood pressure were evaluated in these animals for 30 weeks. Renal histology and western blotting were examined in 30-week-old Tg mice and littermate wild type (WT) mice. Results : GFP-GABARAP was expressed in almost all tissues examined. On immunofluorescence GFP-GABARAP was also recognized in the kidney, especially in podocytes. Proteinuria at 30 weeks was significantly increased in the Tg mice compared with that in littermate WT mice. Light microscopic study showed that there was no glomerular injury in the Tg mice or the WT mice. However, we could detect foot process effacement and microvillous transformation in some of the podocytes of the Tg mice compared with those of the WT mice. Moreover, systolic blood pressure in the Tg mice was significantly higher than that in WT mice. Conclusions : These findings from GFP-GABARAP Tg mice suggest that GABARAP may play an important role in podocyte injury.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (1331K)
  • Molecular epidemiological characterization of 46 Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated worldwide
    JIN GXUNJIN, TERUYO ITO, KEIICHI HIRAMATSU
    2011 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 494-503
    Published: October 31, 2011
    Released on J-STAGE: November 11, 2014
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.14789/pjmj.57.494
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) shows decreased susceptibility to vancomycin with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 4-8mg/l and is refractory to treatment with vancomycin, and VISA strains have appeared in many parts of the world. We conducted a molecular epidemiological study using 46 VISA strains, 43 MRSA and 3 Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), isolated from 11 countries. Nine VISA clones, which belonged to four clonal complexes, CC5, CC8, CC30 and CC45, were identified as follows : CC5-typell SCCmec (19 strains), CC8-typelll SCCmec (10 strains), CC8-typeI SCCmec (6 strains), CC8-typeIVd SCCmec (3 strains), CC30-typeIl SCCmec (2 strains), CC45-typelI SCCmec (2 strains), CC8-typelI SCCmec (1 strain), CC5 (2 strain) and CC8 (1 strain). The coagulase types and the agr types of these strains were well correlated to MLST. In this study, we investigated the correlations between the spa-type and the region encoding IgG binding domain in the protein A molecule, and found that the structure of the IgG binding domain was well correlated to the MLST genotype, but there was a difference in the numbers of units in the IgG binding region among strains that belonged to a clonal complex. Based on this finding, we further analyzed the structure of protein A of the 19 CC5-type II SCCmec strains together with Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), and the carriage of the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene (tst). As results, we identified two groups of clones in the United States (US) with the same banding pattern in PFGE and the same spa type, which did not carry the tst gene, suggesting the dissemination of these clones throughout US. In contrast, CC5-type II SCCmec strains from Asian countries showed marked differences in spa type, structure of IgG binding domain, and the presence or absence of tst. Our data suggest that the VISA clone has not disseminated throughout the world, but rather these clones have emerged from MRSA strains by independently accumulating mutations and are being disseminated at hospitals in the respective countries.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (1319K)
  • Structure-Function Relationship of Neutrophil Collagenase (MMP-8)
    Analysis of Critical Region Responsible for Substrate Specificity
    Ken KIKUCHI, KAREN A.HASTY, TOMOHIKO HIROSE, KAZUO KANEKO, YASUO YAMAU ...
    2011 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 504-511
    Published: October 31, 2011
    Released on J-STAGE: November 11, 2014
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.14789/pjmj.57.504
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Objectives: To investigate the determinations for substrate specificity of collagenase. Materials and Methods: We expressed recombinant human neutrophil collagenase (MMP-8) and chimeric enzymes with human stromelysin 1 (MMP-3), fused at different positions in the non catalytic carboxy-terminal (C-terminal or hemopexin) domain or substituted the linker region by its counterpart, and examined their enzymatic activity. Furthermore, the ability of these enzymes to bind substrate was tested against native fibrillar collagen and triple helical fragments of collagen derived from collagenase degradation. Results: The results of the binding assay demonstrated that MMP-8 was bound to native collagen but not to collagenase-derived fragments. In contrast, the two chimeric enzymes in which the carboxy-terminal portions were derived from MMP-3 bound not only to native collagen but also to its fragments and showed remarkably different collagenolytic activities. The third chimera, the hinge region of which was replaced by that homolog of MMP-3, maintained the exclusive binding feature of wild type, though the collagenolytic activity of this hybrid was reduced. Conclusions: Our data indicate that the N-terminus portion of the non-catalytic domain of collagenase is critical to the recognition of the cleavage site of collagen and consequently for substrate specificity.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (1331K)
  • Study of symptom induction by auditory stimulation (sound of running water) in patients with overactive bladder (OAB)
    TAKAHIRO ARAI
    2011 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 512-520
    Published: October 31, 2011
    Released on J-STAGE: November 11, 2014
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.14789/pjmj.57.512
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Objectives: It has been empirically known that urinary urgency can be induced by auditory, tactile and visual stimuli, such as the sound of running water, cold water, and in specific spaces (e. g., in a train). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of auditory stimulation (sound of running water) on the desire to urinate in patients with overactive bladder (OAB)by evaluation of subjective symptoms and cystometrography. Patients: A total of 57 patients who visited the Juntendo Hospital between June 2009 and December 2010 with the complaint of urinary urgency and who met diagnostic criteria for OAB were included in this study. Methods: In the 50 patients in the subject group, the first cystometrogram was obtained in the absence of any stimulation, and the second, under auditory stimulation;in the 7 patients in the control group, cystometrography was performed twice in the absence of any stimulation. Then, the vesical capacity at the first desire to void (FDV)and at the time of the maximum desire to void (MVD), and the time interval from the FDV to the MDV were measured. The patients were interviewed about the induction of symptoms by auditory, tactile and visual stimuli. The international prostate symptom score (IPSS)and OAB symptom score (OABSS)were calculated from the responses to the questionnaires distributed to the patients Results: Of the 50 patients in the subject group, 26% reported experiencing urinary urgency induced by the sound of running water. The FDV, MDV and time interval from the FDV to the MDV calculated from the cystometrograms were significantly lower under auditory stimulation (sound of running water) as compared with the values obtained in the absence of any stimulation in this group. Reduction in the time interval from the FDV to the MDV by the sound of running water was found in 74% of the patients of the subject group, which was also strongly correlated with the vesical capacity at the FDV and IPSS. Conclusions: This study revealed that the frequency of occurrence of urinary urgency induced by auditory stimulation (sound of running water)in patients with OAB was actually higher than that reported previously in the general population. In cystometrography, significant reduction of the time interval from the FDV to the MDV by auditory stimulation (sound of running water)was observed in the subject group, which was strongly correlated with the vesical capacity at the FDV. Further studies are needed to examine the possibility of using this observation as a useful surrogate marker of OAB.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (1413K)
  • The first case of cadaveric donor liver transplantation in Juntendo University Hospital
    HIROYUKI SUGO, SEIJI KAWASAKI, YOICHI ISHIZAKI, HIROSHI IMAMURA, JIRO ...
    2011 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 525-529
    Published: October 31, 2011
    Released on J-STAGE: November 11, 2014
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.14789/pjmj.57.525
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Show abstractHide abstract
    Living donor liver transplantation (LT) has been recognized as an effective therapeutic method for end-stage liver disease in Japan. However, cadaveric donor LT has been rarely performed, even after the establishment of the organ-transplant law in 1997. With an amendment of organ-transplant law in July 2010, another 8 institutions, including Juntendo University Hospital, obtained national authorization for cadaveric donor LT. We herein describe the first case of cadaveric donor LT in Juntendo University Hospital. The recipient was a 53-year-old man with fulminant hepatitis. In December 2010, he was registered as a candidate for cadaveric donor LT after evaluation by both Juntendo University and national committees. After 4 days from registration, he underwent cadaveric donor LT and received a whole graft obtained from a cadaveric donor. Although invasive aspergillus infection was developed postoperatively, his condition was improved by administration of liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole. The patient was discharged 97 days after transplantation.
    View full abstract
    Download PDF (1192K)
    • |<
    • <
    • 1
    • >
    • >|
feedback
 Top