Significance of urinalysis for subsequent kidney and urinary tract disorders in mass screening of adults.

To evaluate dipstick urinalysis as a predictor of subsequent kidney and urinary tract disorders in apparently healthy adults, we designed a cross-sectional, prospective, and retrospective study within a cohort. The severity of proteinuria was significantly (p < 0.01) associated with the amount of pathological casts, whereas hematuria without proteinuria was not.

Enalapril reduces the albuminuria of patients with sickle cell disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, on albuminuria associated with sickle cell anemia.

Patients And Methods: Two males and 6 females, mean age 22.8 +/- 5.

[Lifestyles and renal damage--association of smoking, drinking and physical activity with subsequent proteinuria].

To examine the role of lifestyles in the subsequent development of renal damage, the association of smoking, drinking and physical activity with subsequent proteinuria was investigated utilizing a longitudinal study. The subjects were 7,701 males aged 20-84 years, who participated in health examinations at Aichi Prefectural Center of Health Care, Nagoya, Japan, both in 1989-1990 and 1992-1993, and who showed no proteinuria at the first examination. Lifestyles at the first examination were compared between 140 men with, and 7,561 men without, newly developed proteinuria at the second examination.

Epidemiology of breast cancer in Japan.

Background: A recent increase in the numbers of deaths and incident cases of breast cancer among Japanese women stimulated the authors to summarize the trends in female breast cancer mortality and incidence rates in Japan.

Methods: The number of deaths from female breast cancer was obtained from the national vital statistics. Estimated incidence rates, based on several cancer registries, were also used for the analyses.

Expression mechanism of human uterine endometrial cancer-specific fucosylated carbohydrate chains - aberrant alpha-1-]4-fucosyl-transferases in uterine endometrial cancer-derived cell-lines with type-I carbohydrate chain.

Cells of uterine endometrial cancer cell line SNG-II were classified into two groups according to their reactivity with anti-uterine endometrial cancer monoclonal antibody (MSN-1), whose recognition antigen is mainly the Lewis(b) antigens; those that strongly reacted with MSN-1 (SNG-S group) and those that weakly reacted with it (SNG-W group). The SNG-S showed a higher activity of a 1-->4-fucosyltransferase activity than that of the SNG-W. The expression of Lewis(b) antigen was stronger in the SNG-S than that in the SNG-W.

Usefulness of narrow pedicled intercostal cutaneous perforator flap for coverage of the burned hand.

A narrow pedicled intercostal cutaneous perforator (np-ICP) flap is used for reconstruction of hand scar contractures after burns. This flap is designed with a narrow pedicle which includes some intercostal cutaneous perforators of 4-7th intercostal spaces, and with a wide distal area which lies over the costal cage and upper abdomen. Additionally the flap is thinned until only the subdermal vascular network is preserved in most of the wide distal area.

Light-dependent phagotrophy in the freshwater mixotrophic chrysophyte Dinobryon cylindricum.

The mixotrophic (bacterivorous), freshwater chrysophyte Dinobryon cylindricum was cultured under a variety of light regimes and in bacterized and axenic cultures to investigate the role of phototrophy and phagotrophy for the growth of this alga. D. cylindricum was found to be an obligate phototroph.

[A case of adenosquamous carcinoma with unknown origin and with superior vena cava syndrome as the first symptom].

This report is concerning a case of adenosquamous carcinoma having unknown origin and showing SVC syndrome as the first symptom. A 44 year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of facial edema at the beginning of April 1990. He was diagnosed as having a mediastinal tumor of the SVC syndrome type.

Effect of amphipathic peptides with different alpha-helical contents on liposome-fusion.

The peptide-induced fusion of neutral and acidic liposomes was studied in relation to the amphiphilicities evaluated by alpha-helical contents of peptides by means of a carboxyfluorescein leakage assay, light scattering, a membrane intermixing assay and electron microscopy. An amphipathic mother peptide, Ac-(Leu-Ala-Arg-Leu)3-NHCH3 (4(3], and its derivatives, [Pro6]4(3) (1), [Pro2,6]4(3) (2), and [Pro2,6,10]4(3) (3), which have very similar hydrophobic moments, caused a leakage of contents from small unilamellar vesicles composed of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and egg yolk phosphatidic acid (3:1). The abilities of the peptides to induce the fusion of the acidic liposomes increased with increasing alpha-helical content: in acidic liposomes the helical contents were in the order of 4(3) greater than 1 greater than 2 greater than 3 (Lee et al.

Role of corpus luteum function in embryo implantation.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of corpus luteum function in the implantation process of cryopreserved embryos. Six patients with tubal infertility were studied, with a total of 27 fresh embryos being replaced following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and in vitro fertilization. These embryo transfers failed to produce pregnancy.

Ventilation-perfusion scintigram in diabetics.

We carried out ventilation and perfusion scintigraphies and pulmonary function tests in 20 diabetics under 50 years of age. 99mTc-MAA perfusion scintigrams showed evidence of minimal nonuniformity (MNU) in four cases (20%) and nonsegmental defect (NSD) in eight cases (40%). There was a ventilation defect in the single-breath image in one case (5%) and a delayed washout in three cases (15%) upon 133Xe ventilation scintigram.

A simplified technique for freezing human sperm for AIH: cryosyringe/floating platform of liquid nitrogen vapor.

A cryosyringe and floating platform were developed to simplify the procedures for human sperm cryopreservation without sacrificing post-thaw sperm quality. The cryosyringe was developed as a vessel for cryopreservation and as a device for post-thaw insemination. A platform-like polystyrene foam board 3-cm in height was floated on the surface of liquid nitrogen in a polystyrene foam freezing container.

Intrauterine insemination with semen of oligozoospermic men: effectiveness of the continuous-step density gradient centrifugation technique.

There has been an argument as to whether the intrauterine insemination (IUI) substantially improves pregnancy rate in cases of oligoasthenozoospermia. The present study evaluates the efficiency of the IUI with the use of the life table analysis. The insemination was performed after washing and concentrating sperm using the continuous-step density gradient centrifugation reported in our previous papers.

Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia: Importance of Bone Marrow Biopsy in Diagnosis.

Five cases of megakaryoblastic leukemia, presenting as "de novo" acute leukemias are reported. They represented 7.2% of all cases of adult acute non-lymphoblastic leukemias (ANLL) seen in our Hematology Service during the past 30 months.

Swim-down separation of progressively motile sperm from poor quality human semen by the modified funnel procedure.

The simultaneous swimming up and down from identical semen specimens suggested that the separation efficiency of progressively motile sperm by the swim-down method was superior to that of the swim-up method. The swimming down was performed in a small plastic funnel, the bottom of which was plugged with a 2.5 ml disposable syringe.

In vivo and in vitro studies in a patient with cyclical Cushing's disease showing some responsiveness to bromocriptine.

In vivo and in vitro studies were carried out in a 37-year old female with cyclical Cushing's disease. Preoperative studies revealed periodic secretions of urinary corticosteroids occurring with a cyclicity of 2-3 weeks. On transsphenoidal surgery, a microadenoma was visualized in the anteroinferior portion of the anterior pituitary.

[Evaluation of prognosis in patients with old myocardial infarction--using 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy and 99mTc cardiac scintigraphy].

To evaluate the prognosis in 57 patients with old myocardial infarctions, 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy and 99mTc-HSA gated blood pool scan had been done as a 5-year follow up study. We subdivided into two groups; group I (over 60 years) and group II (under 60 years). Cardiac index (CI) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) did not change significantly, however left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) changed significantly (p less than 0.

[Oocyte fertilizability and hormonal environment of human preovulatory follicles in hyperstimulated cycles in an in vitro fertilization program: Are mature preovulatory follicles undergoing atresia?].

Steroid hormones in preovulatory follicular fluid, maturity of the oocyte-corona-cumulus complex (OCCC), and oocyte fertilizability were studied in 55 hyperstimulated cycles in 40 patients who were indicated for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer due to tubal infertility. Aspirated follicles were categorized into four groups according to the degree of oocyte maturation and fertilizability, i.e.

Microalbuminuria in sickle cell disease.

The kidney is involved in virtually all individuals who inherit the sickle cell form of hemoglobin. Though asymptomatic and relatively common, proteinuria in patients with sickle cell anemia (SS) over 40 years old is associated with reduced creatinine clearance. The subclinical increase in urinary albumin is termed microalbuminuria and is a marker of preclinical glomerular damage.

[Evaluation of left atrial function by 99mTc gated blood pool scan].

99mTc gated blood pool scans were studied to assess the left atrial function. Relationship between filling time and rapid emptying time was y = 0.695 x + 109 (r = 0.

[Evaluation of cardiovascular responses to handgrip tests in patients with ischemic heart disease by radionuclide method].

Left ventricular responses to handgrip exercise test in patients with ischemic heart disease were assessed by RI methods. We subdivided into three groups (A: delta EF more than 5% increased, B: delta EF -5%-+5% no change, C: delta EF less than 5% reduced), left ventricular contractility (LVEF/LVET) and Tl defect score changed significantly in global EF reduced group, moreover the usefulness of handgrip test was assured. This instrument is low cost, safety, small size, and available for wide ranged ages.

Sexing of human sperm by discontinuous Percoll density gradient and its clinical application.

A discontinuous Percoll density gradient was employed for the selective isolation of human X-bearing sperm. The fraction rich in X-bearing sperm that sedimented through eight steps of a Percoll density gradient was inseminated into healthy volunteers. Six couples achieved pregnancy and each delivered a female baby without abnormality.