Direct determination of single nucleotide polymorphism haplotype of NFKBIL1 promoter polymorphism by DNA conformation analysis and its application to association study of chronic inflammatory diseases.

We previously revealed that one of the human leukocyte antigen-linked susceptibility genes for Takayasu's arteritis (TA) was mapped between TNFA and MICB loci and that -63T allele of NFKBIL1, which is between TNFA and MICB loci, was associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Japanese population. We have developed a novel typing method based on reference strand-mediated conformation analysis for the upstream sequence of the NFKBIL1 gene, where -422 (T)8/(T)9, -325 C/G, -263 A/G, and -63 T/A polymorphisms were found. Upon the analysis of the patients with TA (n = 84), those with RA (n = 120), and healthy control subjects (n = 217), five common haplotypes named IKBLp*01 through IKBLp*05 were found in the Japanese population.

P-selectin expression, but not GPIIb/IIIa activation, is enhanced in the inflammatory stage of Takayasu's arteritis.

Background: Inflammation and thrombosis are closely related processes, but the association between disease activity and thrombogenicity in Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is poorly understood. To investigate the link between platelet activation and disease activity, flow cytometric analyses of platelet P-selectin and activated GPIIb/IIIa expression were performed in patients with TA.

Methods And Results: Twenty-two patients with TA, classified into active (Group A, n = 9) and inactive (Group I, n = 13) according to blood-derived inflammatory markers, and 14 healthy age- and gender-matched controls (Group C) were studied.

Aortic wall inflammation due to Takayasu arteritis imaged with 18F-FDG PET coregistered with enhanced CT.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of (18)F-FDG PET to identify aortitis and to localize and follow disease activity in patients with Takayasu arteritis. The value of using (18)F-FDG PET coregistered with enhanced CT in determining vascular lesion sites and inflammatory activity was assessed.

Methods: Takayasu arteritis was diagnosed according to the predefined criteria.

Effects of parasympathetic blockade on hepatic and portal venous flow.

Background/aims: To investigate the effect of parasympathetic blockade on the hepatic circulation, a study was performed in healthy men because the precise knowledge of factors to affect the hepatic circulation is required for the evaluation of liver diseases.

Methodology: Doppler measurements of the hepatic venous and portal venous flow were obtained with measurements of cardiac function before and after the administration of atropine sulfate, 0.02 mg/kg.

Clinical and epidemiologic analysis of giant cell (temporal) arteritis from a nationwide survey in 1998 in Japan: the first government-supported nationwide survey.

Objective: To elucidate epidemiologic and clinical manifestations of Japanese patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), the first nationwide survey for GCA was conducted in 1998 in Japan.

Methods: The first questionnaire on GCA for patients treated in 1997 was sent to 10,717 medical departments in Japan. A total of 177 patients were reported.

Smokers lack morning increase in platelet sensitivity to nitric oxide.

This study investigated whether a circadian variation is present in the sensitivity of platelets to nitric oxide (NO) and, if so, if long-term smoking modifies it. Blood samples were taken at 0:00, 6:00, 9:00, 12:00, and 18:00 from 14 nonsmokers and 10 smokers. Dose-response curves for platelet aggregation by collagen were constructed in both the presence and absence of 1.

Expression of transcriptional repressor ATF3/LRF1 in human atherosclerosis: colocalization and possible involvement in cell death of vascular endothelial cells.

Vascular endothelial cell death contributes to the progression of atherosclerotic lesion, and several transcriptional regulators are involved in the process. Activating transcription factor 3/liver regenerating factor-1 (ATF3/LRF-1), a stress-inducible transcriptional repressor, was shown to be highly expressed in vascular endothelial cells and macrophages of human atherosclerotic lesions by immunohistological assay. The expression was colocalized in these cells which were positive for TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and annexin V.

Acute vigorous exercise primes enhanced NO release in human platelets.

Activation of platelets by acute vigorous exercise has been demonstrated by various parameters, including an increase in agonist-induced platelet [Ca2+]i levels. However, direct evidence is lacking regarding how acute exercise affects platelet-derived NO. Twenty-three healthy male non-smokers (21-59 years) underwent a symptom-limited treadmill exercise test.