Experience with the JMS fully automated dialysis machine.

A fully automated dialysis machine has been developed and evaluated clinically. It uses highly pure dialysate (produced by a new dialysate cleaning system) instead of the conventional physiologic saline for the processes of priming, guiding blood to the dialysis machine, replenishing fluid, and returning the blood to the body. The piping for the dialysate is in the shape of a loop, and the dialyzer coupler has no mechanical parts that might become contaminated.

[Superselective endovascular treatment of renal artery aneurysms with detachable microcoils].

Selective transcatheter embolization using an interlocking detachable coil was performed in two cases with renal artery aneurysms. Case 1, a 73-year-old male, was referred to our department complaining of macrohematuria persisting for three days. Case 2, a 52-year-old female, visited our department because calcifications in both renal pedicle areas were found in a health check up.

Reorganization of dynamic self-assemblies of cellulose diacetate in solution: dynamical critical-like fluctuations in the lower critical solution temperature system.

Dynamics of cellulose diacetate (CDA, the total degree of substitution (TDS) = 2.44) in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) in dilute solution was investigated at 2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 49.7, and 61.

Effect of diabetes on peritoneal function assessed by personal dialysis capacity test in patients undergoing CAPD.

Background: We evaluated differences in individual peritoneal membrane transport function and nutritional status in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and nondiabetic (non-DM) patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

Methods: We used a newly developed peritoneal function test, personal dialysis capacity, in 88 patients (44 DM and 44 non-DM) on CAPD for 1 to 210 months. Sex, age, past history of peritonitis, and duration of CAPD were matched in DM and non-DM patients.

Preservation of peritoneal catheter for prevention of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis.

We evaluated the usefulness of periodic abdominal irrigation through the peritoneal catheter preserved after termination of peritoneal dialysis (PD) to prevent encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS). The study group included 8 patients in whom PD had been terminated (mean age: 53.1 +/- 7.

Surgical treatment for encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis.

Although encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is feared as a fatal complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), several recent studies have reported that many cases of EPS can be completely cured by appropriate methods of prevention and treatment. In this study, we describe therapeutic tactics for EPS and discuss methods of prevention. To begin, appropriate management of peritonitis and use of a biocompatible dialysis fluid are important to prevent the development of EPS.

Influence of pH-neutral peritoneal dialysis solution.

We evaluated the influence of a neutral peritoneal dialysis solution (PDS) on the peritoneum. The subjects were 10 stable PD patients using conventional PDS. We substituted pH-neutral PDS (PD Solita A: Shimizu Medical, Tokyo, Japan) for conventional PDS (Gambrosol A: Shimizu Medical).

Five years' experience of combination therapy: peritoneal dialysis with hemodialysis.

The fundamental objective of dialysis is to maintain the dose of solute clearance and ultrafiltration (UF). When peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients cannot maintain the target dose of clearance [weekly Kt/V > 2.0, weekly creatinine clearance (CCr) > 60 L/1.

Type B lactic acidosis: a rare complication of antiretroviral therapy after cardiac surgery.

This report describes a 47-year-old woman with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, treated with combination antiretroviral drug therapy, who developed an acute, severe type B lactic acidosis 24 hours after homograft root replacement for endocarditis. She fully recovered after HIV medication was discontinued, along with administration of riboflavin and supportive measures including hemodialysis. The timing of this complication and previous reports suggest that open heart surgery may be a risk factor for nonischemic (type B) lactic acidosis in patients taking nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

HrNodal, the ascidian nodal-related gene, is expressed in the left side of the epidermis, and lies upstream of HrPitx.

The nodal-related genes are well known for their fundamental roles during vertebrate development, including mesoderm induction, neural induction, and left-right axis formation, as several nodal-related genes show left-sided expression in mesodermal lineages. We have isolated the first non-vertebrate nodal-related gene, HrNodal, from the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. During the late cleavage and gastrula stages, HrNodal is transiently and bilaterally expressed in several different cell lineages.

On-line hemodiafiltration in critical care.

On-line products of substitution fluid permits virtually unlimited fluid volume exchange during continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) to critical care. In on-line hemodiafiltration (HDF), endotoxin free dialysate obtained using pyrogen cut filters is infused into the blood circuit, and HDF is automatically performed using the closed-loop balancing system of the dialysis machine. On-line CHDF is the application of this on-line HDF to continuous renal replacement therapy in the critical care field.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis in Japan: prospective multicenter controlled study.

Objective: Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is recognized as a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, clinical features, and variation in mortality rates for EPS.

Design: A prospective multicenter design was used, in which peritoneal dialysis patients were pre-registered by facilities across Japan and the incidence of EPS was observed in the registrants.

A utility of ductography and fiberoptic ductoscopy for patients with nipple discharge.

Background: Breast carcinoma and precancer are thought to start in the lining of the milk duct or lobule. While ductography has been advocated as the main procedure in patients with nipple discharge, fiberoptic ductoscopy (FDS) is an emerging technique allowing direct visual access to the ductal system of the breast through nipple orifice exploration.

Methods: We applied ductography and FDS to 65 women who had nipple discharge, and compared their utility.

Regioselectively substituted 6-O- and 2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-triphenylmethylcellulose: its chain dynamics and hydrophobic association in polar solvents.

Two kinds of regioselectively substituted cellulose derivatives, i.e., 6-O-triphenylmethylcellulose (6TC) and 2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-triphenylmethylcellulose (2,3Ac6TC), were prepared via cellulose.

Potent and selective ET-A antagonists. 2. Discovery and evaluation of potent and water soluble N-(6-(2-(aryloxy)ethoxy)-4-pyrimidinyl)sulfonamide derivatives.

In the preceding article,(1) we outlined the discovery and structure-activity relationship of a potent and selective ET(A) receptor antagonist 1 and its related compounds. Metabolites of 1 having potent selective ET(A) receptor antagonist activity were identified. This study suggested the metabolic pathways of 1 were considerably affected by species.

Potent and selective ET-A antagonists. 1. Syntheses and structure-activity relationships of N-(6-(2-(aryloxy)ethoxy)-4-pyrimidinyl)sulfonamide derivatives.

Modifications to the ET(A/B) mixed type compounds 1 (Ro. 46-2005) and 2 (bosentan) were performed. Introduction of a pyrimidine group into 1 resulted in a dramatic increase in affinity for the ET(A) receptor, and the subsequent optimization of substituents on the pyrimidine ring led us to the discovery of N-(6-(2-((5-bromo-2-pyrimidinyl)oxy)ethoxy)-5-(4-methylphenyl)-4-pyrimidinyl)-4-tert-butylbenzenesulfonamide (7k), which showed an extremely high affinity for the human cloned ET(A) receptor (K(i) = 0.

Low serum albumin in elderly continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients is attributable to high permeability of peritoneum.

Our study was carried out to investigate changes in nutrition and individual peritoneal membrane transport characteristics in elderly patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), expressed as the personal dialysis capacity (PDC). We performed 376 PDC tests in 229 non diabetic patients who were undergoing CAPD from May 1995 to May 1999 in a multicenter study in Japan. We divided the patients into three groups: elderly (age > or = 65 years, n = 56), middle-aged (age 50-65 years, n = 150), and young (age < 50, n = 170).

Treatment options for encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis based on progressive stage.

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is recognized as a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis. However, recovery is possible if an appropriate diagnosis and treatment are made. The term SEP is used most often, but is inaccurate, particularly the reference to peritonitis.

[Bladder carcinoma producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF): a case report].

An 84-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with complaints of leg edema and general fatigue. He had undergone transurethral resection of transitional cell bladder cancer, grade 3, pT1b, one year previously. The computed tomographic scan revealed a hypoattenuating bladder tumor, protruding extravesically.

Statistical analysis of diagnostic failure of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in breast cancer.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed on 300 patients. Among those, 57 cases failed in accurate diagnosis of malignancy and 243 were successful. Fourteen clinicopathological factors altogether were analyzed to elucidate any correlation with FNAC failure using uni- and multivariate analysis.

Bilateral simultaneous oblique MR imaging of the proximal femur.

Oblique axial and oblique coronal MR images parallel to the femoral neck provide more valuable information concerning the proximal femur than orthogonal images. The main disadvantage of the unilateral oblique imaging is that the imaging time is significantly increased when both hips need to be imaged. If the bilateral oblique imaging is performed simultaneously, this increase in imaging time is eliminated because the scanning time for the bilateral oblique imaging and the orthogonal imaging is the same.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis: definition, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis Ad Hoc Committee on Ultrafiltration Management in Peritoneal Dialysis.

Current definitions of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis are practical and clinically relevant. It is important to adhere to a more uniform use of the proper terminology, and it is the recommendation of the authors that EPS be adopted as the more appropriate term. The best literal definition of EPS is based on clinical-pathologic criteria.