Impact of radical perineal prostatectomy on urinary continence and quality of life: a longitudinal study of Japanese patients.

Aim: We used self-completed questionnaires to obtain a longitudinal assessment of urinary continence and urinary, bowel, and sexual domain-related quality of life (QOL) in Japanese patients undergoing radical perineal prostatectomy (RPP).

Methods: A total of 41 Japanese patients with a median age of 69 years who underwent RPP between February 2002 and February 2004 were included in the study. We measured QOL by the University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and assessed urinary continence on the basis of three different definitions of continence.

[Ureteral cancer producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: a case report].

A 60-year-old man who underwent radical nephroureterectomy due to left ureteral cancer 22 months before (transitional cell carcinoma, pT4pN0Mx, grade 2, INF beta), was admitted to the hospital with the chief compliant of anorexia and body weight loss. The patient had severe leukocytosis and elevation of C-reactive protein, with no obvious focus of infection. Abdominal plain computed tomographic scan revealed left external ileac lymph node swelling.

[A case report of the chondroma arising from the falx cerebri].

We have reported a case of chondroma arising from the falx cerebri in a 60-year-old female with no neurological symptom. The tumor was revealed as a round mass, attached to the falx cerebri, with marginally scattered calcification on CT scan and with slight enhancement on MRI images. And cerebral angiogram presented a mass with no tumor stain on the external carotid angiography against our preoperative diagnosis of falx meningioma.

Novel adopted immunotherapy for mixed chimerism after unrelated cord blood transplantation in Omenn syndrome.

Omenn syndrome is a variant form of severe combined immunodeficiency. It is fatal unless treated by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), which is the only curative approach. However, both treatment-related complications and graft rejection are major obstacles to treatment success.

Successful nonmyeloablative cord blood transplantation for an infant with malignant infantile osteopetrosis.

Malignant infantile osteopetrosis (MIOP) is a lethal disorder caused by osteoclast dysfunction. The only curative therapy for MIOP is stem cell transplantation (SCT). Because the number of patients is limited, the conditioning regimen and the use of alternative donors for SCT have been controversial and not established.

No advantage of dexamethasone over prednisolone for the outcome of standard- and intermediate-risk childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the Tokyo Children's Cancer Study Group L95-14 protocol.

Purpose: To evaluate whether dexamethasone (DEXA) yields a better outcome than prednisolone (PRED) in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Patients And Methods: Two hundred thirty-one standard-risk (SR) patients and 128 intermediate-risk (IR) non-B-cell ALL patients were registered from March 1995 to March 1999. After random assignment in each group, the PRED arm patients received PRED 60 mg/m2 during induction followed by PRED 40 mg/m2 over four intensifications in the SR group and three intensifications in the IR group.

[Comparison of endoscopic versus open radical nephrectomy for stage T1 and T2 renal cancer].

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, efficiency and patient well-being of endoscopic radical nephrectomy (ERN) with those of open radical nephrectomy (ORN) in patients with stage T1 and stage T2 renal cell carcinoma during the period from 1995 to 2003. Eighty-four patients including 53 patients receiving ERN and 31 patients receiving ORN were evaluated. The two groups were analyzed for sex, side of tumor, clinical stage, age, tumor diameter, operative time, operative blood loss, postoperative time to oral intake and ambulation.

[Simple quantitation of arsenic by energy dispersive fluorescence X-ray spectrometer using Reinsch's test].

We examined the clinical usefulness of the Reinsch's test for the detection of the small amounts of the heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury using the fluorescence X-ray spectrometry. We tried t o measure various kinds of biological samples, including serum, urine, and gastric contents using this method. 0.

Facilitation of spontaneous glutamate release by antidepressant drugs in rat locus coeruleus.

The effects of antidepressant drugs on spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were investigated in the mechanically dissociated rat locus coeruleus (LC) neurons which had their presynaptic nerve terminals attached. The membrane currents were recorded by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Desipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, reversibly and concentration-dependently increased the frequency of spontaneous EPSCs, but did not alter their amplitude distribution.

Analysis of serum soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) in the patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation: platelet is a major source of serum sCD40L.

CD40 ligand (CD40L) is expressed not only on activated T cells but also on activated platelets. A soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) is released from the activated T cells and platelets by ill-defined proteolytic process in vitro. It has been reported that sCD40L is elevated in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, unstable angina, essential thrombocythemia, and autoimmune thrombocytopenic purupura.

In vivo studies of phenylalanine hydroxylase by phenylalanine breath test: diagnosis of tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency.

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)-responsive phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency is characterized by reduction of blood phenylalanine level after a BH4-loading test. Most cases of BH4-responsive PAH deficiency include mild phenylketonuria (PKU) or mild hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA), but not all patients with mild PKU respond to BH4. We performed the phenylalanine breath test as reliable method to determine the BH4 responsiveness.

Effect of culture conditions on lactic acid production of Tetragenococcus species.

Aims: To investigate the effects of the salt concentration, incubation temperature and initial pH of the medium on the fermentative ability of the halophilic lactic acid bacteria, Tetragenococcus muriaticus and T. halophilus.

Method And Results: The growth, lactic acid production and pH reduction ability of five strains of T.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for seven children with X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome: a single center experience.

X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome (XHIM), or hyper-IgM syndrome type 1 (HIGM1), is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder susceptible to recurrent bacterial infection and opportunistic infection such as Pneumocystis carinii and Cryptosporidium parvum. The long-term outcome is quite poor, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) offers the only cure. Seven patients with XHIM, from age 3 to 19 years (mean 11.

Prevalence of diego blood group Dia antigen in Mongolians: comparison with that in Japanese.

The Diego blood group is composed of Di(a) and Di(b) antigens. Prevalence of the Di(a) antigen is known to be different among races. The Di(a) antigen is generally found in Oriental people.

Lack of the complete circular rhabdosphincter and a distinct circular smooth muscle layer around the proximal urethra in elderly Japanese women: an anatomical study.

Histological observations of semiserial sections obtained from the cadavers of 30 elderly Japanese women (aged 61-93 years) found that the urethral rhabdosphincter (URS) usually occurred as a ventrally localized structure instead of exhibiting the normal completely circular configuration. The superoinferior length, thickness and muscle fiber density of the URS area showed significant interindividual variation. A thick fascicle, extending posterolaterally from the URS and radiating to the lateral vaginal wall and other perineal tissues, was usually observed.

Pancytopenia presenting with monosomy 7 which disappeared after immunosuppressive therapy.

Monosomy 7 syndrome in infant is considered as pre-leukemic condition of poor prognosis. However, it seems controversial recently, because some cases of monosomy 7 syndrome showed spontaneous remission. We report 2-year-old girl with severe pancytopenia, who presented with monosomy 7.

Isolation and characterization of halophilic lactic acid bacteria isolated from "terasi" shrimp paste: a traditional fermented seafood product in Indonesia.

Lactic acid bacteria from "terasi" shrimp paste, a highly popular fermented seafood in Indonesia were isolated and characterized. Viable cell counts were 10(4) to 10(6) cfu/g on MRS medium. All the isolates were catalase-negative, gram-positive cocci and were able to grow at 15% NaCl.

The micturition habits and prevalence of daytime urinary incontinence in Japanese primary school children.

Purpose: We assessed the prevalence of daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) and the daytime frequency of voiding by age and sex in neurologically normal children in primary school. We also investigated the association of DUI with background factors.

Materials And Methods: We performed an anonymous questionnaire survey of DUI in primary school children.

Immunohistochemical distribution of surfactant apoprotein-A in congenital diaphragmatic hernia-II.

Morphometric analyses of the immunohistochemical expression of surfactant apoprotein A (SP-A) were carried out on the bronchioles of human congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) neonates and then compared with those in a gestational and postnatal age-matched control group. There was no difference in SP-A expression between lung specimens of the control group and unaffected lungs in the CDH group. However, compared with both these lungs, the ipsilateral lungs of the CDH group showed a significant increase in SP-A expression, namely, the number of SP-A-positive cells per bronchiole, the number of SP-A-positive cells per unit perimeter of bronchiole, and the number of SP-A-positive cells per unit bronchiolar surface area.

Clinical course of patients with WASP gene mutations.

Mutations of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) gene result either in the classic Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) or in a less severe form, X-linked thrombocytopenia (XLT). A phenotype-genotype correlation has been reported by some but not by other investigators. In this study, we characterized WASP gene mutations in 50 Japanese patients and analyzed the clinical phenotype and course of each.

Evaluation of intraoral CCD camera for dental examination in forensic inspection.

This study was performed to assess the effectiveness of an intraoral CCD camera for dental examinations when sufficient jaw opening or adequate lighting cannot be obtained. A handpiece-type intraoral CCD camera (Crystal Cam; GC Corp., Japan) was used for the study.

DNA analysis of neonatal human remains wrapped and kept in a vinyl bag for 15 years.

DNA analysis of a newborn baby wrapped and kept in a vinyl bag for 15 years was performed. DNA isolated from the femur and humerus was used to determine the sex and kinship between the infant and the putative parents. Amplification of mtDNA, ABO, HLA, CST3, CST5, VWA, D12S66, D21S11, CSF1PO, TPOX, THO1 and 10Y polymorphisms and the amelogenin gene was carried out.

Hyaluronan recognition mode of CD44 revealed by cross-saturation and chemical shift perturbation experiments.

CD44 is the main cell surface receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA) and contains a functional HA-binding domain (HABD) composed of a Link module with N- and C-terminal extensions. The contact residues of human CD44 HABD for HA have been determined by cross-saturation experiments and mapped on the topology of CD44 HABD, which we elucidated by NMR. The contact residues are distributed in both the consensus fold for the Link module superfamily and the additional structural elements consisting of the flanking regions.