Comparison of the inpatients admitted during the recent 5 years (January 1994-December 1998) with those admitted during the previous 5 years (January 1989-December 1993): a clinico-statistical study.

As society ages, the composition of the diseases that occur within it changes accordingly. With that in mind, we examined the characteristics and trends in the recent inpatients and compared these recent inpatients with those of a previous report to identify the changes that accompany the aging of society. Subjects were 1,534 cases (men 56.

Reduced expression of CD9 in oral squamous cell carcinoma: CD9 expression inversely related to high prevalence of lymph node metastasis.

Because CD9 is implicated in cell growth, cell adhesion and cell motility, altered CD9 expression might be involved in cancer invasion and metastasis. We have studied the immunolocalization of CD9 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Sections prepared from paraffin-embedded specimens from patients with SCC of the oral cavity were stained with a monoclonal anti-CD9 antibody by means of the streptoavidin biotin method.

[A case of lateral origin of the left internal mammary artery].

A 66 years old men, with left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis and aortic valve stenosis, underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to LAD with left internal mammary artery (LIMA) and aortic valve replacement. His postoperative course was uneventful. But, postoperative angiogram showed that his patent LIMA graft was originated from much lateral side of the left subclavian artery.

Histopathological and immunohistochemical study of oral lichen planus-associated HCV infection.

Background: In recent years, it has been suggested that oral lichen planus (OLP), a chronic inflammatory keratotic lesion, is related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Therefore, we evaluated whether the presence or absence of HCV infection caused any histopathological differences in OLP tissues. Methods; The subjects consisted of 31 patients with HCV-related liver disease complicated by OLP (32 OLP lesions) and ten OLP patients without complications due to either HCV infection or liver disease (control).

Differential response to corticosteroid therapy of MRI findings and clinical manifestations in spinal cord sarcoidosis.

Spinal cord sarcoidosis is a rare disorder whose natural history and therapeutic outcome are not fully known. We examined four patients with spinal cord sarcoidosis both clinically and radiologically, particularly in relation to corticosteroid treatment. The initial manifestation was cervical myelopathy in three and uveitis in one.

Effects of sigma receptor agonists on the impairment of spontaneous alternation behavior and decrease of cyclic GMP level induced by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors in mice.

In this study, we investigated the involvement of the interaction between sigma receptors and the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway in short term memory in mice, assessed through spontaneous alternation behavior in a Y-maze. N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and 7-nitro indazole, both nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, impaired the spontaneous alternation behavior. These impairments were attenuated by (+) SKF 10,047 and (+) pentazocine, sigma(1) receptor agonists.

Dissemination of cancer cells into circulation occurs by incisional biopsy of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

To examine whether cancer cell dissemination results from incisional biopsy, we tried to detect squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells in peripheral blood before and after incisional biopsy by means of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The study population consisted of 20 patients with oral SCC; 10 were given incisional biopsies followed by radical excision (the incisional biopsy group), and the remaining 10 were treated by excisional biopsy alone (the excisional biopsy group). Ten non-oral cancer patients with benign oral lesions served as controls.

Relation of transesophageal echocardiographic findings to subtypes of cerebral infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been used to identify the potential risk for cardiogenic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, ischemic stroke in patients with AF is not always attributable to embolism. Identification of the risk of embolic versus atherothrombotic stroke should lead to the optimal individualized management of patients with AF.

Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in oral lichen planus and oral cancer tissues.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection not only causes chronic liver diseases but shows extrahepatic manifestations as oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral cancer. To elucidate the direct relationships among these diseases and HCV infection, we investigated the detection of positive- and negative-strand HCV-RNA from serum, OLP (n=19), and oral cancer (n=17) tissues. We used a sensitive reverse transcription to polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, and analyzed sequences from the HCV El/E2 region of the genome from serum and tissue.

[Abnormal Q wave in the right precordial leads unmasked during right bundle branch block in a patient with anteroseptal myocardial infarction: a case report].

Electrocardiography in a 77-year-old woman showed small R waves in leads V1-V3 3 hours after the onset of acute anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Abnormal Q waves appeared in leads V1-V3 only during intermittent right bundle branch block. The normal septal force disappeared after transmural septal infarction and a small force of right ventricle origin became apparent as a small R wave in V1.

Effects of endomorphins-1 and -2, endogenous mu-opioid receptor agonists, on spontaneous alternation performance in mice.

The effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.

The effect of modified ultrafiltration in pediatric open heart surgery.

Since 1997 we have performed modified ultrafiltration (MUF) in pediatric open heart operations. To elucidate the clinical effects of MUF, patients under 20 kg in weight who underwent corrective open heart operation since 1997 are divided into 2 cohorts according to the enforcement of MUF (control group versus MUF group) retrospectively. Procedures, age, bodyweight, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, operation time, amount of donor blood use, postoperative inotrope dose, postoperative intubation time, and postoperative gas exchange capacity of lung expressed with respiratory index (RI) were compared between groups.

Dynorphin A-(1-13) and (2-13) improve beta-amyloid peptide-induced amnesia in mice.

The anti-amnesic effects of dynorphins on beta-amyloid peptide-(25-35)-induced impairment of learning and/or memory in mice were investigated using a Y-maze task and a passive avoidance test. Administration of beta-amyloid peptide-(25-35) (betaAP(25-35); 8.2 nmol, i.

Time-varying spectral analysis of heart rate and left ventricular pressure variability during balloon coronary occlusion in humans: a sympathoexicitatory response to myocardial ischemia.

Objectives: We assessed time-varying spectral components of heart rate and left ventricular (LV) pressure variability during coronary angioplasty to elucidate dynamic autonomic responses to transient myocardial ischemia.

Background: Sympathoexcitatory reflexes elicited by acute coronary occlusion are rarely addressed in the clinical settings because of a lack of technique to monitor transient changes in sympathetic activation.

Methods: RR interval and LV pressure and volume were serially recorded in 14 patients with effort angina during balloon coronary angioplasty.

Various extrahepatic manifestations caused by hepatitis C virus infection.

It has been reported that hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes not only liver disease but also disorders of other organs and tissues. Previously, many HCV-related extrahepatic manifestations have been reported. In this study, we report 2 patients in whom tongue cancer was detected during the treatment of HCV-related liver disease.

Absence of myocardial ischemia during sudden controlled occlusion of coronary arteries in patients with well-developed collateral vessels.

Objective: To determine whether the presence of well-developed collateral vessels (visualized by baseline angiography) prevents myocardial ischemia associated with electrocardiographic ST-segment deviation or anginal pain during subsequent coronary balloon occlusion.

Methods: Study patients with stable effort angina but without complete coronary obstruction were divided into two groups on the basis of whether myocardial ischemia was observed during the first minute of coronary balloon occlusion in order to compare the degrees of collateral development at baseline. Patients in group A (n = 47) had electrocardiographic ischemic ST-segment deviations or angina, or both, during balloon inflation, whereas patients in group B (n = 13) had neither.

Endogenous GLP-1 modulates hippocampal activity in beta-amyloid protein-treated rats.

We examined the relationship between the histochemical distribution of endogenous GLP-1 (7-36) amide in the hippocampus and memory impairment assessed by a step-through type passive avoidance task in rats continuously infused with beta-amyloid protein (1-40) into the lateral cerebroventricle using a mini-osmotic pump. Our results demonstrated that endogenous GLP-1 (7-36) amide appears in the hippocampus accompanied by progression of memory impairment. Electrophysiological studies also indicated that endogenous GLP-1 inhibits hippocampal neuronal activity in beta-amyloid protein-treated rats.

Long-term deprivation of oestrogens by ovariectomy potentiates beta-amyloid-induced working memory deficits in rats.

1 In the present study, we examined whether deprivation of oestrogens by ovariectomy could modify learning and memory deficits caused by a continuous intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 modulates neuronal activity in the rat's hippocampus.

In order to assess effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the brain excluding the hypothalamus, the effects of GLP-1 (7-36) amide, a naturally produced active fragment, on the electroencephalogram and hippocampal single unit activities of anesthetized male Wistar rats were examined. I.c.

Differential uptake of TI-201 by small-cell lung cancer in a patient with pneumoconiosis-related pulmonary nodules.

A 68-year-old man with pneumoconiosis was thought to have small-cell lung cancer based on the results of a biopsy of a bone tumor. Three pulmonary nodules were observed on a chest radiograph. Compared with a chest radiograph taken 4 months earlier, one of the nodules had grown.

Modulation of left ventricular diastolic distensibility by collateral flow recruitment during balloon coronary occlusion.

Objectives: The goals of this study were to elucidate the scaffolding effect of blood-filled coronary vasculature and to determine the functional role of recruited collateral flow in modulating left ventricular (LV) distensibility during balloon coronary occlusion (BCO).

Background: Although LV distensibility is an important factor affecting acute dilation after myocardial infarction, the response of LV diastolic pressure-volume (P-V) relations to coronary occlusion is inconsistent in humans.

Methods: Micromanometer and conductance derived LV P-V loops were serially obtained from 16 patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

[Assessment of internal thoracic artery grafts using duplex scanning].

In an effort to develop a noninvasive method to evaluate flow characteristics of the internal thoracic artery grafts (ITAG) after coronary artery bypass grafting, we performed duplex scanning of ITAGs of 51 patients who underwent bypass grafting. The ITAG was visualized with a duplex scanner of 7.5 MHz through the first or second left intercostal space.

Pathological changes of the spinal cord in centenarians.

In order to study the changes that occur in the spinal cords of the aged, 19 centenarian spinal cords from two men and 17 women (age range, 100-116 years at death; mean, 103 years) were pathologically examined. Cross-sections at each segmental level of the 19 autopsied spinal cords were examined for histopathological changes. The cross-sectional area and flattening ratio at the level of the C7 segment were measured.