Publications by authors named "Kenji Kamiya"
This study aimed to assess long-term changes in pregnancy and birth outcomes after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture. This is the final report on perinatal outcomes of the Prefectural Health Survey, which ended after a 10-year observation period. Questionnaires based on a pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey were sent to women who had received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture.
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- - The study analyzed thyroid cancer detection in children and adolescents in Fukushima after the 2011 nuclear disaster, involving over 253,000 participants with varying levels of radiation exposure.
- - Utilizing Poisson regression, the research assessed the relationship between external radiation exposure and thyroid cancer, concluding that there was no significant association even at low radiation doses.
- - The findings indicated that over 99.9% of participants experienced radiation exposure below 5 mSv, with an average follow-up period of 3.7 years, and thus, low radiation exposure was unlikely to increase thyroid cancer risk.
Most Pacific salmon species grow in the ocean, return to their native rivers to reproduce, and then die (semelparous type). However, rainbow trout survive after spawning and reproduce repeatedly until the end of their lives (iteroparous type). Little is known about how germline stem cells behave during gametogenesis in the two types of Pacific salmon.
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- The Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) was initiated in June 2011 to monitor and improve the long-term health of residents affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
- Since 2019, Fukushima Medical University (FMU) has hosted annual FHMS International Symposiums to disseminate survey findings to the public and stakeholders.
- The fifth annual symposium took place on March 4, 2023, focusing on the theme of collaborative discussions about health, life, and the future in Fukushima.
The Fukushima Medical University (FMU) International Symposium on the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) convened for the fourth time in March 2022 to share FHMS findings within Fukushima and beyond. Dr. TAKENOSHITA Seiichi, FMU President, underscored Fukushima's restoration journey, while Governor UCHIBORI Masao committed to partnering with FMU for residents' welfare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev1 has two important functions in the translesion synthesis pathway, including dCMP transferase activity, and acts as a scaffolding protein for other polymerases involved in translesion synthesis. However, the role of Rev1 in mutagenesis and tumorigenesis in vivo remains unclear. We previously generated Rev1-overexpressing (Rev1-Tg) mice and reported that they exhibited a significantly increased incidence of intestinal adenoma and thymic lymphoma (TL) after N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) treatment.
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- The study evaluated the effectiveness of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) in patients experiencing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), comparing overt and occult cases while looking at intervention rates and rebleeding.* -
- Data from 430 patients underwent analysis, revealing 253 with overt and 177 with occult OGIB, where most findings were classified as P1, leading to differences in treatment approaches.* -
- Results indicated that VCE was effective in identifying OGIB lesions, especially in occult cases, and highlighted the need for monitoring patients at high risk of rebleeding.*
Context: Examining how overweight/obesity impacts thyroid nodule development in children and adolescents by sex and age can speculate on the mechanism.
Objective: We examined whether overweight in children and adolescents are associated with thyroid nodule development by sex and age.
Design: Approximately 300,000 participants who underwent thyroid ultrasonography in the Fukushima Health Management Survey after a nuclear accident were enrolled.
Article Synopsis
- The primary cause of diffuse thyroid goiter is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder, which is important for children's growth and development.
- A study analyzed data from over 320,000 participants aged 1-23 to investigate the connections between diffuse goiter, thyroid volume, and body measurements, finding that diffuse goiter is more common in females as they age.
- Results indicated that higher body mass index (BMI) and the presence of nodules are linked to an increased prevalence of diffuse goiter, particularly reflecting age-related trends in younger populations.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the internal radiation doses of residents near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant following the 2011 accident, using whole-body counter (WBC) measurements to assess exposure to cesium isotopes 134Cs and 137Cs.
- - By expanding research to include residents from four affected towns, the study aims to link individual cesium doses with evacuation behaviors after a major release event on March 12, 2011, particularly focusing on those who delayed evacuation.
- - Key findings indicate significant differences in cesium detection rates between residents who evacuated farther from the plant and those who stayed closer, supporting previous analyses of radiation exposure patterns from the disaster.
Purpose: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as a cellular energy sensor and is essential for controlling mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we investigated the regulatory mechanisms involved in AMPK activation to elucidate how networks of intracellular signaling pathways respond to stress conditions.
Materials And Methods: Inhibitors of ATM, DNA-PK, and AKT were tested in normal TIG-3 and MRC-5 human fibroblasts to determine which upstream kinases are responsible for AMPK activation.
Article Synopsis
- The Fukushima Prefectural Government initiated a long-term health survey following the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, finding that some children showed early signs of obesity and liver dysfunction.
- A study from 2011 to 2018 evaluated changes in obesity rates and liver enzyme levels in these children, indicating that any spikes in body mass index (BMI) post-disaster were temporary.
- Overall, results suggested that the disaster did not significantly impact long-term obesity rates or liver health in Fukushima children, as both conditions remained stable over the observed years.
Article Synopsis
- The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, led to a nuclear accident at Fukushima and forced many people to evacuate, impacting their lifestyles and health.
- A 7-year study examined the link between evacuation and new-onset hyperuricemia in 18,140 residents, finding significant associations in women but not in men.
- The research concluded that evacuation is a risk factor for hyperuricemia in women, highlighting the health effects of natural disasters beyond immediate physical harm.
Among the small intestinal tumors that occur in irradiated mice of the established mouse model B6/B6-Chr18MSM-F1 ApcMin/+, loss of heterozygosity analysis can be utilized to estimate whether a deletion in the wild-type allele containing the Adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) region (hereafter referred to as Deletion), a duplication in the mutant allele with a nonsense mutation at codon 850 of Apc (Duplication), or no aberration (Unidentified) has occurred. Previous research has revealed that the number of Unidentified tumors tends to increase with the radiation dose. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of an Unidentified tumor type in response to radiation exposure.
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- The study investigates the long-term effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima disaster on obstetrics outcomes over an 8-year period.
- Data from over 57,000 participants in the Pregnancy and Birth Survey revealed trends in maternal age, conception rates, and cesarean section deliveries, indicating some significant changes.
- While variations in preterm birth and low birth weight occurred across different districts, overall, the disasters did not show significant negative impacts on obstetric outcomes like preterm birth or newborn anomalies.
Objective: Residents who lived near the Fukushima Power Plant accident were forced to change their lifestyle after the 2011 accident. This study aimed to elucidate the association of resident lifestyle and psychological factors with onset of hepatobiliary enzyme abnormalities (HEA) after the accident.
Methods: This longitudinal study included 15705 residents who underwent a comprehensive health check, as well as a mental health and lifestyle survey between June 2011 and March 2012.
Article Synopsis
- The Fukushima Prefecture introduced a Thyroid Ultrasound Examination program for residents aged 0-18 to address health concerns associated with radiation exposure after the earthquake.
- A total of 242,065 individuals were surveyed, revealing varying detection rates of thyroid cancer across four regions, with notable differences based on sex, age, and the timing of surveys.
- The study highlighted potential biases in participation and diagnostic processes, emphasizing that these confounding factors should be taken into account in future research on thyroid cancer detection rates.
We previously described the thyroid volume, which was calculated by measuring the thyroid width, thickness, and longitudinal length using ultrasonography, in children and adolescents. We have proposed a simplified method for quantitatively assessing the thyroid size, to overcome the inaccuracy and challenges in measuring the longitudinal length of the thyroid. Based on measurements of 317,847 (girls: 156,913, boys: 160,934) children and adolescents, we calculated sex-specific means and standard deviations of thyroid width and thickness, and of the cross-sectional area computed by multiplying them, for every age and 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo analyze the association between radiation dose and thyroid cancer after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, external doses have often been used because of the difficulty to estimate internal thyroid doses individually due to the lack of human data. However, no evaluation has been made as to whether external dose is a good surrogate marker for internal thyroid dose individually. This study aimed at analyzing the relationship between external doses and internal thyroid doses estimated by recently developed methodology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitochondria are responsible for controlling cell death during the early stages of radiation exposure, but their perturbations are associated with late effects of radiation-related carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is important to protect mitochondria to mitigate the harmful effects of radiation throughout life. The glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011, forcing Fukushima Prefecture residents to change their living environment. Such sudden changes possibly have long-term effects on cardiovascular-related diseases. We therefore sought to identify temporal relationships between living environment changes and blood pressure levels over three years following the earthquake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvacuees of the Great East Japan Earthquake have experienced adverse, long-term physical and psychological effects, including problem drinking. This study examined the risk and recovery factors for problem drinking among evacuees between fiscal years (FY) 2012 and 2017 using data on residents in the evacuation area from the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey. With the FY 2012 survey as a baseline, a survey comprising 15,976 men and women was conducted in the evacuation area from FY 2013 to FY 2017, examining the risk and protective factors for problem drinking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge at exposure is a major modifier of radiation-induced carcinogenesis. We used mouse models to elucidate the mechanism underlying age-related susceptibility to radiation-induced tumorigenesis. Radiation exposure in infants was effective at inducing tumors in B6/B6-Chr18MSM-F1 ApcMin/+ mice.
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- Psychological distress and PTSD may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, particularly in men, as suggested by a study following evacuees of the Great East Japan Earthquake over seven years.
- The study utilized specific scales to measure probable depression and PTSD, revealing significant correlations with new-onset diabetes in men but not in women.
- Findings indicate that post-disaster mental health issues have different impacts on diabetes risk based on sex, suggesting the need for tailored prevention strategies.