Late incomplete stent apposition after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation: a serial intravascular ultrasound analysis.

Objectives: We sought to identify the frequency of incomplete stent apposition (ISA) in sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and clarify its findings and clinical sequelae.

Background: Late-acquired ISA has been reported in bare-metal stents (BMS) and brachytherapy and recently in drug-eluting stents. However, the characteristics of late ISA in SES have not been clarified.

Incidence and consequence of falls in inpatient rehabilitation of stroke patients.

The incidence rate, location, and timing of falls and performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) in 256 patients with stroke admitted to an 88-bed rehabilitation ward was observed with information on falls and level of ADLs upon admission extracted from patients' records. Of 273 falls among 121 of the 256 patients, 229 occurred in the patient's room or lavatory and 147 within 4 weeks of admission. Significant differences were detected between motor subscores under 64 and over 65 on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) in fall proportional analysis.

Effect of lumen narrowing within coronary stents on proximal and distal vessel segments following bare metal stent implantation.

Adjacent reference vessel response to smaller lumens at stented segments was examined with 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound analysis. In 128 patients after bare metal stent implantation, minimal lumen area (MLA) within the stent and average lumen area at distal/proximal adjacent reference segments (5 mm) were obtained at baseline and follow-up. In the smaller in-stent MLA group (MLA <3 mm2), lumen area decreased significantly at the distal edge compared with the larger in-stent MLA group (MLA > or =3 mm2), although no significant difference was seen at the proximal edge.

Analysis of HLA class I and class II gene polymorphisms in Japanese patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1-associated uveitis.

Purpose: To investigate the immunogenetic background of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated uveitis (HAU) that presents immune-mediated reactive changes in the uvea.

Methods: HLA class I and class II genes were studied in 51 patients with HAU, 192 asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers, and 266 HTLV-1-seronegative controls using a high-resolution method of HLA DNA typing. The HLA alleles of HAU were compared with those of HTLV-1 carriers and healthy controls.

Line bisection and rebisection: the crossover effect of space location.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the bisection test and the severity of behavioral hemineglect and to verify if this test can predict the behavioral hemineglect.

Methods: Thirty stroke patients with left hemiparesis were divided into 4 groups according to the Catherine Bergego Scale, which assessed the behavioral hemineglect: severe unilateral neglect (UN), moderate UN, mild UN, and lack of UN. Eleven healthy subjects served as age-matched control subjects.

Traction of lateral cricoarytenoid muscle for unilateral vocal fold paralysis: comparison with Isshiki' s original technique of arytenoid adduction.

Between 1995 and 1997, we performed Isshiki's original method of arytenoid adduction alone or as an adjunct to type I thyroplasty for the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis. From 1997 onward, we performed arytenoid adduction by traction of the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle (Iwamura's method), because it reduces discomfort to the patient and avoids rotation of the thyroid cartilage. Preliminary experiments and surgical procedures involving traction of the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle are described.

Reliability and validity of a wheelchair collision test for screening behavioral assessment of unilateral neglect after stroke.

Objective: To examine the reliability and validity of a new wheelchair collision test (WCT) for screening behavioral unilateral neglect in people with stroke.

Design: A total of 19 patients with left hemiplegia resulting from first-ever stroke (mean +/- SD, 61.9 +/- 25.

Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation with reduced conditioning intensity as a novel immunotherapy and antiviral therapy for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Sixteen patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) who were all over 50 years of age underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation with reduced-conditioning intensity (RIST) from HLA-matched sibling donors after a conditioning regimen consisting of fludarabine (180 mg/m2), busulfan (8 mg/kg), and rabbit antithymocyte globulin (5 mg/kg). The observed regimen-related toxicities and nonhematologic toxicities were all found to be acceptable. Disease relapse was the main cause of treatment failure.

An epidemiological study of HBV, HCV and HTLV-I in Sherpas of Nepal.

An epidemiological study of hepatitis viruses type B (HBV) and type C (HCV) and human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was carried out among 103 residents (male:female=61:42) regarded as Sherpas, at Lukla (Solukhumbu district), Nepal in 2004. Blood was drawn from apparently healthy volunteers at ages of 28.8+12.

Development of a new measure to assess trunk impairment after stroke (trunk impairment scale): its psychometric properties.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate reliability, validity, internal structure, and responsiveness of our newly developed Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) for patients with stroke.

Design: A total of 73 patients with stroke participated in this prospective study. Interrater reliability (weighted kappa statistics), content validity (principal component analysis), concurrent validity (Spearman's rank correlation with the Trunk Control Test), predictive validity (prediction of discharge FIM scores), and responsiveness (standardized response mean values) were examined.

Acute and long-term clinical and angiographic outcome after S-Stent implantation: S-Stent multicenter safety and efficacy trial.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate safety and effectiveness of the S-Stent in de novo coronary lesions treated with conventional percutaneous coronary balloon angioplasty. Between January 2000 and June 2001, 120 patients were prospectively enrolled at four study centers. Patients were treated with coronary stenting in a total of 137 lesions.

HTLV-1 provirus load in peripheral blood lymphocytes of HTLV-1 carriers is diminished by green tea drinking.

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is causatively associated with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). Since a high level of HTLV-1 provirus load in circulating lymphocytes is thought to be a risk for ATL and HAM/TSP, diminution of HTLV-1 provirus load in the circulation may prevent these intractable diseases. Our previous study (Jpn J Cancer Res 2000; 91: 34-40) demonstrated that green tea polyphenols inhibit in vitro growth of ATL cells, as well as HTLV-1-infected T-cells.

Impact of final stent dimensions on long-term results following sirolimus-eluting stent implantation: serial intravascular ultrasound analysis from the sirius trial.

Objectives: We assessed the predictive value of minimum stent area (MSA) for long-term patency of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) implantation compared to bare metal stents (BMS).

Background: Although MSA is a consistent predictor of in-stent restenosis, its predictive value in BMS is still limited because of biologic variability in the restenosis process.

Methods: From the SIRolImUS (SIRIUS) trial, 122 cases (SES: 72; BMS: 50) with complete serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) (baseline and 8-month follow-up) were analyzed.

Six- and twelve-month results from first human experience using everolimus-eluting stents with bioabsorbable polymer.

Background: Everolimus, an active immunosuppressive and antiproliferative agent of the same family as sirolimus (rapamycin), has demonstrated significant reduction of neointimal proliferation in animal studies. The First Use To Underscore restenosis Reduction with Everolimus (FUTURE) I trial was the first in-human experience to evaluate the safety and efficacy of everolimus-eluting stents (EES), coated with a bioabsorbable polymer, compared with bare metal stents (BMS).

Methods And Results: FUTURE I was a prospective, single-blind, randomized trial that enrolled 42 patients with de novo coronary lesions (EES 27, BMS 15).

Lack of HTLV-I carriers in the Sami, an ethnic group living in the Arctic area in Norway.

The Sami is an ethnic group with ill-defined genetic origins, living in the northern areas of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Russia. Distinct from other European populations in culture and language, they are generally deemed to be remote from the Caucasian lineage. In order to ascertain whether the Sami are genetically linked to Asiatic Mongoloids, we investigated serological markers of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) infection.

Integration of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 in genes of leukemia cells of patients with adult T-cell leukemia.

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) occurs after a long latent period of persistent infection by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). However, the mechanism of oncogenesis by HTLV-1 remains to be clarified. It was reported that the incidence curve of ATL versus age was consistent with a multistage carcinogenesis model.

Full-time integrated treatment program, a new system for stroke rehabilitation in Japan: comparison with conventional rehabilitation.

Objective: To validate the effectiveness of the Full-time Integrated Treatment (FIT) program that is characterized by rehabilitation 7 days/wk, encouragement of daytime activity, and enhanced communication between staff in stroke rehabilitation.

Design: Since our facility changed from the conventional rehabilitation system of 5 days of treatment to the FIT program in December 2000, we compared the conventional rehabilitation program with the FIT program at our hospital. The conventional treatment group and the FIT group consisted of 48 and 58 first-stroke hemiplegics, respectively.

Two patients with severe corneal disease in KID syndrome.

Purpose: To report two independent Japanese patients with keratitis, ichthyosis, and deafness (KID) syndrome and severe corneal disorder.

Design: Observational case reports.

Methods: Clinical observation of a 5-year-old boy (Patient 1) and a 64-year-old man (Patient 2) with KID syndrome, presenting prominent corneal diseases.

Expression of heat shock protein 70 mRNA in polymorphonuclear cells responding to surgical stress.

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 mRNA in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) as a possible new biomarker for surgical stress.

Methods: The HSP70 mRNA in PMN of 10 patients who underwent lobectomy was evaluated by Northern blot analysis. Their leukocyte counts, including white blood cells (WBC) and PMN, plasma cortisol levels, and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, were obtained by cell counting, radioimmunoassay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

HLA-DRB1*1602 allele is positively associated with HPV cervical infection in Bolivian Andean women.

Incidence of cervical cancer is high among Bolivian Andean women. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is known as the major risk factor of cervical cancer. The host immune system plays an important role in the outcome of HPV infection and associated malignancies.

Se genotyping following allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification.

The polymorphism of the Sec2 gene, which determines Se blood type, has been reported. This study presents an Se genotyping system by the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification method. The Se, sej and se(fus) alleles were amplified using allele-specific primers.

Antinociception induced by beta-lactotensin, a neurotensin agonist peptide derived from beta-lactoglobulin, is mediated by NT2 and D1 receptors.

In this study, we examined the antinociceptive effect of beta-lactotensin, a neurotensin agonist that has been isolated from the chymotrypsin digest of beta-lactoglobulin as an ileum-contracting peptide. Beta-lactotensin showed naloxone-insensitive antinociceptive activity by the tail-pinch test after i.c.