Publications by authors named "Takashi S Kajii"

Degenerative joint disease of the temporomandibular joints (DJD-TMJ) clinically manifests with symptoms such as orofacial pain, joint sounds and limited jaw movements. Our research group previously reported the functional necessity of a chemokine-chemokine receptor axis of CCL5-CCR5 in osteoclasts. Accumulated studies reported that this axis was involved in the pathogenesis of bone and joint destructive diseases, suggesting CCL5 as a potent biomarker.

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Mandibular prognathism is a phenotype of facial deformity seen in populations around the world, but with higher incidence among East Asian populations. Five genome-wide nonparametric linkage analyses and a genome-wide association study to identify susceptibility loci of the phenotype have shown inconsistent results. To explore variants related to mandibular prognathism, we undertook whole-exome sequencing in a Japanese pedigree.

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Background: Anatomical textbooks mention that the contact between the pterygoid process and the palatine's pyramidal process is not a "suture" but "conjugation.".The aim was to evaluate the maxillofacial morphological factor responding most to the orthopedic force of facial mask treatment, using the structural superimposition analysis.

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In a previous genome-wide association study, plexin A2 () was suggested as one of the candidate genes for mandibular prognathism. encodes plexin A2, a member of the plexin-A family of semaphorin co-receptors. Semaphorin 3A (sema3A) exerts an osteoprotective effect.

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To evaluate whether osseous changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyle affect backward rotation of the mandibular ramus in Angle Class II orthodontic patients with idiopathic condylar resorption (ICR). Twenty Japanese women with Class II malocclusion with ICR (ICR group) and 24 women with Class II malocclusion without ICR (non-ICR group) were examined. Pre-treatment panoramic radiographs were used to measure condylar ratios.

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Introduction: The purpose of this study was to extend an association study from chromosome 1 to the whole genome (genome-wide association study) to find susceptibility loci of mandibular prognathism.

Methods: Two hundred forty patients diagnosed with mandibular prognathism and 360 healthy controls of Japanese descent were recruited. The typing of microsatellites covering the whole genome was conducted using a pooled DNA method.

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Introduction: Attempts have been made to identify susceptibility genes of mandibular prognathism by genome-wide linkage studies, but the results of susceptibility loci are inconsistent. There has been no genome-wide association study of mandibular prognathism. Our objective was to perform a genome-wide association study using 23,465 microsatellite markers to detect mandibular prognathism susceptibility regions.

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Objective: Excessive wound contraction apparently inhibits maxillary growth; thus, myofibroblast apoptosis needs to be accelerated in mucoperiosteal denudation after palatoplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate myofibroblast apoptosis during wound healing in mucoperiosteal denudation of rat palates immediately after post-operative administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).

Materials And Methods: A total of 100 male Wistar rats aged 20 days were divided into control, scar, sham and bFGF groups (n = 25 each).

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Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between changes in masseter muscle oxygenation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and changes in the electromyographic (EMG) power spectrum during experimental chewing of gum with harder texture, to improve the understanding of the use of NIRS in assessing masseter muscle fatigue.

Material And Methods: Ten female volunteers with normal occlusion were examined. Mean age (standard deviation) was 28.

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We have evaluated the craniofacial morphology of Japanese patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and assessed the various postnatal factors that affect it. Lateral cephalograms of 140 subjects (mean (SD) aged 7 (2) years) with UCLP were taken before orthodontic treatment. Surgeons from Hokkaido University Hospital had done the primary operations.

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Objective : To assess the congenital and postnatal factors that affect degree of malocclusion in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate using multivariate statistical analysis. Design : Retrospective study. Patients : All information on 135 subjects with unilateral cleft lip and palate was obtained from an oral examination and radiograph at the initial examination at an orthodontic clinic and from surgical records.

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Introduction: Mice with brachymorphism (bm) have defective chondrogenesis, including abnormal growth of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis. Malocclusion (anterior transverse crossbite) sometimes spontaneously occurs in inbred BALB/c-bm/bm mice, before the mandibular incisors erupt and make contact with the maxillary incisors. The aim of this study was to determine whether functional lateral loads to incisors promote anterior transverse crossbites in BALB/c-bm/bm mice.

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The aim of this study was to clarify the morphological characteristics of craniomaxillary deviations in BALB/c-bm/bm mice with a spontaneous malocclusion (incisal transverse crossbite) using three-dimensional (3D) morphological measurements. Sixty female mice aged 13 and 25 weeks were divided into the following groups: control (BALB/c-+/+ mice, n = 20), norm (BALB/c-bm/bm mice with a normal occlusion, n = 20), and mal (BALB/c-bm/bm mice with a malocclusion, n = 20). Various points in the skull were selected and the distances between two points were measured using 3D micro-computed tomography (CT) images.

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This study aimed to determine the optimum orthodontic force from a broader perspective. Interleukin (IL)-1β levels in human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), pain intensity, and the amount of tooth movement were measured during canine retraction using different magnitudes of continuous orthodontic force. Sixteen subjects (two males and 14 females), aged 18-24 years, diagnosed with Class I bimaxillary protrusion and treated with first premolar extractions participated in this study.

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Objective: To assess and develop a monocortical mandibular bone grafting procedure for reconstruction of alveolar cleft.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Hokkaido University Hospital.

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Aim: This paper concerns orthodontic alignment of the maxillary lateral incisor on the cleft side of a lip and alveolar cleft patient after a secondary autogenous cancellous bone graft at the late stage of mixed dentition.

Subject And Treatment: The patient was a Japanese girl 9 years 7 months of age who presented at the authors' clinic with a repaired lip and alveolar cleft and an incisor crossbite. At 12 years of age, a secondary bone graft of the alveolar ridge was performed using bone harvested from the iliac crest.

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Introduction: Homozygous brachymorphic (bm/bm) mice are characterized by disproportionately short stature. Anterior transverse crossbite sometimes develops spontaneously in inbred BALB/c-bm/bm mice that produce undersulfated glycosaminoglycans. The reason for inferior growth of the craniofacial structures of BALB/c-bm/bm mice has not been clarified.

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Aims: To investigate the presence of endogenous beta-endorphin, an opioid, in the synovial lavage fluid of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and to compare the concentration of 3-endorphin in patients with closed lock with that in symptom-free subjects.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients (38 joints) with closed lock diagnosed on the basis of the results of clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 11 healthy volunteers (19 joints) were examined. Samples of lavage fluid were obtained prior to arthrocentesis by washing the joint with saline.

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The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between congenitally missing third molar tooth germs and sagittal maxillomandibular jaw dimensions in orthodontic patients in Japan. The subjects were 391 patients from the orthodontic clinic of the Hokkaido University Dental Hospital who were less than 15 years of age. Assessments were made from panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms.

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