A case-control study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Japan: transplantation of cadaveric dura mater was a risk factor.

A case-control study was conducted to reveal the relative risk of cadaveric dura mater graft transplantation for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Fifty-two cases with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease that were reported to the surveillance of the disease, and 102 age- and sex-matched hospital controls were selected. Information on family history, occupations, and medical history was collected.

Mortality among persons with a history of Kawasaki disease in Japan: existence of cardiac sequelae elevated the mortality.

Objective: To clarify whether patients with Kawasaki disease have a higher death rate than the age-matched healthy population after the disease occurrence.

Study Design: Between July 1982 and December 1992, 52 collaborating hospitals collected data on all patients having a new definite diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. Patients were followed until December 31, 1997, or death.

[Validity of the infectious disease surveillance system on comparison of nationwide surveys of Kawasaki disease during a 10 year period].

Purpose: To verify the validity of the infectious disease surveillance system in Japan using data for Kawasaki disease.

Materials And Methods: Data from nationwide surveys of Kawasaki disease conducted by the Kawasaki Disease Research Committee every two years over the 10 years (120 months) from 1989 through 1998 were used to calculate a gold standard. Then, the monthly numbers of patients with Kawasaki disease reported by monitoring hospitals (about 550 hospitals) to the surveillance system were compared with this gold standard.

A multicenter collaborative study on the risk factors of cardiac sequelae due to Kawasaki disease: a one-year follow-up study.

Objective: To measure the prevalence of cardiac sequelae 1 y after the onset of Kawasaki disease and determine the risk factors associated with these cardiac sequelae.

Material And Methods: 1594 patients who initially visited one of the 87 target hospitals in 1996 for Kawasaki disease participated. Selection of the target hospitals was based on a nationwide survey.

Natural killer cell-dependent suppression of systemic spread of human lung adenocarcinoma cells by monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 gene transfection in severe combined immunodeficient mice.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine with various biological activities, including augmentation of cytotoxic activity of monocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. The present study was undertaken to determine whether transfection of the MCP-1 gene into lung cancer cells affected their tumorigenicity and metastatic potential by the NK cell-mediated mechanism. The human MCP-1 gene inserted into an expression vector (BCMGSNeo) was transfected into human lung adenocarcinoma (PC-14) cells.

Interleukin (IL-)15 has less activity than IL-2 to promote type 2 cytokine predominance in tumour-associated mononuclear cells from lung cancer patients.

Deviation of type 1/type 2 cytokine balance to type 2 predominance may contribute to tumour progression. We investigated effect of interleukin (IL-)15 on modulation of type 1/type 2 balance in addition to non-major histo-compatibility complex (MHC)-restricted killer induction in the tumour-growing site. IL-15 induced significant killer activity in mononuclear cells (MNC) in malignant pleural effusion as well as those in peripheral blood.

Repeatability of the questionnaire for the aging level indices.

The purpose of the study is to confirm repeatability of the series of self-administrating questions, which can be applied in large community populations. In 1994 and 1995, two surveys were conducted for the residents at Minamikawachi, Japan with a same questionnaire. The number of respondents for the both surveys was 887.

Epidemiologic features of 65 Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients with a history of cadaveric dura mater transplantation in Japan.

A total of 65 cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with a history of cadaveric dura transplantation in Japan were analysed to clarify the epidemiologic features of such patients and to explore whether other such patients will appear in the future. The age at transplantation averaged 44.4 years with a standard deviation of 14.

[Case-control study of risk factors for cedar pollinosis among parents of 3-year-old children].

Purpose: To identify risk factors associated with cedar pollinosis among parents of three-year-old children.

Methods: The subjects were parents whose children underwent health examination at the age of three years in September and October 1997 in Tochigi prefecture. We distributed questionnaires to the examinees beforehand with the request that they be filled in and brought to the examination site.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with cadaveric dura mater grafts in Japan.

A nationwide survey and recent information documented 57 patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) who had received dura mater grafts during the period between January 1979 and September 1999. At least 54 of these 57 patients received the same brand of dura mater graft from the same processor. Mean age at disease onset in the 57 patients with dural grafts was younger (51.

Trapezoid bone fracture.

Fractures of the carpal bones involve only a single bone or complex bones with or without ligament rupture. However, fractures of the trapezoid are rarely seen. Because the trapezoid is fastened to the trapezium, capitate, and scaphoid by strong ligaments, fracture or dislocation is limited by this rigid fixation.

Relationship between breast milk feeding and atopic dermatitis in children.

Objective: To determine whether or not the breast milk feeding has a role in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis among children.

Methods: The target population of the study was all children participating in health check-up program for 3-year-old children in 60 municipalities locating 10 selected prefectures during designated 2 months between October and December 1997. Using a questionnaire, information on nutrition in infants (breast milk only, bottled milk only, or mixed), parity, mothers' age at birth, and a history of atopic dermatitis was obtained.

Effect of food reductones on the generation of the pyrazine cation radical and on the formation of the mutagens in the reaction of glucose, glycine and creatinine.

One of the possible pathways of the formation of mutagens in heated foods is through the pyrazine cation radical generated in the early stage of the Maillard reaction. The aim of the present study was to elucidate how food reductones contribute to the pyrazine cation radical generation in the reaction of glucose (Glc) and glycine (Gly), and to the formation of the mutagens in the reaction of Glc, Gly and creatinine. Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies showed that fragrant reductones, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (DMHF) and 4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-ethyl-5(or 2)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone (HEMF), generated in the Maillard reactions, enhanced the generation of the pyrazine cation radical in the reaction of Glc and Gly, and the reaction of DMHF or HEMF with Gly generated a larger amount of the pyrazine cation radical than the reaction of Glc and Gly, indicating that the furanones were intermediates of the pyrazine cation radical.

Prevalence of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism in Japan.

A nationwide epidemiologic survey of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism was conducted in 1998 to clarify the prevalence of the two disorders in Japan. From a total of 14,100 departments of pediatrics, internal medicine, neurology, and endocrinology in whole Japan, 2952 (20.9%) study departments were selected at random.

Intrapleural therapy with MDP-Lys (L18), a synthetic derivative of muramyl dipeptide, against malignant pleurisy associated with lung cancer.

N2-[(N-acetylmuramoyl)-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl]-N6-stearoyl-L-lysine (MDP-Lys (L18), romurtide) is a synthetic muramyl dipeptide derivative, and has immunomodulating activities including activation of cells of monocyte-macrophage lineage. We examined the effect of intrapleural instillation of MDP-Lys (L18) against malignant pleurisy associated with lung cancer. Six patients with cytologically-positive malignant pleural effusion (four with adenocarcinoma, one with small cell carcinoma and one with large cell carcinoma) were treated with single intrapleural instillation of MDP-Lys (L18) of 200 microg.

Augmentation by interleukin-18 of MHC-nonrestricted killer activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to interleukin-12.

Interleukin (IL)-18 is a novel cytokine with pleiotropic functions. In the present study, we examined the induction of the killer activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) against lung cancer cell lines upon treatment with IL-18 in combination with IL-12. Cytotoxic activity was measured by standard (51)Cr release assay.

Specific bonding of puromycin to full-length protein at the C-terminus.

Puromycin, an analog of the 3' end of aminoacyl-tRNA, causes premature termination of translation by being linked non-specifically to growing polypeptide chains. Here we report the interesting phenomenon that puromycin acting as a non-inhibitor at very low concentration (e.g.

Fluorescence labeling of the C-terminus of proteins with a puromycin analogue in cell-free translation systems.

We have developed a new method for the C-terminus-specific fluorescence labeling of proteins. This method is based on the experimental finding that a fluorescent puromycin analogue at lower concentrations bonds efficiently to the C-terminus of mature proteins in cell-free translation systems using mRNA without a stop codon. This labeling is performed under moderate conditions and its labeling efficiency is in the range of 50-95%.

[Chronological trend of the incidence rate of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Japan].

Objective: The purpose of this study was to find whether the number of incidents of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has increased during the last decade in Japan.

Methods: The chronological trend was observed by examining the data from a nationwide epidemiologic survey conducted by a special committee sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan in May 1996. The subjects of the survey were patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease who had been diagnosed between January 1985 and May 1996.

Production of interleukin-10 by alveolar macrophages from lung cancer patients.

Interleukin (IL)-10 is known to be an autoregulatory factor of functions of monocyte macrophages. The purpose of this study was to determine whether IL-10 production by alveolar macrophages (AMs) is altered in patients with lung cancer. AMs were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage from 25 patients with lung cancer and 14 control patients.

A case of resectable lung adenocarcinoma associated with sarcoidosis.

A 71-year-old woman with uveitis was referred to our hospital for further examination of the possible underlying diseases. In roentgenological examination with plain X-ray and CT scan, hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy and a mass shadow in the right upper lung field was observed, whereas fibrotic changes were not obvious in both lung fields. Transbronchial lung biopsy with fiberoptic bronchoscope revealed granulomatous interstitial pneumonia.

Massive outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection in schoolchildren in Sakai City, Japan, associated with consumption of white radish sprouts.

In July 1996, an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection occurred among schoolchildren in Sakai City, Osaka, Japan. This outbreak developed in 13 North-East District and 34 Middle-South District elementary schools in the city. All children hospitalized on July 17-19 had presented on July 8 (North-East District) and July 9 (Middle-South District).

Association between health-related knowledge and the awareness of blood pressure readings. Japan Lifestyle Monitoring Study Group.

This study aims to evaluate the relationships between awareness of blood pressure testing and health-related knowledge. Among 9 blocks in Japan, one or two areas were selected and a questionnaire survey including physical activity, nutrient intake, drinking habits, smoking habits, medical history, annual frequency of blood pressure testing, subjective sense of wellness, and health related knowledge was conducted. Respondents' sex and age were adjusted as potential confounding factors and the association between possession of health-related knowledge and awareness of blood pressure testing were examined by using a multiple logistic regression model.