Gastric cancer recognized by metastasis to the ureter.

Although ureteral obstruction is rarely noted in patients with gastric cancer at an advanced stage or at autopsy, the condition caused by authentic ureteral metastasis of gastric cancer is extremely rare. We experienced a case of gastric cancer in a 51-year-old woman who showed bilateral ureteral metastasis. The patient initially complained of right flank pain, caused by right ureteral obstruction, and was referred to our hospital, where she underwent a right nephroureterectomy, with suspicion of primary ureteral neoplasm.

New technique using galactose-specific lectin for isolation of fetal cells from maternal blood.

To isolate fetal cells from maternal blood, we developed a new method based on galactose-bearing conjugation. Nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs), which highly express galactose on their surface, were selectively attached to a substrate coated with a galactose-containing polymer via soybean agglutinin (SBA), a galactose-specific lectin. Cord blood samples were used to evaluate enrichment efficacy of NRBCs by this method.

Maternal transmission of Helicobacter pylori in the perinatal period.

Objectives: Studies indicate that Helicobacterpylori (HP) infection is closely related to gastric mucosa lesions and well-differentiated gastric cancer. In Japan, the HP-positive rate in childhood is 5-6%, which is similar to other developed countries, and in regard to the infection route, oral infection is considered important. To our knowledge there have been no reports on mother-to-child transmission and in this study we investigated maternal HP infection status to determine the potential of mother-to-child transmission in the perinatal period.

Development and clinical application of a telemedicine support system in the field of perinatal patient management.

In recent years, perinatal patient management has been greatly improved due to the advance of medical technologies in various fields. The primary objectives of perinatal patient management are to discover signs and symptoms of fetal asphyxia and threatened premature delivery at an early stage and to initiate treatment as soon as possible. For this purpose, continuous monitoring of the fetal heart rate and uterine contractions is most effective.

Evaluations of the prescription order entry system for outpatient clinics by physicians in the 80 university hospitals in Japan.

We investigated the evaluations of the prescription order entry system by the physicians who are the direct users of this system. Questionnaires were sent to 400 staff physicians of 80 medical school affiliated hospitals, out of which 76% responded. Among the respondents, 48 per cent are making use of the computerized outpatient prescription order entry system, and 52 per cent are not.

Identification of three human type-II classic cadherins and frequent heterophilic interactions between different subclasses of type-II classic cadherins.

We identified three novel human type-II classic cadherins, cadherin-7, -9 and -10, by cDNA cloning and sequencing, and confirmed that they interact with catenins and function in cell-cell adhesion as do other classic cadherins. Cell-cell binding activities of the eight human type-II classic cadherins, including the three new molecules, were evaluated by long-term cell-aggregation experiments using mouse L fibroblast clones transfected with the individual cadherins. The experiments indicated that all the type-II cadherins appeared to possess similar binding strength, which was virtually equivalent to that of E-cadherin.

Anorexia nervosa with severe liver dysfunction and subsequent critical complications.

A twenty-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa (body mass index=11) suffered from severe liver dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase 5,000 IU/l, alanine aminotransferase 3,980 IU/l, prothrombin time 32%), hypoglycemia (serum glucose 27 mg/dl), and pancreatic dysfunction (amylase 820 IU/l, lipase 558 IU/l). She fell into a depressive state with irritability, which was not improved by intravenous glucose. Despite treatment with plasmapheresis for the liver dysfunction, she subsequently developed pulmonary edema, acute renal failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

[Role of information system for the health care delivery in community].

Sophisticated information technologies have been applied in hospitals as well as in clinics. However, almost no information system has been developed which links hospitals and clinics. Medical care and welfare services are still separated activities and there are no information systems which exchange the data between the two sectors.

Characteristics of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from patients with different gastric diseases.

The pathogenesis of chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, and remnant gastritis is considered to be related to infection by Helicobacter pylori. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of H. pylori strains isolated from patients with various gastric diseases.

Evidence for an increased intracellular free calcium concentration in platelets of bronchial asthma patients.

The pathogenesis of bronchial asthma is not yet fully understood. Recently much attention has been given to the hypothesis that intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) metabolism is abnormal in various diseases. In this study we investigated whether [Ca2+]i exists abnormally in subjects with bronchial asthma.

Effect of iron as a new type of phosphate binder in hemodialysis patients.

Hyperphosphatemia is one of the major problems requiring management in the majority of hemodialysis patients and they require phosphate-binding agents to control the hyperphosphatemia. Aluminum hydroxide and calcium compounds are used currently as phosphate-binding agents to treat hyperphosphatemia, but these compounds can cause undesirable side effects. Therefore, the development of new phosphate-binding agents is imperative.

[Autopsy-proven cases of fatal saddle thromboembolism in the pulmonary artery].

In 544 autopsy cases during the period from 1984 through 1990 at National Okura Hospital, there were 7 cases of fatal saddle pulmonary thromboembolism (1.3%). Pulmonary thromboembolism was included in the differential diagnosis, but not as a primary consideration.