Tokyo Medical and Dental University Institutional Repository
Not a member yet
1399 research outputs found
Sort by
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 expression is induced by alternative NF-κB signaling in human lung cancer cells
Get PDFIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a devastating fibrotic lung disease of unknown etiology, is frequently associated with lung cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. We analyzed the gene expression profiles of IPF lungs using public datasets and extracted 94 genes that were upregulated in all of them. Among these, we identified DCLK1, a wellknown cancer stem cell-marker. A recent study revealed that DCLK1 enhances cancer stem cell-like features in lung cancer cells. Therefore, if DCLK1 expression is induced in IPF, it could be a molecular link between IPF and lung cancers. In this study, we confirmed that DCLK1 expression was enhanced in human IPF lungs and in lungs of mice with bleomycin- induced fibrosis. We also found that the human lung cancer H1299 cells expressed DCLK1 when exposed to the conditioned medium derived from the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophage- like RAW264.7 cells. Further, this DCLK1-inducing activity was sensitive to heat inactivation and proteinase K treatment. We also revealed that IL17 and lymphotoxin-α induced DCLK1 expression in human lung cancer H1299 cells. Moreover, RELB silencing, but not RELA silencing, blocked the induction of DCLK1 expression by conditioned medium. Hence, the inhibition of alternative NF-κB signaling may be useful to prevent cancer development in IPF lungs.journal articl
Relationship between taste sensitivity and dental caries
Get PDFDental caries is still one of the most common diseases to afflict mankind. It affects 34.1% of the global population. Some studies have reported that individuals with high sugar intake have higher dental caries rates. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying an individual’s craving for sweet substances were not well documented. It was also reported that taste sensitivity may be associated with the preference for or rejection of some foods. Sweet preference has been linked to bitter taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). The PROP impregnated paper strip is proved to be a useful tool in determining the inherent sensitivity levels (super-taster, medium-taster, and non-taster) to bitter and sweet tastes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between taste sensitivity to PROP and dental caries. The results showed a significantly larger number of untreated dental caries lesions among non-tasters compared to super-tasters. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the DMFT index value among the three groups. These results suggest that taste sensitivity to PROP could be a useful screening tool to identify individuals with high dental caries risk.journal articl
Correction: Effectiveness of health education programme of primary school-aged children in the urban area of China
Get PDFObjective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a health education programme for school-aged children’s social anxiety, interpersonal closeness and perspective- taking (PT) ability in an urban area of eastern China. Methods: This study was a non‐randomized controlled trial. A total of 257 school-aged children in fourth to sixth grades from a primary school were recruited, aged between 9 and 12 years. They were assigned by their classes in each grade to the intervention (N = 128) and control (N = 129) groups and completed anonymous self-reported questionnaires. Data were collected before and after interventions. Changes in children’s social anxiety, interpersonal closeness, and social cognition and behaviors were measured using different assessment scales. Results: Overall, 122 interventions and 128 controls participated in the trial. Significant differences for the intervention group were found between before and after interventions in the scores of social anxiety, interpersonal closeness, and PT ability (all p < 0.05), while the scores for the control group were roughly unchanged. Conclusion: This health education programme was effective for decreasing the Chinese schoolaged children’s social anxiety, improving their interpersonal closeness, as well as increasing their PT ability.journal articl
Chronic sun exposure shortens telomeres of the epidermis
Get PDFThe ends of human chromosome are protected by telomeres, which are composed of tandem repeats of DNA sequences. Telomeres can be damaged by a variety of environmental factors, ultimately resulting in cellular senescence and carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between telomere shortening in the skin and sun exposure. Using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH), we examined telomere lengths (TL) in the epidermis and dermis of sun-exposed (SE) and sun non-exposed (NE) skin from the same individuals without any skin disease. There was a significant difference (p = 0.039) in epidermal TL between SE and NE samples, except for adolescents and young adults (AYA). Our results suggest that chronic sun exposure shortens the telomeres of the epidermis, which may explain the UV-associated acceleration of skin aging and skin disorders.journal articl
Application of cell block preparation in effusion cytology: Analysis of mismatched diagnosis and utility of immunostaining
Get PDFObjective: To analyze the mismatched cases between liquid-based cytology (LBC) and cell block in effusion cytology and to confirm the utility of cell block. Methods: One hundred eighty-two samples of effusions were examined. Cell blocks were prepared from residual samples after LBC preparation, and the details about the diagnostic concordance and difference in cytological characteristics were investigated. Cell block immunostaining was performed to predict the histological type and the primary site of the carcinoma in 32 cases. ALK rearrangement and EGFR mutation were also analyzed using the cell block. Results: The diagnostic concordance rate between LBC and cell block was 97.3%. Diagnoses using LBC and cell block were mismatched in five cases. By immunostaining, the histological type was determined in 91.0% of carcinomas, and primary sites were identified in 76.5% of adenocarcinomas. ALK rearrangement was examined in two cases of lung carcinoma and EGFR mutation was examined in four cases of lung carcinoma. Conclusion: A high concordance rate between LBC and cell block in effusion cytology was found. The main cause of the mismatched diagnosis was the small amount of atypical cells in LBC or cell block. We also showed the utility of cell block in immunostaining and DNA analysis.journal articl
18F-FDG-PET/CT assessment of Takayasu arteritis and effect of time-of-flight reconstruction: an observational study
Get PDFBackground: To assess the impact of time-offlight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction on assessment of Takayasu arteritis (TKA). We reviewed 14 patients (15 cases) who underwent TOF-PET/CT. PET images were reconstructed using ordered-subsets expectation maximisation ±TOF. Uptake in 10 vascular regions was assessed in each case using the four-point visual grading system (3, higher than liver uptake; 0, no uptake). Grades in the TOF-PET/CT and non-TOF-PET/CT groups were compared using the sign test. Relationships between visual grade and arterial FDG uptake pattern in the 10 regions and clinical findings were assessed. Additionally, qualitative summary score (PETVAS) and maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) were compared between 2 groups using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: Except for the highest visual grade, the grades in all 150 regions were significantly higher in the TOF-PET/CT group (p=0.003). FDG uptake pattern and region were not significant determinants of the effect of TOF reconstruction. PETVAS and SUVmax were significantly higher in the TOFPET/CT group (p=0.02, p<0.001 respectively). Conclusions: Visual grades, PETVAS, and SUVmax were significantly higher when assessed by TOF-PET/CT. The use of the same reconstruction algorithm before and after treatment is recommended when evaluating the response to treatment.journal articl
Cluster analysis of patients with cough, mainly cough variant asthma, showing a good response to asthma therapy
Get PDFIntroduction: Cough variant asthma (CVA) and asthma account for a large proportion of patients with chronic cough. We used hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to characterize the phenotypes of patients with cough, mainly those with CVA, who showed a rapid response to asthma therapy, and sought to identify simple diagnostic markers. Methods: Patients who initially presented with cough as the main symptom were retrospectively enrolled. Those who were clinically diagnosed with asthma/CVA were selected and analyzed. HCA was performed and the patients were classified by phenotype. Results: HCA identified the five following phenotypes among the 221 participants: highly eosinophilic bronchitis [high fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) , n = 28]; atopic [high total serum IgE , n = 23]; non-atopic and non-eosinophilic [n = 104]; distal airway narrowing [low FEF75 (V ₂₅), n = 21] and severely atopic [extremely high total serum IgE and/or extreme high FeNO, n = 45]. No significant differences in long-term prognosis were found among the phenotypes. Discussion: Five phenotypes were identified among patients with cough who showed a rapid response to asthma treatment. Wheezing was observed in about 24% of patients, and abnormal FeNO or V₂₅ levels in about 30%.journal articl
Assessing blood donation applicant characteristics to optimize the promotion of apheresis
Get PDFFor effectively using blood products from a limited donor population, the promotion of apheresis donation should be emphasized more often. This study assessed the demographic data of apheresis applicants using blood donor data from the Japanese Red Cross Society.
We analyzed blood donor data (253,039 samples) to compare apheresis applicants and subjects who applied for and made whole-blood donations. There were significant differences between both groups, and among apheresis applicants, females were more numerous, as were “public servants” and “blood centers.” In terms of each fixed facility’s characteristics, the rate of applications was the highest for the “Tokai Hokuriku” region.
Due to the differences among facilities, we considered the possibility of facility-specific promotional activities. Such practices are helpful for continuous blood donation for those who may be deferred from donation.journal articl