Objectives: The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between occlusal function and body composition in 108 premenopausal healthy Japanese women aged 20−45 years. Methods: Pressure-sensitive sheets were used to measure occlusal function. Whole fat mass and lean mass, fat-free mass, and whole-bone mineral content were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results: After being adjusted for age and the square of height, the whole lean mass and grip strength of the large occlusal contact-area group were found to be significantly higher than those of the small occlusal area groups (p<0.05, respectively). In the 1-year follow-up study, changes in weight in the small-occlusal contact-area group and the low-occlusal force group were significantly larger than other occlusal-contact area or occlusal-force groups. The mean occlusal-contact area and occlusal force were both significantly smaller in subjects with partial dentures than in those without (p<0.05). Conclusion: Large occlusal contact-area, high occlusal force, and no dentures may be associated with some good health conditions in premenopausal Japanese women.
Japanese language ; Mass, NOS ; Body Composition ; Occlusal ; Function

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between peak bone mass and genetic and environmental factors. We measured whole-body bone mineral density (BMD), lumbar spine BMD, and radius BMD with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and analyzed eight genetic factors: vitamin D receptor (VDR)-3', VDR-5', estrogen receptor (ER), calcitonin receptor (CTR), parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OC), apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) allelic polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLPs). We also surveyed menstrual history, food intake, and history of physical activity using questionnaires. After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), current smoking status, current Ca intake, alcohol intake, menoxenia, and physical activity, the mean BMD in subjects with the HH/Hh genotype was significantly higher than that of subjects with the hh genotype for whole-body BMD (mean±SD, 1.20±0.10 vs. 1.18 ±0.09 g/cm2; HH/Hh vs. hh, p=0.04) and at lumbar spine BMD (mean±SD, 1.18±0.14 vs. 1.14±0.12 g/cm2; HH/Hh vs. hh, p=0.02) in OC allelic polymorphism. Furthermore, the results of multiple regression analyses taking the 8 genetic factors plus the 7 environmental factors listed above into account showed that the strongest factor contributing to BMD was BMI at any site (whole-body and lumbar BMD p<0.0001, radius BMD p=0.0029). In addition, OC polymorphism (p=0.0099), physical activity (p=0.0245), menoxenia (p=0.0384), and PTH polymorphism (p=0.0425) were independent determinants for whole-body BMD, and OC polymorphism (p=0.0137) and physical activity (p=0.0421) were independent determinants for lumbar BMD and radius BMD, respectively.
lower case pea ; Genetic ; degrees C ; Physical activity ; HH

In recent years, the knee extensor forces of athletes have usually been evaluated by measuring isokinetic output torque. The purpose of this study was to confirm the usefulness of normalizing the torque (force) -velocity curve and calculating the maximal power of knee extensor under isokinetic contraction.
Seventy two (46 elite, 26 non-elite) Japanese male sprinters were chosen as the subjects in this study. The peak torque of the dominant side of knee extensor was measured by using the isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex II⁺) in three different angular velocities of 60, 180, 300 deg/sec. Moreover, the isometric torque (0 deg/sec) was measured in 39 athletes, 120 and 240 deg/sec of contraction were performed in 12 out of 39 athletes.
The exponent equation (F = F_o× e^av- kv : Fenn 1935) was applied to normalize the torquevelocity curve without including the coefficient of viscosity (k) . The maximal power and its optimal velocity was presumed from this torque-velocity curve. The average of measured torque at 0 deg/sec contraction (F₀) was lower than that of 60 deg/sec, thereforeF₀was presumed as the same as the maximal power. Those parameters were not significantly different when calculated from 3 velocities (60, 180, 300 deg/sec) and 5 velocities (plus 120, 240 deg/sec) in 12 athletes. For this reason, each parameter was calculated from 3 velocities.
The maximal torque (F₀/BW) was the same between elite and non-elite group (4.0 Nm/kg) . Nevertheless, the coefficient of torque loss (a), maximal power and its optimal velocity were significantly different (-0.1586 : -0.1908, 9.6 : 7.8 watt/kg, 373: 309 deg/sec, respectively. P<0.01 Student-t) . It was said that to normalize the torque-velocity curve or to presume the maximal knee extension power and its optimal velocity were useful to assess the muscle function or the performance of athletes under isokinetic contraction.

Measurement of bone mass (BM), especially in the lumbar vertebrae, is very important for diagnosis of osteoporosis. In this study, we compared BM values measured by computed X-ray densitometry (CXD) with those by quantitative computed tomography (QCT), and discussed differences between the two methods.
The subjects were 90 women and 3 men, aged 42-86 years, who visited our outpatient department of osteoporosis. Metacarpal bone density (ΣGS/D) and metacarpal index (MCI) in the second metacarpal bone were measured by CXD. QCT was uesd for measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar trabecular bone, where pronounced osteoporotic changes occur early. The mineral values of L3 were expressed as mineral equivalent of CaCO³ in mg/ cm³, and≤75 mg/cm³ of L3 values were judged to be loss of lumbar BMD.
There were negative correlations between age and ΣGS/D, MCI or L3 value, and positive correlations were found between ΣGS/D or MCI and L3 value. Based on the above criterion of lumbar BMD loss, sensitivity and specificity of ΣGS/D for lumbar bone loss were examined. If ΣGS /D of 2.30 (T score -2.7) was used as the cut-off point, the sensitivity was 69.8% and the specificity was 75.0%, and if ΣGS/D of 2.37 (T score -2.3) and 2.40 (T score -2.1) were employed, the sensitivity was 79.1% and 79.1%, while the specificity was 64.5% and 62.5%, respectively. We concluded that BM values of cortical bone and trabecular bone decrease with age, and that sensitivity and specificity of GS/D for diagnosis of lumbar BMD loss are not very high.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tacrolimus is effective for refractory ulcerative colitis in adults, while data for children is sparse. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tacrolimus for induction and maintenance therapy in Japanese children with ulcerative colitis.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the multicenter survey data of 67 patients with ulcerative colitis aged < 17 years treated with tacrolimus between 2000 and 2012. Patients’ characteristics, disease activity, Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) score, initial oral tacrolimus dose, short-term (2-week) and long-term (1-year) outcomes, steroid-sparing effects, and adverse events were evaluated. Clinical remission was defined as a PUCAI score < 10; treatment response was defined as a PUCAI score reduction of ≥ 20 points compared with baseline.RESULTS: Patients included 35 boys and 32 girls (median [interquartile range] at admission: 13 [11–15] years). Thirty-nine patients were steroid-dependent and 26 were steroidrefractory; 20 had severe colitis and 43 had moderate colitis. The initial tacrolimus dose was 0.09 mg/kg/day (range, 0.05–0.12 mg/kg/day). The short-term clinical remission rate was 47.8%, and the clinical response rate was 37.3%. The mean prednisolone dose was reduced from 19.2 mg/day at tacrolimus initiation to 5.7 mg/day at week 8 (P< 0.001). The adverse event rate was 53.7%; 6 patients required discontinuation of tacrolimus therapy.CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus was a safe and effective second-line induction therapy for steroid-dependent and steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis in Japanese children.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biological Factors ; Child ; Colectomy ; Colitis ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Female ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; Japan ; Prednisolone ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Tacrolimus ; Ulcer

Background/Aims: There are few published registry studies from Asia on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Registry network data enable comparisons among ethnic groups. This study examined the characteristics of IBD in Japanese children and compared them with those in European children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter registry study of newly diagnosed Japanese pediatric IBD patients. The Paris classification was used to categorize IBD features, and results were compared with published EUROKIDS data. Results: A total of 265 pediatric IBD patients were initially registered, with 22 later excluded for having incomplete demographic data. For the analysis, 91 Crohn’s disease (CD), 146 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 6 IBD-unclassified cases were eligible. For age at diagnosis, 20.9% of CD, 21.9% of UC, and 83.3% of IBD-unclassified cases were diagnosed before age 10 years. For CD location, 18.7%, 13.2%, 64.8%, 47.3%, and 20.9% were classified as involving L1 (ileocecum), L2 (colon), L3 (ileocolon), L4a (esophagus/stomach/duodenum), and L4b (jejunum/proximal ileum), respectively. For UC extent, 76% were classified as E4 (pancolitis). For CD behavior, B1 (non-stricturingon-penetrating), B2 (stricturing), B3 (penetrating), and B2B3 were seen in 83.5%, 11.0%, 3.3%, and 2.2%, respectively. A comparison between Japanese and European children showed less L2 involvement (13.2% vs. 27.3%, P< 0.01) but more L4a (47.3% vs. 29.6%, P< 0.01) and L3 (64.8% vs. 52.7%, P< 0.05) involvement in Japanese CD children. Pediatric perianal CD was more prevalent in Japanese children (34.1% vs. 9.7%, P< 0.01). Conclusions Upper gastrointestinal and perianal CD lesions are more common in Japanese children than in European children.