BACKGROUND: Plastic resins are complex chemicals that contain toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and/or trimellitic anhydride (TMA), which cause occupational allergies (OA), including respiratory allergies. Serum IgGs against TDI and TMA have been suggested as potential markers of the exposure status and as exploring cause of OA. Although TDI-specific IgG has been examined for suspected OA, TMA-specific IgG is not commonly evaluated in a urethane foam factory. This study therefore investigated both TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in suspected OA patients and to evaluate the usefulness of the measurement of multiple chemical-specific IgG measurement for practical monitoring. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from two male workers who developed respiratory allergies supposedly caused by occupational exposure to TDI and/or TMA for the presence of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs. In addition, blood samples from 75 male workers from a urethane foam factory, along with 87 male control subjects, were collected in 2014 and tested for the same IgGs in 2014. The presence and levels of TDI- and TMA-specific serum IgGs were measured using dot blot assays. RESULTS: We found that controls had mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs of 0.98 and 2.10 μg/mL, respectively. In the two workers with respiratory allergies, the TDI-specific IgG concentrations were 15.6 and 9.51 μg/mL, and TMA-specific IgG concentrations were 4.56 and 14.4 μg/mL, which are clearly higher than those in controls. Mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in the factory workers were 1.89 and 2.41 μg/mL, respectively, and are significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.026 for TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs, respectively). CONCLUSION The workers suspected of OA showed an evidently high level of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG, and these levels in workers at the urethane foam factory were also significantly higher than those in controls. In conclusion, the measurement of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG among workers using plastic resins is helpful to monitor their exposure status.
Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; adverse effects ; immunology ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; immunology ; Japan ; Male ; Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities ; statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Phthalic Anhydrides ; immunology ; toxicity ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; blood ; chemically induced ; Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate ; immunology ; toxicity ; Workforce

PURPOSE: Although the technical developments of radiotherapy have been remarkable, there are currently few reports on the treatment results of radiotherapy for local recurrence of rectal cancer treated with surgery alone as initial treatment in this three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy era. Thus, we retrospectively evaluated the treatment results of radiotherapy for local recurrence of rectal cancer treated with surgery alone as the initial treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients who underwent radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. The dose per fraction was 2.0–3.5 Gy. Because the treatment schedule was variable, the biological effective dose (BED) was calculated. RESULTS: Local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) rates from the completion of radiotherapy were calculated. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year LC rates were 51.5%, 24.5%, 19.6%, 19.6%, and 13.1%, respectively. LC rates were significantly higher for the high BED group (≥75 Gy10) than for the lower BED group (<75 Gy10). All patients who reported pain achieved pain relief. The duration of pain relief was significantly higher for the high BED group than for the lower BED group. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year OS rates were 82.6%, 56.5%, 45.2%, 38.7%, and 23.2%, respectively. There was a trend toward higher OS rates in with higher BED group compared to lower BED group. CONCLUSION: For patients with unresectable locally recurrent rectal cancer treated with surgery alone, radiotherapy is effective treatment. The prescribed BED should be more than 75 Gy10, if the dose to the organ at risk is within acceptable levels.
Appointments and Schedules ; Humans ; Radiotherapy* ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Few studies are available that have investigated the risk factors for overlapping irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms in patients with inactive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The present study has 3 objectives: (1) to assess the prevalence of IBS-like symptoms in Japanese patients with inactive IBD using Rome III criteria, (2) to examine the relationship of IBS-like symptoms to health related quality of life (HR-QOL), and (3) to investigate associations for developing IBS-like symptoms in patients with inactive IBD. METHODS: IBS-like symptoms were evaluated using the Rome III questionnaire for functional gastrointestinal disorders. HR-QOL and hospital anxiety and depression scale were evaluated. RESULTS: IBS-like symptoms were found in 17.5% (7/40) of patients with inactive ulcerative colitis, 27.1% (29/107) of patients with inactive Crohn’s disease (CD), and 5.3% (23/438) of healthy control subjects. The QOL level was significantly lower and anxiety score was significantly higher in inactive CD patients with IBS-like symptoms than in those without such symptoms (P = 0.003, P = 0.009). Use of anti-anxiety drugs was associated with the presence of IBS symptoms (P = 0.045). HR-QOL score was lower and anxiety score was higher in patients with inactive ulcerative colitis, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of IBS-like symptoms in inactive IBD patients was significantly higher than in healthy controls. Inactive CD patients with IBS-like symptoms has low QOL and anxiety; suggesting that anxiety may be associated with symptom development in such patients.
Anti-Anxiety Agents ; Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Depression ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Prevalence* ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Repeated application of whole-body periodic acceleration (WBPA) upregulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase and improves brachial artery endothelial function (BAEF) as assessed by measurement of flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD). However, the acute effect of a single application of WBPA on BAEF has not been fully characterized. In addition, although a novel semi-automatic vessel chasing system (UNEXEF18G) has now been developed in Japan, the direct comparison of UNEXEF18G with a conventional method for FMD measures has not been conducted even if UNEXEF18G has already been utilized in a relatively large scale study. METHODS: We have developed a novel semi-automatic vessel chasing system (UNEXEF18G) that can measure FMD on-line, identify time to peak vasodilatation (TPV), and determine the area under the vasodilatation curve (AUC). Thus, 45 min of WBPA was applied in 20 healthy volunteers (age, 34 +/- 13 years), and BAEF was measured by UNEXEF18G before and after WBPA. Also, UNEXEF18G measured FMD was compared with those of a conventional FMD measurement method at rest in order to validate a novel UNEXEF18G measured FMD. RESULTS: Single WBPA resulted in a significant increase in FMD (from 6.4 +/- 3.4 to 10.7 +/- 4.3%, p < 0.01), a significant decrease in TPV and a significant increase in AUC. In the validation study for UNEXEF18G, Bland and Altman analysis showed that UNEXEF18G measured FMD was almost identical to those of the conventional method at rest. CONCLUSION: These data suggest the usefulness of a new UNEXEF18G and that single application of WBPA results in acute improvement in BAEF in humans.
Acceleration* ; Area Under Curve ; Brachial Artery ; Humans ; Japan ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Vasodilation*

The crude drug Aconite Root (bushi in Japanese) contains toxic compounds called bushi diester alkaloids(BDA), and the raw material with high BDA content has been considered suitable for processing into prepared bushi. Moreover, processing methods and an upper BDA content limit are prescribed in the 16th edition of Japanese Pharmacopoeia. In this study, we closely examined descriptions of high quality bushi in ancient herbal literature, and elucidated the relationship between bushi forms and BDA contents. The results showed that large-sized bushi with enlarged rootlets called “horns” (tsuno in Japanese) were considered higher quality, and the horns and the root tops (hozo in Japanese) were cut off when used as bushi. Meanwhile, chemical studies have shown that larger bushi contains less BDA, and the root tops and the horns contain more BDA than the root body. These results suggest that selecting larger roots and cutting off the more potent parts were processes for reducing BDA. Therefore we conclude that consistently less toxic bushi was considered a higher quality product in ancient times.

The purpose of this case report was to report a rare case of pyogenic spondylodiscitis caused by Campylobacter fetus. A 37-year-old male presented with fever and low back pain. By lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), no abnormal finding was observed at the first presentation. However, low back pain was aggravated, and fever did not improve. Thus, lumbar MRI was repeated on the 26 day after the onset of symptoms, showing abnormal signals at vertebrae and disc spaces, and pyogenic spondylitis was diagnosed. The possibility of pyogenic spondylodiscitis should be taken into account if a patient presents with low back pain and fever, and areas of low signal intensity on a T1-weighted MRI should be carefully examined. When initial MRI does not reveal abnormal findings, repeated MRI after one or two weeks or, more favorably, immediate gadolinium enhancement MRI, are important for patients who have persistent low back pain and fever.
Adult ; Campylobacter ; Campylobacter fetus ; Discitis ; Early Diagnosis ; Fever ; Gadolinium ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Male ; Spine ; Spondylitis

The development of clinically applicable scaffolds is important for the application of cell transplantation in various human diseases. The aims of this study are to evaluate fibrin glue in a novel protein replacement therapy using proliferative adipocytes and to develop a mouse model system to monitor the delivery of the transgene product into the blood and the fate of the transduced cells after transplantation. Proliferative adipocytes from mouse adipose tissue were transduced by a retroviral vector harboring the human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (lcat) gene, and were subcutaneously transplanted into mice combined with fibrin glue. The lcat gene transduction efficiency and the subsequent secretion of the product in mouse adipocytes were enhanced using a protamine concentration of 500 microg/ml. Adipogenesis induction did not significantly affect the lcat gene-transduced cell survival after transplantation. Immunohistochemistry showed the ectopic enzyme production to persist for 28 days in the subcutaneously transplanted gene-transduced adipocytes. The increased viability of transplanted cells with fibrin glue was accompanied with the decrease in apoptotic cell death. The immunodetectable serum LCAT levels in mice implanted with the fibrin glue were comparable with those observed in mice implanted with Matrigel, indicating that the transplanted lcat gene-transduced adipocytes survived and functioned in the transplanted spaces with fibrin glue as well as with Matrigel for 28 days. Thus, this in vivo system using fibrin is expected to serve as a good model to further improve the transplanted cell/scaffold conditions for the stable and durable cell-based replacement of defective proteins in patients with LCAT deficiency.
Adipocytes/*cytology/transplantation ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen/metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive/*administration & dosage ; Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage ; Humans ; Laminin/metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Nude ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase/*genetics/*metabolism ; Proteoglycans/metabolism ; RNA, Messenger/genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; *Tissue Engineering