Tetsuya Takakuwa

Fas (Apo-1/CD95) is a cell-surface receptor involved in cell death signaling through binding of Fas ligand. Mutation of the Fas gene results in accumulation of lymphoid cells and thus might contribute to lymphomagenesis. Thyroid lymphoma (TL) is supposed to arise from active lymphoid cells formed in the preceding autoimmune chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLTH). We examined the open reading frame of Fas cDNA in 11 cases of CLTH and 26 cases of TL. These patients were admitted to the hospital wi

Drastic changes occur during the formation of the intestinal loop (IL), including elongation, physiological umbilical herniation (PUH), and midgut rotation. Fifty-four sets of magnetic resonance images of embryos between Carnegie stage (CS) 14 and CS 23 were used to reconstruct embryonic digestive tract in three dimensions in the Amira program. Elongation, PUH, and rotation were quantified in relation to the proximal part of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), designated as the origin. Up to C

The involvement of CD14 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) recognition and signaling has been demonstrated in several studies. For this reason, we investigated whether the resistance of Lpsd mice to LPS might be related to an impaired CD14 expression. We compared the in vivo and in vitro expression of CD14 in Lpsn (LPS sensitive) and Lpsd mice, and its modulation by LPS, killed gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and double-stranded (ds)RNA. Untreated Lpsn and Lpsd cultured macrophages (M phi), ex

To investigate the roles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and thrombomodulin (TM) in the plasma of patients with sepsis, plasma levels of endotoxin (Et), TNF-alpha, ET-1 and TM were determined in 30 such patients. Plasma levels of Et, TNF-alpha, ET-1 and TM at the time sepsis was diagnosed were 4.0 +/- 6.7 pg/ml, 98.5 +/- 92.1 pg/ml, 7.0 +/- 4.1 pg/ml and 7.8 +/- 3.3 ng/ml, respectively. There was no significant difference in the plasma Et level between the group o

Transfer of genetic information during mitosis is accurately conducted by proper condensation and segregation of chromosomes, for which condensins play a central role. Both condensin I and II have common structural maintenance of chromosomes subunits, named hCAP-C and hCAP-E. Pyothorax-associated lymphoma (PAL) is a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma developing in the pleural cavity of patients with long-standing pyothorax. Mutations of hCAP-C and hCAP-E were investigated in 24 leukemia-lymphoma cell lines

A 21-year-old man developed signs of brainstem damage after being injured while playing rugby. Cervical x-ray films showed os odontoideum, and angiography revealed persistent occlusion of the right vertebral artery at the level of the second cervical spine. These findings indicated that atlantoaxial dislocation caused by os odontoideum may have induced vertebral artery occlusion, leading to brainstem infarction.

This study examined the external morphology and morphometry of the human embryonic inner ear membranous labyrinth and documented its three-dimensional position in the developing embryo using phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 27 samples between Carnegie stage (CS) 17 and the postembryonic phase during trimester 1 (approximately 6-10 weeks after fertilization) were included. The otic vesicle elongated along the dorso-ventral axis and differentiated

The three-dimensional dynamics and morphology of the human embryonic brain have not been previously analyzed using modern imaging techniques. The morphogenesis of the cerebral vesicles and ventricles was analyzed using images derived from human embryo specimens from the Kyoto Collection, which were acquired with a magnetic resonance microscope equipped with a 2.35-T superconducting magnet. A total of 101 embryos between Carnegie stages (CS) 13 and 23, without apparent morphological damage or tor

Malignant lymphoma frequently develops in the pleural cavity of patients with over 20 years' history of pyothorax. The term pyothorax-associated lymphoma (PAL) has been proposed for this type of tumor. We established four novel lymphoma cell lines (OPL-3, -4, -5, and -7) from four patients with PAL. Characteristics of the four cell lines are as follows: B-cell nature with defective expression of B-cell and T-cell surface antigens, monoclonal pattern of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in lymph

The present study aimed to better characterize the morphogenesis of the femur from the embryonic to the early fetal periods. Sixty-two human fetal specimens (crown-rump length [CRL] range: 11.4-185 mm) from the Kyoto Collection were used for this study. The morphogenesis and internal differentiation process of the femur were analyzed in 3D using phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The cartilaginous femur was first observed at Carnegie stage 18. Major anatomic

A classical study has revealed the general growth of the bronchial tree and its variations up to Carnegie stage (CS) 19. In the present study, we extended the morphological analysis CS by CS until the end of the embryonic period (CS23). A total of 48 samples between CS15 and CS23 belonging to the Kyoto Collection were used to acquire imaging data by performing phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography. Three-dimensionally reconstructed bronchial trees revealed the timeline of morphogenesis during