hiki yoshiyuki

Amyloid beta proteins (Aβ) in the brain are the main cause of Alzheimer's disease. Peripheral administration of Aβ-binding substances, which may act as a sink for Aβ from the brain, has been reported to reduce brain Aβ. We previously found C16-cellulose beads had high Aβ-removal activity in vitro. In this study, we investigated the optimum surface properties of adsorbents for removal of Aβ in vitro and in humans. Batch analysis was performed with porous cellulose beads or silica beads with or without 2-22 methylene groups. Aβ-removal activity of C16-cellulose beads increased with increasing alkyl chain length. In contrast, with cellulose the amount of Aβ removed by the silica beads decreased with increasing alkyl chain length. Cellulose beads with 16 or 22 methylene groups were best (over 99 % removal) among all the beads tested (p ≤ 0.01). The adsorbent surfaces were analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy, which revealed that the optimum beads had a sufficiently hydrophobic surface with an appropriate amount of adsorbed water accessible on the surface. Aβ removal efficiency by C16-cellulose beads was investigated for 5 renal failure patients on hemodialysis, resulting in 51.1 ± 6.6 % for Aβ1-40 and 43.8 ± 4.5 % for Aβ1-42 (p ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, cellulose beads with 16 or 22 methylene groups and an appropriate amount of adsorbed water were the optimum Aβ adsorbents. The device with C16-cellulose beads had high Aβ removal activity in humans. These adsorbents might be useful for Alzheimer's disease therapy. © 2012 The Japanese Society for Artificial Organs.

To clarify the therapeutic impact of tonsillectomy and combined therapies of tonsillectomy plus steroid on the long-term prognosis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). A retrospective study was conducted on 208 patients with IgAN between 1986 and 2009. According to the strategies for treatments, patients were divided into four groups: tonsillectomy and steroid pulse (TSP, n = 47), tonsillectomy and oral steroid (TOS, n = 33), tonsillectomy alone (T, n = 56), and N group (no particular therapy, n = 72). Multivariate analysis based on the Cox's regression model was used to assess the relative risk of reaching the outcome of doubling creatinine based on the influence of baseline prognostic factors. The mean observation periods were 53.8 months in the TSP group, 122.0 months in the TOS group, 102.9 months in the T group, and 84.6 months in the N group. During an observation period, serum creatinine levels doubled as follows: one in the TSP group (2.1 %), two in the TOS group (6.1 %), five in the T group (8.9 %), histological severity, and 22 in the N group (30.6 %). The Cox's regression proportional hazard model showed that gender, age, histological activity, dialysis induction risk and therapy were associated with doubling creatinine levels. Hazard ratios (95 % CI) and (P value) in T, TOS, and TSP groups versus N were 0.314 (0.11-0.93, P = 0.037), 0.213 (0.04-1.10, P = 0.065), and 0.032 (0.00-0.28, P = 0.002), respectively. A combination therapy of tonsillectomy and steroid pulse had the most significant therapeutic impact compared to other therapies.

The pathological changes of Alzheimer's disease include the deposition of amyloid beta protein (A beta) as senile plaques in the brain. We hypothesized that the rapid removal of A beta s from the blood may act as a peripheral A beta drainage sink from the brain. In this study, the plasma A beta concentrations and the cognitive functions were investigated for in 57 patients on hemodailysis (69.4 +/- A 3.8 years), 26 renal-failure patients without hemodialysis (66.6 +/- 14.7 years), and 17 age-matched healthy controls (66.6 +/- 4.1 years). The concentrations of plasma A beta s increased along with the decline of renal functions. Moreover, the renal-failure patients without hemodialysis and with poorer renal functions showed lower cognitive functions. The plasma concentrations of A beta(1-42) correlated with serum creatinine (P < 0.001) and Mini-Mental-State Examination scores (P = 0.017). The dialyzers effectively removed A beta s in the blood during hemodialysis sessions. The plasma A beta concentrations showed steady or slightly decreasing along with duration of hemodialysis. The total amount of A beta s removed during a hemodialysis session was calculated to be comparable to the A beta s dissolved in the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid. The MMSE scores of the hemodialysis patients showed no clear decrease in longer hemodialysis duration. Therefore, the therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease by removing A beta s from the blood is worthy of further investigation, including whether or not A beta s in the brain decrease.

Kidneys are enlarged by aberrant proliferation of tubule epithelial cells leading to the formation of numerous cysts, nephron loss, and interstitial fibrosis in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Pioglitazone (PIO), a PPAR-gamma agonist, decreased cell proliferation, interstitial fibrosis, and inflammation, and ameliorated PKD progression in PCK rats (Am. J. Physiol.-Renal, 2011). To explore genetic mechanisms involved, changes in global gene expression were analyzed. By Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of 30655 genes, 13 of the top 20 downregulated gene ontology biological process gene sets and six of the top 20 curated gene set canonical pathways identified to be downregulated by PIOtreatment were related to cell cycle and proliferation, including EGF, PDGF and JNK pathways. Their relevant pathways were identified using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes database. Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 is a key enzyme in fatty acid metabolism found in the top 5 genes downregulated by PIO treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the gene product of this enzyme was highly expressed in PCK kidneys and decreased by PIO. These data show that PIO alters the expression of genes involved in cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, and fatty acid metabolism.

Yoshihara D, Kurahashi H, Morita M, Kugita M, Hiki Y, Aukema HM, Yamaguchi T, Calvet JP, Wallace DP, Nagao S. PPAR-gamma agonist ameliorates kidney and liver disease in an orthologous rat model of human autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 300: F465-F474, 2011. First published December 8, 2010; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00460.2010.-In autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), progressive enlargement of fluid-filled cysts is due to aberrant proliferation of tubule epithelial cells and transepithelial fluid secretion leading to extensive nephron loss and interstitial fibrosis. Congenital hepatic fibrosis associated with biliary cysts/dilatations is the most common extrarenal manifestation in ARPKD and can lead to massive liver enlargement. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma), a member of the ligand-dependent nuclear receptor superfamily, is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the kidneys and liver, and plays important roles in cell proliferation, fibrosis, and inflammation. In the current study, we determined that pioglitazone (PIO), a PPAR-gamma agonist, decreases polycystic kidney and liver disease progression in the polycystic kidney rat, an orthologous model of human ARPKD. Daily treatment with 10 mg/kg PIO for 16 wk decreased kidney weight (% of body weight), renal cystic area, serum urea nitrogen, and the number of Ki67-, pERK1/2-, and pS6-positive cells in the kidney. There was also a decrease in liver weight (% of body weight), liver cystic area, fibrotic index, and the number of Ki67-, pERK1/2-, pERK5-, and TGF-beta-positive cells in the liver. Taken together, these data suggest that PIO inhibits the progression of polycystic kidney and liver disease in a model of human ARPKD by inhibiting cell proliferation and fibrosis. These findings suggest that PPAR-gamma agonists may have therapeutic value in the treatment of the renal and hepatic manifestations of ARPKD.

Aggressive removal of circulating free light chains (FLC) by blood purification accompanied by chemotherapy is a promising approach for the treatment of acute renal failure due to myeloma cast nephropathy. Plasma exchange has been performed to remove serum FLC; in order to examine an alternative strategy we performed hemodiafiltration using protein-leaking dialyzers for the treatment of dialysis-dependent acute renal failure due to myeloma cast nephropathy. In the first case with kappa-light chain cast nephropathy, the pre-treatment serum creatinine was 9.65 mg/dL, and the serum kappa-FLC was 27 100 mg/L. Plasma exchange or hemodiafiltration was performed from Monday to Friday during the first several weeks. Chemotherapy was started with high-dose dexamethasone and then switched to bortezomib plus dexamethasone. The mean removal rates of kappa-FLC were 45.8% (one plasma volume) and 66.9% (one-and-a-half plasma volumes) by plasma exchange. The removal rates of kappa-FLC by hemodiafiltration (66.9%, FB210UH beta; 71.6%, PES210D alpha; 75.2%, FXS220) were comparable to those by plasma exchange. In the second case with lambda-light chain cast nephropathy, the pre-treatment serum creatinine was 4.14 mg/dL, and the serum lambda-FLC was 4140 mg/L. The mean removal rates of lambda-FLC were 60.2% (FXS140) and 64.2% (FB210UH beta) by hemodiafiltration. Both cases became dialysis-independent. The combination of an intense blood purification regimen and bortezomib plus dexamethasone therapy appears to be an efficient approach to renal recovery. Hemodiafiltration using protein-leaking dialyzers could become an alternative to plasma exchange as a method of removing FLC.

Aberrant O-glycosylation of serum and tonsillar IgA1 is one of the main pathogeneses of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). However, the synthesis of underglycosylated IgA1 in tonsils has not yet been characterized. This study examined tonsillar B lymphocytes of IgAN (n=34) using tonsils derived from patients with chronic tonsillitis (n=24) and sleep apnea syndrome (n=14) as a control. Gene expression of beta 1,3-galactosyltransferase (beta GalT), and the core 1 beta 3GalT-specific molecular chaperone, Cosmc, UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosamine: polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase 2, were significantly decreased in tonsillar CD19-positive B lymphocytes from IgAN patients compared to control tonsillar tissues as determined by real-time RT-PCR. Tonsillar B cell beta 3GalT gene expression significantly correlated with estimated GFR and negatively correlated with proteinuria and histological injury score. Western blotting showed the protein expression of beta 3GalT in the tonsils to significantly decrease in IgAN in comparison to the controls. These data suggest the downregulation of beta 3GalT in tonsillar B lymphocytes to be closely associated with,the clinical characteristics of IgAN. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background: Although many reports have described the abnormal structures of O-glycan in the IgA1 hinge region in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the specific glycopeptide that can be used as a diagnostic biomarker for IgAN has not yet been identified. To pursue this diagnostic approach, we used mass spectrometric analysis to search for specific structures in IgA1 hinge glycopeptides in 30 IgAN patients contrasted with 30 healthy controls. Method: IgA1 hinge glycopeptides were individually purified from the sera of 30 biopsy-proven IgAN patients and 30 healthy controls. The structure of each glycopeptide was analyzed by ion trap mass spectrometry. Sugar conformations in each glycopeptide were estimated by collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. Furthermore, to search for specific O-glycans in IgAN patients with a statistical significance, the identified hinge glycopeptides were analyzed by Fisher exact test. Result: A total of 57 hinge glycopeptides were identified from each of the 2 sample groups. Among the structures of the hinge glycopeptides identified, statistical significance was found for 6 glycopeptides (O-glycan compositions were 33-mer hinge core peptides + xGalNAc + yGal + zNeu5Ac; x:y:z = 5:3:3, 5:3:0, 5:2:1, 4:2:2, 3:1:1, 3:1:0) by Fisher exact test (p<0.05). In these 6 O-glycan compositions, 3 compositions (x:y:z = 4:2:2, 3:1:1, 3:1:0) were only observed in IgAN patients and were absent in the 30 controls. Conclusion: Statistically specific O-glycans were identified in 30 IgAN patients compared with 30 controls. These results open the possibility for preparation of lectin and/or antibodies binding to specific glycopeptides in IgAN.

Primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) has been regarded as an immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis characterized immunohistologically by the predominant deposition of IgA in the glomerular mesangial area with a variety of histopathologic injuries (Clarkson et al. in Ann Rev Med 38:157-168, 1987). In 1992, the characteristic structure of O-linked oligosaccharides (O-glycans) in the IgA1 hinge and its possible aberrancy were simultaneously and independently proposed by Mesteckey et al. (Cont Nephrol 104:172-182, 1993), and our group (Cont Nephrol 104:217, 1993) at the International Congress of Nephrology (IgA Nephropathy 25th year) held in Nancy, France. Since then, the aberrancy has been confirmed by several research groups and is suspected to play a role in the occurrence and/or the progression of IgAN. At the end of the 1980s, I took an interest in the existence of O-glycans in the hinge region of IgA1 and have pursued the structure of the carbohydrate chains. Since an excellent review on the structure and the role of the carbohydrate in IgA molecules was recently published by Narita et al. (Clin Ex Nephrol 12:332-338, 2008), this review focuses on the process by which I developed the idea of aberrant O-glycosylation in IgA1 molecules in IgAN patients and summarizes our recent observations concerning IgA1 molecules.

Ten genetically modified Maackia amurensis hemagglutinin (MAH) clones at the carbohydrate-recognition loop were found to bind glycophorin A and a mucin mimetic with NeuAc(12-3GaI beta 1 -3GaINAc alpha( (monosialyl-T antigen) in different relative intensity. Binding profiles of these lectins to human serum IgA1 from healthy individuals and from IgA nephropathy patients were subjected to the cluster analysis. Two large groups, one with only healthy individuals and another with all IgA nephropathy patients, were generated. The results strongly suggest that the library of genetically modified MAH is a useful tool for serum diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.

Background/Aims: To clarify the clinical significance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors in patients with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, we evaluated the cell surface expression of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2). Patients and Methods: 43 patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis, 16 patients with chronic renal failure, 10 patients with sepsis, 15 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and 18 healthy controls were enrolled in this study, and the surface expression levels of TNFR1, TNFR2, CD63, and CD64 on granulocytes were assessed. In 21 patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis, soluble TNFR1 (sTNFR1), soluble TNFR2 (sTNFR2), and TNF-alpha in the serum were also measured. Results: The surface expression levels of TNFR1 and TNFR2 on granulocytes were significantly higher in patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis than in the healthy controls, and positively correlated with the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS). The levels of sTNFR1, sTNFR2, and TNF-alpha in the serum were also significantly higher in patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis than in the healthy controls. Serum levels of sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 correlated with serum creatinine, while the surface expression of TNFR1 and TNFR2 on the granulocytes did not. There was no significant correlation between the BVAS and CD63 or BVAS and CD64. Conclusion: The surface expression levels of TNFR1 and TNFR2 on granulocytes were upregulated in patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis and reflected disease activity. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel