Goro Mimura

Fish Intake and Cardiovascular Risk Among Middle-Aged Japanese in Japan and Brazil:

Background Studies of immigrant populations are useful for analysis of the effects of environmental factors on cardiovascular disease. We have examined the association between dietary habit of fish intake and cardiovascular risk. Methods Population-based samples of 433 middle-aged Japanese men and women in Japan (Shimane (group JS) and Okinawa (group JO)) and 269 Japanese immigrants in Brazil (Sao Paulo (group BS) and Campo Grande (group BC)), who had originally moved to Brazil mainly from Shimane and Okinawa, were recruited to the study. They underwent blood pressure measurement, 24-h urine collection, blood tests and electrocardiographic examination, and completed a dietary questionnaire. Results There was a significant gradient through the groups, from JS to JO, BS and BC with respect to the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, increased glycohaemoglobin concentrations and ST-T segment change on the electrocardiogram (prevalences for men and women combined: Group JS 2.0%, group JO 3.8%, group BS 3.9% and group BC 9.0%; P< 0.025). The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was noted more frequently in groups BS and BC. Twenty-four-hour urinary taurine excretion in both sexes and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PU FA) in plasma phospholipids in men were significantly higher in groups JS and JO than in groups BS and BC. A striking negative gradient in the frequency of fish intake per week was found from group JS (men/women, 4.7/4.8) to groups JO (3.8/3.6), BS (1.9/1.6) and BC (0.5/0.5). Conclusions This study suggests a possible association between fish intake and reduced cardiovascular risk, through the beneficial effects of taurine and n-3 PU FA and a habitual low intake of calories and fat.

Immunogenetics of early-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus among the Japanese: HLA, Gm, BF, GLO, and organ-specific autoantibodies — the J.D.S. study

The Japan Diabetes Society (JDS) conducted a multicenter study on the immunogenetics of early-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) of the Japanese. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA), properdin factor B (BF), immunoglobulin heavy-chain complex (Gm), and glyoxalase of erythrocytes (GLO) were typed, and organ-specific autoantibodies, including islet cell antibody (ICA), were assayed in 159 Japanese IDDM patients and their family members and in 258 healthy Japanese controls. The HLA-DRw9 phenotype and HLA-Bw61/DRw9 haplotype were significantly increased among the patients with autoantibodies other than ICA but with no autoimmune diseases (RR = 5.84, cP less than 0.001; and RR = 7.45, P less than 0.001), whereas the HLA-DR4 phenotype and HLA-Bw54/DR4 haplotype were significantly increased in those without either the autoantibodies or autoimmune diseases (RR = 2.64, cP less than 0.001; and RR = 4.55, P less than 0.001). The HLA-DR4 phenotype was significantly increased in the patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases (RR = 6.21, cP less than 0.05). In all groups of patients, the HLA-DR2 phenotype was significantly decreased, and the relative risk of the HLA-DRw9/DR4 genotype was highest among all HLA-DR genotypes. No significant association was found between HLA type and the duration or incidence of ICA. Gm types of g and gft were significantly increased in the patients with the autoantibodies (RR = 2.11, P less than 0.05; and RR = 34.11, P less than 0.05), whereas the BF-F phenotype was significantly decreased in the patients either with or without autoantibodies (RR = 0.43, P less than 0.05; and RR = 0.46, P less than 0.05). There was no association between IDDM and GLO type. These data indicate that immunogenetic bases underlying IDDM of the Japanese are heterogeneous, as are those in Caucasians.

ICA and organ-specific autoantibodies among Japanese patients with early-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus--the JDS study.

The Japan Diabetes Society (JDS) conducted a multicenter study on the immunogenetics of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) among Japanese. The previous report of the JDS study described HLA types and other immunogenetic markers in Japanese patients with IDDM. In the present report, the autoimmunity of Japanese patients was studied by measuring ICA and other organ-specific autoantibodies in patients with different durations of IDDM. The prevalences of ICA were the highest in the first year after diagnosis (73.1%) and decreased to 58.0%, 18.3% and 2.8% in 1-5 years, 5-10 years and 10 years or more after diagnosis, respectively (P < 0.01), while the prevalences of the other organ specific autoantibodies increased gradually with duration of IDDM from 20% in the first year to 35% in 10 years or more after diagnosis (P < 0.05). There were no sex differences in the prevalences of ICA but those of other organ-specific autoantibodies were significantly higher in female patients than in male patients (P < 0.01). The prevalence of ICA was not correlated with sex, age at onset or HLA types. In one of the subjects, a girl, the titers of ICA increased in parallel with a decrease in insulin secretion before the development of overt IDDM and declined thereafter. These findings suggest that IDDM might develop when the autoimmunity specific to pancreatic islets is triggered in people with underlying autoimmunity as shown by the presence of organ-specific autoantibodies other than ICA.

Immune responses and serum levels of cytokines in adult T-cell leukemia patients and human T-cell leukemia virus type-I carriers

Abstract: To find predictive parameters for development and progression of adult T‐cell leukemia (ATL) in human T‐cell leukemia virus type‐I (HTLV‐I) carriers, we investigated cellular immune responses such as mitogenic responses and natural killer activity of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). And serum or plasma levels of cytokines, including tumor‐necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP), were also measured in patients with ATL, healthy HTLV‐I carriers and healthy HTLV‐I non‐carriers as controls. Results are as follows:

Effects of Beta-Adrenoceptor Blocking Agents on Myocardium Isolated from Experimentally Diabetic Rats

It is well known that patients with diabetes mellitus are frequently associated with atherosclerotic diseases such as hypertension and/or ischemic heart diseases (1–4). Recently, there are reports that some cases with diabetic cardiomyopathy have no obvious genesis but are accompanied with chronic congestive heart failure (5,6). In experimentally diabetic animals, it has been noted that chronotropic and inotropic actions of beta-adrenoceptor stimulating agents (beta agonists) diminished in isolated myocardium (7–9), and concomitant decrease in the number of beta-adrenoceptor might be responsible for these reduced myocardial functions (7–9). On the other hand, beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents (beta blockers) have generally been used for the therapy of hypertension and/or ischemic heart diseases accompanied with diabetes mellitus (10,11). When beta blockers are administered to patients with diabetic mellitus, their influences on lipids metabolism, hypoglycemia and/or secretion of insulin have been taken into account (12,13), but this is not the case with respect to myocardial function. If the decrease in the number of beta adrenoceptor is related to reduced myocardial function, then great attention must be paid to the use of beta blockers in diabetic patients. In the present study, therefore, to evaluate experimentally the influence of beta-blockers on diabetic myocardium, effects of propranolol with beta1 and beta2 adrenoceptor blocking activity as a standard beta blocker, and atenolol with beta1 adrenoceptor blocking activity as a cardioselective beta blocker on isoproterenol-induced responses of both atrial and papillary muscles isolated from experimentally diabetic rats were examined.

Effects of Autonomic Agents on Isolated and Perfused Hearts of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Although it has been reported that myocardial contractility is reduced in diabetic animals (1–6), very little is known about cardiac responses to administered adrenergic and cholinergic agents. The present study, therefore, was designed to investigate the myocardial contractile response of perfused hearts isolated from experimental diabetic rats and insulin-treated diabetic rats to adrenergic and cholinergic agents.

Long term prognosis : Juvenile onset IDDM in Japan

The incidence of IDDM in children in Japan was found to be approximately 6 out of 100,000 in the child population of 6 to 15 years old. This prevalence is very low compared with those in Caucasian countries. Therefore, the history of management of childhood diabetes in Japan is short compared with that of western countries. Three studies which were carried out in Japan are reported and discussed in this report. The complications and prognosis of Type-I Diabetes in Japan concluded as follows.1)The long-term outcome of childhood diabetes was very poor.2)The prevalence of microvascular complications were strongly related to the age of patients and the duration of diabetes.3)The prevalence of retinopathy was dependent on the degree of diabetic control. But now, in Japan, we are using the intensive insulin therapy universally for childhood diabetes, and during recent ten years, the management and education of patients progressed rapidly. Therefore, the prognosis of childhood diabetes in Japan will improve.