Cross-regional survey of seasonal affective disorders in adults and high-school students in Japan

BACKGROUND: In Asian countries, there is no epidemiological report on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in different age groups and different geographic regions surveyed at the same time. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence rates of SAD and risk factors for SAD in adults and high-school students, with special reference to the difference of winter SAD between northern and southern regions in Japan. METHODS: A total of 3237 high-school students and 4858 workers living in Japan (31.3-43.5 degrees N) responded to this epidemiological survey using Japanese version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). RESULTS: The overall prevalence rates of winter SAD (subsyndromal winter SAD) and summer SAD (subsyndromal summer SAD) in high-school students were 0.91(2.21) and 0.81(2.57)%, respectively. In workers, these rates were 0.45(1.16) and 0.43(0.71)%, respectively. Although no regional difference was noted in high-school students with winter seasonal type, the estimated odds ratio of this type for northern workers was nearly 3-fold higher than the southern counterparts. The prevalence rates of each seasonal type were not significantly different between two sexes in both age groups. No clear dependence on latitude was seen with regard to summer SAD in both age groups. LIMITATIONS: The effect of climate on SAD could not be entirely excluded from geophysical factor as indexed by latitude. CONCLUSIONS: SAD was less common in adults than in high-school students. While latitude was a major determinant of winter type in adults, socio-cultural factors or other contributing factors might affect the development of this type in high-school students.     

Simultaneous determination of glycyrrhizin and liquiritin in licorice roots and Kampo medicines by combination enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using anti-glycyrrhizin and anti-liquiritin monoclonal antibodies

Immunoassay systems using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most useful techniques in the analytical, biochemical, and clinical fields. In this study, a combination enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using both anti-glycyrrhizin and anti-liquiritin mAbs (anti-GL/Liq mixture mAbs) was developed for quality control of licorice and its products. The combination ELISA demonstrated high sensitivity, reproducibility, and specificity for the total content of GL and Liq by a single assay. The developed ELISA was effective and useful as the first screening method in the selection of high-quality licorice from the Glycyrrhiza species and in confirming the quality of licorice-containing Kampo medicines.     

Enamel remineralization effect of a dentifrice containing calcium sodium phosphosilicate: an optical coherence tomography observation

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a dentifrice containing 5% calcium sodium phosphosilicate (CSP) on the remineralization of the enamel using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Materials and methods: Bovine incisors were sliced and shaped in a rectangular form. One group of five specimens was treated with undersaturated 0.1 M lactic acid buffer solution (pH 4.75) for 10?min and then placed in artificial saliva (pH 7.0) (De group). Other specimens were stored in solutions of toothpaste containing CSP for 10?min, followed by 10-min immersion in the lactic acid buffer solution twice a day before storage in artificial saliva (CSP group). An additional group was stored in only artificial saliva (control group). OCT imaging on the selected location of the enamel surface was performed. The peak intensity and width at 1/e² were recorded in each of the six areas on the sample and averaged, and the sample size of each group was six. The integrated value in units (dB?×?μm) was calculated in the area of peak intensity. The data for each group was subjected to one-way repeated-measures ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (α?=?0.05).

Results: The changes in integrated values of each group were different. A slight but significant increase in the integrated value was observed in the control group, whereas a slight but significant decrease in the value was observed the De group. Integrated values increased in the CSP group.

Conclusions: Remineralization occurred upon immersion in the toothpaste containing CSP.     

Prenatal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging depiction of a small sublingual ranula

Prenatal diagnosis of a congenital ranula has rarely been reported. We describe the case of a small ranula depicted on prenatal sonogram and magnetic resonance imaging, in which we could confirm the intact airway. Although the size of the ranula noted in our fetus was the smallest among the cases reported in the English literature, both of these imaging modalities clearly presented typical diagnostic features present on both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 2010     

KAPPA-TYPE LIGHT CHAIN CRYSTAL STORAGE HISTIOCYTOSIS

An autopsy case of systemic histiocytosis with excessive deposition of K-type light chain crystals was reported in a 58 year-old man who had consistently showed K-type light chain paraproteinemia, Bence Jones proteinuria and hypogammaglobulinemia for about 10 years until his death. However, no bony destruction was found by repeated X-ray examinations. At autopsy, extensive hyperplasia of crystal-storing histiocytes was observed in the bone marrow, spleen, liver, lymph nodes, interstitial tissues of visceral organs and loose connective tissues. In the bone marrow and some other tissues, mild proliferation of plasmocytoid cells containing small crystals were found, Histochemically the crystals positively stained with various methods for amino acids and proteins, especially with Weigerts'method for fibrin Ultra-structurally intralysosomal crystal deposition was confirmed in the storage histiocytes and derivation of the crystals from Golgi's sacculi in the plasmocytoid cells was suggested. Biochemically the crystals were regarded as mainly consisting of dimers of a variable half of light chain immunoglobulin and immunochemically and immunohistochemically reacted to anti- type light chain serum. Such a generalized storage histiocytosis may be secondarily induced by immunoglobulin synthesized in plasmocytoid cells.     

Comparison of α2-Macroglobulin Synthesis by Juvenile vs. Mature Rats after Identical Inflammatory Stimulation

Synthesis of α₂-macoglobulin (α2M) by 3-week-old juvenile rats was compared to that of mature 7- and 11-week-old rats. Serum concentrations of α2M, interleukin (IL)-6- and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC) for α2M was significantly different among the three groups. The synthesis of α2M increased in an age-dependent manner. No significant difference was observed for the AUC of IL-6, but that of CINC-1 in 3-week-old rats was significantly lower than that in 7- or 11-week-old rats. These results suggest that synthesis of α2M was increased in mature compared to juvenile rats, possibly due to differences in liver function. The maximum concentration of CINC-1 in 3-week-old rats was observed 6 h after turpentine oil injection. The serum concentrations of IL-6 and CINC-1 increased more quickly in juvenile rats than in mature rats after inflammatory stimulation.     

The immunohistochemical analysis of pendrin in the mouse inner ear

Pendred's syndrome (PS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by deafness and goiter, which are caused by mutations in the Pendred's syndrome gene (PDS). PDS encodes a membrane protein named pendrin that is considered to act as an anion transporter. An expression pattern of the PDS ortholog (Pds) mRNA in the auditory and vestibular systems has been reported in mice, and the localization of pendrin has been reported recently. We generated antipeptide antibodies against human pendrin, and performed immunohistochemical analysis of mouse inner ears. We detected pendrin in the endolymphatic duct and sac, and the utricle, saccule, and external sulcus. In the endolymphatic duct and sac, the expression of pendrin was apparent at the apical membrane. In addition, we detected pendrin in the spiral ligament, Claudius cells, Deiter's cells, and the spiral ganglion of the cochlea. Our results are key to defining the role of pendrin in inner ear development and elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms underlying deafness in PS.