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Th17 cells are key players in defense against pathogens and maintaining tissue homeostasis, but also act as critical drivers of autoimmune diseases. Based on single-cell RNA-seq profiling of pathogenic versus nonpathogenic Th17 cells, we identified protein C receptor (PROCR) as a cell surface molecule expressed in covariance with the regulatory module of Th17 cells. Although PROCR expression in T cells was controlled by the cooperative action of the Th17 lineage-specific transcription factors RORγt, IRF4, and STAT3, PROCR negatively regulated Th17 differentiation. CD4+ T cells from PROCR low expressor mutant mice readily differentiated into Th17 cells, whereas addition of the PROCR ligand, activated protein C, inhibited Th17 differentiation in vitro. In addition, PROCR acted as a negative regulator of Th17 pathogenicity in that it down-regulated expression of several pathogenic signature genes, including IL-1 and IL-23 receptors. Furthermore, T cell–specific deficiency of PROCR resulted in the exacerbation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and higher frequencies of Th17 cell in vivo, indicating that PROCR also inhibits pathogenicity of Th17 cells in vivo. PROCR thus does not globally inhibit Th17 responses but could be targeted to selectively inhibit proinflammatory Th17 cells.

Background Helicobacter pylori infection is a major risk factor for chronic gastritis, digestive ulcers, and gastric cancer. Previous studies have shown associations between H. pylori infection and decreased iron storage. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between H. pylori infection and serum iron and ferritin levels in Japan. Materials and Methods Overall, 268 Japanese individuals who visited a clinic located in an urban area for H. pylori infection tests and subsequent eradication were enrolled. H. pylori infection was diagnosed by a 13C-urea breath test, with positive results defined as values ≥2.5‰. Results The overall infection rate was 65.3% (175/268). The geometric mean serum iron levels in uninfected and infected subjects were 115.7 μg/dL and 108.9 μg/dL, respectively, in men, and 83.9 and 91.8 μg/dL, respectively, in women. The geometric mean serum ferritin levels were 128.9 and 81.0 ng/mL, respectively, in men, and 25.5 and 27.0 ng/mL, respectively, in women. Regression analysis adjusted for age showed that lower geometric mean serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with H. pylori infection in men (131.8 vs 79.4 ng/mL p = .009) and in women (33.9 vs 23.4 ng/mL p = .041). The difference was greater in subjects ≥50 years old, although the interaction was not statistically significant. Helicobacter pylori infection was not significantly associated with serum iron levels. Conclusion This study showed that H. pylori infection was significantly associated with altered serum ferritin levels in Japanese individuals, particularly in those aged ≥50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been few reports showing a correlation between hearing levels and life style in young people. In this study, we succeeded in sensitively evaluating hearing levels in 51 young male adults of 21-23 years in age by 12 k Hz extra-high-frequency auditory thresholds, which cannot be measured by usual audiometry devices for clinical use. Noise exposure, alcohol consumption and sleeping time did not affect hearing levels in young adults. Auditory thresholds of 12 kHz frequency in smokers were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in non-smokers, while there were no differences in 1 kHz, 4 kHz and 8 kHz frequencies of hearing levels between smokers and non-smokers. Since the Brinkman Index (BI; cigarettes/day multiplied by number of years) of smokers in this study was from 12 to 60, our results suggest that even light smoking of less than 20 cigarettes/day for 3 years can result in the development of hearing loss of 12 kHz frequency in young adults. Binary logistic regression analysis again showed a correlation between hearing loss (≥40 dB of auditory thresholds in 12 kHz frequency) and light smoking (12 ≤ BI ≤ 60). Thus, this study showed that auditory threshold at 12 kHz frequency could be a sensitive marker for hearing in young adults. More importantly, we for the first time provided epidemiological evidence that light smoking might affect hearing level at 12 kHz frequency and revealed a new risk of light smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The association between BMI and all-cause mortality may vary with gender, age, and ethnic groups. However, few prospective cohort studies have reported the relationship in older Asian populations. We evaluated the association between BMI and all-cause mortality in a cohort comprised 26,747 Japanese subjects aged 65–79 years at baseline (1988–1990). The study participants were followed for an average of 11.2 years. Proportional-hazards regression models were used to estimate mortality hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals. Until 2003, 9,256 deaths occurred. The underweight group was associated with a statistically higher risk of all-cause mortality compared with the mid-normal-range group (BMI: 20.0–22.9); resulting in a 1.78-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.45–2.20) and 2.55-fold (2.13–3.05) increase in mortality risk among severest thin men and women (BMI: <16.0), respectively. Even within the normal-range group, the lower normal-range group (BMI: 18.5–19.9) showed a statistically elevated risk. In contrast, being neither overweight (BMI: 25.0–29.9) nor obese (BMI: ≥30.0) elevated the risk among men; however among women, HR was slightly elevated in the obese group but not in the overweight group compared with the mid-normal-range group. Among Japanese older adults, a low BMI was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, even among those with a lower normal BMI range. The wide range of BMI between 20.0 and 29.9 in both older men and women showed the lowest all-cause mortality risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research determining the association of serum nitrite plus nitrate level with clustering of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly in Japan. It attempts to find out whether the serum nitrite plus nitrate level correlates with biomarkers that are known components of the metabolic syndrome.

Since CCR6 is a receptor for the chemokine CCL20, which is produced in tissues such as intestine and colon, it is thought that T cells expressing CCR6 are involved in mucosal immunity. The expression and function of CCR6 on human CD8 T cells have not well been analyzed, although it is known that this receptor is expressed on a subset of human CD8 T cells. We here characterize human CCR6 CD8 T cells. Multi-color flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that CCR6 cells are predominantly found among CD8 T cells having the memory phenotype. The expression of CCR6 is positively and negatively correlated with that of CCR5 and CCR7, respectively. CCR6 CD8 T cells express granzyme A and a low level of perforin but not granzyme B. In addition, a major population among these cells has the ability to produce IFN-γ and TNF-α but not IL-2. These results indicate that CCR6 CD8 T cells have characteristics of early effector memory cells rather than effector or central memory cells. A chemotaxis assay revealed that CCR6 CD8 T cells have the ability to migrate in response to CCL20, suggesting that these T cells migrate to tissues such as colon and are involved in mucosal immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the relationship between abdominal circumference and the concentration of nitric oxide (NO), an endothelial cell product known to play an important role in the regulation of vascular tone and thrombocyte activations. Subjects were 177 men and 339 women aged 40 or over who were free from a history of diabetes or malignancy. Analysis of covariance was applied to examine the gender-specific and smoking-status-specific associations of abdominal fat volume measured as waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and waist-to-stature ratio, with serum NO level represented by the concentration of NO metabolites (NOx; nitrate plus nitrite). Although men showed no statistical association between abdominal fat accumulation and NOx concentration, abdominal adiposity seemed to inversely affect the serum NOx concentration of never- and current-smoking women. Our results suggest that a reduction in NO bioactivity occurs with abdominal fat accumulation in women. The underlying biological mechanism might involve adipocytokines secreted from visceral fat, but is yet to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental process to gastric cancer by Helicobacter pylori infection consists of three steps: (1) H. pylori infection; (2) gastric atrophy development; and (3) carcinogenesis. In each step, genetic traits may influence the process, interacting with lifestyle. In the step of H. pylori infection, two lines of genetic polymorphisms were assumed: one influencing gastric acid inhibition interacting with smoking, and the other concerning innate immune response attenuation. The former includes functional polymorphisms of IL-1B (C-31T or tightly linked T-511C), and TNF-A (T-1031C and C-857T), and the latter possibly includes NQO1 C609T. In the step to gastric atrophy, polymorphisms pertaining to the signal transduction from cytotoxin-associated gene A ( PTPN11 A/G at intron 3) and to T-cell responses ( IL-2 T-330G and IL-13 C-1111T) were hypothesized. There are a limited number of epidemiological genotype studies on the final step of literal carcinogenesis, potentially interacting with smoking, a low vegetable and fruit intake, and salty foods, the well-documented risk factors. In past case-control studies on the associations between genotype and gastric cancer risk, the cases consisted of H. pylori-related and unrelated gastric cancer patients and the controls consisted of individuals including the uninfected ( H. pylori unexposed and exposed) and the infected with and without gastric atrophy. Accordingly, it was not clear whether the observed risk was for H. pylori-related or -unrelated gastric cancer, nor which step was involved in the observed associations even when nearly all cases were H. pylori-related. In order to elucidate the genetic traits of H. pylori-related gastric cancer, stepwise evaluation will be required. ( Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 1129–1138) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study objective was to identify factors associated with life space to examine the service needs of the elderly. Design: Cross-sectional study. Sample: 2,409 community-living elderly in a rural town in Japan. Measurement: Daily activity level was used as a proxy for life space. Respondents were asked about their daily activity, health status, and psychosocial factors in a self-administered questionnaire. Factors associated with life space were identified using general linear models. Relative associations of each factor with life space were tested using stepwise multiple regression procedure. Results: Elderly in a smaller life space were significantly older, had more illnesses, worse activities of daily living (ADL), and poor self-rated health. Poor psychological well-being and fewer social relations were also associated with a smaller life space. Age and ADL difficulty accounted for 51.7% of life space variations. In addition, more elderly with ADL difficulty expressed unmet needs for transportation and socializing opportunities. Conclusions: Life space was related not only to age or health status but also to environmental or psychosocial factors. Appropriate services for a vulnerable population may have a positive effect on elderly health. Moreover, elderly life space may be used as an indicator to identify people at risk in order to provide more effective community-based programs for the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The incidence of ovarian cancer in Japan has increased since the 1970s. The many studies that have assessed the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of ovarian cancer have produced contradictory results. Here we investigated this relation using data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for the Evaluation of Cancer Risk, which was initiated in 1988. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire on dietary habits and other risk factors for cancer was completed by 36 456 Japanese women. After 7.6 years of follow up, 38 cases of ovarian cancer were available for analysis. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to compute relative risks and to adjust for confounders. Results: Compared to women with BMI of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, the relative risk of ovarian cancer was 2.24 (95% CI = 1.10–4.21) for BMI of 25.0–29.9 and 1.78 (95% CI = 0.24–13.34) for BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2. A test for trend revealed that this finding was statistically significant ( P = 0.014). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that being overweight is independently associated with a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic evidence is lacking for the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer in Japanese women. We addressed this association in a prospective cohort study with an average follow-up of 7.6 years. At baseline (1988-1990), cohort participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that included alcohol use, reproductive history and hormone use. The women were followed up for breast cancer incidence through December 31, 1997. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for breast cancer incidence and any association with alcohol consumption. During a follow-up of 271,412 person-years, we identified 151 women with breast cancer, of whom 45 were current drinkers and 11 drank ≥15 g of alcohol/day. After adjustment for age and other potential risk factors for breast cancer, the RR for current drinkers was 1.27 (95% CI 0.87-1.84) compared to nondrinkers. Average alcohol intake of <15 g/day did not significantly increase the risk for breast cancer. However, risk was significantly increased for women who consumed ≥15 g/day of alcohol (RR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.55-5.54). Age at starting drinking and frequency of consumption per week were not significantly associated with breast cancer risk. Our cohort study demonstrated that Japanese women who consume at least a moderate amount of alcohol have an increased risk of breast cancer. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We have previously shown novel evidence that history of blood transfusion is a risk factor for mortality from subarachnoid hemorrhage. This study was conducted to assess history of transfusion as a risk factor for other hemorrhagic stroke or ischemic stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Study Design and Methods: A total of 88,312 Japanese participants (36,823 men and 51,489 women), aged 40–79 years, without history of stroke, heart disease or cancer, completed a questionnaire including history of transfusion under the JACC Study from 1988 to 1990. Participants were followed up annually until deceased, or when they moved away from the surveyed community, or at the end of 1999. The underlying causes of death were determined according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10). Results: Total follow-up person-years were 871,437 (males 359,437, females 512,000). During this 10-year period, 309 died from intracerebral hemorrhage, 587 from ischemic stroke and 472 from coronary heart disease. The multivariate relative risks of a transfusion history were 2.16 (95% CI 1.42–3.27, p < 0.001) for intracerebral hemorrhage, 1.63 (95% CI 1.18–2.27, p = 0.004) for ischemic stroke and 1.66 (95% CI 1.17–2.36, p = 0.005) for coronary heart disease, after adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusion: A transfusion history was associated with increased mortality from stroke and coronary heart disease. Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Leptin's hematopoietic or proinflammatory role has been experimentally reported. We investigated whether serum leptin concentrations are associated with white blood cell (WBC) counts in humans. Methods Serum leptin concentrations of Japanese civil servants aged 40 to 59 years (1082 men and 200 women) were analyzed in relation to their WBC count. Serum leptin concentrations and WBC counts were measured by radioimmunoassay and automated particle counter respectively, using samples obtained at the time of the participants' annual health checkups. Results The geometric mean (±geometric standard deviation) leptin concentrations were 3.25 ± 1.82 ng/mL and 6.25 ± 3.99 ng/mL, and the geometric mean WBC counts, 5770 ± 1269/mm3 and 5107 ± 1228/mm3, in men and women respectively. The WBC count adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and drinking and smoking habits increased together with the increase in leptin concentration. Multiple linear regression against WBC count by the leptin concentration and those covariates revealed a significant and independent association with serum leptin concentration especially in women (standardized β = 0.31, p < 0.001), and also in men (standardized β = 0.17, p < 0.001). BMI was not significantly associated with WBC counts in the multivariate model adjusting for leptin levels in both sexes. Conclusions Our results are in line with leptin's hematopoietic or proinflammatory functions. The increased WBC counts often observed in obese people would be mediated by the increased leptin concentration. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the possible association of dietary fat and fatty acids with breast cancer risk in a population with a low total fat intake and a high consumption of fish, we analyzed data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study. From 1988 to 1990, 26 291 women aged 40–79 years completed a questionnaire on dietary and other factors. Intakes of fat or fatty acids were estimated by using a food frequency questionnaire. Rate ratios (RR) were computed by fitting proportional hazards models. During the mean follow-up of 7.6 years, 129 breast cancer cases were documented. We found no clear association of total fat intake with breast cancer risk; the multivariate-adjusted RR across quartiles were 1.00, 1.29, 0.95, and 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46–1.38). A significant decrease in the risk was detected for the highest quartile of intake compared with the lowest for fish fat and long-chain n-3 fatty acids; the RR were 0.56 (95% CI 0.33–0.94) and 0.50 (0.30–0.85), respectively. A decreasing trend in risk was also suggested with an increasing intake of saturated fatty acids (trend P = 0.066). Among postmenopausal women at baseline, the highest quartile of vegetable fat intake was associated with a 2.08-fold increase in risk (95% CI 1.05–4.13). This prospective study did not support any increase in the risk of breast cancer associated with total or saturated fat intake, but it suggested the protective effects of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids that are abundant in fish. ( Cancer Sci 2005; 96: 590 – 599) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The many studies into the relation between cigarette smoking and the risk of ovarian cancer have produced inconsistent results. Here we investigated this relation using data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk, initiated in 1988.A self-administered questionnaire on smoking habits and other risk factors for cancer was completed by 34 639 Japanese women. After 7.6 years of follow up, 39 cases of ovarian cancer were available for analyses. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to compute relative risks (RR) and to adjust for confounders.Relative to those who had never smoked, the RR of ovarian cancer were 1.63 (95% confidence interval[CI] = 0.21–12.50) for former smokers and 2.27 (95% CI = 0.85–6.08) for current smokers. Among current smokers, the RR were 1.48 (95% CI = 0.20–10.92), 5.56 (95% CI = 1.68–19.06), and 1.86 (95% CI = 0.25–14.30) among women who smoked<10, 10–19, and at least 20 pack-years ([number of cigarettes smoked per day/20] × number of years subject has smoked), respectively, relative to those who had never smoked. A test for trend was statistically significant (P = 0.044).These data indicate that cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the effect of smoking cessation on cardiovascular disease mortality in Asians, the authors conducted a 10-year prospective cohort study of 94,683 Japanese (41,782 men and 52,901 women) aged 40–79 years who were part of the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC Study). During 941,043 person-years of follow-up between 1989–1990 and 1999, 698 deaths from stroke, 348 from coronary heart disease, and 1,555 from total cardiovascular disease occurred in men and 550, 199, and 1,155, respectively, in women. For men, the multivariate relative risks for current smokers compared with never smokers were 1.39 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 1.70) for stroke, 2.51 (95% CI: 1.79, 3.51) for coronary heart disease, and 1.60 (95% CI: 1.39, 1.84) for total cardiovascular disease. The respective relative risks for women were 1.65 (95% CI: 1.21, 2.25), 3.35 (95% CI: 2.23, 5.02), and 2.06 (95% CI: 1.69, 2.51), with larger excess risks for persons aged 40–64 years than for older persons. The risk decline after smoking cessation occurred for coronary heart disease and total cardiovascular disease within 2 years and for total stroke after 2–4 years. For each endpoint and in both age subgroups of 40–64 and 65–79 years, most of the benefit of cessation occurred after 10–14 years following cessation. Findings imply the importance of smoking cessation at any age to prevent cardiovascular disease in Japanese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of breast cancer among Japanese women, a traditionally low-risk population, has increased substantially. To evaluate the association of reproductive factors with breast cancer risk, we examined 38 159 Japanese women, aged 40–79 years, who responded to a questionnaire on reproductive and other lifestyle factors from 1988 to 1990 in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. During an average 7.6 years of follow-up, we documented 151 incidents of breast cancers. Cox proportional hazards modeling was employed to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). There was a significant decline in the risk of breast cancer with increasing parity among parous women (trendP = 0.01). Women with four or more parities had a 69% lower risk than uniparous women, a reduced risk was also evident among menopausal women. Breast cancer risk tended to rise with increasing age at first delivery (trendP = 0.05), the association being very apparent among menopausal women (trendP = 0.02). Compared to the women who had their first delivery before age 25, those who delayed this event until after age 34 had an RR of 2.12 (95% CI: 0.72–6.21) and 3.33 (1.07–10.3) among the overall subjects and the menopausal, respectively. There was no apparent association of breast cancer risk with age at menarche or menopause. Our study concerning reproductive risk factors suggests that breast cancer in Japan is similar to that in Western countries, and that reproductive factors, particularly the number of parity and age at first delivery, might be important in the etiology of breast cancer among Japanese women. (Cancer Sci2005; 96: 57–63) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed and compared the visual accommodation of kindergarten children who were gazing fixedly at images from three different sources: Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01TM (non-backlit type game console: NBGC), NEC PC EnginePI-TG6TM (color backlit-type game console: CBGC) and a cartoon drawing (drawing). Subjects for the experiment were 13 4- to 5-year-old kindergarten children. The contrast ratios were, in the order, 1.1 (NBGC), 3.1 (drawing), and 3.4 (CBGC). These values show that the contrast of the NBGC screen was considerably lower than the others. The mean accommodative power increased when looking at all three types of image: a drawing (1.75±0.52 D; mean±S.D.), CBGC (1.82±0.61 D), and NBGC (2.26±0.50 D). Compared with the other 2 targets, NBGC required stronger accommodation, indicating that the legibility of the NBGC was poor. Repeated measures ANOVA was used for the values of accommodation for each type of target. There were significant differences among the 3 targets (p<0.01). Significant differences were seen between NBGC and drawings (p<0.01) and NBGC and CBGC (p<0.05) using paired Scheffe test, but not between CBGC and drawings. This supports the finding that the legibility of NBGC is low due to dark and low contrast screens with poor resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify life-related factors causing increased mortality, 2,769 rural residents aged 29-77 were investigated through a self-administered questionnaire in 1990. Death certificates and migration information were inspected during the 4.5-year follow-up period. Age, obesity, life attitude, job, marital status, drinking and smoking habits, previous or current illness, and frequency of participation in health examinations were checked during the baseline survey. The person-year mortality rate was higher among irregular participants in health examinations than among regular participants both among males and females. From Cox’s multiple regression analysis, factors with a significantly high hazard ratio (HR) for mortality were irregular participation (HR=2.05), increase of age (HR=1.54, for 10 years), previous or current illness (HR=2.44), unemployment (HR=1.95), and living without a spouse (HR=2.61) for males; and for females they were having previous or current illness (HR=15.21) and living without a spouse (HR=2.94). Thus, irregular participation in health examinations, unemployment and aging showed a relationship with a higher mortality only in males. A previous or current illness and living without a spouse were related in both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ratio of human nonmercaptalbumin (HNA) and reduced albumin (HMA) may be a new marker for oxidative stress. Locomotive syndrome (LS) is reduced mobility due to impairment of locomotive organs. We investigated whether the HNA/HMA ratio could be a new biomarker of LS. This study included 306 subjects (mean age 64.24 ± 10.4 years) who underwent LS tests, grip strength, walking speed, and tests for HNA and HMA. Oxidative stress was measured by the ratio of HMA (f(HMA) = (HMA/(HMA + HNA) × 100)), and the subjects were divided into normal (N group; f[HMA] ≥ 70%) and low (L group; f[HMA] < 70%) groups. There were 124 non-elderly (<65 years) and 182 elderly subjects (≥65 years). There were no significant differences in LS, grip strength, and walking speed between the L and N groups in the non-elderly subjects. However, significant differences were found in the elderly subjects. In logistic regression analysis, there was an association between f(HMA) and the LS severity at older ages. LS in the elderly is associated with a decline in HMA and, thus, an increase in oxidative stress. Thus, f(HMA) is a new biomarker of LS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate possible differences in pupil dilation and light reflex in Alzheimer’s disease patients that can be attributed to the age of onset of the disease, a statistical comparison was made of pupil dilation and light reflex among early- and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, and patients with vascular dementia, and normal controls. The subjects included 53 probable Alzheimer’s disease outpatients, including both early-onset type (AD: n=21) and late-onset type (SD: n=32). They were compared with normal controls (n=15), Down syndrome patients (DS: n=6), and patients with vascular dementia (VD: n=9). All subjects and controls were dark-eyed Japanese. Pupil dilation and light reflex were tested in 21 AD and 32 SD patients, and were compared with those in the control subjects; 6 DS and 9 VD patients. The measured maximum increase in pupil diameter after instilling a mixture of anticholinergic and α -adrenergic stimulating drugs (Midrin-P®), in one eye was significantly greater in AD and DS than in the controls. However, there was no difference among SD, VD, and controls, suggesting a stronger pupil response to these drugs in AD than in SD. Pupil movement in response to light became significantly smaller and faster after instillation of the drugs in Alzheimer’s disease patients. The above findings may be useful for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors associated with knee pain were investigated using 871 self-administered questionnaires (405 men and 466 women) from residents aged over 30 years in a rural area of Japan. The prevalence of knee pain increased with age, particularly in women over 50. It was significantly higher in women than in men. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly related to knee pain in women, though not in men. With reference to occupational factors, frequent heavy lifting on the job was significantly associated with knee pain in both men and women, whereas job-related standing and walking showed no such relationship. As for living conditions, residence on rather steep mountain slopes and the habit of sitting on Japanese tatami mats were significant factors related to knee pain in men, but not in women. There was no association of knee pain with the style of toilet (Japanese or Western). After controlling for all significant factors by multiple logistic regression analysis, age, heavy lifting, and residence on steep slopes were found to be independent factors related to knee pain in men; and age, BMI, and heavy lifting were the factors in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follow-up surveys were conducted in 1982 and 1988 to investigate factors affecting the course of vibration-induced white finger (VWF). Subjects were 353 patients, aged 40 to 70 at the start of the 1982 survey, who were receiving treatment for hand-arm vibration syndrome. Between 1982 and 1988, the attacks of VWF decreased, while numbness and pain in the hand changed slightly. Finger skin temperature showed a tendency to increase, but recovery time in nail compression tests was unchanged. Vibration perception threshold and grasping power tended to become worse. Of the 177 patients with VWF in 1982, 55 (31%) had no VWF in 1988. The improvement in VWF depended on its severity assessed by the frequency of attacks, the extent of the affected finger phalanges and the Stockholm vascular (V) stage at the start of the 1982 survey. The improvement was observed in 46% of the 1V (mild) stage cases, against only 17% of the 3V (severe) stage cases. Patients in the 2V (moderate) and 3V stages had lower finger skin temperature than those without VWF (the 0V stage). Patients with milder VWF seemed more likely to improve. Continued use of vibratory tools was found to be an unfavourable factor for improvement of VWF. Age, smoking and drinking habits, and medical complications showed no significant effects on the course of VWF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]