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The aim of this study was to evaluate whether anti-beta2 glycoprotein-I antibody (anti-beta2GPI) of the IgG or IgM classes is associated with the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or preeclampsia in the Japanese population. In a case-controlled cohort study, peripheral blood was obtained at 8-14 weeks of gestation from a consecutive series of 1155 women. The case group comprised 36 patients who later developed PIH during the pregnancy. Of the 36 PIH patients, 13 had severe PIH, 18 had preeclampsia and 11 had severe preeclampsia. One hundred and eleven age- and parity-matched women whose pregnancies ended in normal delivery without obstetric complications were selected as controls. We found that a titer of anti-beta2GPI IgG>or=1.0 U/ml was a risk factor for severe PIH (P=0.023, OR 5.7 95%CI 1.4-22.8). In addition, titers of anti-beta2GPI IgM>or=1.2 U/ml was found to be a risk factor for PIH (P=0.001, OR 8.8 95%CI 1.6-47.5). In women positive for anti-beta2GPI but negative for lupus anticoagulant, anti-cardiolipin, phosphatidylserine-dependent anti-prothrombin, or kininogen-dependent anti-phosphatidylethanolamine antibodies, the presence of anti-beta2GPI was not a significant risk factor for development of PIH or preeclampsia. In conclusion, the presence of anti-beta2GPI antibody represents a risk factor for developing PIH and severe PIH. This finding supports the utility of anti-beta2GPI determination as one of the laboratory criteria for anti-phospholipid syndrome classification. The usefulness of anti-beta2GPI measurement among women without other anti-phospholipid antibodies requires further study.

Kaneko gave a closed formula for the Fourier coefficients of the elliptic modularfunction j (τ) expressed in terms of traces of singular moduli. We give analogues of his formula in higher-level cases.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a common cause of perinatal mortality. It is believed to result from the interaction of several factors, including those related to the blood coagulation system. We performed genotyping and subgroup analyses to determine if the 4G/5G genotypes of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene (PAI-1) play a role in the pathogenesis of PIH, and to evaluate possible interactions of the PAI-1 polymorphisms with those of the angiotensinogen gene (AGT) and the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (NOS3). \nMETHODS: An association study of PAI-1 polymorphism, and subgroup analyses of common variants of AGT and NOS3, among 128 patients with PIH and 376 healthy pregnant controls. \nRESULTS: No significant differences were found between the cases and controls in the frequencies of allele 4G or the 4G/4G genotype. In subgroup analyses, after adjustment for multiple comparison, a significant association with the AGT TT genotype was found among women with the PAI-1 4G/4G genotype, and an association with the NOS3 GA+AA genotype was found among women with the 5G/5G or 4G/5G genotypes. \nCONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that there are at least 2 pathways in the pathogenesis of severe PIH. However, with respect to early prediction and prevention of severe PIH, although the PAI-1 4G/4G genotype alone was not a risk factor for severe PIH, the fact that PAI-1 genotypes are associated with varying risks for severe PIH suggests that PAI-1 genotyping of pregnant women, in combination with other tests, may be useful in the development of individualized measures that may prevent severe PIH.

STUDY DESIGN: A sex- and age-matched case-control study with genotyping of the FokI variant of the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) was carried out. \nOBJECTIVES: To facilitate the early prediction, prevention, and treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) of the spine, we analyzed the FokI variant of VDR and past body mass indexes, histories of past illness, family history, and body pliability along with lifestyle factors. \nSUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Many possible genetic and environmental risk factors for OPLL have been suggested, including male sex, high body mass index, diabetes mellitus, trauma, hormonal imbalance, and dietary and sleeping habits and genetic variants. \nMETHODS: Both a self-administered questionnaire and whole blood samples were obtained from 63 patients with OPLL and 126 sex-, age-, and hospital-matched controls free of backbone diseases were randomly selected from hospital patients. VDR genotyping was carried out using PCR-RFLP methods. After univariate analysis, multivariate and subgroup analyses according to the VDR genotype was applied to clarify the confounding relationship between VDR genotype and other possible risk factors. \nRESULTS: A multivariate analysis revealed that the VDR FF genotype, family history of myocardial infarction, high body mass index at age 40, long working hours, and working with night shift to be independent potent risk factors for OPLL. \nCONCLUSION: The risk of developing OPLL may possibly be reduced gradually and effectively by removing or minimizing the effect of such lifestyle factors one at a time through targeted preventive intervention.

This paper presents the methods of the development of fishing ports for the supplying of safe seafood products, based on the some rules on food hygiene control and on the eco-label system which is useful for fishery resource management in Japan. First, we analyzed the issue of the hygiene control for fresh fish on the distribution process from the landing places to the consumers and proposed the method to estimate the hygiene level with the two factors; the water quality, control and the sanitary condition of the working areas at the fishing ports, landing places and the auction halls on the distribution process. Secondly, we proposed the method to select whether fishery products contribute to being sustainable or not, so as to secure the validity of the sea food hygiene control at the fishing ports.

In order to clarify expected risks and to prepare tactics effectively, we constructed ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001:2005 to a hospital. Security risks were extracted from an operation of a hospital information system and represented an ordering of priority. Tactics were prepared for reversible risks and the external audit was conducted for ISMS. Although ISMS was considered powerful tools for risk management, there were some problems to adjust medical field., AMIA 2009 Annual Symposium

To elucidate risk factors of genetic variants and acquired factors such as lifestyles for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spines (OPLL) in Japan, a case-control study was carried out. A self-administered questionnaire was obtained from 63 patients with OPLL in collaborate hospitals and age, sex and domicile-matched controls, 126 from hospital patients without OPLL and 126 from health check up in a town. Genotypes of vitamin-D receptor gene (VDR) FokI genotype, lipoprotein lipase gene (LPL) HindIII genotype, and nucleotide pyrophosphatase gene (NPPS) IVS15-14T->C were identified by use of PCR-RFLP methods. Frequency of VDR FokI F allele was higher in OPLL (0.66) than in hospital controls (0.54) and population controls (0.56)(pC genotypes between cases and controls. An univariate analysis of the data from the questionnaire survey revealed high body mass after middle age, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, lack of body pliableness or stocky body shape, and some characters in "Type A" tendency were significantly associated with OPLL. A tree-based analysis to clarify confoundings among them revealed VDR FokI F allele was associated with history of diabetes, suggesting that VDR FokI F allele was the third factor of the association between OPLL and diabetes. VDR F allele was suggested to be associated with OPLL as well as diabetes. Further case-control studies in OPLL using candidate genes of hypertension are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis in OPLL and establish an effective intervention program for OPLL., The 56th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Human Genetics

To clarify the context of the gene-gene interrelationship in the manifestation of PIH, we analyzed Met235Thr variant of the angiotensinogen gene (AGT) and Glu298Asp variant of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (NOS3) in terms of 4G/5G variant of the plasminogen activator inhibitor gene (PAI-1). One hundred forty-five Japanese patients with PIH were matched with 357 Japanese normal pregnant controls according to age and parity. Genotypings of variants of AGT, NOS3 and PAI-1 were carried out using PCR-RFLP methods after extraction of genomic DNA from 1.0 ml of whole blood samples. In 4G/4G of PAI-1, the frequency of T235 of AGT was higher in PIH (0.78) than in controls (0.56) (p, The 56th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Human Genetics