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This paper explores the phenomenological and psychodynamic differences between university freshmen who score at the high and low extremes of the Ego Identity scale (EIS), which made along to E. H. Erikson\u27s concept of Ego Identity. 15 freshmen (8 women and 7 men) were interviewed to assess how they cope with various developmental tasks, such an vocational orientation, sex-role preference, belif on life-style, friendship, academic achivement, other activities on college life, et al.. The result show that there were differences between high-EIS group and low-EIS group, and also sex differences within both groups were seen. High-EIS male students coped actively and competetively, and had high self-esteem, on the cotrary, low-EIS male students coped passively and anxiously, who had low self-esteem and conflict on mascularity. In female high-EIS students coped actively, had wishes to have own profession and feeoed trouble-some on feminity, to the contrary, female low-EIS students coped passively but stably. Cotrastsed with male students, EIS score of female students are seemed to show different ways of women\u27s life styles

Cyclooxygenase Regulates Angiogenesis Induced by Colon Cancer Cells

AbstractTo explore the role of cyclooxygenase (COX) in endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis, we have used two in vitro model systems involving coculture of endothelial cells with colon carcinoma cells. COX-2-overexpressing cells produce prostaglandins, proangiogenic factors, and stimulate both endothelial migration and tube formation, while control cells have little activity. The effect is inhibited by antibodies to combinations of angiogenic factors, by NS-398 (a selective COX-2 inhibitor), and by aspirin. NS-398 does not inhibit production of angiogenic factors or angiogenesis induced by COX-2-negative cells. Treatment of endothelial cells with aspirin or a COX-1 antisense oligonucleotide inhibits COX-1 activity/expression and suppresses tube formation. Cyclooxygenase regulates colon carcinoma-induced angiogenesis by two mechanisms: COX-2 can modulate production of angiogenic factors by colon cancer cells, while COX-1 regulates angiogenesis in endothelial cells

Investigation of the serum levels of anterior pituitary hormones in male children with autism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The neurobiological basis of autism remains poorly understood. The diagnosis of autism is based solely on behavioural characteristics because there are currently no reliable biological markers. To test whether the anterior pituitary hormones and cortisol could be useful as biological markers for autism, we assessed the basal serum levels of these hormones in subjects with autism and normal controls.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Using a suspension array system, we determined the serum levels of six anterior pituitary hormones, including adrenocorticotropic hormone and growth hormone, in 32 drug-naive subjects (aged 6 to 18 years, all boys) with autism, and 34 healthy controls matched for age and gender. We also determined cortisol levels in these subjects by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone and cortisol were significantly higher in subjects with autism than in controls. In addition, there was a significantly positive correlation between cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels in autism.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that increased basal serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone accompanied by increased cortisol and growth hormone may be useful biological markers for autism.</p

Alteration of Plasma Glutamate and Glutamine Levels in Children with High-Functioning Autism

浜松医科大学学位論文　医博第624号（平成24年3月19日

Plasma Cytokine Profiles in Subjects with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of the immune system is involved in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of the study was to explore immunological markers in peripheral plasma samples from non-medicated subjects with high-functioning ASD.A multiplex assay for cytokines and chemokines was applied to plasma samples from male subjects with high-functioning ASD (n = 28) and matched controls (n = 28). Among a total of 48 analytes examined, the plasma concentrations of IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-5, IL-8, IL-12(p70), IL-13, IL-17 and GRO-α were significantly higher in subjects with ASD compared with the corresponding values of matched controls after correction for multiple comparisons.The results suggest that abnormal immune responses as assessed by multiplex analysis of cytokines may serve as one of the biological trait markers for ASD

自閉症スペクトラム障害(ASD) 児・者に対する相互交渉スキル支援プログラムの実践と効果（その２）：言語面への効果を中心に

報告Reports　本研究は、自閉症スペクトラム障害（ASD）児・者を対象に実施した「相互交渉スキル」（対人葛藤場面において自他の要求を調整しながら交渉するスキル）の支援プログラムの効果について検討した第２報である。対象者はASD の診断を受けた小学４年生～中学２年生の７名であった。今回のプログラムは「相互交渉をする上で必要な考え方や解決案」「話し合いの仕方の手順」に関するワークと、それらを用いてのロールプレイ等、第1 報のものと基本的構成は同様であるが、視覚的な工夫として“気持ちのてんびん”と“気持ちのものさし”を新たに加えるなど改良した。プログラムの前後に個別面接による対人交渉方略の測定を行い、主に方略における言語面の変化に関してプログラムの効果を検討した。その結果、プログラムの実施により「解決方略の言語面」や「解決の目標」において、自他両方の視点を大事にするような変化が見られ、主にプログラム中の視覚的工夫による効果が考察された

Anti-inflammatory Effect of Ghrelin in Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines From Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The gut hormone ghrelin has been implicated in a variety of functional roles in the central nervous system through the brain-gut axis, one of which is an anti-inflammatory effect. An aberrant brain-gut axis producing immune dysfunction has been implicated in the pathobiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and elevated expression of inflammatory markers has been shown in blood and brain tissue from subjects with ASD. We hypothesized that ghrelin may mitigate this effect. Lymphoblastoid cell lines from typically developed children (TD-C) (N = 20) and children with ASD (ASD-C) (N = 20) were cultured with PBS or human ghrelin (0.01 μM) for 24 h, and mRNA expression levels of the inflammation-related molecules interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were measured to examine the effects of ghrelin as an anti-inflammatory agent. Expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κB mRNA, but not IL-1β or IL-6, were significantly elevated in ASD-C compared to TD-C. Ghrelin showed a tendency to reduce the expression of TNF-α and NF-κB, but this was not statistically significant. Considering the heterogenous pathobiology of ASD, we examined the effects of ghrelin on TD-C and ASD-C with expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κB in the highest and lowest quartiles. We found that ghrelin markedly reduced mRNA expression of TNF-α and NF-κB s in ASD-C with highest-quartile expression, but there were no effects in ASD-C with lowest-quartile expression, TD-C with highest quartile expression, or TD-C with lowest quartile expression. Together, these findings suggest that ghrelin has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for ASD with inflammation and/or immune dysfunction