Aim: Helicobacter Pylori infection was associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the relation between Helicobacter Pylori infection and the lipid profile has not been fully established.Methods: We measured anti-Helicobacter Pylori antibody concentration and lipid profiles in 6,289 Japanese subjects aged 21-64 years (5,077 male and 1,212 female).Results: The prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori-seropositive subjects was 46.8% and 39.6% in men and women, respectively. Adjusted mean values of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in men were significantly higher and lower in Helicobacter Pylori-seropositive than-negative subjects, respectively, (LDL-cholesterol: 129.0+/-0.8 vs. 125.3+/-0.7 mg/dL, p< 0.001, HDL-cholesterol: 54.6+/-0.3 vs. 56.6+/-0.3 mg/dL, p< 0.01), whereas these associations were not significant in female subjects. Moreover, the odds ratio of Helicobacter Pylori infection for high LDL-cholesteremia and low HDL-cholesteremia in male subjects was 1.23 (95% CI (confidence interval): 1.08-1.40, p< 0.05) and 1.29 (95% CI: 1.03-1.59, p< 0.05), respectively. Female subjects did not have such associations.Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that Helicobacter Pylori infection is significantly associ-ated with high LDL-cholesteremia and low HDL-cholesteremia in Japanese male subjects.

The sequential transformation of arynes into ortho-disubstituted arenes is achieved by a one-pot procedure using formamides and dialkylzincs. This reaction proceeded via a route involving the trapping reaction of the formal [2 + 2] cycloaddition adducts or quinone methides generated by the insertion of arynes into the C=O bond of amides.

To treat metabolic syndrome, fat tissue dysfunction should be corrected rather than controlling conventional risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. For this purpose, accumulating evidence suggests increasing plasma adiponectin levels can be a key treatment strategy, especially in setting of food or drug selection. Here we report that adipocyte precursors obtained from several sites of fat tissue, which we call Metabolic Stem Cells (MSC), could be used as a novel screening system to identify adiponectin enhancing drugs or food for individual patients. MSC were prepared from fat tissues collected from 29 patients. They were differentiated in cultures into mature adipocytes. The time course of adiponectin production was independent of the number of mature adipocytes and gradually decreased at 48 h after differentiation. Pioglitazone, a full PPARgamma agonist, stabilized adiponectin production at days 8-16 after differentiation, whereas telmisartan, a partial PPARgamma agonist, showed variable response. Dividing the adiponectin secretion of day 12 by that of day 10 provided an estimate of adiponectin-producing activity irrespective of the number of MSC-derived adipocytes in culture. Using this score of adiponectin-production activity, we successfully assessed 16 agents in a 96-well plate. The effect of each agent on adiponectin production showed a similar pattern, independent of the site of isolated adipose tissue. Our results show that MSC can be used as a tool for selecting drugs that enhance adiponectin-production activity.

We measured the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and non-dioxin-like PCBs in paired samples of blood and breast milk collected from 89 primiparous mothers in Sapporo City, Japan, and studied the relationships of these compounds between blood and breast milk for these women plus 30 primiparous mothers in whom these data had been previously reported. The present study is one of the few studies in which the concentration distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs, dioxin-like PCBs, and non-dioxin-like PCBs have been investigated in blood and breast milk collected from the same mothers. The arithmetic mean TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, and mono-ortho PCBs in blood and breast milk of these 119 subjects were 8.2, 2.9, 5.1, and 0.4pgTEQg(-1)lipid, respectively, and 4.8, 2.0, 4.0, and 0.4pgTEQg(-1)lipid, respectively, with the total TEQ concentrations of these dioxin-like compounds being 7.0-36 (mean: 17, median: 14) and 5.7-41 (mean: 11, median: 10) pgTEQg(-1)lipid, respectively. The sums of the concentrations of 56 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners that were measured in the subjects' blood and breast milk were 43-445 (mean: 120, median: 106) and 34-366 (mean: 90, median: 81) ngg(-1)lipid, respectively, indicating that the total TEQ concentration and the total concentration of 56 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in the maternal blood were notably higher than those in the breast milk. Statistically significant correlations were observed between maternal age and the total TEQ concentration of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs or the total concentration of 56 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in maternal blood, and significant correlations were also observed between maternal age and the total TEQ concentration of these dioxin-like compounds or the total concentration of 56 PCB congeners in breast milk. The total TEQ concentration of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs in maternal blood showed a close correlation to that in subjects' breast milk, and there was also good correlation between the total concentration of 56 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in maternal blood and that in subjects' breast milk. Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses showed a relationship between the total TEQ concentration of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs and the total concentration of 56 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in maternal blood, and also showed an association between the total TEQ concentration of these dioxin-like compounds and the total concentration of 56 PCB congeners in breast milk. The concentration of hexaCB-153 in maternal blood showed significant correlations to the total TEQ concentration of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs or the total concentration of 56 non-dioxin-like PCBs in that sample. Moreover, the concentration of hexaCB-153 in breast milk also showed significant correlations to the total TEQ concentration of these dioxin-like compounds or the total concentration of 56 PCB congeners in that sample. These findings suggested that hexaCB-153 may be an indicator of total TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs and total concentrations of 56 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners in blood and breast milk of primiparous mothers.

Inflammation and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are a potential risk factor and marker, respectively, for atherosclerosis in the primary prevention setting. Atherosclerosis is now generally accepted to be an inflammatory disorder of the arterial wall, and the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level has been reported to be a strong predictor of cardiovascular events. High-sensitivity-CRP is associated with two factors related to inflammation: (1) the local production of CRP by atheromatous tissue or coronary artery smooth muscle cells and (2) adipose tissue as a potent source of inflammatory cytokines. Based on studies in North America and Europe, hs-CRP has been established as a cardiovascular risk factor and a cut-off value has been recommended. However, Japanese have lower hs-CRP values than their Western counterparts, partly because Japanese have a lower body mass index (BMI), which correlates positively to hs-CRP, and partly because lifestyle and genetic factors can affect hs-CRP values. Therefore, a cut-off value needs to be established by cohort studies for the Japanese population. Carotid-femoral PWV is most commonly measured by applanation tonometry, particularly in Europe, but this method is critically dependent upon the accurate placing of transducers over the arteries and is both time-consuming and complex. A novel device has been recently developed in Japan that measures brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) using a volume-rendering method. Brachian-ankle PWV is a suitable screening method because of its technical simplicity and shorter measurement time. It is associated not only with conventional cardiovascular risk factors but also with new risk factors, such as inflammation, gamma-glutamyltransferase, chronic kidney disease, and psychosocial factors. However, a suitable cut-off value has yet to be established.

We established a new animal model called SPORTS (Spontaneously-Running Tokushima-Shikoku) rats, which show high-epinephrine (Epi) levels. Recent reports show that Epi activates adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in adipocytes. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is the rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, and the enzymatic activity is suppressed when its Ser-79 is phosphorylated by AMPK. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo effect of Epi on ACC and abdominal visceral fat accumulation. We divided both 6-week male control and SPORTS rats into two groups, which were fed either normal diet or high fat and sucrose (HFS) diet for 16 weeks. At the end of diet treatment, retroperitoneal fat was collected for western blotting and histological analysis. Food intake was not different among the groups, but SPORTS rats showed significantly lower weight gain than control rats in both diet groups. After 10 weeks of diet treatment, glucose tolerance tests (GTTs) revealed that SPORTS rats had increased insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, SPORTS rats had lower quantities of both abdominal fat and plasma triglyceride (TG). In abdominal fat, elevated ACC Ser-79 phosphorylation was observed in SPORTS rats and suppressed by an antagonist of beta-adrenergic receptor (AR), propranolol, or an inhibitor of AMPK, Compound C. From these results, high level of Epi induced ACC phosphorylation mediated through beta-AR and AMPK signaling pathways in abdominal visceral fat of SPORTS rats, which may contribute to reduce abdominal visceral fat accumulation and increase insulin sensitivity. Our results suggest that beta-AR-regulated ACC activity would be a target for treating lifestyle-related diseases, such as obesity.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress inoculation training program for civil servants through a non-randomized trial. We divided 140 civil servants into two groups (an intervention group and a waiting list control group), and carried out three sessions with the intervention group at intervals of four weeks. The sessions included lectures on responses to stress and coping skills, problem-solving training, group discussions and self-monitoring. Data from 65 subjects in the intervention group and 63 subjects in the waiting list group were analyzed using two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The intervention group showed statistically significant development of problem-solving skills and positive cognition, with a significant effect remaining one month after the intervention. The effect sizes in the intervention group showed a small-to-medium change in problem-solving coping and small changes in positive cognitive coping. However, no interventional effects were seen in terms of response to stress and health competence. As the number of existing studies on job stress management for workers is limited, further research in this field is necessary, including examination of the frequency and methods of intervention sessions, the effects of intervention by gender, etc.

This study investigates whether the two socioeconomic status indicators, educational level and employment grade, are associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and arterial stiffness among Japanese urban civil servants. Brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) as an indicator of arterial stiffness, CRP, occupational stress and conventional risk factors were evaluated in 3412 men and 854 women. Although the socioeconomic gradient showed a significant association with the CRP levels in men after adjustment for age, the significance disappeared after multivariate adjustment, whereas in women, the socioeconomic gradient showed no significant association with the CRP levels. In men, educational level was significantly associated with the baPWV value after adjustment for conventional risk factors, CRP and occupational stress (P for trend <0.0001). With regards to employment grade, only low-level non-manual workers had a significantly lower baPWV value as compared to manual workers at a fully adjusted model, and trend significance disappeared. However, in women, neither educational level nor employment grade was associated with the baPWV value. In summary, the socioeconomic gradient, especially the educational level, was significantly inversely related to the baPWV value in men. In women, the socioeconomic gradient was not related to the baPWV value. An inverse relationship between the socioeconomic gradient and CRP levels was found in men only after age adjustment. We suggest that because the educational level is an important aspect in the adolescent environment and hence might influence the future lifestyle, early health education should be provided to prevent an unfavourable lifestyle and atherosclerotic diseases in later life.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous studies have reported the relationships between job characteristics and coronary heart diseases. However, there are only a few reports on the association between occupational stresses and arterial stiffness as a marker of early stage arthrosclerosis. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between occupational stress models--Siegrist's effort reward imbalance and Karasek's demand control model (DCM)--and arterial stiffness using brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV). METHODS: The participants were local government employees (3,412 men and 854 women) aged 35 and over who had their annual health checkups. The associations between occupational stress questionnaires of the two theoretical models and a risk of increased arterial stiffness using baPWV were examined. RESULTS: On performing multiple linear regression analysis after fully adjusting the model, high strain, which was defined as a combination of both low job control and high job demands in the DCM, was found to be significantly associated with a high risk of arterial stiffness (P = 0.027) in women. However, in men, although low job control was positively significant with a high value of baPWV adjusted for each step, modest but not significant association was found after adjustment for all covariates. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the present study indicates that high strain indicated by high demands and low control is associated with increased arterial stiffness in women. The types of job stress associated with a high risk of arterial stiffness may differ by gender.

Mangrove forests are influenced by tidal flooding and ebbing for a period of approximately 12.4 hours (tidal cycle). Mangrove crickets (Apteronemobius asahinai) forage on mangrove forest floors only during low tide. Under constant darkness, most crickets showed a clear bimodal daily pattern in their locomotor activity for at least 24 days; the active phases of approximately 10 hours alternated with inactive phases of approximately 2 hours, which coincided with the time of high tide in the field. The free-running period was 12.56+/-0.13 hours (mean+/-s.d. n=11). This endogenous rhythm was not entrained by the subsequent 24 hours light-dark cycle, although it was suppressed in the photophase; the active phase in the scotophase continued from the active phase in the previous constant darkness, with no phase shift. The endogenous rhythm was assumed to be a circatidal rhythm. On the other hand, the activity under constant darkness subsequent to a light-dark cycle was more intense in the active phase continuing from the scotophase than from the photophase of the preceding light-dark cycle; this indicates the presence of circadian components. These results suggest that two clock systems are involved in controlling locomotor activity in mangrove crickets.

OBJECTIVE: Soluble oligomers of amyloid beta (Abeta), rather than amyloid fibrils, have been proposed to initiate synaptic and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is no direct evidence in humans that this mechanism can cause AD. Here, we report a novel amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation that may provide evidence to address this question. METHODS: A Japanese pedigree showing Alzheimer's-type dementia was examined for mutations in APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2. In addition, 5,310 Japanese people, including 2,121 patients with AD, were screened for the novel APP mutation. The pathogenic effects of this mutation on Abeta production, degradation, aggregation, and synaptotoxicity were also investigated. RESULTS: We identified a novel APP mutation (E693Delta) producing variant Abeta lacking gulutamate-22 (E22Delta) in Japanese pedigrees showing Alzheimer's-type dementia and AD. Although the secretion of total Abeta was markedly reduced by this mutation, the variant Abeta was more resistant to proteolytic degradation. The mutant peptides showed the unique aggregation property of enhanced oligomerization but no fibrillization, and inhibited hippocampal long-term potentiation more potently than wild-type peptide in rats in vivo. Consistent with the nonfibrillogenic property of the variant Abeta, a very low amyloid signal was observed in the patient's brain on positron emission tomography using Pittsburgh compound-B. INTERPRETATION: The E693Delta mutation has been suggested as a cause of dementia because of enhanced formation of synaptotoxic Abeta oligomers. Our findings may provide genetic validation in humans for the emerging hypothesis that the synaptic and cognitive impairment in AD is primarily caused by soluble Abeta oligomers.

Both insulin resistance and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been reported to play essential pathophysiological roles in cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanistic link between ROS and insulin resistance in the vasculature remains unclear. Recently we have shown that insulin causes KATP channel activation mediated by PI3K in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). KATP channel in VSMCs is critical in the regulation of vascular tonus. Here we examined the effects of ROS induced by a thol-oxidizing agent, diamide, on the insulin signalling pathway and KATP channel activities in cultured VSMCs (A10 cells). Diamide (100 microM) increased intercellular ROS and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) activity. Treatment with 100 M diamide suppressed significantly insulin-induced IRS and Akt phosphorylation. In addition to IRS and Akt, diamide inhibited insulin receptor auto-phosphorylation. Patch-clamp study showed that diamide suppressed insulin-induced but did not pinacidil-induced KATP channel activities in A10 cells. From these data, we conclude that ROS inhibit critical insulin signal transduction components including IRS and Akt, and these effects cause down-regulation of insulin's action in the vasculature including KATP channel activation. This study may contribute to our understanding of mechanisms of insulin resistance-associated cardiovascular disease.

There is increasing evidence from epidemiological studies that genetic susceptibilities may modify the teratogenic effects of toxic chemicals. However, in contrast to tobacco smoke, few epidemiological studies have addressed environmental chemicals, such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in regard to genetic susceptibility. Recent studies, including the Hokkaido Study of Environments and Children's Health, have investigated the impacts of both environmental and genetic factors on children's development. Several xenobiotic-metabolizing genes have been reported to confer genetic susceptibility to low birth weight. These genes seem to be influenced functionally by maternal smoking during pregnancy, itself a significant risk factor. In our study, we found that birth weight was significantly lower among infants born to smoking women having the specific AHR, CYP1A1, GSTM1, CYP2E1 and NQO1 genotypes. When combinations of these genotypes were considered, birth weight was even lower. On the other hand, congenital anomalies such as hypospadias seemed to be caused by environmental factors in conjunction with genetic predisposition as suggested by linkage in several case-control studies reported to low birth weight. We have found an association between maternal CYP1A1 genotype or low birth weight and the risk of hypospadias irrespective of smoking. At the same time, birth weight was negatively correlated with maternal blood concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Further studies should elucidate the impact of genetic factors on adverse effects of exposures to dioxin-related chemicals.

BACKGROUND: Visual display terminal (VDT) work has become very common among office workers in developed countries; however, studies investigating the association between the duration of daily VDT work and insomnia are limited. METHODS: The aim of this study was to clarify the association between the duration of daily VDT work and sleep disturbances. We investigated 2,417 clerks (men, 2,030; women, 387) at local government offices. Sleep disturbances were evaluated using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). RESULTS: VDT work of 6 hr or more per day was significantly associated with insomnia (odds ratio = 1.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.27) and, in particular, caused problems with "total sleep duration" and "sleepiness during the day" among sleep-related symptoms, even after adjusting for possible confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that VDT work of 6 hr or longer per day was related to insomnia.

The purpose of this study was to determine the changes with time lapse in the influences of social relationship factors, in relation to mortality in the elderly. A baseline investigation was conducted in 1992 and survival conditions of 637 subjects aged 68-82 years were followed up for 12 years. The associations of social relationships with mortality were compared between the first and later half periods. The results showed that for men, close friends, group membership and finding life worth living were significantly associated with mortality in the first half period and the association disappeared in the later half; also in men, providing instrumental support was significantly associated in the 12-year period. In the first half, living arrangement was not significantly associated with mortality for men, and marital status and job were not for women, but in the later half, the association of those became apparent. The present study suggests that for men, the association of close friends, group membership and finding life worth living with mortality decreased with the passage of time while providing instrumental support had positive effects throughout the long term. The association of living arrangement increased for men, and marital status and job for women.

alpha-Tocopherol (alpha-Toc) is abundant in LDL and thought to prevent the oxidation of LDL together with various water-soluble antioxidants. Recently, it was reported that alpha-Toc and gamma-Toc metabolites, alpha-carboxyethyl-6-hydroxychromans (CEHC) and gamma-CEHC, are water-soluble antioxidants. In this study, we investigated the interaction between alpha-Toc and CEHC against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and LDL oxidation. We administered 600 mg of alpha-Toc to healthy male volunteers to obtain LDL including high levels of alpha-Toc before antioxidant administration. The alpha-Toc content of their LDL was increased after consumption at 24 h (18.3 microg/mL) above the level before consumption (6.6 microg/mL). The lag time of LDL at 24 h after alpha-Toc consumption (alpha-Toc rich LDL) with alpha-CEHC (98.5+/-8.2 min) or gamma-CEHC (101.3+/-9.0 min) was longer than that of only alpha-Toc-rich LDL (78.1+/-9.0 min). Furthermore, we examined the interaction of LDL with CEHC and alpha-Toc in vitro (5-20 microg/mL). The lag times of 5 and 10 microg/mL alpha-Toc were 65.5+/-18.9 min and 69.5+/-15.5 min, and that of 20 microg/mL alpha-Toc (83.5+/-20.2 min) was longer than the control value (55.7+/-14.1 min). The lag time of 20 microg/mL alpha-Toc with alpha-CEHC (98.7+/-25.7 min) or gamma-CEHC (100.6+/-25.3 min) was longer than that of only alpha-Toc (83.5+/-20.2 min). These results suggest that CEHC has the potential to delay the oxidation of LDL, while enhancing the antioxidative activity of alpha-Toc both in vitro and ex vivo.

Smoking and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are major factors in inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the IL6 -634C/G polymorphism (rs1800796) and its interaction with smoking influence serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. The subjects were 347 Japanese male employees of a transit company. CRP and conventional cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. IL6 -634C/G polymorphisms were genotyped by allelic discrimination using fluorogenic probes and the 5' nuclease assay. The mean values of CRP were significantly higher in current smokers than in nonsmokers after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, log triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose, and drinking habit (p=0.011). Comparison of three genotypes revealed significant interaction between smoking and the IL6 -634C/G genotype manifested by CRP concentrations (p=0.007) after the adjustments cited above. After stratification by smoking status, CRP differed significantly among IL6 -634C/G genotypes groups in nonsmokers (p=0.010, p for trend=0.007), whereas no significant difference was found in current smokers. Comparison between -634C/C and C/G+G/G groups revealed also a significant interaction between smoking and the IL6 -634C/G genotype (p=0.007). These findings suggest that the impact of the -634G allele on CRP elevation is greater in nonsmokers than in current smokers. Since gene-environment interactions have been insufficiently examined, further studies are required to clarify their effect on inflammation, including CRP elevation.

AIM: To investigate whether the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms, IL1B-511C/T, IL1B-31C/T, IL6-634C/G, TNF-1031T/C, TNF-857C/T, and IL10-1082A/G, interact with smoking and drinking habits to influence infection with H pylori. METHODS: The subjects were 410 Japanese transit company employees. C-reactive protein and conventional cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. Serum anti-H pylori antibodies were measured. The genotypes of IL1B-511C/T, IL1B-31C/T, IL6-634C/G, TNF-1031T/C, TNF-857C/T, and IL10-1082A/G polymorphisms were determined by allelic discrimination using fluorogenic probes and a 5' nuclease assay. RESULTS: In gender- and age-adjusted logistic analyses, the subjects with TNF-857T/T had a significantly lower odds ratio (OR) for H pylori seropositivity (reference -857C/C; OR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03-0.59, P = 0.007). After stratification according to smoking and drinking status, among never-smokers, the subjects with IL1B-511C/T had a significantly lower OR (reference -511C/C; OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.10-0.90, P = 0.032). Among drinkers in the 1-5 times/wk category, the subjects with IL1B-511T/T had a significantly lower OR (reference C/C; OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16-0.95, P = 0.039), and the subjects with IL1B-31C/T and T/T had a significantly higher OR (reference C/C; C/T: OR = 2.59, 95% CI, P = 0.042: 1.04-6.47; C/C: OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.23-8.14, P = 0.017). Among current smokers, the subjects with IL6-634C/G had a significantly higher OR (reference C/C; OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.13-4.58, P = 0.021). However, the interactions terms between the aforementioned genotypes and lifestyles were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Contrary to previous findings, the results herein suggest that the TNF-857T/T genotype may be protective against chronic infection with H pylori. Drinking and smoking habits may influence the effect of cytokine gene polymorphisms. Further studies are required to clarify the effects of the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine polymorphisms and gene-environmental interactions on H pylori infection.

The aim of the present study was to identify relations between occupational stress and occupational class in Japanese civil servants, using two occupational stress models-the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model and the Job Demand-Control (JDC) Model. The subjects were employees of three local public organizations. We distributed self-administered questionnaires and assessed occupational stress by ERI and JDC. We used seven occupational categories based on the Standard Occupational Classification for Japan. The data of 6,423 male and 1,606 female subjects were analyzed by logistic regression analysis to obtain odds ratios (OR) for relations between occupational stress and occupational class. In JDC, male clerical workers, transport/communication workers and protective service workers showed a significantly higher OR of being in the high occupational stress group, compared to managers. In ERI, male professionals/technicians, transport/communication workers, clerical workers and protective service workers showed a significantly higher prevalence OR, compared to managers, the two models giving different results. In ERI, female production workers/laborers and clerical workers had a significantly lower prevalence OR, compared to managers. The results of this study showed that occupational stress differed by occupational class and the two occupational stress models gave different results for occupational classes with high occupational stress.