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Am J Kidney Dis 2021 May 10. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.

Case Rep Oncol 2021 Jan-Apr;14(1):585-591. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in infants younger than 12 months of age, occurring with an incidence of 1 in 100,000 children. The clinical outcome of neuroblastoma ranges from spontaneous regression to treatment-resistant progression and/or metastasis, and accounts for 8-10% of childhood cancer deaths. Segmental chromosomal aberrations, as well as and amplification, are among factors contributing to an unfavorable genomic profile and high-risk disease classification. Read More

Bone Marrow Transplant 2021 May 11. Epub 2021 May 11.

Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Detrimental graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) still remains a major cause of death in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The recently explored depletion of naive cells from mobilized grafts (CD45RA depletion) has shown considerable promise, yet is unable to eliminate the incidence of GVHD. Analysis of CD45RA-depleted haploidentical mixed lymphocytes culture (haplo-MLC) revealed insufficient suppression of alloresponses in the CD4 compartment and identified CD276 as a marker for alloreactive memory Th1 T cells. Read More

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021 May 7;50:55-63. Epub 2021 May 7.

Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. Electronic address:

(R,S)-ketamine causes rapid-acting and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients with depression although the precise molecular mechanisms underlying its antidepressant action remain unclear. We recently reported that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 might contribute to the antidepressant-like effects of (R)-ketamine that is a more potent enantiomer in rodents. Although TrkB signaling plays a role in the antidepressant-like actions of (R,S)-ketamine and its enantiomers, the role of TrkB signaling in the antidepressant effects of TGF-β1 remains unclear. Read More

J Gastrointest Oncol 2021 Apr;12(Suppl 1):S110-S117

Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Japan.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal malignancies globally. We have previously explored the clinical efficacy of intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel therapy for patients with PDAC and peritoneal metastasis, which demonstrated favourable response and disease control rates. However, the real implications of conversion surgery after IP therapy remain unclear. Read More

Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2021 Apr 23;25(2):e219-e223. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital Ana Costa, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.

 Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) shares many characteristics with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and some studies show that, when associated, PTC is diagnosed mostly with smaller lesions and multifocal pattern.  To evaluate the relationship between HT and PTC.  A retrospective study of 155 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy from 2009 to 2015. Read More

Liver Int 2021 May 9. Epub 2021 May 9.

Department of Internal Medicine, CHU de Caen Normandie, 14000, Caen, France.

Background & Aims: Secondary to TNFAIP3 mutations, A20 haploinsufficiency (HA20) is a recently described autoinflammatory disease with clinical features similar to those of Behçet's and Crohn's diseases but with a constantly expanding clinical spectrum. Here, we describe HA20 liver involvement in three new patients from the same family.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed clinical, biological and/or histological findings for 8 patients over three generations of the same family with heterozygous mutations in the TNFAIP3 gene (c. Read More

Georgian Med News 2021 Mar(312):92-99

Tbilisi State Medical University.

Different studies indicate that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in the progression and therapy resistance in different cancer types. The aim of our study was to analyse the distribution of CSCs in different thyroid lesions, in reproductive, menopausal and post-menopausal women. Study included altogether 200 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue material, with the diagnosis of NIFTP, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and PTC and Hashimoto's thyroiditis co-occurred cases. Read More

Bone Marrow Transplant 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Department of Hematology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) has been shown to reduce chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) particularly in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from unrelated donors; however, anti-GVHD effects of lower doses of ATG remains to be elucidated. We conducted a nationwide retrospective study to compare the outcomes of unrelated PBSCT with or without rabbit ATG (thymoglobulin) in 287 patients. A median ATG dose was 2. Read More

Mol Psychiatry 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan.

The discovery of robust antidepressant actions exerted by the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist (R,S)-ketamine has been a crucial breakthrough in mood disorder research. (R,S)-ketamine is a racemic mixture of equal amounts of (R)-ketamine (arketamine) and (S)-ketamine (esketamine). In 2019, an esketamine nasal spray from Johnson & Johnson was approved in the United States of America and Europe for treatment-resistant depression. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2021 May 6;17(5):e1009527. Epub 2021 May 6.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.

Baloxavir is approved in several countries for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza in otherwise-healthy and high-risk patients. Treatment-emergent viruses with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir have been detected in clinical trials, but the likelihood of widespread occurrence depends on replication capacity and onward transmission. We evaluated the fitness of A/H3N2 and A/H1N1pdm09 viruses with the polymerase acidic (PA) I38T-variant conferring reduced susceptibility to baloxavir relative to wild-type (WT) viruses, using a competitive mixture ferret model, recombinant viruses and patient-derived virus isolates. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Hepatobiliary-pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

BMJ Case Rep 2021 May 5;14(5). Epub 2021 May 5.

Neurology, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.

We report a case of severe amnestic syndrome following theophylline overdose. A woman in her early 30s was admitted to hospital where she developed status epilepticus following an intentional overdose of theophylline and lansoprazole. She developed a profound acidosis and required intubation in the intensive care unit. Read More

Front Oncol 2021 15;11:642919. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.

Background: Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) sometimes spreads from the skin to mucosal areas, and curative surgical excision of these areas is challenging. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of mucosal involvement and surgical treatment on the survival of patients with EMPD.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 217 patients with EMPD. Read More

Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2021 May 2:e1405. Epub 2021 May 2.

Division of Respiratory Medicine, Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan.

Background: In Japan, over 25% of the population is elderly. As the risk of lung cancer increases with age, the number of elderly patients with lung cancer also increases. Given the challenges of an aging society, it is critical that elderly patients receive safe therapies. Read More

J Endocr Soc 2021 May 20;5(5):bvab025. Epub 2021 Feb 20.

Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA.

Severe prolonged hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto thyroiditis may lead to rapid pubertal progression and compromised adult height after initiation of levothyroxine (LT4) therapy. There are no reports of aromatase inhibitor use to augment height in these patients. We describe a patient with severe hypothyroidism and growth failure who experienced rapid pubertal and bone age maturation on initiation of LT4 therapy. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 04 15;18(8). Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.

: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions on the change in muscle mass in older patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), who were not infected with COVID-19. In this retrospective cohort study, data were obtained from outpatients who underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis at least twice before April 2020 and at least once thereafter. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI, kg/m) was calculated as appendicular muscle mass (kg) divided by height squared (m). Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Apr 6;22(7). Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Basic Pathology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.

Background: Within the claudin (CLDN) family, mRNA expression is altered in various types of cancer, but its clinicopathological relevance has yet to be established due to the absence of specific antibodies (Abs) with broad applications.

Methods: We generated a monoclonal Ab (mAb) against human/mouse CLDN12 and verified its specificity. By performing immunohistochemical staining and semiquantification, we evaluated the relationship between CLDN12 expression and clinicopathological parameters in tissues from 138 cases of cervical cancer. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2021 Apr 7;57(4). Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kindai University Hospital, Osaka-Sayama City, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.

: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease characterized by the infiltration of one or more organs by Langerhans cell-like dendritic cells. LCH often involves the bone, and its clinical evidence is limited. The purpose of this study is to report on the treatment of LCH at our institution and to add to the evidence for LCH. Read More

Ear Nose Throat J 2021 Apr 28:1455613211013084. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical sciences, 12923Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.

Objective: Early detection of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is important for both an improved prognosis and less-invasive treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the detection rates of early hypopharyngeal SCCs according to the evaluation methods and the clinical management of early hypopharyngeal SCCs.

Methods: Sixty-eight patients with early hypopharyngeal SCC who were diagnosed were reviewed. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Apr;100(17):e25694

Aerospace Clinic Academy, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China.

Introduction: : Anti-α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) is a subtype of glutamate receptor that mediates most of the fast excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. Anti-AMPAR encephalitis is an autoimmune-mediated neurological disorder, frequently accompanied by the presence of neoplasms, comprising a spectrum of paraneoplastic syndrome.

Patient Concerns: A 56-year-old man was admitted for deterioration in memory and aberrant psychological behaviors, which lasted for at least 20 days. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2021 Apr 26. Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: With the introduction of new molecular-targeted agents, an increasing number of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are benefiting from salvage interventions; however, the actual rate of conversion surgery and its prognostic advantages remain unclear.

Methods: The clinical outcomes of 107 consecutive patients who underwent lenvatinib treatment for advanced HCC were reviewed and the efficacy of additional therapy, including surgery, was investigated.

Results: Of the 107 patients who were initially unsuitable for curative-intent therapy or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), 54 (50. Read More

Rheumatol Int 2021 Apr 26. Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the efficacy of anti-IL-6 receptor antibody (aIL-6) and other biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), such as TNF inhibitor and CTLA4-Ig in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with knee joint involvement.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1059 treatment courses of patients with RA who visited our hospitals and were treated with bDMARDs. We categorized them into two groups, with or without knee joint involvement. Read More

Diabetol Int 2021 Apr 19:1-6. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566 Japan.

Background: To investigate the acute effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on lifestyle and metabolic parameters in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 34 patients who were admitted to our hospital from April 16 to May 1, 2020. Data on stress levels, sleep duration, exercise, total diet, snacks, and prepared food intake were obtained from the questionnaires. Read More

Pers Individ Dif 2021 Sep 18;179:110927. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Faculty of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and hoarding behavior during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. An online survey was conducted among 530 Japanese adults (274 women;  = 44.26,  = 8. Read More

Ann Palliat Med 2021 Apr 16;10(4):4398-4408. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Internal Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.

Background: This investigation systematically evaluated the selenium levels and the effects of selenium supplementation in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD).

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to selenium supplementation in patients with AITD were selected from the PubMed, Medline, Web of Sciences, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Spring databases. All related literature published between January 2000 and November 2020 were included. Read More

Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2021 Apr 24. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Objective: We evaluated the frequency, risk factors, and the follow-up outcomes of thyroid nodules, and genetic alterations in thyroid cancer, in youth with childhood-onset Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) residing in an iodine-sufficient country.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Patients And Measurements: A total of 213 patients (194 females, mean age 10. Read More

Am J Hypertens 2021 Apr 24. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Miyagi University of Education Medical Center, Sendai, Japan.

Background: Central pulse pressure is responsible for the hemodynamics of vital organs, and monitoring this parameter is important for cardiovascular disease prevention. Excess sodium intake and (micro)albuminuria (a manifestation of renal microvascular damage) are known to be strong predictors of cardiovascular disease. We sought to investigate the cross-sectional relationships among dietary sodium intake, albuminuria, and central pulse pressure in a general population cohort. Read More

Turk J Gastroenterol 2021 Jan;32(1):42-52

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.

Background/aims: Patients with achalasia have a high incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which may be associated with alterations in oral and esophageal microbiota caused by food stasis. This study compared the oral and esophageal microbiota of patients with achalasia before and after peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). It also compared patients with achalasia to those with ESCC. Read More

Respir Investig 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Japan Clean Air Association, Tokyo, 100-0001, Japan; Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.

The Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) has recommended spirometry for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. It is indispensable for the confirmation of airflow obstruction by spirometry in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made it difficult for many clinics to perform spirometry as it may lead to possible aerosol infections. Read More