Coexistence of Cold Agglutinin and Cryoglobulin in a Patient With Severe Anemia Following COVID-19 Infection.

We report a case of coexisting cold agglutinin and cryoglobulin in a patient with severe anemia following COVID-19 infection, in whom direct antiglobulin testing revealed C3d positivity and immunoglobulin G negativity. There was no evident hemolytic anemia, thrombosis, or clinically significant IgM monoclonal gammopathy. The anemia improved with folic acid supplementation alone accompanied by a decrease of the cold agglutination titer, and the direct antiglobulin test became negative.

Botulinum Therapy for Pain Caused by Spasticity in Advanced Stages of Brain Tumor in Adolescents: A Case Report.

Background: Spasticity is an upper motor neuron syndrome that exacerbates motor paralysis and is rarely associated with pain. This report elucidates the management of drug-resistant pain attributed to an adolescent brain tumor using botulinum therapy.

Case Presentation: A 15-year-old female patient experienced dizziness, developed muscle weakness in her upper extremities, and was diagnosed with diffuse glioblastoma of the pons.

Cutoffs on severity metrics for minimal manifestations or better status in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis.

International consensus guidance and Japanese clinical guidelines for myasthenia gravis (MG) recommend achieving minimal manifestations or better status (MM-or-better) as the severity component of the treatment goal. However, the subjective nature of determining MM can result in ambiguity regarding this category in clinical practice and clinical trials. This study analyzed severity metrics in a large number of MG patients to propose criteria for MM-or-better.

Cardiovascular Safety and Fracture Prevention Effectiveness of Denosumab Versus Oral Bisphosphonates in Patients Receiving Dialysis : A Target Trial Emulation.

Background: Dialysis patients have high rates of fracture morbidity, but evidence on optimal management strategies for osteoporosis is scarce.

Objective: To determine the risk for cardiovascular events and fracture prevention effects with denosumab compared with oral bisphosphonates in dialysis-dependent patients.

Design: An observational study that attempts to emulate a target trial.

Pretransplant Minimal Pleural and Peritoneal Effusion Is a Potential Poor Prognostic Indicator in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Pleural effusion and ascites developing after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) are generally associated with inferior overall survival (OS); however, the prognostic value of pretransplant effusion on transplant outcomes remained unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated minimal pleural effusion and ascites detected by computed tomography in 248 consecutive adult patients who underwent their first allo-SCT from January 2007 to December 2022.

Results: Forty-eight patients demonstrated minimal pleural effusion or ascites within 100 days before transplantation (Effusion group) and the other 200 had no effusion (No effusion group).

NMR spectroscopy derived plasma biomarkers of inflammation in human populations: Influences of age, sex and adiposity.

Understanding the distribution and variation in inflammatory markers is crucial for advancing our knowledge of inflammatory processes and evaluating their clinical utility in diagnosing and monitoring acute and chronic disease. 1H NMR spectroscopy of blood plasma and serum was applied to measure a composite panel of inflammatory markers based on acute phase glycoprotein signals (GlycA and GlycB) and sub-regions of the lipoprotein derived Supramolecular Phospholipid Composite signals (SPC1, SPC2 and SPC3) to establish normal ranges in two healthy, predominantly white cohorts from Australia (n = 398) and Spain (n = 80; ages 20-70 years). GlycA, GlycB, SPC1 and SPC3 were not significantly impacted by age or sex, but SPC2 (an HDL-related biomarker) was significantly higher in women across all age ranges by an average of 33.

Mice carrying the full-length human immunoglobulin loci produce antigen-specific human antibodies with the lambda light chain.

The development of antibody drugs through animal immunization typically requires the humanization of host antibodies to address concerns about immunogenicity in humans. However, employing an animal model capable of producing human antibodies presents the opportunity to develop antibody drugs without the need for humanization. Despite the ratio of human immunoglobulin (Ig) κ to Igλ usage being approximately 60%:40%, the majority of approved antibody therapeutics are kappa antibodies, and the development of lambda antibodies as therapeutic agents has lagged behind.

Ponatinib and prednisolone induce sustained remission in a relapsed case of mixed-phenotype acute leukemia with fusion intolerant to dasatinib.

Mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) with fusion is a rare leukemia subtype exhibiting both myeloid and lymphoid traits. Standard treatment involves chemotherapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). However, establishing the optimal treatment strategy for elderly patients with MPAL with fusion is challenging due to their intolerance to intensive chemotherapy.

Subcutaneous Hematoma Elevates Plasma Levels of FDP and D-Dimer; an Analysis by Animal Model Experiments.

Purpose: Trauma-associated coagulopathy has been considered to develop as a result of increased fibrinolysis due to massive bleeding, tissue damage and hypoperfusion. However, it has not been investigated whether hematoma may cause trauma-associated coagulopathy. Using experimental animal model, we analyzed the effects of hematoma formation on coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters.

Association between body size and atrial myopathy: Investigation using the prevalence of left atrial low-voltage areas.

Background: Left atrial low-voltage areas (LVAs) are known to be associated with atrial myopathy and atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation. However, the association between body size and prevalence of LVAs has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association between body size and the prevalence of LVAs in patients with AF ablation.

The Milan Score Predicts Objective Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Patients With Type 2 Esophagogastric Junction.

Introduction: High-resolution manometry (HRM) allows assessment of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) disruption. While type 3 EGJ predicts definitive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), type 2 EGJ is less clearly implicated in GERD pathogenesis. This study aimed to characterize physiologic findings in type 2 EGJ to determine if the HRM-based Milan Score can define GERD within type 2 EGJ.

Successful Antibiotic Treatment of Phlegmonous Gastritis Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Phlegmonous gastritis (PG) is a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection characterized by thickening of the gastric wall. We report a case of PG in a 17-year-old male following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia. Seven months after transplantation, the patient presented with severe abdominal pain, fever, and significant gastric wall thickening on CT.

Novel model of the region of interest modified Mayo Adhesive Probability score.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between the newly developed region of interest (ROI)-modified Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score, in which stranding was re-evaluated by computed tomography (CT) number, for predicting operation time in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN).

Methods: The study participants were 119 patients who underwent transperitoneal RAPN. With regard to stranding, ROIs were evaluated, and the mean CT numbers were assigned a score ranging from 0 to 3.

Effects of intra-tumoral cellular heterogeneity of oxygen partial pressure on biological effectiveness of hydrogen-, helium-, carbon-, oxygen-, and neon-ion beams.

The tumor microenvironment characterized by heterogeneously organized vasculatures causes intra-tumoral heterogeneity of oxygen partial pressure at the cellular level, which cannot be measured by current imaging techniques. The intra-tumoral cellular heterogeneity may lead to a reduction of therapeutic effects of radiation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the heterogeneity on biological effectiveness of H-, He-, C-, O-, and Ne-ion beams for different oxygenation levels, prescribed dose levels, and cell types.

Pleural Tuberculoma Presenting as a Solitary Pleural Mass in a Child.

Pleural tuberculoma is often observed during treatment for tuberculous pleurisy; however, this condition is rarely found as a solitary pleural nodule in patients without a history of tuberculosis treatment, and no cases have been reported in children. We report a case of a 12-year-old boy with pleural tuberculoma presenting as a solitary mass. He had a fever and cough that prompted chest radiography, which revealed a mass in the right lung.

Plasma amyloid beta biomarkers predict amyloid positivity and longitudinal clinical progression in mild cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Previous studies have examined the predictive accuracy of plasma amyloid beta (Aβ) biomarkers in clinical cohorts. However, their accuracy for predicting amyloid-positive patients in community-based cohorts is unclear. This study aimed to determine the predictive accuracy of Aβ precursor protein 669-711/Aβ1-42, Aβ1-40/1-42 and their composite biomarkers for brain amyloid deposition or the clinical progression in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

A Phase II, Open Label, Single-Arm Study on the Efficacy of Cabozantinib in Patients With Advanced/Metastatic Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Harboring MET Exon 14 Alterations who Developed Acquired Resistance to Tepotinib or Capmatinib (CAPTURE Trial).

Background: MET gene exon 14 skipping was identified as a potential driver mutation that occurs in approximately 3%-4% of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), typically in the absence of other driver mutations. Capmatinib and tepotinib were the first MET- tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MET-TKIs) approved by the FDA and PMDA, specifically for patients with metastatic NSCLC. Several studies have reported acquired resistance after MET-TKI treatment for MET mutation-positive NSCLC.

Circulating Pre-microRNA-488 in Blood Is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been highlighted as non-invasive clinical biomarkers in liquid biopsy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of circulating tumor suppressors, precursor-miR-488 (pre-miR-488) and miR-488-5p, in the blood of patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Materials And Methods: The expression levels of pre-miR-488 and miR-488-5p in tumor tissues and blood were measured using RT-qPCR, and the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of their expression was assessed in patients with GC.

Gene Fusion Detection in Long-Read Transcriptome Datasets from Multiple Cancer Cell Lines.

Background: Fusion genes are important biomarkers in cancer research because their expression can produce abnormal proteins with oncogenic properties. Long-read RNA sequencing (long-read RNA-seq), which can sequence full-length mRNA transcripts, facilitates the detection of such fusion genes. Several tools have been proposed for detecting fusion genes in long-read RNA-seq datasets derived from cancer cells.

Preliminary evidence of renal function improvement in chronic progressive kidney disease using autologous CD34 cell therapy: A clinical trial.

Background: To date, no specific treatment has been established to reverse progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of autologous CD34 cell transplantation in CKD patients who exhibited a progressive decline in renal function.

Methods: The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the beginning of the study was 15.

Early prediction of functional impairment at hospital discharge in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture: a machine learning approach.

Although conservative treatment is commonly used for osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF), some patients experience functional disability following OVF. This study aimed to develop prediction models for new-onset functional impairment following admission for OVF using machine learning approaches and compare their performance. Our study consisted of patients aged 65 years or older admitted for OVF using a large hospital-based database between April 2014 and December 2021.

Photocatalytic Alkene-Migrative Chain Elongation of 2-Phosphinostyrenes with Aldehydes.

The photocatalytic alkene-migrative chain elongation reaction of 2-phosphinostyrenes with aldehydes under mild conditions in response to blue light was demonstrated. A broad range of aldehydes, both aliphatic and aromatic, participated in this reaction to afford alkene-phosphine oxides in a -selective manner. Mechanistic experiments suggested the formation of benzophospholene-based ylide intermediates via photocatalytic cyclization of phosphinostyrenes followed by solvent-mediated proton transfer under base-free reaction conditions.

A Case of Primary Lung Adenocarcinoma With Recurrent Brain Metastasis due to Transformation to Small Cell Carcinoma During Adjuvant Atezolizumab Therapy.

Histologic transformation from non-small cell to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a resistance mechanism to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We report herein a case of lung adenocarcinoma who developed liver and brain metastases during adjuvant atezolizumab therapy. The patient underwent a craniotomy to resect a brain metastasis, which was pathologically diagnosed as SCLC.

Noise Reduction in Brain CT: A Comparative Study of Deep Learning and Hybrid Iterative Reconstruction Using Multiple Parameters.

Objectives: We evaluated the noise reduction effects of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) and hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) in brain computed tomography (CT).

Methods: CT images of a 16 cm dosimetry phantom, a head phantom, and the brains of 11 patients were reconstructed using filtered backprojection (FBP) and various levels of DLR and HIR. The slice thickness was 5, 2.

Rapidly Expanding Fusiform Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm without Stenotic Lesion Caused by Fibromuscular Dysplasia: A Rare Case.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an arterial disease characterized by fibrous arterial wall thickening and irregular proliferation and degeneration of smooth muscle cells in muscular arteries. Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are rare, with only a few reported cases. A characteristic feature of AAA is an aneurysm protruding forward near the terminal aorta with stenosis.