Microvascular Endothelial Function Assessed Using Peripheral Arterial Tonometry in Adolescents with Repaired Congenital Heart Disease.

Atherosclerosis can develop in adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and should be given attention. Endothelial function is well known as a predictor of the development of atherosclerosis but has not been well investigated in patients with repaired CHD. This study aimed to clarify the endothelial function and its relationship with clinical backgrounds and parameters in adolescents with various types of repaired CHDs.

Clinical history analysis of Japanese melanoma cases and characteristics of melanoma with childhood onset.

It remains debatable whether melanoma with a clinical history of early childhood onset truly arises from a nevus. To clarify the clinical and genetic characteristics of melanoma detected at birth or several years afterwards, 249 melanoma cases seen at Shinshu University Hospital between 2006 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Ten (4.

Chemokine level predicts the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-1 antibody (nivolumab) therapy for malignant melanoma.

Anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody drugs, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, are regarded as first-line therapies for advanced malignant melanoma. Anti-PD-1 therapy suppresses tumor immunity, and the therapeutic effect is frequently correlated with the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, sampling tumor tissues from the metastatic sites to examine the number of TILs and TMB level is often challenging.

Safety and Efficacy of Landiolol Hydrochloride in Children with Tachyarrhythmia of Various Etiologies.

The safety and efficacy of landiolol have not been fully elucidated in pediatric patients. This study aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of landiolol in a pediatric cohort. We retrospectively assessed the clinical features of 21 pediatric patients who were administered landiolol at our hospital.

Acquired and progressive coronary arterial fistulae in patients with single-ventricle physiology and treated with pulmonary vasodilators.

Background: Cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmia, and hepatic fibrosis are well-known complications after right heart bypass surgery in patients with single-ventricle physiology. However, little is known about coronary arterial fistulae, and only a few reports have been published. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of these rare coronary arterial fistulae that developed as complications in cases of single-ventricle physiology after right heart bypass surgery.

Usefulness of monitoring circulating tumor cells as a therapeutic biomarker in melanoma with BRAF mutation.

Background: While molecularly targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved the prognosis of advanced melanoma, biomarkers are required to monitor drug responses. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are released from primary and/or metastatic tumors into the peripheral blood. We examined whether CTCs have potential as biomarkers by checking the number of CTCs, as well as the BRAF genotype of individual CTCs, in melanoma patients undergoing BRAF/MEK inhibitor treatment.

Detecting copy number alterations of oncogenes in cell-free DNA to monitor treatment response in acral and mucosal melanoma.

Background: Reliable biomarkers are necessary for assessment of treatment responses. Acral and mucosal melanomas are commonly associated with copy number (CN) alterations rather than specific point mutations, with CN alterations inKIT, CDK4, and CCND1 occurring frequently. Cell-free DNA is released to peripheral blood by both normal and tumor cells, and therefore contains the same genetic alterations present in the source tumor.

Microvascular endothelial function in Japanese early adolescents.

Endothelial dysfunction is the early predictive factor for the development of atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. The prevalence of endothelial dysfunction in children and early adolescents is increasing worldwide. Peripheral arterial tonometry is a noninvasive technique for assessing peripheral microvascular function and is used as a validated marker of endothelial function.

Circulating Tumour DNA for Monitoring Treatment Response to Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Melanoma Patients.

Anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody shows high therapeutic efficacy in patients with advanced melanoma. However, assessment of its therapeutic activity can be challenging because of tumour enlargement associated with intratumoural inflammation. Because circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) correlates with tumour burden, we assessed the value of ctDNA levels as an indicator of tumour changes.

Quantitative analysis of the BRAF mutation in circulating tumor-derived DNA in melanoma patients using competitive allele-specific TaqMan PCR.

Background: BRAF is a common mutation in melanoma, and BRAF inhibitors are effective in treating of BRAF mutation-positive melanoma. DNA carrying this mutation is released from melanoma cells into the circulation. As such, circulating tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) in peripheral blood represents a novel biomarker for evaluating tumor features in cancer patients.

Targeted temperature management for acute encephalopathy in a Japanese secondary emergency medical care hospital.

Background: The goals of this study, conducted in our secondary emergency care hospital, were to assess the effectiveness of targeted temperature management (TTM) for acute encephalopathy secondary to status epilepticus and to consider appropriate adaptations for use of TTM in this setting.

Methods: Medical records of patients admitted with acute encephalopathy to Hirakata City Hospital between January 2010 and December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases treated with TTM (36 °C) and methylprednisolone pulse (MP) therapy (TTM/MP) were compared with those treated with conventional MP regarding clinical courses and outcomes.