Feasibility of contrast-free left atrial appendage closure with WATCHMAN FLX device for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Contrast media are generally necessary for transcatheter left atrial appendage closure (LAAC), however, it should be avoided in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of contrast-free LAAC with WATCHMAN FLX device for patients with CKD. Among 141 patients undergoing LAAC using the WATCHMAN FLX between May 2021 and March 2023, we performed LAAC without contrast media in 10 patients.

Clinical sequencing of soft tissue and bone sarcomas delineates diverse genomic landscapes and potential therapeutic targets.

The genetic, biologic, and clinical heterogeneity of sarcomas poses a challenge for the identification of therapeutic targets, clinical research, and advancing patient care. Because there are > 100 sarcoma subtypes, in-depth genetic studies have focused on one or a few subtypes. Herein, we report a comparative genetic analysis of 2,138 sarcomas representing 45 pathological entities.

A review of food poisoning caused by local food in Japan.

Increasingly popular worldwide, Japanese cuisine includes several raw preparations such as sashimi and sushi; however, limited information on food poisoning from Japanese local food is available in English literature. Without appropriate knowledge, physicians may underdiagnose traveler's diarrhea among people returning from Japan. To provide accurate information to primary care physicians worldwide, we conducted a narrative review on food poisoning research published in Japanese and English over the past four years, considering the frequency and clinical importance of various presentations.

Polymorphisms in Th17-related genes and the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.

The prognosis of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) including Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's disease (HD) is difficult to predict. We previously suggested that Th17 cells may be associated with the pathogenesis of AITD. However, the association between gene polymorphisms in Th17-related genes and the prognosis of AITD was not clarified.

Modification of single-nucleotide polymorphism in a fully humanized CYP3A mouse by genome editing technology.

Cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A (CYP3A) enzymes metabolize approximately 50% of commercially available drugs. Recently, we developed fully humanized transchromosomic (Tc) CYP3A mice with the CYP3A cluster including CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP3A7, and CYP3A43. Our humanized CYP3A mice have the CYP3A5*3 (g.