Long-term clinical and endoscopic outcomes of ustekinumab in pediatric Crohn's disease with anti-tumor necrosis factor failure.

Background And Aim: Only a few studies have reported the long-term effects of ustekinumab on pediatric Crohn's disease. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the long-term clinical and endoscopic outcomes of ustekinumab and its safety profile in pediatric-onset Crohn's disease with anti-tumor necrosis factor failure.

Methods: Medical records of patients with pediatric-onset Crohn's disease in whom anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy failed and ustekinumab treatment was initiated from 2017 to 2022 at a Japanese tertiary children's hospital were retrospectively reviewed.

Unveiling the Threat of Maternal Advanced Glycation End Products to Fetal Muscle: Palmitoleic Acid to the Rescue.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in the plasma of pregnant women with hyperglycemia, potentially inducing oxidative stress and fetal developmental abnormalities. Although intrauterine hyperglycemia has been implicated in excessive fetal growth, the effects of maternal AGEs on fetal development remain unclear. We evaluated the differentiation regulators and cellular signaling in the skeletal muscles of infants born to control mothers (ICM), diabetic mothers (IDM), and diabetic mothers supplemented with either cis-palmitoleic acid (CPA) or trans-palmitoleic acid (TPA).

Accuracy of Transperineal Ultrasonography for Assessing Rectal Lesions in Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis: A Prospective Study.

Background And Aims: Transabdominal ultrasonography [TAUS] appears comparable to colonoscopy for evaluating ulcerative colitis [UC] activity, but it has low accuracy in rectal evaluation. In this study, the accuracy of transperineal ultrasonography [TPUS] for evaluating rectal activity was compared to that of colonoscopy in paediatric UC cases.

Methods: Faecal calprotectin [FCP] values and TPUS and colonoscopic findings were compared prospectively in paediatric UC cases.

Differentiation of Yersinia enterocolitica enteritis from other bacterial enteritides by ultrasonography: A single-center case-control study.

Background: The diagnosis of Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) enteritis is not easy because detection from stool culture is more difficult for Ye than for other bacterial enteritides. The establishment of characteristic ultrasonographic findings for Ye enteritis would help improve the detection rate of Ye enteritis along with performance of several cold cultures. This would facilitate appropriate selection of antibiotics based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing and contribute to a more accurate understanding of local public health.

Novel pediatric granulomatosis with polyangiitis with a marked bloody pericardial effusion and bloody stool: a case report.

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a syndrome of refractory vasculitis involving the upper respiratory tract, lungs, kidneys, and systemic small and medium-sized arteries that affects all age groups. No pediatric case with a bloody pericardial effusion resulting in cardiac tamponade and co-existing hematochezia has been reported.

Case Presentation: A 14-year-old boy was referred for evaluation of prolonged fever, chest pain, and intermittent hematochezia.

Expression of Oncogenic Molecules in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis.

Introduction: Long-term disease duration of ulcerative colitis (UC) is known to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer in adults; however, this association has not been genetically analyzed in children with UC. Herein, we examined the expression of cancer-related genes in the colonic mucosa of pediatric UC patients and their risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Methods: Microarray analysis of cancer-related gene expression was conducted on rectal mucosa biopsy specimens randomly selected from pediatric cases, including 4 active-phase UC cases, 3 remission-phase UC cases, and 3 irritable bowel syndrome control cases.

Effects of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD) on Swallowing in Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is an uncommon progressive neurodegenerative disease with no effective cure at present. The initial symptoms resemble those of Parkinson's disease; however, the prevalence of PSP is about one-tenth that of Parkinson's disease. In many cases, dysphagia is severe, and the development of dysphagia is an early predictor of life expectancy.

Effectiveness of Biological Agents in the Treatment of Pediatric Patients with Crohn's Disease and Anal Fistulae.

Introduction: Anal fistulae have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine whether biological agents were effective in treating anal fistulae in patients with CD.

Methods: Fifty-three patients diagnosed with CD were retrospectively enrolled.

Eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection based on the antimicrobial susceptibility test in children: A single-center study over 12 years.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes chronic gastritis, duodenal and to a lesser extent, gastric ulcers, and gastric cancer. Most H.

Early voice therapy for unilateral vocal fold paralysis improves subglottal pressure and glottal closure.

Purpose: In cases of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), voice disorders caused by glottic insufficiency can lead to a considerable reduction in the patient's quality of life. Voice therapy (VT) is an effective treatment that must be started early after the onset of vocal fold paralysis. This study examined the effect of early VT for patients with UVFP occurring after esophagectomy.

A non-selective endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan modulates kinetics of bone marrow-derived cells in ameliorating pulmonary hypertension in mice.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a dual endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan modulates the kinetics of bone marrow-derived stem cells in inhibiting the development of pulmonary hypertension. Bone marrow chimeric mice, transplanted with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-positive bone marrow mononuclear cells, were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia or kept in the ambient air, and were daily treated with bosentan sodium salt or saline for 21 days. After the treatment period, right ventricular pressure was measured and pulmonary vascular morphometry was conducted.

Is a pediatrician performed gray scale ultrasonography with power Doppler study safe and effective for triaging acute non-perforated appendicitis for conservative management?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether acute non-perforated appendicitis (ANPA) can be safely triaged by a pediatrician for conservative management (CM) using gray-scale ultrasonography with power Doppler (GSPD).

Method: Seventy five cases of ANPA assessed by a pediatrician with GSPD (2013-2015) were reviewed. GSPD grading for ANPA was: I: slightly irregular wall/normal blood flow; II: irregular wall/increased blood flow; III: irregular wall/decreased blood flow; and IV: absence of wall/blood flow.

Monocytes infiltrate the pancreas via the MCP-1/CCR2 pathway and differentiate into stellate cells.

Recent studies have shown that monocytes possess pluripotent plasticity. We previously reported that monocytes could differentiate into hepatic stellate cells. Although stellate cells are also present in the pancreas, their origin remains unclear.

Plzf drives MLL-fusion-mediated leukemogenesis specifically in long-term hematopoietic stem cells.

Oncogenic transformation requires unlimited self-renewal. Currently, it remains unclear whether a normal capacity for self-renewal is required for acquiring an aberrant self-renewal capacity. Our results in a new conditional transgenic mouse showed that a mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion oncogene, MLL-ENL, at an endogenous-like expression level led to leukemic transformation selectively in a restricted subpopulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) through upregulation of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (Plzf).

Ly6C(+) monocytes are extrahepatic precursors of hepatic stellate cells in the injured liver of mice.

Objective: We previously reported that hepatic stellate cells (HpSCs) are of hematopoietic origin in liver injury. However, the immediate precursors of HpSCs remain unknown. This study was conducted to elucidate whether terminally differentiated blood cells can differentiate into HpSCs.

Long-term compliance of salt restriction and blood pressure control status in hypertensive outpatients.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the long-term compliance with salt restriction and blood pressure (BP) control status in Japanese hypertensive outpatients. Subjects included 103 patients, 59 women and 44 men, mean age 67 +/- 9 years, who underwent successful 24-h home urine collection more than 10 times over an interval of 5 years. Urinary salt, potassium, and creatinine were measured.

A case of infectious endocarditis-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis with intracranial hemorrhage.

A 55-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of fever and renal impairment. The patient had undergone a tooth extraction 11 months prior to admission. Echocardiography demonstrated vegetation on the mitral valve, and Streptococcus mitis was detected on blood culture.

Usefulness of self-monitoring of urinary salt excretion in hypertensive patients.

We investigated the usefulness of measuring urinary salt excretion by using a self-monitoring device. Subjects were 34 hypertensive patients who underwent successful 24-h home urine collection five times and 25 volunteers. Four volunteers were diagnosed as having hypertension based on home blood pressure (BP) readings.

[Multiple myeloma relapsed or progressed as plasmacytoma after allogeneic reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation: report of three cases].

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) is considered the standard therapy for younger patients with multiple myeloma, however, survival curve doesn't reach plateau. On the other hand, allogeneic reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation (RIST) with graft-versus-myeloma (GVM) effects is expected to be the curable therapy. We had three cases received RIST (one case as a salvage therapy for relapse after tandem auto-PBSCT, and two cases as an intentional RIST after achieving partial response by auto-PBSCT).

Deletion of chromosome arm 15q in a case of minimally differentiated hypoplastic AML-M0.

Deletion of the long arm of chromosome 15 is known as a rare but recurrent chromosomal abnormality in myeloid malignancies. We report a novel case of minimally differentiated hypoplastic acute myeloid leukemia (AML M0) in a patient who initially had a normal karyotype, but clonal interstitial deletion of chromosome 15, del(15)(q11.2q22), coincided with increment of leukemic cells a year later.

Hematopoietic origin of hepatic stellate cells in the adult liver.

Hepatic stellate cells are believed to play a key role in the development of liver fibrosis. Several studies have reported that bone marrow cells can give rise to hepatic stellate cells. We hypothesized that hepatic stellate cells are derived from hematopoietic stem cells.

Ex vivo culture of human cord blood hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells adversely influences their distribution to other bone marrow compartments after intra-bone marrow transplantation.

Intra-bone marrow injection is a novel strategy for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Here, we investigated whether ex vivo culture of cord blood hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells influences their reconstitution in bone marrow after intra-bone marrow transplantation. Freshly isolated AC133(+) cells or cells derived from AC133(+) cells cultured with cytokines (stem cell factor, flt-3 ligand, and thrombopoietin) for 5 days were injected into the bone marrow of the left tibia in irradiated NOD/SCID mice.

Three fatal cases of rapidly progressive infective endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus aureus: one case with huge vegetation.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe disease with a high mortality despite intensive therapy. Three cases of S.