Efficacy, safety, and optimal intervention of belimumab for proliferative lupus nephritis patients in real-world settings: LOOPS registry.

Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy, safety, and predictive factors of belimumab (BEL) in induction therapy for patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) in real-world settings.

Methods: Patients with biopsy-proven ISN/RPS class III or IV LN, with or without coexisting class V LN, who underwent standard of care (SoC), glucocorticoid (GC), and either mycophenolate mofetil or cyclophosphamide treatments were included. Participants were treated with SoC (SoC group, n = 32) or BEL and SoC (BEL+SoC group, n = 30).

Efficacy and Safety of Biologics in Polymyalgia Rheumatica: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: The study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) complicated by rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with PMR which could be classified as RA and who were treated with bDMARDs were included in the analysis. The primary endpoint was the clinical Polymyalgia Rheumatica Activity Score (Clin-PMR-AS) after 26 weeks of treatment, and the secondary endpoint was adverse events during the observation period.

A case of Buerger's disease with vasculopathy and skin fibrosis requiring differential diagnosis from systemic sclerosis.

Buerger's disease is characterised by peripheral ischaemia due to occlusion of small- and medium-sized arteries in the extremities. This report describes a case of Buerger's disease in a 51-year-old male who presented with findings resembling systemic sclerosis (SSc). The patient exhibited Raynaud's phenomenon in year 2015, which developed to skin hardening, nail avulsion, and ulceration of the right fingers in year 2018.

Fentanyl-Type Antagonist of the μ-Opioid Receptor: Important Role of Axial Chirality in the Active Conformation.

In recent years, synthetic opioids have emerged as a predominant cause of drug-overdose-related fatalities, causing the "opioid crisis." To design safer therapeutic agents, we accidentally discovered μ-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonists based on fentanyl with a relatively uncomplicated chemical composition that potentiates structural modifications. Here, we showed the development of novel atropisomeric fentanyl analogues that exhibit more potent antagonistic activity against MOR than naloxone, a morphinan MOR antagonist.

Infectious respiratory pathogens among patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan.

Background: Few studies have investigated the prevalence of pathogens in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF), specifically, the interactions between respiratory pathogens and AE-IPF during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objectives: We aimed to analyze pathogens in patients with AE-IPF between September 2020 and December 2022.

Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at our hospital between September 2020 and December 2022.

Efficacy and safety of lascufloxacin for nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia: A single-arm, open-label clinical trial.

Background: Nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) constitutes most of the pneumonia in elderly patients including aspiration pneumonia in Japan. Lascufloxacin (LSFX) possesses broad antibacterial activity against respiratory pathogens, such as Streptococcus spp. And anaerobes inside the oral cavity.

Simulation Study of the Effect of Nanoporous Surfaces on the Adhesion Properties of Cross-Linked Polymer Networks.

We have investigated the effect of surface nanopores on the adhesion behavior between cross-linked polymer networks and metal substrates by molecular dynamics simulations. By increasing the cross-linking ratio of the polymer network, the fracture behavior in tensile mode changed from cohesive failure to interfacial failure. In the case of polymers without cross-links, the breaking strengths were almost the same for systems with flat and porous metal substrates.

Pulmonary artery aneurysm induced by lung abscess.

Physicians should consider a pulmonary artery aneurysm complication in patients presenting with hemoptysis during treatment for a pulmonary abscess. Contrast-enhanced CT or angiography is recommended for diagnosis, followed by pulmonary embolization for treatment.

Usefulness of ultrasound as a predictor of elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis with polymyalgia rheumatica-like onset.

Objectives: Differentiation between polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA), especially in elderly patients, is often difficult due to similarities in symptoms and serological kinetics. In this study, we aimed to analyse the predictors of EORA with PMR-like onset.

Methods: Seventy-two patients diagnosed with PMR, who attended our hospital for routine care and underwent musculoskeletal ultrasonography at that time were evaluated.

Association between ultrasound images and patient-reported outcomes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective study.

Background: Improvements in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have made it possible to achieve treatment goals. It has been reported that both residual synovitis caused by RA and the patients' subjective symptoms remain even after achieving the treatment goals; however, there are limited reports showing a relationship between them. Furthermore, no studies have evaluated the relationship between patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and subclinical synovitis measured by musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) in the treatment of RA.

Synthetic cannabinoid CP-55,940 induces apoptosis in a human skeletal muscle model via regulation of CB receptors and L-type Ca channels.

Rhabdomyolysis has been reported in patients who abuse synthetic cannabinoids. However, no studies have yet assessed whether these cases reflect the direct cytotoxicity of synthetic cannabinoids on skeletal muscle, a possibility that the present study sought to address. Specifically, this study investigated the cytotoxicity of the synthetic cannabinoid CP-55,940, a compound that acts equally on both types of cannabinoid receptors (CB and CB), in a human embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cell line.

Systemic lupus erythematosus with repeated protein-losing enteropathy resulting from different pathological conditions: a case report.

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare organ disorder that can develop as a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old woman with SLE who experienced recurrent PLE resulting from different pathological conditions. The patient was diagnosed with SLE in X-14.

Synthetic cannabinoids enhanced ethanol-induced motor impairments through reduction of central glutamate neurotransmission.

Marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids and alcohol are often used together, with these combinations causing motor impairments that can subsequently lead to motor vehicle accidents. This study investigated the combined use of both synthetic cannabinoids and ethanol and their effect on motor coordination in mice in addition to examining the neurochemical changes in the cerebellum. Ethanol (2 g/kg, i.

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis after introduction of certolizumab pegol: a case report.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are used against a variety of connective tissue diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Contrarily, although rare, TNF inhibitors are known to induce autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis as a paradoxical reaction. We experienced a case of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis after introduction of certolizumab pegol.

IgG4-type Multiple Myeloma with Diffuse Enlargement of the Thyroid Requiring Differentiation from IgG4-related Disease.

We herein report a 65-year-old man with elevated serum IgG4 levels, enlarged thyroid, and renal dysfunction, mimicking IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). The definitive diagnosis of IgG4-RD was not established because a tissue biopsy revealed no IgG4-positive cell infiltration or fibrosis. The presence of an M peak in the β fraction, Bence Jones protein in urine, and progressive anemia suggested multiple myeloma (MM).

[Dependence and Cytotoxicity of Components of Cannabis].

Cannabis use among the younger population in Japan has been steadily increasing. The aim of the present review is to highlight recent knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms of action and health risks associated with cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid consumption. We investigated the effects of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic cannabinoids on place conditioning in ICR mice.

[Present Conditions of Marijuana Regulation in USA: Medical and Recreational Use].

In most countries marijuana is regulated by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. In Japan marijuana use is illegal under the Marijuana Control Law. In USA, marijuana is also classified as a schedule I drug, which is the most stringent regulation category under federal law.

Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol elicited 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalization changes after air puff stimulus through CB receptor in adult rats.

Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is known to have various pharmacological effects mediated through activation of cannabinoid CB and CB receptors in rodents. In adult rats, 22- and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) serve as an effective communication system and as indicators of negative and positive states, respectively. The present study was performed to determine whether THC affects USVs in adult rats, and to determine the roles of cannabinoid receptors in these effects.

Simulation Study of the Effects of Nanoporous Structures on Mechanical Properties at Polymer-Metal Interfaces.

We investigated the effect of nanopores on the adhesion behavior at polymer-metal interfaces by molecular dynamics simulation. The effects of shear and extension behavior were examined. In the shear mode, samples with porous substrates showed larger shear forces than those with flat substrates.

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil using a composite material containing iron and activated carbon in the freeze-dried calcium alginate matrix: Novel soil cleanup technique.

A novel clean-up technology to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from solid samples by magnetic separation using a composite containing iron powder as a magnetic material and activated carbon as an adsorbent in the freeze-dried calcium alginate matrix (Fe-AC-alg) has been developed. The Fe-AC-alg powder (50 mg), mixed with 1.0 g of glass beads having 12 kinds of adsorbed PAHs, was shaken without adding solvents at 300 rpm.

Synthetic cannabinoid AM2201 induces seizures: Involvement of cannabinoid CB receptors and glutamatergic transmission.

Abuse of synthetic cannabinoids is a serious social problem worldwide. Intentional ingestion of synthetic cannabinoids can cause severe toxicity, including seizures. Here we investigated the effects of acute administration of synthetic cannabinoids on the induction of epileptic seizures by monitoring electroencephalographic activity in freely moving mice.