Favorable outcomes of de novo advanced phases of pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor era.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare disease during childhood, and accelerated phase (AP) and blast phase (BP) CML, also called advanced phases, are even rarer. We retrospectively collected and analyzed clinical data of children younger than 20 years with de novo advanced-phase CML between 1996 and 2017 in Japan. Median follow-up time was 8.

Identification of a minimal strong translation enhancer within the 5'-untranslated region of mRNA.

The long 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) exhibits enhancer activity in translation of rice mRNA. In this report, we describe elements of 5'UTR that may be responsible for its enhancer activity, including a long uORF and several secondary structure elements. 5'UTR can be dissected into three stem-loop structures SL1, small SL and SL2, where the uORF starts within SL1 and ends within SL2.

Utility of Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy Following Esophagectomy With Gastric Roll Reconstruction Through the Retrosternal Route.

Background: Esophagectomy with gastric roll reconstruction through the retrosternal route can result in significant anatomical shifts in the pancreatic head and neck. These shifts must be carefully considered when planning distal pancreatectomy (DP) after esophagectomy.

Methods: We analyzed 15 patients who underwent CT scans after discharge following esophagectomy with gastric roll reconstruction via the retrosternal route.

Contemporary Use of Oral Inotropes in the Outpatient Treatment of Heart Failure: Analysis of a Japanese Nationwide Database.

Clinical evidence of oral inotrope use for advanced heart failure (HF) is limited. This study investigated the contemporary use and association of oral inotropes with prognosis in the outpatient treatment of advanced HF using a nationwide administrative claims database in Japan. Patients hospitalized with acute HF between 2014 and 2021 were identified from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan.

Molecular analysis of influenza A(H3N2) in a remote tropical island during 2014-2019 to identify the frequency of introduction and local circulation.

Background: The sources of new antigenic Influenza A(H3N2) variants and the role of tropical regions in the global A(H3N2) circulation remain unclear. By conducting molecular analysis, this study aimed to identify A(H3N2) introduction events and the duration of local circulation in a geographically remote tropical island.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal/nasal samples were collected from symptomatic children under five years old in a remote tropical island of the Philippines between 2014-2019.

Utility of a Large Series of B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Lines as a Model System.

Background: In B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), chromosomal translocations are strongly associated with prognoses. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is a powerful technology that reveals a close correlation between types of translocation and patterns of gene expression in clinical samples of BCP-ALL. Cancer cell lines are powerful research tools, and thus, we built a larger series of BCP-ALL cell lines and performed RNA-seq analysis to confirm their utility as a model system.

Anticoagulation with Nafamostat Mesilate During Impella Support: A Case Report.

Achieving an optimal balance between thrombosis prevention and bleeding risk during temporary mechanical circulatory support remains a significant clinical challenge. Effective anticoagulation management that ensures device functionality while minimizing major bleeding events should have the potential to improve short-term outcomes. Here, we report the successful use of nafamostat mesilate (NM) as an anticoagulant during Impella support in two male patients with advanced heart failure and cardiogenic shock.

Efficacy of Inhaled Treprostinil in a Patient with Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension and Interstitial Lung Diseases Refractory to Conventional Intravenous Epoprostenol.

Systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary hypertension (SSc-PH) is widely recognized as the most severe subtype of connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary hypertension (CTD-PH), particularly in patients with complicating factors such as interstitial lung disease (ILD) and biventricular failure. This condition is associated with the poorest clinical outcomes among PH subtypes, presenting significant challenges in both management and prognosis. Despite the use of conventional therapies, including intravenous administration of epoprostenol, a promising prostacyclin analogue, treatment outcomes for SSc-PH remain suboptimal.

Initial Experience of Noninvasive Quantification of Pulmonary Congestion Utilizing the Remote Dielectric Sensing System in Pediatric Patients with Heart Failure.

: Remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) is a recently developed, noninvasive, electromagnetic energy-based technology designed to quantify pulmonary congestion without requiring expert techniques in adult patients with heart failure. However, its applicability in pediatric patients remains unknown. : ReDS values and chest X-rays were simultaneously obtained from pediatric patients with a history of Fontan surgery at an outpatient clinic.

Re-examining the optimal extent of lymph node dissection for colon cancer using the lymphadenectomy index.

The optimal extent of lymph node dissection in colon cancer surgery is specified in guidelines based on the results of past analyses. However, with advances in surgical techniques and multidisciplinary treatments, the clinical significance of dissecting each lymph node may change. In this study, we re-examined the optimal dissection range in each colon cancer localization.

Overexpression of SHANK2 contributes malignant outcomes as a Hippo pathway regulator in gastric cancer.

Background: Recent studies identified that SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 2 (SHANK2) is located in a gene-amplified region 11q13 of various human cancers, and has oncogenic functions as a Hippo pathway suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we tested whether SHANK2 acts as a cancer-promoting gene through its activation or overexpression in gastric cancer (GC).

Materials And Methods: We analyzed 5 GC cell lines and 172 primary tumor samples of GC, which were curatively resected in our hospital.

SCN5A variant type-dependent risk prediction in Brugada syndrome.

Aims: The variant in SCN5A with the loss of function (LOF) effect in the cardiac Na+ channel (Nav1.5) is the definitive cause for Brugada syndrome (BrS), and the functional analysis data revealed that LOF variants are associated with poor prognosis. However, which variant types (e.

Loss of Bach2 in T cells causes prolonged allergic inflammation through accumulation of effector T cells and disruption of epidermal barrier.

Background: Bach2 has been suggested to be a risk factor for allergic diseases in previous studies. Because type IV hypersensitivity reactions, including allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), develop through activated T cells, and because the expression of Bach2 is regulated in the development and functional differentiation of T cells, the expression of Bach2 in T cells may be involved in the onset of ACD. However, the role of Bach2 in T cells during ACD development has not yet been determined.

Blood exosome connexins and small RNAs related to demyelinating disease activity.

Objectives: To assess blood exosome (Ex)-connexin (Cx)43 (encoded by GJA1) and its truncated isoforms in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), which show distinct alterations in astroglial Cx43.

Methods: Serum Exs from 48 patients with MS (34 relapsing-remitting, 14 secondary-progressive), 35 with NMOSD, 20 with other inflammatory neurologic diseases (OIND), and 17 healthy controls (HC) were subjected to quantitative Western blotting for Cx43, single-molecule array for neurofilament-L, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for non-coding RNAs detected by RNA sequencing. Sera from control and astroglia-specific Cx43 inducible conditional knockout (Cx43-icKO) mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) were also tested.

Outcomes of Left Atrial Appendage Closure in Hemodialysis Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: The OCEAN-LAAC Registry.

Background: Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has demonstrated favorable outcomes as an alternative to permanent anticoagulation in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). In hemodialysis (HD) patients with NVAF, anticoagulation increases bleeding complications, with inconsistent benefits in stroke prevention.

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the benefit of LAAC for HD patients.

Catheter Ablation in Older Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases with age and treatment with catheter ablation is performed frequently. Catheter ablation may have a lower rate of success and a higher rate of complications in older patients.We compared the characteristics, success rates, and complications of catheter ablation in patients with AF categorized into late old-aged (≥ 75 years, n = 148), early old-aged (65-74 years), n = 129), and middle-aged (< 65 years, n = 91) groups.