Clinical questions in the Japanese Urological Association's 2024 clinical practice guidelines for urethral strictures.

Transurethral procedures such as direct vision internal urethrotomy and urethral dilation have been the traditional treatments for urethral strictures. However, transurethral procedures are associated with high recurrence rates, resulting in many uncured cases and prompting major international urological societies to recommend urethroplasty as the standard treatment owing to its high success rate. In contrast, many Japanese general urologists have little doubts about treating urethral strictures with transurethral treatment.

Invalidity of JRS atypical pneumonia prediction score in Omicron variant of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Background: We evaluated whether the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) atypical pneumonia prediction score can be adapted for the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia due to Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.

Nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

Background: There were many differences in the clinical characteristics between nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain, Alpha variant and Delta variant. With the replacement of the Delta variant by the Omicron variant, the Omicron variant showed decreased infectivity to lung and was less pathogenic. We investigated the clinical differences between NHCAP and CAP due to the Omicron variant.

Is the JRS atypical pneumonia prediction score useful in detecting COVID-19 pneumonia under nursing or healthcare settings?

Background: SARS-CoV-2 causes frequent outbreaks in elderly care facilities that meet the criteria for nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP). We evaluated whether the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) atypical pneumonia prediction score could be adapted to the diagnosis of nursing and healthcare acquired COVID-19 (NHA-COVID-19) with pneumonia.

Methods: We analyzed 516 pneumonia patients with NHA-COVID-19 and compared them with 1505 pneumonia patients with community-associated COVID-19 (CA-COVID-19).

Efficacy of Gefapixant, a P2X Antagonist, for Refractory Atopic Cough.

Cough, a frequent symptom encountered in clinical practice, often has a considerable impact on patients' lives. There is an urgent need to investigate more potent antitussive treatments for chronic refractory cough, particularly atopic cough, which is a major cause of chronic refractory cough in Japan. Previous studies have shown that eosinophilic tracheobronchitis with hypersensitivity to sensory nerve C-fibers is the pathophysiology of atopic cough.

Efficacy of gefapixant, a P2X antagonist, for lung cancer-related cough: a case report.

Cough is a frequent symptom accompanied by lung cancer. More potent antitussive treatment for this complex and distressing symptom is required, but anti-cancer chemotherapy cannot fully manage the cough. Inhibition of vagal nerves might control coughing in patients with troublesome lung cancer-related cough and P2X inhibitory therapy may be useful for targeting neuronal function.

Association of High Mobility Group Box-Protein 1 and Platelet Microparticles in Patients After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Thrombotic complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) significantly impact transplant outcomes. We focused on high mobility group box-protein (HMGB)1, one causative agent of thrombotic lesions in allo-HSCT, and investigated its association with platelets. We statistically analyzed available data from 172 patients with hematopoietic malignancies receiving allo-HSCT.

Clinical Efficacy of the Neutralizing Antibody Therapy Sotrovimab in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 Subvariant Infections.

Sotrovimab, an antibody active against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that neutralizes antibodies, reduced the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death in studies conducted before the emergence of the Omicron variant. The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of sotrovimab in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 Omicron BA.1 and BA.

Validation of JRS atypical pneumonia score in patients with community-acquired Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia.

Introduction: The Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) atypical pneumonia score is a useful tool for the rapid presumptive diagnosis of atypical pneumonia. We investigated the clinical features of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to Chlamydia psittaci and validated the JRS atypical pneumonia score in patients with C. psittaci CAP.

Intracranial aneurysm as a possible complication of osteogenesis imperfecta: a case series and literature review.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an inherited disease characterized by bone fragility due to impaired type I collagen. Although orthopedic management is improving, other complications are poorly understood. We describe three patients with OI with unruptured intracranial aneurysm (IA) detected by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) screening of 14 patients.

Alectinib in a patient with ALK-positive non-small lung cancer unable to swallow capsules.

Introduction: The treatment landscape of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has changed dramatically in the last decade. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement has been a focus of interest since ALK inhibitors produced outstanding clinical results compared with chemotherapy with cytotoxic agents in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC.

Case Report: We present the case of a 56-year-old woman with metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC and an inability to swallow capsules or tablets.

Assessment of the pneumonia severity score in community-acquired and nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia due to COVID-19.

Introduction: The Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) pneumonia guidelines recommend simple predictive rules, the A-DROP scoring system, for assessment of the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP). We evaluated whether the A-DROP system can be adapted for assessment of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

Methods: Data from 1141 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed, comprising 502 patients observed in the 1st to 3rd wave period, 338 patients in the 4th wave and 301 patients in the 5th wave in Japan.

Changes in diagnostic usefulness of the JRS scoring system in COVID-19 pneumonia by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Introduction: The Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) scoring system is a useful tool for the rapid presumptive diagnosis of atypical pneumonia in non-elderly (aged <60 years) patients. As SARS-CoV-2 vaccination progresses, COVID-19 in elderly people has markedly reduced. We investigated changes in diagnostic usefulness of the JRS scoring system in COVID-19 pneumonia between the Delta variant group (vaccination period) and non-Delta variant group (before the vaccination period).

Tiotropium Add-On and Treatable Traits in Asthma-COPD Overlap: A Real-World Pilot Study.

Purpose: The 'treatable traits' strategy for patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases, especially asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a focus of interest, because it implements precision and personalized medicine. Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), a phenotype involving both asthma and COPD, is an important disease entity because patients with ACO have significantly worse outcomes, conferring greater economical and social burdens. Some guidelines for ACO recommend add-on therapy of long-acting muscarinic antagonists to inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β agonists.

Clinical efficacy of casirivimab-imdevimab antibody combination treatment in patients with COVID-19 Delta variant.

Introduction: Casirivimab-imdevimab, an antibody cocktail containing two severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing antibodies, reduces the viral load and the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related hospitalization or death. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of casirivimab-imdevimab in patients with COVID-19 Delta variant in Japan.

Methods: This study was conducted at five institutions and assessed a total of 461 patients with COVID-19 who met the inclusion criteria.

Clinical features of nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia due to COVID-19.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to clarify the clinical differences between nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to COVID-19. We also investigated the clinical characteristics to determine whether there is a difference between the variant and non-variant strain in patients with NHCAP due to COVID-19. In addition, we analyzed the clinical outcomes in NHCAP patients with mental disorders who were hospitalized in a medical institution for treatment of mental illness.

Clinical Differences between Community-Acquired Pneumonia and COVID-19 Pneumonia.

is one of the major causative pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP is clinically and radiologically distinct from bacterial CAPs. One feature of the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) guidelines is a trial to be carried out to differentiate between pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia for the selection of antibiotics.

Early identification of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia using clinical and radiographic findings.

Introduction: The Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) scoring system is a useful tool for identifying Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Most COVID-19 pneumonia in non-elderly patients (aged <60 years) are classified as atypical pneumonia using the JRS scoring system. We evaluated whether physicians could distinguish between COVID-19 pneumonia and M.

A Single-Center Retrospective Observational Study Evaluating the Favorable Predictive Factors for the Disease Control Time of Treatment with Tocilizumab in Patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Background: Tocilizumab (TCZ) is humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and receptor that has prominent efficacy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We conducted a retrospective observational study to determine how long TCZ controls RA.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of RA patients treated with TCZ.

Switching from conventional therapy to burosumab injection has the potential to prevent nephrocalcinosis in patients with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets.

Objectives: X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) is a congenital fibroblast growth factor (FGF)23-related metabolic bone disease that is treated with active vitamin D and phosphate as conventional therapies. Complications of these therapies include nephrocalcinosis (NC) caused by excessive urine calcium and phosphate concentrations. Recently, an anti-FGF23 antibody, burosumab, was developed and reported to be effective in poorly-controlled or severe XLH patients.

Evaluation of a novel urinary antigen test kit for diagnosing Legionella pneumonia.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of a novel test kit that could theoretically detect all serogroups of Legionella pneumophila for diagnosing Legionella pneumonia, in comparison with existing kits.

Methods: This study was conducted in 16 hospitals in Japan from April 2016 to December 2018. Three urinary antigen test kits were used: the novel kit (LAC-116), BinaxNOW Legionella (Binax), and Q-line Kyokutou Legionella (Q-line).