An overview of the reclassification of COVID-19 of the Infectious Diseases Control Law in Japan.

Japan's responses to COVID-19 have been conducted based on the Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases (the Infectious Diseases Control Law) and the Act on Special Measures against Novel Influenza, . (the Act on Special Measures), as COVID-19 is classified as the category of "the Novel Influenza ." under the Infectious Diseases Control Law.

Impact of COVID-19 on Long-Term Care Service Utilization of Older Home-Dwelling Adults in Japan.

Objectives: The COVID-19 outbreak severely affected long-term care (LTC) service provision. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate its impact on the utilization of LTC services by older home-dwelling adults and identify its associated factors.

Design: A retrospective repeated cross-sectional study.

Tacrolimus down-regulates chemokine expressions on rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts: screening by a DNA microarray.

Objective: Although the effects of tacrolimus on T cells are well-known, direct effects on rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts (RSF) remain unclear. We studied the effects of tacrolimus on RSF by a DNA microarray analysis.

Materials And Methods: Tacrolimus and interleukin (IL)-1β were added to cultured RSF.

Literature survey on epidemiology and pathology of cardiac fibroma.

Background: Although cardiac fibroma has been regarded as benign tumor, it presents various symptoms and may lead to death. Unfortunately, only a few studies have reported the epidemiology, embryology, and histopathology of the tumor, and the factors predicting poorer outcome are still obscured.

Methods: In July 2011 we searched for English and Japanese cases of cardiac fibroma using the PubMed and IgakuChuoZasshi databases.

Literature survey on epidemiology and pathology of gangliocytic paraganglioma.

Background: Although gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) has generally been regarded as a neuroendocrine tumor, its origin remains unclear. We therefore aimed to investigate the details of this disease by carefully analyzing and extracting common features of the disease as presented in selected publications.

Methods: We searched for English and Japanese cases of GP using the PubMed and IgakuChuoZasshi databases on August 2010.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy induced by gastric carcinoma: morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis of six autopsy cases.

Background: Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) has been known as a rare and serious cancer-related pulmonary complication. However, the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of this debilitating condition still remains obscure and no effective management was recommended. The present study aims to elucidate the pathophysiology of PTTM.

Leiomyosarcoma with partial rhabdomyoblastic differentiation: first case report of primary cardiac origin.

Background: Leiomyosarcoma occurring as a primary cardiac tumor has been known as an extremely rare condition. Previous studies of leiomyosarcoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation have conducted to those arisen from another site, and they indicated a poorer prognosis of this tumor.

Case Presentation: A 69-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for an operation concerning umbilical hernia.

Adiponectin stimulates prostaglandin E(2) production in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts.

Objective: Adipokines may influence inflammatory and/or immune responses. This study was undertaken to examine whether adiponectin affects the production of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) by rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs).

Methods: Synovial tissue was obtained from patients with RA who were undergoing joint replacement surgery.

Adiponectin stimulates IL-8 production by rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts.

The adipokines are linked not only to metabolic regulation, but also to immune responses. Adiponectin, but not leptin or resistin induced interleukin-8 production from rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts (RSF). The culture supernatant of RSF treated with adiponectin induced chemotaxis, although adiponectin itself had no such effect.

Cyclosporine and tacrolimus for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Purpose Of Review: The calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporine and tacrolimus are important treatments for patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, especially in cases of resistance or intolerance to methotrexate or other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Here, we discuss the mechanism, efficacy and safety of cyclosporine and tacrolimus in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Recent Findings: Recent clinical trials of cyclosporine have shown the advantages of its combination with methotrexate, glucocorticoids and leflunomide in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis.