Presence of ultrasound subclinical synovitis and increment of serum vascular endothelial growth factor in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis achieved in sustained clinical remission by treatment with adalimumab and methotrexate.

A 63-year-old male Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient, in whom treatment with infliximab and methotrexate (MTX) had once led to drug-free remission, experienced a disease flare in July 2010. He was retreated with a combination of adalimumab and MTX, and clinical remission was achieved in 3 months. In contrast, power Doppler signals by ultrasonography with increased serum vascular endothelial growth factor still remained after he achieved sustained clinical remission, whereas no radiographic progression has been found.

Ultrasonographic examination of rheumatoid arthritis patients who are free of physical synovitis: power Doppler subclinical synovitis is associated with bone erosion.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of power Doppler (PD) subclinical synovitis in patients with RA who achieve clinical remission free from physical synovitis.

Methods: Twenty-nine RA patients were consecutively enrolled. All of the patients had achieved clinical remission [simplified disease activity index (SDAI) 3.

A case of cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa with elevated serum interleukin-6 levels complicated by leg arterial stenosis and destructive arthropathy of the left ankle.

We report a case of a 60-year-old female with cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (CPN) of the left ankle, accompanied by elevated serum interleukin (IL)-6 levels. Computed tomographic angiography revealed severe narrowing of medium-sized arteries in her left leg. Destructive arthropathy in the left ankle was identified by X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging.

Confirmation of effectiveness of tocilizumab by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in biologic agent-naïve early-stage rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Efficacy of tocilizumab in active early-stage RA patients despite methotrexate was evaluated for 12 months. One out of 5 patients was quitted by infusion reaction whereas tocilizumab continued for 12 months in the remaining 4 patients. Power Doppler articular synovitis was reduced in every patient and disappeared in 2 patients.

Improvement of plasma endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in patients with systemic sclerosis by bosentan therapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bosentan on plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) as pulmonary hypertension (PH)-associated biochemical markers in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Twenty-four SSc patients receiving bosentan for 24 weeks were registered in this prospective observational study. Ten patients were complicated with clinically suspected PH.

Concomitant loss of p120-catenin and β-catenin membrane expression and oral carcinoma progression with E-cadherin reduction.

The binding of p120-catenin and β-catenin to the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin establishes epithelial cell-cell adhesion. Reduction and loss of catenin expression degrades E-cadherin-mediated carcinoma cell-cell adhesion and causes carcinomas to progress into aggressive states. Since both catenins are differentially regulated and play distinct roles when they dissociate from E-cadherin, evaluation of their expression, subcellular localization and the correlation with E-cadherin expression are important subjects.

Two rare cases of adult-onset phalangeal microgeodic syndrome with magnetic resonance imaging-proven bone edema transiently occurring in winter.

We report two rare cases of adult-onset phalangeal microgeodic syndrome (PMS), which commonly develops in children. Both cases were Japanese women, with case 1: 60 years old and case 2: 58 years old. They developed swelling and stiffness in their fingers in winter, and their symptoms disappeared without any treatment in summer.

xCT inhibition depletes CD44v-expressing tumor cells that are resistant to EGFR-targeted therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The targeting of antioxidant systems that allow stem-like cancer cells to avoid the adverse consequences of oxidative stress might be expected to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. Here, we show that head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells that express variant isoforms of CD44 (CD44v) rely on the activity of the cystine transporter subunit xCT for control of their redox status. xCT inhibition selectively induces apoptosis in CD44v-expressing tumor cells without affecting CD44v-negative differentiated cells in the same tumor.

Loss of claudin-7 is a negative prognostic factor for invasion and metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Claudin-7 belongs to the claudin family, which consists of 24 subtypes of essential tight junction (TJ) integral membrane proteins with molecular weights of 20-27 kDa. We investigated the interrelationship between clinicopathological findings and claudin-7 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Using immunohistochemical techniques to examine the expression levels of claudin-7 in 67 cases of OSCC, claudin-7 expression was detected in 35 (52.

Maxillary stability after Le Fort I osteotomy with self-setting α-tricalcium phosphate and an absorbable plate.

The purpose of this study was to compare retrospectively postoperative differences in maxillary stability after Le Fort I osteotomy and fixation with an unsintered hydroxyapatite (u-HA)/poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) plate with or without self-setting α-tricalcium phosphate (Biopex(®)) as interpositional material. Subjects comprised 45 patients diagnosed with mandibular prognathism with maxillary retrognathism and mandibular prognathism with bimaxillary asymmetry. All patients underwent Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy with fixation by uHA/PLLA plates.

Progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma accompanied with reduced E-cadherin expression but not cadherin switch.

The cadherin switch from E-cadherin to N-cadherin is considered as a hallmark of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and progression of carcinomas. Although it enhances aggressive behaviors of adenocarcinoma cells, the significance and role of cadherin switch in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are largely controversial. In the present study, we immunohistochemically examined expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in oral SCCs (n = 63) and its implications for the disease progression.

An elderly patient with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection with mixed cryoglobulinemia and review of the literature.

A 76-year-old woman was diagnosed with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (CAEBV) with sustained fever, anemia, numbness of the lower limbs, and liver dysfunction. The patient had an unusual anti-EBV antibody profile and high viral load, positive rheumatoid factor, and cryoglobulinemia. She suffered from recurrent hemosputum with pleural effusion and thrombocytopenia caused by CAEBV infection, and she died in July 2008.

A hypothesis on the desired postoperative position of the condyle in orthognathic surgery: a review.

It is very important to clarify the relationship between a dentofacial structure and a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) structure in orthognathic surgery. Recently, it was reported that the skeletal and occlusal patterns were associated with the TMJ morphology, including the disk position. In orthognathic surgery, some surgeons state that alterations in the condylar position from surgery can lead to malocclusion associated with the risk of early relapse, and also favor the development of temporomandibular disorders.

Assessment of bone healing and hypoesthesia in the upper lip after Le Fort I osteotomy with self-setting α-tricalcium phosphate and absorbable plates.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate hypoesthesia of the upper lip and bone formation using self-setting α-tricalcium phosphate (Biopex(®)) between the segments following Le Fort I osteotomy with bent absorbable plate fixation.

Subjects And Methods: The subjects were 47 patients (94 sides) who underwent Le Fort I osteotomy with and without mandibular osteotomy. They were divided into a Biopex(®) group (48 sides) and a control group (46 sides).

Case of Sjögren's syndrome presenting as trigeminal nerve palsy.

We herein report the case of a female with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) complicated with trigeminal nerve palsy. Although her sicca symptoms had been unnoticed, head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting brain abnormalities revealed parotid gland changes associated with SS. SS should be considerd as a possible cause of trigeminal nerve disturbances.

Usefulness of ultrasonography-proven tenosynovitis to monitor disease activity of a patient with very early rheumatoid arthritis treated by abatacept.

We introduced abatacept (ABT) in a very early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient with active tenosynovitis of hands defined by musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSKUS). MSKUS-proven tenosynovitis remarkably improved at 2 months in spite of clinical exacerbation, followed by clinical remission at 5 months. MSKUS abnormalities also disappeared.

Takayasu arteritis developing during treatment of ulcerative colitis with infliximab.

A 22-year-old female with ulcerative colitis that was successfully treated with infliximab (IFX), and remained stable following tapered discontinuation of prednisolone, developed anterior neck pain and elevation of C-reactive protein following her fourth administration of IFX. She was diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis (TA) based on neck ultrasound and computed tomography angiography. This is the first report describing the development of TA during treatment of UC with IFX.

Significant improvement in MRI-proven bone edema is associated with protection from structural damage in very early RA patients managed using the tight control approach.

Objective: To identify the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-proven bone edema in patients with very early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: All of the 13 patients included in the study were positive at entry for MRI-proven bone edema of the wrist and finger joints and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies or IgM-rheumatoid factor. A tight control approach was applied for 12 months.

Changes in temporomandibular joint and ramus after sagittal split ramus osteotomy in mandibular prognathism patients with and without asymmetry.

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and ramus after sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) with and without Le Fort I osteotomy. The subjects consisted of 87 Japanese patients diagnosed with mandibular prognathism with and without asymmetry. They were divided into 2 groups (42 symmetric patients and 45 asymmetric patients).

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography assists the diagnostic performance of the 2010 classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: We investigated whether musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSKUS) assists the diagnostic performance of the 2010 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) classification criteria.

Methods: Sixty-nine early arthritis patients were consecutively enrolled. None of the patients had been treated.

Early diagnosis and treatment for remission of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis complicated by rapid progress interstitial lung disease: a report of two cases.

We report two cases of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) complicated by rapid progress interstitial lung disease (RPILD). The diagnosis of CADM was based on Gottron's papule and RPILD, and the absence of muscle weakness. The female patients were treated with early immunosuppressive therapies including steroid pulse therapy, resulting in significant improvement in respiratory symptoms, clinical data, and imaging.

The diagnostic utility of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody testing for predicting the prognosis of Japanese patients with DM.

Objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD), especially rapidly progressive ILD (RPILD), is a major poor prognostic factor in patients with DM. We investigated the association of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody (Ab) with clinical characteristics and mortality in Japanese patients with DM.

Methods: Seventy-nine DM patients, comprising 58 classic DM and 21 clinically amyopathic DM (CADM) patients, were enrolled.