Extraction of the pull force from inertial sensors during the pull test for Parkinson's disease: A reliability study.

Objective: To examine the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the pull test in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) using the extracted pull force.

Methods: In this inter- and intra-rater reliability study, two raters performed a pull test on 30 patients with PD. The pull force was quantified using inertial sensors attached to the rater's right hand and the patient's lower trunk.

Development of Disseminated Tuberculosis with Intestinal Involvement due to Adalimumab Administration Despite Latent Tuberculosis Treatment.

Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) reduces the probability of reactivation of tuberculosis associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α inhibitors, but no chemoprophylaxis is completely protective. We herein report a woman with rheumatoid arthritis who developed disseminated tuberculosis with intestinal involvement during adalimumab administration despite LTBI treatment. Tuberculosis reactivation was not detected in sputum or urine but was detected from the terminal ileal mucosa.

[Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma;Report of a Case].

We report a resected case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC). BSC is a rare type of malignant lung tumor. A 79-year-old woman had a 13 mm tumor in the left upper lobe on chest computed tomography (CT).

[Fetal Adenocarcinoma of the Lung].

We report a resected case of fetal adenocarcinoma. Fetal adenocarcinoma is a rare type of malignant lung tumor. A 53-year-old man had a 25 mm tumor in the right upper lobe on chest computed tomography.

Pemetrexed monotherapy for chemo-naïve elderly (aged ≥80) patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer: results from combined analysis of two single arm phase II studies (HANSHIN002 and 003).

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate via combined analysis the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed monotherapy for chemo-naïve elderly patients aged ≥80 with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: We conducted a combined analysis from two phase II studies of pemetrexed for chemo-naïve elderly (aged ≥75) (n = 47) and performance status 2 (n = 28) patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC. Population aged ≥80 (80+ Group) was compared to those aged 70-79 (70's Group).

Prognostic impact of central nervous system metastases after acquired resistance to EGFR-TKI: poorer prognosis associated with T790M-negative status and leptomeningeal metastases.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic impact of central nervous system metastases (CNS) after acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: We defined CNS-collapse as death due to uncontrolled and progressive CNS metastases. Post-progression survival (PPS) after initial TKI failure and T790M status were retrospectively compared in 92 patients with or without CNS collapse.

Prognostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with non-HIV pneumocystis pneumonia.

Objective: Non-HIV patients with pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) have a poor prognosis. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality in terms of the clinical findings, including the results of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)-analyses, in non-HIV PCP patients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed non-HIV PCP patients diagnosed using bronchoalveolar lavage between April 2006 and July 2012.

Bevacizumab plus weekly paclitaxel with or without carboplatin for previously-treated non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Aim: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate bevacizumab combined with weekly paclitaxel with and without carboplatin in pre-treated patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Between November 2009 and October 2011, 43 pre-treated patients with non-squamous NSCLC received bevacizumab (15 mg/kg, day 1) plus weekly paclitaxel (60-80 mg/m(2), days 1, 8, 15) with carboplatin (area under the curve=4-5, day 1) (n=36), or bevacizumab plus weekly paclitaxel (n=7) alone every four weeks.

Results: The response rate and disease control rates were 48.

Rebiopsy of non-small cell lung cancer patients with acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor: Comparison between T790M mutation-positive and mutation-negative populations.

Background: The secondary epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation Thr790Met (T790M) accounts for approximately half of acquired resistances to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Recent reports have demonstrated that the emergence of T790M predicts a favorable prognosis and indolent progression. However, rebiopsy to confirm T790M status can be challenging due to limited tissue availability and procedural feasibility, and little is known regarding the differences among patients with or without T790M mutation.

Cytokeratin 19 fragment predicts the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor in non-small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutation.

Background: EGFR gene mutation is independently associated with a favorable response in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving epidermal growth factor receptor -tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), regardless of sex or smoking history. Squamous cell carcinoma patients harboring EGFR mutations show a significantly worse response to EGFR-TKIs compared with adenocarcinoma patients. We hypothesized that the serum cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) is associated with the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients.

Preexisting interstitial lung disease is inversely correlated to tumor epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Interstitial lung disease (ILD), especially idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, has been shown to be associated with lung carcinogenesis. However, an association between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and preexisting ILD in patients with lung adenocarcinoma is unknown.

Methods: Between January 2008 and April 2012, we analyzed 602 patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Serum procalcitonin is a valuable diagnostic marker in acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia.

Background And Objective: Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial pneumonia (IP) is defined as a life-threatening deterioration of IP without identifiable cause. We evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic role of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in AE-IP.

Methods: Twenty consecutive patients admitted for AE-IP between May 2010 and April 2012 were evaluated.

Evaluation of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test for measurement of health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease.

Background And Objective: A well-validated instrument that is simple to use is needed to assess health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a recently introduced, short and simple questionnaire for COPD patients, which shows good and valid measurement properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the CAT in patients with ILD.