Usefulness of platelet count to predict concomitant valvular heart disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Although the prevalence rate of valvular heart disease (VHD) is high in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the predictive factors of concomitant VHD have not been fully evaluated.

Methods And Results: Among 288 patients with SLE who underwent transthoracic echocardiography at Kumamoto University Hospital from 2016 to 2021, 241 patients with sufficient echocardiographic data were retrospectively analysed. Among them, 22 (9 %) had VHD (10 had mitral regurgitation, 3 had aortic regurgitation, 6 had tricuspid regurgitation, 1 had mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation, and 2 had a prosthetic cardiac valve).

Formal Total Synthesis of Batrachotoxin Enabled by Radical and Weix Coupling Reactions.

Batrachotoxin (), originally isolated from a Columbian poison-dart frog, is a steroidal alkaloid. Its 6/6/6/5-membered carbocycle (ABCD-ring) contains two double bonds, one nitrogen, and five oxygen functionalities. We developed a radical-based convergent strategy and realized the total synthesis of in 28 steps.

Design of Novel Series of Antimalarial PMX Inhibitors with Increased Half-Life via Molecular Property Optimization.

Plasmepsin X (PMX) has been identified as a multistage antimalarial target. PMX is a malarial aspartyl protease essential for merozoite egress from infected red blood cells and invasion of the host erythrocytes. Previously, we reported the identification of PMX inhibitors by structure-based optimization of a cyclic guanidine core.

Possible Association of Mutations in the Gene with the Intestinal Phenotype of Behçet's Disease and Refractoriness to Treatment.

Background: Mediterranean fever () gene mutations are responsible for familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and associated with other inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of gene mutations on intestinal Behçet's disease (BD) are unknown. In this study, we investigated these mutations and clinical features in patients with intestinal BD.

Overlap syndrome involving anti-OJ antibody-positive polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome: A case report and literature review.

Anti-OJ antibody is relatively rarely detected in patients with the anti-synthetase syndrome, which is polymyositis (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM) with anti-aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthetase antibodies. There have been few case reports of anti-OJ antibody-positive PM/DM complicated by other connective tissue disorders. Herein, we report the case of a 33-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital with fever, muscle weakness, and dyspnoea on exertion.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Substituted Morpholines via a Decarboxylative Intramolecular Etherification.

An efficient method for the synthesis of 2,6-multisubstituted morpholines via an electrochemical intramolecular etherification has been developed. The method, which is operationally simple and easy to scale up, provides various substituted morpholine derivatives in high yields. The utility of this method is showcased by the synthesis of 2,2,6,6-tetrasubstituted morpholines, which are difficult to synthesize efficiently using previously reported strategies.

Safety and tolerability of ultrasound-guided synovial needle biopsy in Japanese arthritis patients.

Objectives: We sought to clarify the safety and tolerability of ultrasound (US)-guided synovial needle biopsy in hand and knee joints in Japanese arthritis patients.

Methods: A total of nine consecutive arthritis patients were recruited and scheduled for US-guided synovial needle biopsies. Patients completed a safety questionnaire and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data of joint pain, stiffness, and swelling pre- and postbiopsy.

Decreased activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) in monocytes from patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: The regulation system for oxidative stress in systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the possible involvement of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), which plays a key role in DNA repair and redox balance, in the pathogenesis of SSc.

Methods: Thirty patients with SSc and 15 healthy controls were enrolled.

Association of radiographic findings in hand X-ray with clinical features and autoantibodies in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Musculoskeletal involvement is one of the major causes of impairment in daily life of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Several hand radiographic findings can be seen in SSc patients; however, their association with clinical features and autoantibodies remains unclear. Here, we analyzed 124 SSc patients with their hand X-rays and clinical and serological features.

Impact of subclinical synovitis in ankles and feet detected by ultrasonography in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the impact of subclinical synovitis detected by ultrasonography (US) on the ankles and feet of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients (n = 59) who underwent US.

Results: The functional ability and quality of life (QoL) of patients in the subclinical group were impaired.

Synthesis of the Tetracyclic Structure of Batrachotoxin Enabled by Bridgehead Radical Coupling and Pd/Ni-Promoted Ullmann Reaction.

The steroidal ABCD-ring system of the potent neurotoxin batrachotoxin was efficiently assembled in a convergent fashion. Bridgehead radical coupling between the simple AB-ring and D-ring fragments (3 and 4) formed the sterically congested linkage at the C9-oxygen-attached tetrasubstituted carbon. The C-ring was then cyclized by the Pd/Ni-promoted Ullmann reaction of the vinyl triflate and vinyl bromide of 19, giving rise to tetracyclic structure 1.

Total synthesis and complete structural assignment of yaku'amide A.

Here we report the first total synthesis and the complete stereochemical assignment of yaku'amide A. Yaku'amide A (1) was isolated from a sponge Ceratopsion sp. as an extremely potent cytotoxin.