Effects of Combination Therapy with Intravitreal Ranibizumab and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Subretinal hyper-reflective material (SHRM) sometimes causes vision loss in spite of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD). We evaluated the impacts of combination therapy with intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in eyes with nvAMD accompanying SHRM. In total, 25 eyes of 25 patients (16 men and 9 women, 76.

Predictive and prognostic value of stromal tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes before and after neoadjuvant therapy in triple negative and HER2-positive breast cancer.

Aim: Lymphocyte predominant breast cancer (BC) is associated with higher pathological complete response (pCR) rate after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and favorable outcome in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and HER2+ BC. The predictive and prognostic impact of stromal tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) after NAT and the change of TILs before (pre-) and after (post-) NAT are not well studied. We aimed to assess the predictive and prognostic value of pre- and post-NAT TILs, as well as their pharmacodynamics modulation and their change for TNBC and HER2+ BC.

Association of serum hs-CRP and lipids with obesity in school children in a 12-month follow-up study in Japan.

Objectives: To investigate the association of serum lipids and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) with obesity in school children and to explore whether hs-CRP levels could be used to predict the presence or absence of obesity 12 months later.

Methods: The subjects were school children (6-11 years old) in Japan. Blood sampling and physical measurements were performed in school (2001); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, and hs-CRP levels were measured.

Effect of hourly concentration of particulate matter on peak expiratory flow in hospitalized children: a panel study.

Background: Little information is available on the possible association between hourly short-term air pollution and peak expiratory flow (PEF) in asthmatic children.

Methods: PEF was measured twice daily, from October through December, 2000, in 17 children aged 8 to 15 years hospitalized with severe asthma. A total of 1198 PEF measurements were made at 7 a.

Modifying effect of age on the association between ambient ozone and nighttime primary care visits due to asthma attack.

Background: We examined the association between short-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and nighttime primary care visits due to asthma attack. We also investigated the modifying effects of age on this association.

Methods: A case-crossover study was conducted at a primary care clinic in metropolitan Tokyo.

The significance of tumour markers as an indication for mediastinoscopy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the significance of tumour markers as indicators for mediastinoscopy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Methodology: In the past 4 years, 205 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) underwent surgical resection at Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan. The correlation between the serum levels of eight tumour markers (CEA, AFP, CA19-9, SCC, NSE, CA125, CYFRA, ProGRP) and the presence of N2 disease was analysed.

Effects of air pollution on the prevalence and incidence of asthma in children.

The effects of air pollution on asthmatic symptoms were assessed in a prospective cohort study of 3,049 schoolchildren in 8 different communities in Japan. Respiratory symptoms in these children were evaluated by questionnaires every year from the 1st through the 6th grades. The prevalence of asthma among the 1st graders was strongly associated with a history of allergic or respiratory diseases, but it was not associated with concentrations of air pollution.

Acute effects of ozone exposure on lung function in mice sensitized to ovalbumin.

Pulmonary responses to ozone exposure (1.0 ppm) were investigated in mice sensitized to ovalbumin compared with control mice receiving saline. Pulmonary function parameters were measured by pneumotachography.