Antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase in intravenous immunoglobulin preparations can affect the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background And Objectives: Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIgs) contain various autoantibodies, including those against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADAb), a valuable biomarker of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Passive transfer of GADAb from IVIgs to patients poses a risk of misdiagnosis, and information on the specific titres of GADAb and their impact on diagnostic accuracy remains limited. This study aimed to provide further insights into the origin of GADAb detected in patient serum following IVIg infusion.

Autoantibody profiles in intravenous immunoglobulin preparations: A possible cause of mistaken autoimmunity diagnosis.

Background: Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIgs) derived from the pooled plasma of thousands of donors contain numerous types of IgG molecules, including autoantibodies commonly used to diagnose autoimmunity. While these autoantibodies can cause misinterpretation of serological tests for IVIg recipients, their profiles in IVIg preparations are not fully understood.

Study Design And Methods: Using binding-capability based immune assays, we measured 18 varieties of clinically relevant autoantibodies in domestic blood donor-derived IVIg products.

[A case of irreversible metronidazole encephalopathy during liver abscess treatment].

Metronidazole (MNZ) is a widely used drug for protozoan and anaerobic infections. The continuous use of MNZ causes various neurological symptoms, such as cerebellar ataxia, visual disturbance, vestibulocochlear symptoms, gait disturbance, dysarthria, and epileptic seizures of unknown cause, named MNZ-induced encephalopathy (MIE), in rare cases. MIE is a reversible disease that often improves within a few days of MNZ discontinuation, but irreversible neurological symptoms rarely remain.

Spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma associated with warfarin administration: a case report.

Rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) can result from bleeding into the rectus abdominis muscle or a direct muscular tear; nontraumatic spontaneous RSH is a rare condition. Here, we report a case of spontaneous RSH associated with warfarin administration for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). An 87-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 3 days.

Efficacy and safety of therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with native papillae with a performance status score of 3 or 4: A single-center retrospective study.

This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) score of 3 or 4. We reviewed the data of 287 patients with native papillae who underwent therapeutic ERCP for biliary disease at our hospital between October 2016 and October 2018. The patients were divided into two groups; those with an ECOG-PS score of 3 or 4 (group A; n=78) and those with an ECOG-PS score of 0-2 (group B; n=209).

Gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor with predominant cystic formation diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration.

A 69-year-old woman who had no symptoms was found to have an intraperitoneal tumor on abdominal ultrasonography in a medical checkup. Thereafter, she was referred to our hospital for a further detailed examination. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a thin-walled cystic tumor with a diameter of 8 cm and with a hypervascular solid masses in the cystic wall, along with intraperitoneal multiple nodules.

Rapidly progressed large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the stomach with an increased serum alpha fetoprotein level: a case report.

An 82-year-old man who had multiple hepatic tumors, a gastric tumor, and ascites was referred to our hospital. On the time of our hospital visit, he had a high serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) level of 1206 ng/mL. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a Borrmann Type II gastric tumor approximately 40 mm in diameter in the lesser curvature of cardia, and forceps biopsy was performed.

Gallstone ileus with spontaneous evacuation: A case report.

A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital for abdominal pain. He had a history of enterotomy with stone extraction for gallstone ileus. On abdominal computed tomography, a stone measuring 32 × 28 mm lodged in the jejunum was identified.

Stress up-regulates oxidative burst in juvenile Chinook salmon leukocytes.

When fish perceive stressful scenarios, their hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal axis is activated resulting in the release of corticotropin releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and finally cortisol. The physiologic stress response of fish has most often been linked to the reduced performance of the immune system, with a few exceptions where the immune system is activated. In this report, we tested the hypothesis that oxidative burst activity levels in juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are altered when the fish is presented with a stressor.

Seasonal changes in plasma levels of thyroid hormones and the effects of the hormones on cellular ATP content in common bottlenose dolphin.

In general, thyroid hormones (THs) stimulate cellular metabolism by inducing ATP utilization that collaterally leads to thermogenesis. However, in cetaceans, TH functions and the contribution of THs to cold adaptation are not fully understood. To investigate the role of THs in metabolism of cetaceans, seasonal changes in circulating levels in THs were investigated in the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus that were monitored under two different conditions for two years, with routine measurements of body temperature (BT), water temperature (WT) and air temperature (AT).

Role of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Relation to Nitric Oxide and Endothelin-1 on Pathogenesis of Cerebral Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rabbit.

Endothelial dysfunctions that include decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity and increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) bioactivity have been considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm (CVS) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Recent cardiovascular studies have revealed that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is involved in a disturbance in cross-talk between NO and ET-1. COX-2 expression was detected in the endothelial cells of a spastic artery after experimental SAH; however, the pathophysiological significance of COX-2 in relation to CVS remains unclear.

[Epidemiological Investigation of Patients in Persistent Vegetative States in Aomori, Japan].

The actual number and condition of Japanese patients in persistent vegetative states have not yet been fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of patients in persistent vegetative states in the Aomori prefecture. We sent questionnaires regarding gender, age, cause of persistent vegetative state, and residence of patient to all medical institutions in the Aomori prefecture (n=682).

Seasonal changes in gene expression of corticoid receptors in anadromous and non-anadromous strains of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.

To clarify the regulation of expression of corticoid receptor (CR) genes during period of parr-smolt transformation of salmonids, seasonal changes in mRNA levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-1, GR-2 and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) were examined in gill, leucocytes, spleen and brain of anadromous and non-anadromous forms of Oncorhynchus mykiss. Increases in gill Na(+) , K(+) ATPase activity, plasma thyroxine levels and hypo-osmoregulatory ability assessed by 24 h seawater challenge test represented characteristics of smoltification in anadromous O. mykiss from May to June, whereas there was no apparent increase in the values of non-anadromous O.

Evaluation of seasonal and daily changes of plasma thyroxine and cortisol levels in wild masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou, sampled by a Japanese fishing method.

A new fish sampling method was developed using a Japanese bait fishing rod (8-9 m carbon rod and a nylon line with a small fine wire single hook), which is considered to catch wild salmonid juveniles with low sampling stress. Using this method, seasonal and daily changes of plasma thyroxine (T4 ) and cortisol levels were examined in wild parr, pre-smolts and smolts of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou in contiguous locations in a coastal river (Kesen River; 44 km) in northern Honshu Island, Japan, overlapping the period of smoltification and seaward migration from August to March. Plasma T4 and cortisol were low in 0+ and 1+ year parr caught in August and September.

Dilation of the Internal Carotid Artery at the Entrance to the Carotid Canal following Carotid Artery Stenting Predicts Postprocedural Hyperperfusion.

Objective: Ischemic stroke and hyperperfusion (HP) are the most frequent and important complications in carotid artery stenosis surgery. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has replaced carotid endarterectomy in high medical risk patients. Prior to CAS, initial angiographic findings disclose a small caliber internal carotid artery (IC) due to stenosis, but after the stenosis is relieved, the diameter of the IC becomes enlarged.

Role of oxidized LDL and lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 in cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Object: Cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious complication. Free radicals derived from subarachnoid clotting are recognized to play an important role. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) have been shown to be related to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and may increase in cerebral arteries after SAH, due to the action of free radicals derived from a subarachnoid clot.

Effect of short-term decrease in water temperature on body temperature and involvement of testosterone in steelhead and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.

The Pacific salmonid species Oncorhynchus mykiss is separated into a migratory form (steelhead trout) and a non-migratory form (rainbow trout). A decrease in water temperature is likely a cue triggering downstream behavior in the migratory form, and testosterone inhibits onset of this behavior. To elucidate differences in sensitivity to water temperature decreases between the migratory and non-migratory forms and effect of testosterone on the sensitivity, we examined two experiments.

Suppression of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway and prevention of cerebral vasospasm by combination treatment with statin and fasudil after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbit.

The Rho/Rho-kinase pathway is considered important in the pathogenesis of sustained smooth muscle cell contraction during cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aims of this study were to investigate whether combination treatment, with pitavastatin as an inhibitor of RhoA and fasudil as an inhibitor of Rho-kinase, prevents the cerebral vasospasm. SAH was simulated using the double-hemorrhage rabbit model, and pitavastatin, or fasudil, or both (combination treatment) were administrated.

A possible port of entry into the eye of dog during erratic canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) parasitism.

A dog was suspected of suffering from ectopic Dirofilaria immitis infection, because a large white nematode worm was detected in the anterior chamber of the left eye. A cylinder-shaped fibrin sac in the anterior chamber was found in the eye of the dog by slit lamp microscopy. After successful surgical removal of the worm, the corneal wound produced by the keratotomy healed in a short period.

[Questionnaire about care for patients with disturbed consciousness in the Great East Japan Earthquake].

All people in Japan have been affected significantly by the great earthquake in east Japan. We surveyed the care for patients with disturbed consciousness during the disaster, and report the results and lessons learned to prepare for the future. We sent questionnaires about the management strategy for the patients to 17 centers that had reported at the Japan Coma Society meeting in July 2011.

Augmentation index is related to white matter lesions.

The augmentation index (AIx) is a measure of pulse wave reflection from peripheral muscular conduit arteries, and is assumed to increase with stiffened arteries. A white matter lesion (WML) is generally regarded as a chronic ischemic lesion, which is associated with cerebral small-vessel arteriosclerosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effect of pulse wave reflection on the brain.

Neural and personality correlates of individual differences related to the effects of acute tryptophan depletion on future reward evaluation.

Background/aims: In general, humans tend to discount the value of delayed reward. An increase in the rate of discounting leads to an inability to select a delayed reward over a smaller immediate reward (reward-delay impulsivity). Although deficits in the serotonergic system are implicated in this reward-delay impulsivity, there is individual variation in response to serotonin depletion.

Decompressive hemi-craniectomy is not necessary to rescue supratentorial hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage patients: consecutive single-center experience.

Objective: A consensus on decompressive surgery for hypertensive intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) has not been reached. We retrospectively analyzed our single-center experience with ICH.

Material And Methods: From January 2004 to August 2009, 65 consecutive supratentorial ICH patients underwent surgery in our institute.

Total synthesis of spiruchostatin B aided by an automated synthesizer.

The total synthesis of a natural product HDAC inhibitor, spiruchostatin B, was successfully achieved. A 5-step synthesis that included an asymmetric aldol reaction was carried out in an automated synthesizer to provide an (E)-(S)-3-hydroxy-7-thio-4-heptenoic acid segment that is the crucial structure of cysteine-containing, depsipeptidic natural products such as spiruchostatins, FK228, FR901375, and largazole for their inhibitory activity against HDACs.