A Privacy-Preserving Distributed Medical Data Integration Security System for Accuracy Assessment of Cancer Screening: Development Study of Novel Data Integration System.

Background: Big data useful for epidemiological research can be obtained by integrating data corresponding to individuals between databases managed by different institutions. Privacy information must be protected while performing efficient, high-level data matching.

Objective: Privacy-preserving distributed data integration (PDDI) enables data matching between multiple databases without moving privacy information; however, its actual implementation requires matching security, accuracy, and performance.

Radiofrequency Ablation by a 21-Gauge Internally Cooled Electrode: Ex Vivo and In Vivo Evaluation by Rat Liver.

Purpose: To evaluate the coagulative performance of a 21-gauge (G) internally cooled radiofrequency (RF) electrode using ex vivo and in vivo rat liver.

Materials And Methods: We developed a prototype of 21-G internally cooled monopolar RF electrode with 5.0 mm active tip length.

Hepatic Artery Embolization Enhances Expression of Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1 in an Orthotopic Rat Hepatocellular Carcinoma Model: In Vivo and in Vitro Experimentation.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of hepatic artery embolization (HAE) on the expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) in an orthotopic rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model.

Materials And Methods: A rat HCC model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats with the RH7777 cell line. Six animals each were assigned to receive HAE or sham treatment.

Development of Invisible Sensors and a Machine-Learning-Based Recognition System Used for Early Prediction of Discontinuous Bed-Leaving Behavior Patterns.

This paper presents a novel bed-leaving sensor system for real-time recognition of bed-leaving behavior patterns. The proposed system comprises five pad sensors installed on a bed, a rail sensor inserted in a safety rail, and a behavior pattern recognizer based on machine learning. The linear characteristic between loads and output was obtained from a load test to evaluate sensor output characteristics.

Epigenetic modulators hydralazine and sodium valproate act synergistically in VEGI-mediated anti-angiogenesis and VEGF interference in human osteosarcoma and vascular endothelial cells.

Vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI; also referred to as TNFSF15 or TL1A) is involved in the modulation of vascular homeostasis. VEGI is known to operate via two receptors: Death receptor‑3 (DR3) and decoy receptor‑3 (DcR3). DR3, which is thus far the only known functional receptor for VEGI, contains a death domain and induces cell apoptosis.

Deficiency in interleukin-18 promotes differentiation of brown adipose tissue resulting in fat accumulation despite dyslipidemia.

Background: The cytokine, interleukin-18 (IL-18), was originally identified as an interferon-γ-inducing proinflammatory factor; however, there is increasing evidence suggesting that it has non-immunological effects on physiological functions. We have previously investigated the potential pathophysiological relationship between IL-18 and dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which were mediated by lipid energy imbalance. Therefore, herein we focused on brown adipocytes (BAs) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) related to energy consumption as non-shivering thermogenesis.

Development of a Secure Cross-Institutional Data Collection System Based on Distributed Standardized EMR Storage.

This paper describes a secure data collection infrastructure involving standardized electronic medical record (EMR) storage and Private Set Intersection, a secure data collection technology based on Bloom filter. The objective of this infrastructure is to facilitate rapid secondary use of exported EMR data in cross-patient or cross-institutional analyses based on the Standardized Structured Medical Information eXchange (SS-MIX), Japan's domestic standard for EMR exporting. Design of the infrastructure and its underlying concepts are described herein.

Difficulty Achieving a Preoperative Diagnosis of IgG4-Related Sclerosing Cholangitis.

A 75-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of bile duct stenosis. He had no medical history of autoimmune disease. The level of tumor markers, serum IgG, and IgG4 were within normal ranges.

Laparoscopic Resection of an Epithelial Cyst in an Intrapancreatic Accessory Spleen.

An epithelial cyst in an intrapancreatic accessory spleen (ECIAS) is rare. We herein report a case of a patient with ECIAS who underwent laparoscopic surgery. A 57-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of a pancreatic tail tumor.

Physiological and molecular effects of interleukin-18 administration on the mouse kidney.

Background: The cytokine interleukin-18 was originally identified as an interferon-γ-inducing proinflammatory factor; however, there is increasing evidence to suggest that it has non-immunological effects on physiological functions. We previously investigated the potential pathophysiological relationship between interleukin-18 and dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and suggested interleukin-18 as a possible novel treatment for not only these diseases but also for cancer immunotherapy. Before clinical application, the effects of interleukin-18 on the kidney need to be determined.

Inhibition of Asparagine-linked Glycosylation Participates in Hypoxia-induced Down-regulation of Cell-surface MICA Expression.

Background/aim: Hypoxia down-regulates the expression of cell surface major histocompatibility class I-related chain molecule A (MICA) without increasing its shedding. Recently, the inhibition of N-linked glycosylation was also shown to reduce the cell-surface expression of MICA. We investigated the participation of asparagine (Asn)-linked glycosylation in hypoxia-induced down-regulation of cell-surface MICA using osteosarcoma cells.

Iron-induced calcification in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells through interleukin-24 (IL-24), with/without TNF-alpha.

In CKD patients, arteriosclerotic lesions, including calcification, can occur in vascular smooth muscle cells in a process called Moenckeberg's medial arteriosclerosis. Iron overload induces several complications, including the acceleration of arteriosclerosis. However, the relationship between Moenckeberg's arteriosclerosis in vascular smooth muscle cells and iron accumulation has remained unknown.

Participation of delta annexin A3 in the ribosomal protein S19 C-terminus-dependent inhibitory mechanism of the neutrophil C5a receptor through delta lactoferrin.

Although C5a receptor (C5aR) interacting with its agonist C5a promotes acute inflammation during the initiation phase, the roles of the recycling C5aR during the resolution phase are still unclear. We found that C5aR interacted with its antagonist/agonist ribosomal protein S19 (RP S19) polymer or a RP S19 polymer functional analogue S-tagged C5a/RP S19, which connects an RP S19 C-terminus (IAGQVAAANKKH) to the S-tagged C5a C-terminus, promoted acute inflammation at the resolution phase via an activation of the apoptosis-inducing transcription factor delta lactoferrin (δLf) in neutrophils and the membrane mobilizing factor full-length annexin A3 (ANXA3) in macrophages. To confirm the antagonistic system of the recycling C5aR, S-tagged δLf-coupled BrCN-activated Sepharose 4B beads were incubated with cytoplasmic proteins and identified a neutrophil-specific δANXA3 via pull-down experiments.

Multifocal Mass Lesions in Autoimmune Pancreatitis.

A 59-year-old male patient with jaundice was referred to our hospital because of mass lesions in the pancreatic head and tail. An immunological examination revealed an elevated serum IgG4 level. Computed tomography showed two clear boundary mass lesions in the pancreatic head and tail.

Erythroblast differentiation at spleen in Q137E mutant ribosomal protein S19 gene knock-in C57BL/6J mice.

We recently found that erythroblast-like cells derived from human leukaemia K562 cells express C5a receptor (C5aR) and produce its antagonistic and agonistic ligand ribosomal protein S19 (RP S19) polymer, which is cross-linked between K122 and Q137 by tissue transglutaminases. RP S19 polymer binds to the reciprocal C5aRs on erythroblast-like cells and macrophage-like cells derived from human monocytic THP-1 cells and promotes differentiation into reticulocyte-like cells through enucleation in vitro. To examine the roles of RP S19 polymer in mouse erythropoiesis, we prepared Q137E mutant RP S19 gene knock-in C57BL/6J mice.

C-Choline positive but F-FDG negative pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma on PET.

Choline is a new PET tracer, which uptake may occur via a choline-specific transporter protein and be accelerated during the proliferation of tumor cells. We report a 61-year-old woman with a metastatic pancreatic tumor from renal cell carcinoma, measuring 35×40 mm. PET scans demonstrated accumulation of C-choline in the metastatic pancreatic tumor, but no accumulation of F-FDG.

The roles of a ribosomal protein S19 polymer in a mouse model of carrageenan-induced acute pleurisy.

C5-deficient mice usually present moderate neutrophil activation during the initiation phase of acute inflammation. Conversely, C5a receptor (C5aR)-deficient mice show unusually excessive activation of neutrophils. We identified the ribosomal protein S19 (RP S19) polymer, which is cross-linked at Lys122 and Gln137 by transglutaminases in apoptotic neutrophils, as a second C5aR ligand during the resolution phase of acute inflammation.

Privacy-Preserving Integration of Medical Data : A Practical Multiparty Private Set Intersection.

Medical data are often maintained by different organizations. However, detailed analyses sometimes require these datasets to be integrated without violating patient or commercial privacy. Multiparty Private Set Intersection (MPSI), which is an important privacy-preserving protocol, computes an intersection of multiple private datasets.

Synchronous double cancers of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiolocellular carcinoma: a case report.

Synchronous double cancers consisting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CoCC) are extremely rare. We herein report a surgical case of synchronous double cancers in a patient with primary HCC and CoCC. A 45-year-old man with hepatitis B was admitted to our hospital with hepatic tumors.

RP S19 C-terminal peptide trimer acts as a C5a receptor antagonist.

We have demonstrated that ribosomal protein S19 (RP S19) polymer, when crosslinked between Lys122 and Gln137 by activated coagulation factor XIII, acts as a C5a receptor (C5aR) antagonist/agonist. Based on experimental data obtained using RP S19 analog peptide and recombinant protein monomer, we suggested that LDR, IAGQVAAAN and KKH moieties in the RP S19 C-terminus act in, respectively, C5aR binding, penetration of the plasma membrane, and interaction with either an apoptosis-inducing molecule in neutrophils (delta lactoferrin) or a calcium channel-activating molecule (annexin A3) to induce the p38 MAPK pathway in macrophages. Recently, we observed RP S19 trimer in serum.

Interleukin-18-deficient mice develop dyslipidemia resulting in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis.

We investigated potential pathophysiological relationships between interleukin 18 (IL-18) and dyslipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Compared with Il18(+/+) mice, IL-18 knockout (Il18(-/-)) mice developed hypercholesterolemia and hyper-high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterolemia as well as hypertriglyceridemia as they aged, and these disorders occurred before the manifestation of obesity and might cause secondary NASH. The analyses of molecular mechanisms involved in the onset of dyslipidemia, NAFLD, and NASH in Il18(-/-) mice identified a number of genes associated with these metabolic diseases.

Functional analysis of differences in transcriptional activity conferred by genetic variants in the 5' flanking region of the IL12RB2 gene.

Interleukin 12 receptor β chain (IL12RB2) is a crucial regulatory factor involved in cell-mediated immune responses, and genetic variants of the gene encoding IL12RB2 are associated with susceptibility to various immune-related diseases. We previously demonstrated that haplotypes with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5' flanking region of IL12RB2, including -1035A>G (rs3762315) and -1023A>G (rs3762316), affect the expression of IL12RB2, thereby altering susceptibility to leprosy and periodontal diseases. In the present study, we identified transcription factors associated with the haplotype-specific transcriptional activity of IL12RB2 in T cells and NK cells.

Suppressive effect of membrane-permeable peptides derived from autophosphorylation sites of the IGF-1 receptor on breast cancer cells.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptors play a crucial role in the biology of human cancer, making them an attractive target for anti-cancer agents. We previously designed oligopeptides containing the amino-acid sequences surrounding the autophosphorylation sites of the insulin receptor and found that two of them, namely, Ac-DIYET-NH2 and Ac-DYYRK-NH2, suppressed phosphorylation of purified insulin receptors in a non-ATP-competitive manner, whereas Ac-NIYQT-NH2 and Ac-NYYRK-NH2 suppressed in an ATP-competitive manner. Because the IGF-1 receptor is closely related to the insulin receptor, the aim of this study was to observe the effects of these peptides, which correspond to the amino-acid sequences of the autophosphorylation sites of the IGF-1 receptor, on the activity of the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, T47D, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-453.

The roles of ribosomal protein S19 C-terminus in a shortened neutrophil lifespan through delta lactoferrin.

Cell lifespan is partially regulated by a balance between survival signals via constitutively active G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and death signals via death receptors. We have demonstrated that neutrophils produce a mimic ligand of G protein-coupled C5a receptor (C5aR), ribosomal protein S19 (RP S19) polymer. In contrast to an original ligand C5a, RP S19 polymer induces not only inhibition of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity but also initiation of the regulator of G protein signaling 3 (RGS3) promoter in a RP S19 C-terminus dependent manner.

Sodium valproate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, modulates the vascular endothelial growth inhibitor-mediated cell death in human osteosarcoma and vascular endothelial cells.

The level of vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI) has been reported to be negatively associated with neovascularization in malignant tumors. The soluble form of VEGI is a potent anti-angiogenic factor due to its effects in inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation. This inhibition is mediated by death receptor 3 (DR3), which contains a death domain in its cytoplasmic tail capable of inducing apoptosis that can be subsequently blocked by decoy receptor 3 (DcR3).