Publications by authors named "Niimi A"
Article Synopsis
- Subacute cough is a specific type of cough lasting 3-8 weeks and is primarily caused by cough variant asthma, atopic cough, and sinobronchial syndrome, rather than post-infectious cough as previously believed.
- In a study involving 148 patients, 68.3% developed chronic cough, often stemming from multiple underlying conditions such as cough variant asthma combined with atopic cough.
- The findings highlight the need for careful diagnosis and treatment of multiple causes in patients with subacute cough to prevent progression to chronic cough.
Sensitization to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) enterotoxins (SEs) A (SEA) and B (SEB) is associated with the pathogenesis of several chronic airway diseases, including asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis, but its role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. This cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of sensitization to SEs on total IgE levels, and capsaicin cough reflex sensitivity (C-CS) in COPD.
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- A study reviewed 106 patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma treated with the antibody-drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin (EV) between 2021 and 2023 to evaluate the impact of treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) on survival outcomes.* -
- The results indicated that 88.7% of patients experienced some form of trAEs, with skin and gastrointestinal issues being the most common, and a landmark analysis suggested that trAEs were linked to longer overall survival, particularly physical trAEs.* -
- The study concluded that managing trAEs and understanding their prognostic value is important for improving the outcomes of EV therapy in these patients, highlighting that physical trAEs were
Background/aim: Nestin, an intermediate filament protein expressed in stem/progenitor cells of the developing central nervous system, is involved in the progression and poor prognosis of various malignancies. Difficulties in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) tissue biopsy reduce the accuracy of immunohistochemistry analyses; therefore, evaluating nestin in blood samples is preferred in clinical practice. This study examined the clinical significance of plasma nestin levels in SCLC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has drastically evolved for the past 30 years. However, survival outcomes of RCC according to times have not been fully elucidated, especially in the real-world setting. This study aimed to assess the survival improvement over time in RCC treated with nephrectomy by analyzing a longitudinal cohort using propensity score matching (PSM).
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- The study aimed to analyze clinical features of patients with interstitial cystitis (IC) and bladder pain syndrome (BPS) by using a patient registry in Japan, classifying patients based on cystoscopic findings.
- A total of 529 patients from 14 university hospitals were included, showing that 66.5% had IC, with these patients being older and predominantly female, and with more comorbid autoimmune diseases.
- Results indicated that patients with IC experienced worse symptoms, quality of life, and bladder function compared to those with BPS, with specific bladder measurements significantly correlating with pain levels in IC patients.
Background: The aim of this study is to describe the first series of six patients undergoing Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (rs-RARP) using the hinotori surgical robot system (hinotori SRS) and to compare the treatment outcomes with those achieved with the da Vinci surgical platform.
Methods: This study included 20 cases involving the rs-RARP procedure (hinotori: N = 6; da Vinci: N = 14) that were performed between May 2021 and April 2024 in a single institution.
Results: No significant differences were observed between the hinotori and da Vinci groups regarding the preoperative findings.
Upon epithelial barrier dysfunction, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulates glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion from enteroendocrine L cells by activating Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Because GLP-1 accelerates peristalsis in the proximal colon, the present study aimed to explore whether LPS facilitates colonic peristalsis by stimulating L cell-derived GLP-1 release. In isolated segments of rat proximal colon that were serosally perfused with physiological salt solution and luminally perfused with 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere have been no reports of the coexistence of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). The first case of ABPA with comorbid GPA that developed exophthalmos is reported. A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital for exophthalmos, fever, anorexia and weight loss.
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- This study focused on patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to investigate the links between sarcopenia (muscle loss) and malnutrition over a year.
- Researchers evaluated 64 outpatients, determining sarcopenia using specific criteria and nutritional status through serum markers.
- Findings revealed that lower serum transthyretin levels and other factors predicted negative outcomes like hospitalizations or deaths, highlighting the importance of these measurements in managing IPF patients.
Article Synopsis
- A study found that pertussis (whooping cough) infection is more common in adults with asthma (36%) compared to those with chronic cough who do not have asthma (10%).
- Asthmatic patients with pertussis had a higher rate of newly diagnosed asthma (74.4%) than those without the infection (50%).
- Additionally, asthmatics with pertussis reported worse cough-related quality of life and higher symptoms related to acid reflux compared to those without pertussis.
We report a case of a 69-year-old woman with pleural mesothelioma presenting in the posterior mediastinum with a maximum diameter of 25 cm. She had a chronic cough and a pleural effusion was noted on chest X-ray. The examination of the effusion showed high hyaluronic acid levels, and mesothelioma was suspected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEfficacy of dupilumab for severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and asthma: A prospective study.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol
November 2024
Background: Dupilumab exerts clinical effects, including improved sinus opacification, olfactory function, and quality of life, in patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs). Meanwhile, only a few studies have reported its effects on nasal airway resistance and olfactory function, particularly in the Japanese population. Predictors of response remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComorbid functional dyspepsia reflects IL-33-mediated airway neuronal dysfunction in asthma.
J Allergy Clin Immunol
December 2024
Background: Neuronal dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of asthma and functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the relationship between these diseases remains unclear.
Objective: This study aimed to clarify the clinical implications of comorbid FD in asthma and to explore the unified pathway between asthma and FD by focusing on airway neuronal dysfunction.
Background: Refractory or unexplained chronic cough disrupts quality of life and burdens health care systems around the world. The P2X3 receptor antagonist gefapixant is approved in many countries for its antitussive effects, but taste disturbances are a common adverse effect. Four newer, more selective P2X3 receptor antagonists have been developed to address this problem.
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- A study in Japan compared two treatment intervals for nivolumab (480 mg every 4 weeks vs. 240 mg every 2 weeks) to evaluate their efficacy, safety, and economic impact on cancer patients, as prior real-world data was lacking.
- The analysis of 126 patients showed no significant differences in overall survival or adverse event rates between the two groups, indicating similar effectiveness and safety.
- However, the 4-week treatment interval had lower medical costs (excluding drug costs) than the 2-week interval, suggesting a potential economic advantage for using the longer treatment period.
Article Synopsis
- Chronic cough is a prevalent symptom in respiratory diseases that significantly impacts patients' lives and social interactions, highlighting the need for comprehensive studies in Japan.
- The study involved 379 patients with a cough lasting over 8 weeks, ultimately analyzing 334 cases, revealing major causes like cough variant asthma and sinobronchial syndrome.
- Findings indicate that patients with gastroesophageal reflux-associated cough had a lower treatment success rate and that undiagnosed cases took longer to treat, marking this as Japan's first nationwide investigation into chronic cough causes and treatments.
Article Synopsis
- Dupilumab significantly improved symptoms and measures of airway mucus hypersecretion and airway dimensions in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma over a 48-week treatment period.
- The study included 28 adults and utilized assessments like the CASA-Q and CT scans to evaluate clinical effects.
- Results indicated that 64% of patients showed noticeable improvement, highlighting dupilumab's effectiveness in managing asthma symptoms and airway inflammation.
Background: Cough is one of the symptoms of the post-COVID-19 condition. However, the factors associated with its development remain unclear. We evaluated the factors associated with chronic cough in the post-COVID-19 condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The evidence for macrolide therapy in adult asthma is not properly established and remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the efficacy and safety of macrolide therapy for adult asthma.
Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials from MEDLINE via the PubMed, CENTRAL, and Ichushi Web databases.
Background: In recent years, site-directed therapies (SDTs) targeting progressive lesions in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer have attracted attention. However, whether they effectively treat oligoprogressive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains unclear. Here, we investigated the efficacy of SDT in patients with oligoprogressive CRPC and identified prognostic factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The ageing populations in developed countries are a global concern, with increasing numbers of older adults facing physical, cognitive and psychological challenges, resulting in reduced quality of life and higher healthcare costs. Healthcare expenditure worldwide has been on the rise, especially among older adults, emphasising the importance of enabling independent living while reducing healthcare costs. Occupational therapy holds promising outcomes in promoting functional independence and enhancing the quality of life for older adults, but research on its cost-effectiveness remains limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRemdesivir is an antiviral drug for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the sustained antiviral activity against Omicron variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported. In this single-center retrospective study, we first compared the clinical effectiveness of remdesivir-based therapy between Omicron and other variant phases of moderate COVID-19 in a real-world setting. Between Dec 2020 and July 2022, a total of 406 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were treated with remdesivir-based therapy on admission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Current guidelines on the management of chronic cough do not provide recommendations for the operation of specialist cough clinics. The objective of the present study was to develop expert consensus on goals and standard procedures for specialist cough clinics.
Methods: We undertook a modified Delphi process, whereby initial statements proposed by experts were categorised and presented back to panellists over two ranking rounds using an 11-point Likert scale to identify consensus.