Clinical Impact of Cellular Senescence and RNA Dysregulation in HCC Is Associated With MASLD and HCV-SVR.

Background/aim: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and hepatitis C virus sustained virologic response (HCV-SVR) are increasing. However, the mechanisms driving HCC development in these patients remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of cellular senescence and RNA editing in HCC by examining cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (p16) and adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR1) expression.

A case of pulmonary co-infection with and Mucorales in a patient with sarcoidosis.

A 54-year-old woman with fever and cough presented with left upper lobe consolidation and para-aortic and hilar lymphadenopathies and was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, and her condition improved spontaneously. Over the next 15 years, the patient experienced seven similar episodes and was treated with glucocorticoids for the first time in the eighth episode, but subsequently died of respiratory failure. The autopsy revealed diffuse alveolar damage and co-infection with and Mucorales in the lungs and mediastinum.

Proposal of an integrated staging system using albumin-bilirubin grade and serum alpha-fetoprotein values for predicting postoperative prognosis of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Because repeat hepatectomy for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma is a potentially invasive procedure, it is necessary to identify patients who truly benefit from repeat hepatectomy. Albumin-bilirubin grading has been reported to predict survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, as prognosis also depends on tumor factors, a staging system that adds tumor factors to albumin-bilirubin grading may lead to a more accurate prognostication in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

A resected case of pancreatic head cancer developing 40 years after lateral pancreaticojejunostomy for chronic pancreatitis.

A 72-year-old male patient presented to our department complaining of with upper abdominal pain and jaundice. He had a history of a side-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy performed 40 years previously for chronic pancreatitis. A diagnostic workup revealed a tumor 3 cm in size in the pancreatic head as the etiology of the jaundice.

N2 Lymph Node Metastasis Is a Useful Predictor of Recurrence in Patients With Stage III Rectal Cancer Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy Using Tegafur-uracil/leucovorin.

Background/aim: Fluoropyrimidine therapy or oxaliplatin combination therapy is recommended for patients with stage III colorectal cancer as adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). However, the criterion for selecting these regimens is still unclear in patients with stage III rectal cancer (RC). In order to select an appropriate regimen of AC for such patients, it is needed to identify characteristics associated with tumor recurrence.

Impact of antimicrobial stewardship with the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay at a tertiary hospital in Japan.

Introduction: Genetic testing is gaining increasing importance as a part of antimicrobial stewardship (AS). Rapid identification and determination of methicillin susceptibility using the Xpert MRSA/SA BC assay can improve the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) and reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. However, few reports have described the effectiveness of this approach.

A Culture Supernatant from an Actinomycete sp. Affects Biofilm Formation and Virulence Expression of Candida auris.

The multidrug-resistant pathogen Candida auris is characterized by its aggregation under certain conditions, which affects its biofilm formation, drug susceptibility, and pathogenicity. Although the innate tendency to aggregate depends on the strain, the mechanism regulating C. auris aggregation remains unclear.

Characterization of Aspergillus spp. isolated from patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Introduction: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is an important complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and while there are case reports and epidemiological studies, few studies have isolated Aspergillus strains from patients. Therefore, we analyzed the strains, sensitivities, and genetic homology of Aspergillus spp. Isolated from patients with COVID-19.

Two cases of Clostridium ramosum bacteremia with intestinal perforation: The antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical strains.

Clostridium ramosum is one of the obligate anaerobes that constitute the intestinal microbiota, and one of the rare Clostridia. With Clostridium ramosum, very few data have been reported to investigate antimicrobial susceptibility for clinical isolates that have caused bacteremia. Here, we report two cases of Clostridium ramosum bacteremia.

First report of Mycobacterium virginiense-induced synovitis and tenosynovitis of flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus muscles in Japan.

Mycobacterium virginiense, a species of the Mycobacterium terrae complex, was first identified in 2016. Although M. virginiense has only been reported to cause tenosynovitis, there have been only a few reports.

Rifampicin exerts anti-mucoviscous activity against hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae via binding to the RNA polymerase β subunit.

Objectives: In hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP), the hypermucoviscous capsule is known to be a major virulence determinant. We previously discovered that rifampicin (RFP), a bactericidal drug that binds to and inhibits the β subunit of RNA polymerase (RpoB), elicits anti-mucoviscous activity against hvKP by suppressing rmpA, a regulator of capsule production. Here, we aimed to determine whether RFP exerts this effect at sub-growth-inhibitory concentrations via its binding to RpoB.

Total Steroid Intake is Associated With Hospital Mortality in Patients With Pan-Peritonitis due to Colorectal Perforation.

Background: Patients with pan-peritonitis (PP) due to colorectal perforation have high mortality rate because colorectal perforation causes septic shock. The association between total steroid intake (TSI) and hospital mortality of such patients is not clear.

Methods: One hundred forty-two patients who underwent surgery for PP due to colorectal perforation were reviewed.

A case of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis due to with elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels.

A 78-year-old Japanese woman without any history of asthma or smoking presented prolonged cough. Laboratory data showed elevated serum CEA levels and a chest CT revealed a mass with abnormal uptake in the left lower lobe. One month later, the mass spontaneously regressed, and CEA levels improved.

A multicentre study of the risk factors associated with recurrence of central serous chorioretinopathy.

Purpose: To investigate potential clinical and multimodal imaging factors in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) recurrence.

Methods: The study was performed at nine Japanese medical institutions for patients who had experienced an active CSC episode. Demographic data and medical history were reviewed retrospectively.

[A Case of Pappilary Renal Cell Caircinoma which Responded Well to the Combination Therapy of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab --A CASE REPORT-].

We report a case of papillary renal cell carcinoma that responded well to the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab. The patient was a 68-year-old male who was being followed up for a small left renal mass without treatment. Two years later, computed tomography (CT) showed enlarged cervical and para-aortic lymph nodes, and lymph node biopsy suggested metastases of the cancer.

Laparoscopic surgery reduced frequency of postoperative small bowel obstruction, and hospital stay compared with open surgery in a cohort of patients with colorectal cancer: a propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Laparoscopic surgery (LS) is reported to reduce postoperative complications and hospital stay compared with open surgery (OP). Because patient selection may have been biased in previous studies, propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used in this study to test the benefits of LS compared with OP.

Methods: A total of 759 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer undergoing curative surgery were retrospectively reviewed.

Evaluation of the VITEK2 AST-XN17 card for the detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales in isolates primarily producing metallo β-lactamase.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are not always resistant to carbapenem antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and can be difficult to detect. With the newly created VITEK2 AST-XN17 card, the types of antibiotics measured in AST can be increased. In this study, we evaluated the detectability of CPE using the results of AST with multiple antimicrobial agents with additional measurements of the AST-XN17 card.

Ocular expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Aims/introduction: Inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) phosphorylation mediated by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is one of the main mechanisms of action of antidiabetic drugs. In this study, we analyzed the ocular expression and activation of Cdk5 in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Materials And Methods: The concentrations of PPARγ, Cdk5 and its activating subunit (p35) were determined in the vitreous body of 24 PDR and 63 control eyes by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.