Immune-Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score Predicts Therapeutic Effect of Pembrolizumab in Recurrent and Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer.

Background: Previously, we proposed that the immune-modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (imGPS), which adds the lymphocyte count to the mGPS, is helpful as a prognostic marker for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the imGPS as a marker for the therapeutic effect of pembrolizumab in treating recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer (RMHNC).

Methods: This study included RMHNC patients who were treated with pembrolizumab from December 2019 to April 2024.

Design of easily swallowable xerogel pill with enough physical strength through hardening-process under heating and humidification.

The xerogel pill has been developed as a novel dosage form with dose-adjusting and swallow-assisting functions by using drop freeze-drying (DFD) technique. It was double-structured small sphere composed of an inner drug core and an outer dried-gel layer, however, had problem of insufficient physical strength. In this study, it was attempted to use dextrin (DEX), one of oligosaccharides, to strengthen the xerogel pill.

Pericapsular nerve group block for osteoarthritis-related chronic hip joint pain: a case report.

Background: Pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block has shown effectiveness for acute hip pain associated with fractures and surgery. Herein, PENG block was performed for osteoarthritis (OA)-related chronic hip joint pain.

Case Presentation: A 65-year-old woman presented left hip pain.

Pharmacological study on the enhancing effects of U46619 on guinea pig urinary bladder smooth muscle contraction induced by acetylcholine and α,β-methylene ATP and the possible involvement of protein kinase C.

We examined whether U46619 (a prostanoid TP receptor agonist) could enhance the contractions of guinea pig urinary bladder smooth muscle (UBSM) in response to acetylcholine (ACh) and an ATP analog (α,β-methylene ATP (αβ-MeATP)) through stimulation of the UBSM TP receptor and whether protein kinase C (PKC) is involved. U46619 (10 M) markedly enhanced UBSM contractions induced by electrical field stimulation and ACh/αβ-MeATP (3 × 10 M each), the potentiation of which was completely suppressed by SQ 29,548 (a TP receptor antagonist, 6 × 10 M). PKC inhibitors did not attenuate the ACh-induced contractions enhanced by U46619 although they partly suppressed the U46619-enhanced, αβ-MeATP-induced contractions.

The nucleotide-sensing Toll-Like Receptor 9/Toll-Like Receptor 7 system is a potential therapeutic target for IgA nephropathy.

The progression determinants of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) are still not fully elucidated. We have previously demonstrated that the mucosal activation of toll-like receptor (TLR) 9, which senses microbial unmethylated CpG DNA, influences progression by producing aberrantly glycosylated IgA. However, numerous recent reports of patients with IgAN presenting with gross hematuria after the mRNA vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 suggest that the RNA-sensing system also exacerbates IgAN.

The Combination of ATM and Chk1 Inhibitors Induces Synthetic Lethality in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Genetic abnormalities induce the DNA damage response (DDR), which enables DNA repair at cell cycle checkpoints. Although the DDR is thought to function in preventing the onset and progression of cancer, DDR-related proteins are also thought to contribute to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and drug resistance by preventing irreparable genomic abnormalities from inducing cell death. In the present study, the combination of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated serine/threonine kinase (ATM) and checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibition exhibited synergistic antitumor effects and induced synergistic lethality in colorectal cancer cells at a low dose.

Airway disorders associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: Two case reports and a systematic review.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are widely used for the treatment of various malignant neoplasms. Interstitial lung disease is a well-known immune-related adverse event, however, ICI-induced airway disease remains under-recognized. Herein, we report two similar cases of pembrolizumab-induced tracheobronchitis presenting as persistent chronic cough and dyspnea.

Mucosal Immune System Dysregulation in the Pathogenesis of IgA Nephropathy.

The mucosal immune system, via a dynamic immune network, serves as the first line of defense against exogenous antigens. Mucosal immune system dysregulation is closely associated with the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), as illustrated by IgAN having the clinical feature of gross hematuria, often concurrent with mucosal infections. Notably, previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of tonsillectomy and found that a targeted-release formulation of budesonide reduced proteinuria in patients with IgAN.

Galactose-Deficient IgA1 as a Candidate Urinary Marker of IgA Nephropathy.

In patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), circulatory IgA1 and IgA1 in the mesangial deposits contain galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1). Some of the Gd-IgA1 from the glomerular deposits is excreted in the urine and thus urinary Gd-IgA1 may represent a disease-specific marker. We recruited 338 Japanese biopsy-proven IgAN patients and 120 patients with other renal diseases (disease controls).

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy in occult early gastric cancer that was undetectable on upper endoscopy: a case report and review of similar cases.

Background: Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM), a rare manifestation of metastatic cancer with poor prognosis, is characterized by subacute/acute fatal pulmonary hypertension. The main cause of PTTM is gastric cancer, and cases of early gastric cancer confirmed using autopsy have been reported. Moreover, several cases of early gastric cancer that are undetectable on endoscopy or macroscopic postmortem examination have been reported.

Successful treatment of adult-onset nesidioblastosis by continuous subcutaneous octreotide infusion in a patient on hemodialysis.

Octreotide may be useful in noninsulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome with nesidioblastosis patients who was on hemodialysis. Continuous octreotide subcutaneous infusion can reduce side-effects and stabilize plasma glucose levels.

Renal pathological analysis using galactose-deficient IgA1-specific monoclonal antibody is a strong tool for differentiation of primary IgA nephropathy from secondary IgA nephropathy.

In several cases with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), differential diagnosis is difficult due to the complication with other systemic diseases which can induce secondary IgAN. Recently, we demonstrated that immunostaining with galactose-deficient IgA1-specific monoclonal antibody (KM55 mAb) specifically showed positive in primary IgAN cases. Here, we report four cases which we could make definitive diagnosis by immunohistological analysis using KM55 mAb.

Crucial Role of AIM/CD5L in the Development of Glomerular Inflammation in IgA Nephropathy.

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) begins with aberrant IgA deposition in glomeruli, progresses to IgM/IgG/complement codeposition, and results in chronic inflammation and glomerular damage. However, the mechanism that drives such phlogogenic cascade has been unclear. Recently, apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) protein was shown to modulate macrophages' function in various pathologic conditions, thereby profoundly affecting the progression of renal disorders, including AKI.

Spontaneous remission of the micronodular pattern in cryptogenic organizing pneumonia.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a common interstitial lung disease, pathologically characterized by polypoid granulation tissue in the alveolar ducts and alveoli. In clinical practice, OP occasionally presents as non-resolving pneumonia. The typical radiographic pattern of OP is characterized by dense consolidation with ground-glass opacities.

[A case of paraneoplastic sensory neuronopathy with anti-Hu antibody associated with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium].

An 81-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to paresthesia of the extremities and difficulty in walking for three months. She underwent a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the endometrium seven months before the admission. The serum levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE) reduced after the surgery.

Circulating oxidized LDL, increased in patients with acute myocardial infarction, is accompanied by heavily modified HDL.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is a known risk factor for atherogenesis. This study aimed to reveal structural features of oxLDL present in human circulation related to atherosclerosis. When LDL was fractionated on an anion-exchange column, in vivo-oxLDL, detected by the anti-oxidized PC (oxPC) mAb, was recovered in flow-through and electronegative LDL [LDL(-)] fractions.

Cooperative Action of Oxidized Low-Density Lipoproteins and Neutrophils on Endothelial Inflammatory Responses Through Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation.

The function of oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in the progression of cardiovascular diseases has been extensively investigated and well-characterized with regards to the activation of multiple cellular responses in macrophages and endothelial cells. Although accumulated evidence has revealed the presence of neutrophils in vascular lesions, the effect of oxLDL on neutrophil function has not been properly investigated. In the present decade, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) gained immense attention not only as a primary response against pathogenic bacteria but also due to their pathological roles in tissue damage in various diseases, such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

Temporal and spatial changes of peroxiredoxin 2 levels in aortic media at very early stages of atherosclerotic lesion formation in apoE-knockout mice.

The events that trigger early onset of atherosclerotic lesion formation are poorly understood. Initially, microscopic atherosclerotic lesions appear in the aortic root in 10-week-old apoE-knockout mice that are fed normal chow. Using proteome and immunohistochemical analyses, we investigated proteins in aortic media whose expression changes in athero-prone regions at the beginning of lesion formation.

The Significance of Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein in Body Fluids as a Marker Related to Diseased Conditions.

Oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is known to be involved in various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. The presence of oxLDL in the human circulatory system and in atherosclerotic lesions has been demonstrated using monoclonal antibodies. Studies have shown the significance of circulating oxLDL in various systemic diseases, including acute myocardial infarction and diabetic mellitus.

Factors affecting platinum sensitivity in cervical cancer.

The present study aimed to investigate the association between nedaplatin (NDP) sensitivity and the expression of biological factors in cervical cancer. A total of 45 cervical cancer specimens, including 18 pretreatment biopsies and 27 surgical specimens, were used in histoculture drug response assays to determine the chemosensitivity of cervical cancer specimens to NDP. Each specimen was assessed for immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67, p53, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cleaved caspase-3, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1).

Olanzapine promotes the accumulation of lipid droplets and the expression of multiple perilipins in human adipocytes.

Second generation antipsychotics are useful for the treatment of schizophrenia, but concerns have been raised about the side effects of diabetes mellitus and obesity. Olanzapine, especially, is associated with more weight gain than the others. It has been reported that olanzapine promotes adipocyte-differentiation in rodents both in vivo and in vitro.