A noninvasive urinary microRNA-based assay for the detection of pancreatic cancer from early to late stages: a case control study.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive and has a low survival rate primarily due to late-stage diagnosis and the lack of effective early detection methods. We introduce here a novel, noninvasive urinary extracellular vesicle miRNA-based assay for the detection of pancreatic cancer from early to late stages.

Methods: From September 2019 to July 2023, Urine samples were collected from patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 153) from five distinct sites (Hokuto Hospital, Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, National Cancer Center Hospital, Kagoshima University Hospital, and Kumagaya General Hospital) and non-cancer participants (n = 309) from two separate sites (Hokuto Hospital and Omiya City Clinic).

Studies on the inhibition of methanogenesis and dechlorination by (4-hydroxyphenyl) chloromethanesulfonate.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of chemicals on methane emissions in paddy soil. We found that (4-hydroxyphenyl) chloromethanesulfonate (C-1) has a methanogenic inhibition activity, and we studied its inhibition mechanism using laboratory tests. The study found that C-1 treatment of flooded soil did not significantly affect the bacterial community but rather the archaeal community; particularly, spp.

Laparoscopic approach as a safe and effective option for incarcerated femoral hernias.

Introduction: The laparoscopic approach for elective femoral herniorrhaphy is well established. However, femoral hernias often present as incarcerations and require emergency repair surgery, mainly using the open approach. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the efficacy of the laparoscopic approach for incarcerated femoral hernias.

Clinical performance of a novel chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for FGF23.

Introduction: Measurement of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) has been reported to be clinically useful for the differential diagnosis of chronic hypophosphatemia. However, assays for research use only are available in Japan. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the clinical utility of a novel and automated chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of FGF23.

[Body weight and bone/calcium metabolism. Obesity and vitamin D.].

Obesity is associated with lower serum 25(OH)D level via several mechanisms including sequestration of fat soluble vitamin D in increased fat mass. Since obesity is the major cause of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, lower serum 25(OH)D level is also associated with these conditions. Non-surgical weight reduction, especially that results in decreased visceral fat mass, is associated with an improvement in insulin resistance and a small but significant increase in serum 25(OH)D level.

Factors associated with inadequate responses to risedronate in Japanese patients with osteoporosis.

Factors associated with an inadequate response (IR) to bisphosphonates have been reported in many countries, but not in Japan, where the approved dose is half the global dose. We analyzed factors associated with IR to risedronate in Japanese patients with osteoporosis. This was a post hoc analysis of 1261 Japanese osteoporosis patients who received risedronate for 1 year in phase III trials.

Changes in quality of life in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis receiving weekly bisphosphonate treatment: a 2-year multicenter study in Japan.

We investigated changes in quality of life (QOL), including pain, in Japanese women aged ≥ 55 years who were diagnosed as having osteoporosis at 265 centers across Japan and treated continuously with once-weekly bisphosphonates for 24 months. In 2650 evaluable patients, a significant improvement in QOL was observed from 3 months after enrollment onward and maintained throughout the 2-year observation period. A significant improvement in scores was observed for all domains of the Euro QOL 5 Dimension (EQ-5D), and the "pain", "health perception", and "posture, figure" domains of the Japanese Osteoporosis QOL Questionnaire (JOQOL).

[Update on recent progress in vitamin D research. Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency.].

Serum 25(OH)D level reflects bodily vitamin D store. Recently published "Assessment criteria for vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in Japan" defines vitamin D sufficiency as 25(OH)D level of 30 ng/mL or more, vitamin D insufficiency as that of 20 to 30 ng/mL, vitamin D deficiency as that of less than 20 ng/mL. The lower the serum 25(OH)D level is, the higher the risks are, of secondary hyperparathyroidism, low bone mineral density, fall, fracture, rickets/osteomalacia, and hypocalcemia, as well as lower response to anti-osteoporosis medications.

[Combination and sequential therapy using bisphosphonates.].

Bisphosphonates have been explored possible combination and/or sequential use with other anti-osteoporotic medications including PTH. Besides with vitamin D(metabolites), combination treatment had been uncommon mainly because there had not been enough anti-fracture evidence. PTH, which can only be used for a certain period over lifetime, requires other anti-osteoporotic medications after and/or before its use.

Assessment criteria for vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in Japan - proposal by an expert panel supported by Research Program of Intractable Diseases, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, The Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research and The Japan Endocrine Society [Opinion].

Vitamin D is indispensable for the maintenance of bone and mineral health. Inadequate vitamin D action increases the risk for various musculoskeletal/mineral events including fracture, fall, secondary hyperparathyroidism, diminished response to antiresorptives, rickets/osteomalacia, and hypocalcemia. Its most common cause in recent years is vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, clinically defined by low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level.

Assessment criteria for vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in Japan: proposal by an expert panel supported by the Research Program of Intractable Diseases, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the Japan Endocrine Society [Opinion].

Vitamin D is indispensable for the maintenance of bone and mineral health. Inadequate vitamin D action increases the risk for various musculoskeletal/mineral events including fracture, fall, secondary hyperparathyroidism, diminished response to antiresorptives, rickets/osteomalacia, and hypocalcemia. Its most common cause in recent years is vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, clinically defined by a low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level.

Osteoporosis Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Recent epidemiological studies have revealed that osteoporosis is closely associated with common chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disorders, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a chronic inflammatory airway disease but now well known to be associated with various systemic comorbidities including osteoporosis. Osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures are extremely common in COPD patients, which have significant impacts on their quality of life (QOL), activities of daily life (ADL), respiratory function, and possibly their prognosis.

[COPD and bone].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a chronic inflammatory airway disease associated with various systemic comorbidities including osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is extremely common in COPD patients;up to 80%prevalence of vertebral fracture has been reported. However, its low awareness has left many patients untreated.

COPD and osteoporosis: links, risks, and treatment challenges.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease associated with various systemic comorbidities including osteoporosis. Osteoporosis and its related fractures are common and have significant impacts on quality of life and even respiratory function in patients with COPD. COPD-associated osteoporosis is however extremely undertreated.

[Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency:its clinical significance and treatment].

Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency, a medical condition in which vitamin D store is decreased, is the most frequent cause of decreased action of vitamin D. Severer form vitamin D deficiency can cause hypocalcemia and rickets/osteomalacia. Milder form vitamin D insufficiency also harms bone health via secondary hyperparathyroidism, the increase in fracture risk, and poor responses to anti-osteoporotic medications.

[Pharmacological treatment of other types of secondary osteoporosis].

This article reviews the treatment strategy for the secondary osteoporosis excluding those caused by diabetes, CKD, endocrine disorders, or glucocorticoid, which proceeding articles deal with. Among numerous possible causes for such secondary osteoporosis, the author has selected osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), osteoporosis associated with gastrectomy or bariatric surgery, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For OI, current standard treatment is bisphosphonates (BPs), of which efficacy for fracture inhibition has recently been of issue.

Efficacy and Safety of Risedronate in Osteoporosis Subjects with Comorbid Diabetes, Hypertension, and/or Dyslipidemia: A Post Hoc Analysis of Phase III Trials Conducted in Japan.

Many osteoporotics have comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and dyslipidemia (DL). However, whether such comorbidities alter response to anti-osteoporotic treatment is unknown. We did post hoc analyses of combined data from three risedronate Japanese phase III trials to determine whether the presence of DM, HT, or DL affects its efficacy and safety.

Pathogenesis and diagnostic criteria for rickets and osteomalacia--proposal by an expert panel supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research, and the Japan Endocrine Society.

Rickets and osteomalacia are diseases characterized by impaired mineralization of bone matrix. Recent investigations have revealed that the causes of rickets and osteomalacia are quite variable. Although these diseases can severely impair the quality of life of affected patients, rickets and osteomalacia can be completely cured or at least respond to treatment when properly diagnosed and treated according to the specific causes.

Pathogenesis and diagnostic criteria for rickets and osteomalacia - proposal by an expert panel supported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, The Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research and The Japan Endocrine Society.

Rickets and osteomalacia are diseases characterized by impaired mineralization of bone matrix. Recent investigations revealed that the causes for rickets and osteomalacia are quite variable. While these diseases can severely impair the quality of life of the affected patients, rickets and osteomalacia can be completely cured or at least respond to treatment when properly diagnosed and treated according to the specific causes.

Nationwide survey of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)-related hypophosphatemic diseases in Japan: prevalence, biochemical data and treatment.

A nationwide epidemiologic survey of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)-related hypophosphatemic diseases was conducted in 2010 to clarify the prevalence and the clinical presentations of the disorders. A questionnaire inquiring the experience of patients with these diseases was sent to randomly selected hospitals throughout Japan. The estimated annual incidence of the diseases was 117 cases (95% CI 75 - 160), 55 males (95% CI 30 - 81) and 62 females (95% CI 40 - 84).

[Updates on Lifestyle-Related Diseases and Bone Metabolism. Bone metabolic disorder in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) , an inflammatory disease of the lung, is now recognized as a systemic disease because of various systemic comorbidities beyond lung. Osteoporosis is one of such major complications. The prevalence of vertebral fractures in COPD, especially at thoracic spine, is extremely high, however, pathophysiology of bone fragility in COPD is not well understood.

[Vitamin D and cancer].

Vitamin D acts through vitamin D receptor, expressed in a variety of human tissues, including cancer tissues of various origins. Basic research has a revealed vitamin D has anti-cancer potentials including pro-differentiation, anti-proliferation, anti-inflammation, anti-angiogenesis and many other effects. Epidemiological studies have revealed that low serum 25 (OH) D level, i.

Osteoporosis is highly prevalent in Japanese males with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is associated with deteriorated pulmonary function.

Osteoporosis has recently been recognized as a major comorbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We conducted a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 136 Japanese males with COPD to evaluate the prevalence of vertebral fracture (VF) and to explore its relationship with pulmonary function parameters. VFs were present in 108 (79.

[Fracture risk associated with drugs other than glucocorticoids].

Many drugs influence fracture risk besides glucocorticoid, a most common cause of drug-induced osteoporosis. It is well established that drugs used for anti-sex steroids therapy for breast and prostate cancers increase fracture risk, including GnRH agonists, aromatase inhibitors, and anti-androgens. Increased fracture risk is also established with anti-diabetic thiazolidinediones by a randomized control study as well as meta analysis of observational studies.

[ASBMR 2013 REPORT. Meeting Report on the ASBMR. Focus on Wnt system].

ASBMR2013 was held in Baltimore, MA, in October, 2013. Selected topics especially those on Wnt system will be reviewed.