Publications by authors named "Satoko Ohfuji"
Article Synopsis
- The text provides an English version of the 2018 guidelines for diagnosing and treating idiopathic portal hypertension, extrahepatic portal obstruction, and Budd-Chiari syndrome.
- These guidelines were developed by the Aberrant Portal Hemodynamics Study Group and are overseen by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.
- The full guidelines contain 86 clinical questions and explanations, spanning 183 pages in Japanese.
Article Synopsis
- Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients show poor antibody production against SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination, raising concerns about their immune responses.
- A study involving 614 SOT recipients vaccinated with mRNA vaccines revealed an overall seropositivity rate of 43% one month after the second dose, increasing to 70% by six months.
- Kidney, lung, and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant recipients had lower antibody levels at 3 and 6 months compared to other organ types, indicating slower antibody acquisition relative to the general population.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who are treated with various biologic therapies, focusing on TNF-α inhibitors compared to other biologics like ustekinumab (UST) and vedolizumab (VDZ).
- Researchers analyzed data from a large Japanese medical claims database, studying the association between biologic treatments and active TB occurrence across 28,811 patients, with a detailed assessment of treatment types and durations.
- The results indicated that TNF-α inhibitors significantly increase the risk of active TB, with none of the patients treated with UST or VDZ developing the infection, highlighting the safety of these alternatives for CD patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyses COVID-19 mortality factors in Osaka, Japan, using data from early 2020 to understand the epidemiological impact of the pandemic and improve public health responses.
- Among 14,864 patients, 297 died, with higher mortality observed in men, older individuals (especially those over 70), and those with underlying health conditions; mortality rates decreased in subsequent surges.
- The research highlights key risk factors for COVID-19 mortality, which are critical for future preparedness against emerging infectious diseases.
Aim: Although the Fontan procedure has improved the survival of patients with single-ventricle heart disease, the long-term consequences of the procedure have been a concern. This study aimed to explore the patients' postoperative clinical characteristics, including a diagnosis of Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD).
Methods: A nationwide Japanese epidemiological survey of post-Fontan patients was undertaken in 2021.
The excess mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) throughout the pandemic remains unclear. This prospective cohort study based on the Japanese nationwide registry included 1632 SOTRs diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 1, 2020, and July 31, 2022, categorized based on dominant phases of variants of concern (VOCs): Waves 1 to 3 (Beta), 4 (Alpha), 5 (Delta), 6 (Omicron BA.1/BA.
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- The study focuses on comparing the immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA1273 in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients who are on immunosuppressive medication.
- A total of 623 SOT recipients participated, with a final analysis comparing 100 participants who received each vaccine.
- Results showed that mRNA1273 had significantly better immunogenicity compared to BNT162b2, particularly noticeable 3 months after the second dose.
Aim: There are few data regarding the safety and effectiveness of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in patients with intractable hepatobiliary diseases. We conducted a multicenter, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study to determine the safety and effectiveness of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in Japanese patients with intractable hepatobiliary disease.
Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Budd-Chiari syndrome, idiopathic portal hypertension, and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction at each center were consecutively invited to join the study.
Background: To evaluate antibody responses against the primary series of vaccination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2] vaccines in the staff and residents of Japanese geriatric intermediate care facilities.
Methods: All subjects (159 staff and 96 residents) received two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine 3 weeks apart. Baseline data of subject were collected using a structured form.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the connection between inactivated influenza vaccination and viral load in children under 6 in Japan over several flu seasons.
- Researchers analyzed 1,185 influenza-positive children and found that the viral loads did not significantly differ based on vaccination status, with median values around 5.5 for all groups.
- Key factors impacting viral load included specific influenza subtypes and children's temperature, indicating that vaccination status did not play a role in viral load differences.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the herniation of abdominal organs into the thorax, resulting in hypoplastic lungs and pulmonary hypertension. The impact of the first cry, a crucial event for lung transition during birth, on CDH patients remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of the first cry during birth on CDH patient survival, along with other prognosis factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Patients with lung cancer have a high risk of influenza complications. International guidelines recommend annual influenza vaccination for patients with cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are progressively used to treat lung cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: In Japan, freeze-dried live attenuated varicella-zoster vaccine BIKEN is available for adults aged ≥50 years to prevent herpes zoster (HZ). A prospective cohort study of 1200 healthy adults and 300 patients with underlying illness confirmed vaccine safety between 2016 and 2017. However, evidence of vaccine effectiveness (VE) is limited.
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- Ustekinumab is effective for treating Crohn's disease, but many patients lose response within 2 years, prompting this study to evaluate its long-term efficacy and predictability.
- The study included 59 patients and found that only 38.2% had a clinical response at week 8; factors linked to loss of efficacy included baseline disease severity and certain cytokine levels.
- It was concluded that measuring serum MCP-1 levels and knowing a patient's biologic treatment history could help predict the effectiveness of ustekinumab over time.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to understand the incidence and risk factors for norovirus-related diarrhea among elderly residents in Japanese geriatric intermediate care facilities.
- Conducted from November 2018 to April 2020, the study followed 1,727 residents across 10 facilities, finding that 74 developed diarrhea, with 13 testing positive for norovirus—resulting in an incidence rate of 10.11 per 1000 person-years.
- Key risk factors for developing norovirus-related diarrhea included a higher care-needs level, hypertension, stroke, and using a cane, indicating a correlation between health conditions and susceptibility to this infection in elderly populations.
Background And Aim: The number of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) has been increasing in Japan. To elucidate the risk factors for developing UC in Japan, a hospital-based case-control study was conducted. This study examined the association between smoking/drinking habits and UC onset in detail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndoscopic biliary drainage is the recommended 1st-line treatment for malignant biliary obstruction. Although a high incidence of febrile neutropenia has been reported in patients treated with FOLFIRINOX and a biliary stent, it remains unknown whether the biliary stent contributes to patient survival. Thus, we aimed to elucidate the effects of biliary stents on the survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with modified FOLFIRINOX (mFFX).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough nationwide immunization with SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines began in February 2021, the evaluation of vaccine effectiveness (VE) using a test-negative design has not been conducted adequately in Japan. To evaluate the effectiveness of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, we conducted a test-negative case-control study during the periods dominated by the Delta and Omicron variants. In total, 518 and 358 adult participants with COVID-19-like symptoms were tested for the virus from August to October 2021 (Delta variant predominance) and in February 2022 (Omicron variant surge), at the Kawasaki Saiwai Clinic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the era of childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) immunization, especially 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) immunization, serotype replacement of Streptococcus pneumoniae and herd immunity in adults have been reported worldwide. Therefore, continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of the pneumococcal vaccine in adults is crucial because vaccine effectiveness may change owing to these factors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) against all-cause pneumonia and pneumococcal pneumonia in older individuals with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) after the introduction of childhood PCV13 in Japan, a topic that has remained largely unexplored.
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- - The study assessed the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in generating antibodies in healthy adults through two different immunoassays, highlighting inconsistencies in measurement methods.
- - Blood samples were taken from 385 healthcare workers at various points: before the first shot, before the second shot, 4 weeks after the second shot, and 6 months later, revealing significant increases in antibody levels after vaccination.
- - Results indicated that while antibody responses were generally adequate, older participants had lower antibody levels, and the two assays produced different results despite a strong correlation in their findings.
Objective To examine the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown on lifestyle factors and psychological stress in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with IBD in Japan 2 months after the initiation of the first state of emergency (June 16 to August 21, 2020). A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data, and lifestyle factors and psychological stress levels before and after the state of emergency were compared.
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- In Japan, the voluntary mumps vaccination program has faced low coverage due to fears of aseptic meningitis as a side effect.
- A study analyzed adverse event data from over 8 million doses of the Torii strain-derived mumps vaccine, revealing that the overall adverse event rate was 8.33 per 100,000 doses.
- Notably, the incidence of aseptic meningitis has significantly declined from 7.90 per 100,000 doses in 1998-2000 to 2.78 in 2016-2018, suggesting improvements in the vaccine and diagnosis practices.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates how prior vaccination affects the effectiveness of the current influenza vaccine in children aged 1-5 years during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons in Japan.
- The research looked at 799 influenza cases and 1196 controls, categorizing their vaccination status into six groups to analyze vaccine effectiveness (VE). Overall, the effectiveness varied by vaccination history, but one- and two-dose VEs were significant regardless of prior vaccination.
- The findings suggest that even with prior vaccinations, the current season's vaccines maintain effectiveness, as demonstrated by varying VE percentages among different vaccination groups.