Publications by authors named "Shimojima K"

Background: Facial contouring procedures are increasingly sought to address aesthetic concerns such as submental fat accumulation and lack of jawline definition. Cryolipolysis and hyaluronic acid (HA) injection have emerged as promising modalities for lower face contouring, targeting fat reduction and jawline enhancement, respectively.

Objective: This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of a combined treatment approach involving cryolipolysis followed by HA injection for addressing lower face contour concerns.

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  • Interstitial microdeletions in the proximal region of chromosome 6 are uncommon, but this study reports 12 patients who have developmental delays linked to such microdeletions between q12 and q22.
  • The deletions were identified using chromosomal microarray testing, and genetic analysis was performed to understand the relationship between the deletions and the patients' clinical features.
  • The gene identified as significant for developmental delay, especially in cases similar to Prader-Willi syndrome, along with other potential genes, indicates that more patient information is needed to better define this genotype-phenotype relationship.
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Objectives: It was shown that mucosal immunity via salivary IgA may be related to the improvement of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) symptoms, and improvement of SAR symptoms through saliva flow increase has been reported in patients using mouthguard (MG) in dental treatment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of MG use on SAR symptom improvement and to clarify the role of saliva on SAR symptom development.

Methods: We recruited patients from the Kanagawa Dental University Hospital including 38 and 8 patients with SAR and non-SAR symptoms during two seasons from March 2017 to April 2018.

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  • The study focused on understanding clinical features related to PRRT2 mutations in Japanese patients suffering from benign infantile epilepsy (BIE) and paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD).
  • Out of 135 patients analyzed, mutations in the PRRT2 gene were found in 104 individuals, with a higher prevalence in familial cases compared to sporadic ones, and certain mutations were identified as more common.
  • The research concluded that 68% of patients with BIE or PKD had PRRT2 mutations, and the characteristics of the epilepsy observed were consistent with clinical diagnoses.
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The mechanical properties of Advanced Pore Morphology (APM) foam elements depend strongly upon their internal porous and external structural geometry. This paper reports on a detailed investigation of external (e.g.

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Recently, haploinsufficiency of has been identified as an essential cause of 5q31.3 microdeletion syndrome, which is characterized by severe psychomotor developmental delay, epilepsy, distinctive features, and delayed myelination. A new 5q31.

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Somatic mosaicism in single nucleotide variants of SCN1A is known to occur in a subset of parents of children with Dravet syndrome (DS). Here, we report recurrent somatic mosaic microdeletions involving SCN1A in children diagnosed with DS. Through the evaluation of 237 affected individuals with DS who did not show SCN1A or PCHD19 mutations in prior sequencing analyzes, we identified two children with mosaic microdeletions covering the entire SCN1A region.

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Mutations in nuclear receptor SET domain-containing protein 1 gene ( ) are related to Sotos syndrome, which is characterized by overgrowth, macrocephaly, distinctive features, and neurodevelopmental disabilities. On the other hand, mutations in the nuclear factor I/X gene ( ) can lead to Malan syndrome, also known as Sotos-like syndrome, or to the Marshall-Smith syndrome. In this study, using next generation sequencing (NGS), we identified de novo mutations in and in three patients with developmental disabilities associated with overgrowth or macrocephaly.

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  • The mitochondrial aspartyl-tRNA synthetase 2 gene is linked to LBSL, a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord while increasing lactate levels.
  • A Japanese patient with LBSL exhibited two specific mutations, one being a deletion that alters an amino acid and the other causing a splicing error.
  • This supports the idea that many LBSL patients carry two different mutations in the gene, often with a prevalent mutation affecting splicing in the gene's intron 2.
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Background: Abiraterone acetate is an androgen synthesis inhibitor approved for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Although co-administration of either prednisone or prednisolone at 10 mg/d has been recommended to reduce the risk of abiraterone-induced hyperaldosteronism (notably hypokalemia) and to give adjunctive pain relief effects, whether these glucocorticoids can be substituted by dexamethasone remains unknown.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of medical records of patients who were given abiraterone for the treatment of CRPC with either prednisolone (ABI/PSL) 10 mg/d or dexamethasone (ABI/DEX) 0.

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The calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase gene () mutations are associated with various neurological disorders; a syndrome of intellectual disability (ID) and microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia (MICPCH), FG syndrome, X-linked ID with/without nystagmus, epileptic encephalopathy, and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Next generation sequencing was performed to elucidate genetic causes in siblings exhibiting developmental disorders, and a novel mutation, c.1424G>T (p.

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Genomic copy number variations (CNVs) identified through chromosomal microarray testing must be validated to confirm whether they are pathogenically and functionally relevant to their respective clinical features. Although larger deletions have a higher probability to be pathogenic, this is not always true. Phenotypically normal individuals showed five CNV deletions larger than 1.

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Because several genes responsible for epileptic encephalopathy are located on the 9q33q34 region, patients with chromosomal deletions of this region often show intractable epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disability. Contrary to these findings, chromosomal duplications of this region have never been reported previously. We identified a first case of 9q33q34 microduplications in siblings associated with developmental disorders and macrocephaly.

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The tubulin beta-4A gene () is associated with two different clinical conditions, dystonia type 4 (DYT4) and hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC). We identified a novel mutation, c.286G>A (p.

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  • A 9-year-old boy has a 15q14 microdeletion linked to developmental issues.
  • He was born with a heart defect and a submucosal cleft, along with mild developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.
  • The mild nature of his developmental delay suggests that specific genes in the deleted region play a key role in his condition.
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Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) deficiency affects three different organs: red blood cells (RBC), the central nervous system, and muscles. Next-generation sequencing identified a hemizygous mutation (p.V217I) in a 16-year-old Japanese male patient presenting with intellectual disability and episodes of muscle weakness of unknown etiology.

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  • * The identified microdeletion spans 10.4 Mb and impacts 84 genes, including CTNNA3 and JMJD1C, which are linked to heart and neurological disorders.
  • * No single gene fully explains the patient's symptoms, suggesting that the combination of gene deletions in this region likely contributes to the observed clinical features.
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  • * Three new cases were identified, including one with a specific deletion mutation and brain imaging abnormalities, and two siblings with a different genetic deletion inherited from their mother.
  • * The siblings' older sister had craniosynostosis, a rare complication not previously linked to this syndrome, highlighting the need for more research to fully understand the condition's implications and features.
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The proteolipid protein 1 gene (PLP1) is located on chromosome Xq22.2 and is related to X-linked recessive leukoencephalopathy (Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: PMD). Compared to PLP1 duplications, which are a major contributor to PMD, chromosomal deletions in this region are rare and only a few PMD patients with small deletions have been reported, suggesting that large deletions of this region would cause embryonic lethality.

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Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heterogeneous disorder that is characterized by bone fragility and systemic complications, and is mainly caused by gene mutations in or . A novel splicing mutation, c.750+2T>A, was identified in a Japanese OI family.

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  • A 4-year-old boy with severe intellectual disability and autism traits has a 1.9-Mb microdeletion affecting chromosome region 7q31.33q32.1.
  • This microdeletion involves several genes, including one linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and another associated with synaptic cell adhesion, which are relevant to autism.
  • The researchers suggest that the deletion of these genes may explain the boy's severe intellectual disability and autistic characteristics.
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Microdeletion of 2q31 involving the HOXD gene cluster is a rare syndrome. The deletion of the HOXD gene cluster is thought to result in skeletal anomalies in these patients. HOX genes encode highly conserved transcription factors that control cell fate and the regional identities along the primary body and limb axes.

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  • - Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) is a disorder linked to the X chromosome that leads to reduced myelin insulation due to mutations in the proteolipid protein 1 gene.
  • - A male patient with PMD exhibited severe developmental delays, involuntary eye movements (pendular nystagmus), and breathing issues (laryngeal wheezing).
  • - Brain imaging revealed reduced myelin in white matter, and a new mutation (F240L) was discovered, which the patient inherited from his mother.
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Background: Aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme, aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA). This disorder is rare in the general population except in Finland. Since the most characteristic feature of this disorder is a progressive developmental regression, patients often show no specific symptoms in the initial stages, and thus early diagnosis is often challenging.

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