Survival and functional outcomes after pediatric living-donor lobar lung transplantation and deceased-donor lung transplantation: A Japanese multicenter retrospective study.

Background: In pediatric living-donor lobar lung transplantation, whether transplanting adult lobes could result in satisfactory long-term survival and respiratory functional outcomes during and after the growth period in pediatric patients remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival and functional prognosis after pediatric living-donor lobar lung transplantation and deceased-donor lung transplantation.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of pediatric patients (age: ≤17 years) who underwent lung transplantation between March 2001 and December 2022 at three institutions in Japan.

Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein in combination with C-reactive protein for predicting endoscopic activity in Crohn's disease: a single-centre, cross-sectional study.

Background And Objective: Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) is a novel biomarker for Crohn's disease (CD). The utility of combination use of LRG and C-reactive protein (CRP) has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of LRG in combination with CRP to predict endoscopic activity.

Metachronous Pancreatic Cancer with Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction Diagnosed Five Years after Cholecystectomy for Gallbladder Cancer, in Which Follow-up Imaging was Possible Until the Onset of Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Whether or not pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC) is unclear. We present a case of metachronous PC with PBM diagnosed after cholecystectomy for gallbladder cancer, in which follow-up imaging was possible until PC onset. A 63-year-old man who had been diagnosed with gallbladder cancer and had undergone cholecystectomy 5 years earlier developed pancreatitis.

Anti-inflammatory effect of Angiotensin 1-7 in white adipose tissue.

Obesity is a global health concern that promotes chronic low-grade inflammation, leading to insulin resistance, a key factor in many metabolic diseases. Angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7), a component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in obesity and related disorders, though its mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of Ang 1-7 on inflammation of white adipose tissue (WAT) in dietary-induced obese mice.

Efficacy and safety of switching therapy from chenodeoxycholic acid to cholic acid in Japanese patients with bile acid synthesis disorders.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of cholic acid (CA) treatment over 74 weeks in Japanese patients with inherited enzymatic bile acid synthesis disorders (BASD).

Methods: This phase 3, open-label, single-arm study enrolled four Japanese patients diagnosed with BASD, including two with 3β-hydroxy- -C-steroid dehydrogenase/isomerase (HSD3B7) deficiency and two with -3-oxosteroid 5β-reductase (SRD5B1) deficiency. The patients had received chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) treatment but were switched to CA treatment.

Closure of gastric mucosal defects using the reopenable-clip over the line method to decrease the risk of bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection: a multicenter propensity score-matched case-control study (with video).

Background And Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive treatment for early gastric cancer. However, post-ESD bleeding presents significant risks. Closing mucosal defects following ESD may reduce the incidence of post-ESD bleeding.

Long short-term memory algorithm for personalized tacrolimus dosing: A simple and effective time series forecasting approach post-lung transplantation.

Background: Management of tacrolimus trough levels (TTLs) influences morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. Several studies have explored pharmacokinetic and artificial intelligence models to monitor tacrolimus levels. However, many models depend on a wide range of variables, some of which, like genetic polymorphisms, are not commonly tested for in regular clinical practice.

Deep learning-based approach for acquisition time reduction in ventilation SPECT in patients after lung transplantation.

We aimed to evaluate the image quality and diagnostic performance of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) with lung ventilation single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images acquired briefly using a convolutional neural network (CNN) in patients after lung transplantation and to explore the feasibility of short acquisition times. We retrospectively identified 93 consecutive lung-transplant recipients who underwent ventilation SPECT/computed tomography (CT). We employed a CNN to distinguish the images acquired in full time from those acquired in a short time.

A Case of Single-lung Transplant in a Patient with Mycobacterium avium Pulmonary Disease Successfully Treated with Amikacin Liposome Inhalation Suspension.

A 55-year-old man presented to our hospital with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). He was registered with the Japan Organ Transplant Network the following year due to disease progression. Treatment with clarithromycin, ethambutol, and rifampicin for complications of Mycobacterium avium pulmonary disease was initiated, but sputum conversion could not be achieved.

High-Throughput Screening of Antiviral Compounds Using a Recombinant Hepatitis B Virus and Identification of a Possible Infection Inhibitor, Skimmianine.

We developed a novel hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-monitoring system using a luminescent, 11-amino acid reporter (HiBiT). We performed high-throughput antiviral screening using this system to identify anti-HBV compounds. After the infection of primary human hepatocytes with the recombinant virus HiBiT-HBV, which contains HiBiT at its preS1, 1262 compounds were tested in a first screening using extracellular HiBiT activity as an indicator of viral infection.

Prophylactic effect of tissue flap in the prevention of bronchopleural fistula after surgery for lung cancer.

Purpose: Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is a serious complication of lung resection. To avoid BPF, the bronchial stump/anastomotic site is often covered with a flap of surrounding tissue. One risk factor for BPF is radical lung resection after induction chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer.

Lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated DOCK11-siRNA efficiently reduces hepatitis B virus cccDNA level in infected mice.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects many people worldwide. As HBV infection frequently leads to liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis, developing anti-HBV therapeutic drugs is urgent. Therapeutic drugs for preventing covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) production, which can eliminate HBV infection, are unavailable.

Comparison of mutations in human parainfluenza viruses during passage in primary human bronchial/tracheal epithelial air-liquid interface cultures and cell lines.

Unlabelled: Human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) causes respiratory infections, which are exacerbated in children and older people. Correct evaluation of viral characteristics is essential for the study of countermeasures. However, adaptation of viruses to cultured cells during isolation or propagation might select laboratory passage-associated mutations that modify the characteristics of the virus.

A Novel Organoid-Based Strategy Using Hybrid Colon Interposition for Short Bowel Syndrome: A Mini Review of In Vivo Models and Possible Human Candidates.

This comprehensive review focuses on advances in surgical techniques and in vivo animal models for treating short bowel syndrome (SBS) with intestinal organoids. Notably, this review discusses a novel method involving the replacement of the epithelium of large intestinal tissue with small intestinal organoids, which improves function and prognosis when grafted back into the small intestine. This study not only underscores the importance of integrating organoid technology and surgical techniques to improve the outcomes of patients with SBS but also acknowledges the challenges that lie ahead, including achieving functional organoids with peristaltic movement and vascularization.

Prediction of Placental Abruption of Pregnant Women Drivers with Various Collision Velocities, Seatbelt Positions and Placental Positions-Analysis with Novel Pregnant Occupant Model.

The aims of this study were as follows: the (a) creation of a pregnant occupant finite element model based on pregnant uterine data from sonography, (b) development of the evaluation method for placental abruption using this model and (c) analysis of the effects of three factors (collision speed, seatbelt position and placental position) on the severity of placental abruption in simulations of vehicle collisions. The 30-week pregnant occupant model was developed with the uterine model including the placenta, uterine-placental interface, fetus, amniotic fluid and surrounding ligaments. A method for evaluating the severity of placental abruption on this pregnant model was established, and the effects of these factors on the severity of the injury were analyzed.

A Case of Mammary-Type Myofibroblastoma Occurring in the Inguinal Region.

Mammary-type myofibroblastoma (MTMF) is a rare benign tumor of mesenchymal cells that occurs in the inguinal region, abdominal wall, buttocks, back, and vaginal wall. When a soft tissue mass develops in the inguinal region, there may be a risk of misdiagnosing it as an inguinal hernia, especially if it is asymptomatic. We report a rare case of mammary-type myofibroblastoma occurring in the inguinal region.

N-glycosylation of viral glycoprotein is a novel determinant for the tropism and virulence of highly pathogenic tick-borne bunyaviruses.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, a tick-borne bunyavirus, causes a severe/fatal disease termed SFTS; however, the viral virulence is not fully understood. The viral non-structural protein, NSs, is the sole known virulence factor. NSs disturbs host innate immune responses and an NSs-mutant SFTS virus causes no disease in an SFTS animal model.

Augmented humoral response to third and fourth dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in lung transplant recipients.

Background: Since lung transplant recipients (LTRs) exhibit low immunogenicity after two doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, optimal vaccine strategies for SARS-CoV-2 are required in LTRs. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of the third and fourth doses of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in LTRs.

Methods: We conducted a single-center study of 73 LTRs and 23 healthy controls (HCs).

A Japanese Boy with Dysmorphic Syndrome with Multiple Pituitary Hormone Deficiency and Gingival Fibromatosis Due to a Pathogenic KCNQ1 Variant.

A six-year-old boy presented with short stature and gingival fibromatosis (GF). Dysmorphic features included slant optic fissures, a high-arched palate, thick earlobes, and an edematous face. Laboratory tests showed low levels of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 and serum free thyroxine but normal serum thyrotropin levels.

Positive regulation of Hedgehog signaling via phosphorylation of GLI2/GLI3 by DYRK2 kinase.

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, an evolutionarily conserved pathway, plays an essential role in development and tumorigenesis, making it a promising drug target. Multiple negative regulators are known to govern Hh signaling; however, how activated Smoothened (SMO) participates in the activation of downstream GLI2 and GLI3 remains unclear. Herein, we identified the ciliary kinase DYRK2 as a positive regulator of the GLI2 and GLI3 transcription factors for Hh signaling.

Pediatric duodenal stenosis caused by posttraumatic mesenteric hematoma managed with a double elementary diet tube.

A 6-year-old male child was admitted to the hospital because of abdominal trauma and acute stomach pain. Computed tomography scan revealed a jejunal mesenteric hematoma and an enhanced intestinal wall compressed by the hematoma. The patient presented with vomiting 10 days after the injury.