Association between urinary metallothionein concentration and causes of death among cadmium-exposed residents in Japan: a 35-year follow-up study.

Background: As research progresses, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that urinary metallothionein (MT) levels may be elevated in individuals exposed to cadmium (Cd). This study aimed to investigate the potential association between urinary MT levels and causes of mortality among residents of the Kakehashi River Basin who have been exposed to Cd.

Method: The study involved a total of 1,398 men and 1,731 women were conducted between 1981 and 1982, with follow-up until November 2016.

Zinc Deficiency Reduces Intestinal Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Induces Inflammatory Responses via the Gut-Liver Axis.

Nutritional zinc (Zn) deficiency could impair immune function and affect bowel conditions. However, the mechanism by which Zn deficiency affects the immune function of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) remains unclear. We investigated how Zn deficiency affects the function of GALT and level of secretory IgA (sIgA), a key component of the intestinal immune barrier, its underlying mechanisms, and whether Zn deficiency induces bacterial translocation to the liver.

Benchmark Dose of Urinary Cadmium for Assessing Renal Tubular and Glomerular Function in a Cadmium-Polluted Area of Japan.

The aim of the present study was to apply an updated benchmark dose (BMD) approach to estimate reference urinary cadmium (U-Cd) for renal tubular and glomerular effects. This cross-sectional survey was conducted 30 years ago in 30 men and 44 women living in a Cd-polluted area and in 18 men and 18 women living in a non-polluted area. We applied an updated hybrid approach to estimate the BMDs and 95% lower confidence limits (BMDLs) of U-Cd for creatinine (Cr) clearance (CrCl), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), and β2-MG tubular reabsorption (%TRβ2-MG).

Hierarchical representations of relative numerical magnitudes in the human frontoparietal cortex.

The ability to estimate numerical magnitude is essential for decision-making and is thought to underlie arithmetic skills. In humans, neural populations in the frontoparietal regions are tuned to represent numerosity. However, it remains unclear whether their response properties are fixed to a specific numerosity (i.

Successful granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor inhalation therapy for recurrent autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis after lung transplantation: A case report.

Sargramostim, a recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) inhalation therapy, was recently approved for pharmaceutical use in Japan and shows promise as a treatment for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (APAP). For APAP patients with severe respiratory failure due to advanced lung fibrosis, lung transplantation is also a treatment option; however, APAP may recur after the procedure. Here, we report a case of successful sargramostim inhalation therapy for post-transplant APAP relapse in a patient who underwent living lung transplantation owing to severe fibrosis.