MR imaging findings of musculoskeletal involvement in microscopic polyangiitis: a comparison with inflammatory myopathy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of MR imaging findings of musculoskeletal involvement of the lower limbs in diagnosing microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) vs polymyositis (PM) or dermatomyositis (DM).

Materials And Methods: This study included 13 patients diagnosed with MPA clinically and through histologically, and 38 diagnosed with PM/DM, who underwent MR imaging of the lower limbs prior to treatment. Axial and coronal short tau inversion recovery (STIR) images were reviewed retrospectively.

Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy with severe arthralgia identified by gene mutation of .

Male, 41 years old (yo) had been complaining of severe arthralgia. Past History indicated obstruction of intestinal tract at 12 yo and gastric ulcer at 13 yo. He had been suffered from polyarthralgia especially at PIP and MP joints of both hands from 38 yo.

Relapsing Polychondritis with a Cobble-stone Appearance of the Tracheal Mucosa, Preceded by Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.

A 25-year-old woman had convulsions and disturbance of consciousness. Head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed punctate areas in the occipital lobes with increased signals on T2-weighted imaging. The MRI abnormalities responded well to steroid pulse therapy, so we made a diagnosis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

Role of small proliferative adipocytes: possible beige cell progenitors.

Despite extensive investigation, the mechanisms underlying adipogenesis are not fully understood. We previously identified proliferative cells in adipose tissue expressing adipocyte-specific genes, which were named small proliferative adipocytes (SPA). In this study, we investigated the characteristics and roles of SPA in adipose tissue.

[A Case of Neuroendocrine Tumor G1 of the Ileum with Multiple Liver Metastases].

A 74-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with multiple liver tumors detected by routine ultrasonography. Colonoscopy showed a type 2 tumor measuring approximately 25mm in diameter at the terminal ileum. The biopsy specimen showed neuroendocrine tumor(NET)G1.

Development and validation of a scoring system for prediction of insulin requirement for optimal control of blood glucose during glucocorticoid treatments.

Aims: We have developed and validated a novel scoring system to predict insulin requirement for optimal control of blood glucose during glucocorticoid (GC) treatments, by retrospective analyses of clinical parameters before GC treatment.

Methods: Three hundred-three adults (the Developing set) undergoing their first treatment of prednisolone (PSL) were divided into two groups, depending on treatment with or without insulin. Independent risk factors for insulin requirement were identified by a stepwise logistic regression analysis after univariate analyses between the two groups.

Nonencapsulated Trichinella pseudospiralis Infection Impairs Follicular Helper T Cell Differentiation with Subclass-Selective Decreases in Antibody Responses.

Infectious microorganisms often modify host immunity to escape from immune elimination. Trichinella is a unique nematode of the helminth family, whose members parasitize the muscle cells inside the host without robust eliminative reactions. There are several species of Trichinella; some develop in muscle cells that become encapsulated (e.

Blockade of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor 2 Signaling Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Adipocyte Hypertrophy and Systemic Glucose Intolerance in Mice.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is known to regulate insulin resistance in hepatocytes, skeletal muscle cells, and pancreatic β-cells. Among its 5 cognate receptors (S1pr1-S1pr5), S1P seems to counteract insulin signaling and confer insulin resistance via S1pr2 in these cells. S1P may also regulate insulin resistance in adipocytes, but the S1pr subtype(s) involved remains unknown.

TAFRO syndrome: 2 cases and review of the literature.

Recently, more than ten cases of thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome or Castleman-Kojima disease exhibiting such symptoms as thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis and organomegaly have been reported in Japan. We have found two cases of TAFRO syndrome and have reviewed another eighteen previously reported cases. Histological findings of the lymph nodes and levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor in both serum/plasma and effusions are important characteristics for diagnosing this syndrome.

Elevated mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle is associated with testosterone-induced body weight loss in male mice.

Androgen reduces fat mass, although the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we examined the effect of testosterone on heat production and mitochondrial biogenesis. Testosterone-treated mice exhibited elevated heat production.

Effect of nematode Trichinella infection on glucose tolerance and status of macrophage in obese mice.

We investigated the effect of Trichinella infection on glucose tolerance and (pro- or anti-inflammatory) macrophage status in adipose tissue. Ob/ob mice and high fat-fed mice (obesity model) and C57/BL mice (control mice) were orally infected with (infected group) or without (uninfected group) 400 Trichinella per mouse. Four weeks later, the mice were subjected to investigation, which showed that fasting plasma glucose levels decreased in the infected group of C57/BL and ob/ob mice.

The role of small proliferative adipocytes in the development of obesity: comparison between Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats and non-obese Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats.

Obesity consists of hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipocytes. Although the number of adipocytes is influenced by anatomical location, nutritional environment, hormone and genetic variation, it has been thought to be determined by the proliferation of precursor cells and subsequent differentiation. However, our recent research has identified the population of small adipocytes less than 20 μm in diameter, exhibiting tiny or no lipid droplets and expressing adipocyte marker proteins (small proliferative adipocytes: SPA) in isolated adipocytes.

Small proliferative adipocytes: identification of proliferative cells expressing adipocyte markers.

It has been thought that adipocytes lack proliferative ability and do not revert to precursor cells. However, numerous findings that challenge this notion have also been reported. The idea that adipocytes dedifferentiate to fibroblast-like cells with increasing cell number was reported in 1975.

Effect of royal jelly ingestion for six months on healthy volunteers.

Background: Royal jelly is a widely ingested supplement for health, but its effects on humans are not well known. The objective was to evaluate the effects of long-term royal jelly ingestion on humans.

Methods: We conducted a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.

Pioglitazone enhances small-sized adipocyte proliferation in subcutaneous adipose tissue.

The possibility that mature adipocytes proliferate has not been fully investigated. In this study, we demonstrate that adipocytes can proliferate. 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeled adipocyte like cells, most of which were less than 30 μm in diameter, were observed in adipose tissue.

Adult intussusception of the descending colon due to inflammatory myofibroblastic proliferation.

We present a case of an asymptomatic 70-year-old man with intussusception of the descending colon due to inflammatory myofibroblastic proliferation. Abdominal ultrasound examination showed a hypoechoic mass, 32 × 19 mm in size, accompanied by intussusception in the descending colon, and power Doppler sonography detected blood flow signals in the mass. Computed tomography revealed a hypervascular lesion, which was confirmed by barium enema and colonoscopy.

Dehydroepiandrosterone reduces preadipocyte proliferation via androgen receptor.

Several studies have suggested that both testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) have weight-reducing and antidiabetic effects, especially in rodent studies; however, the precise mechanism of their action remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of DHEA on cell growth in adipose tissue. The appearance of senescence-associated β-galactosidase in stromal vascular fraction (SVF) isolated from Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats, an animal model of inherent obese type 2 diabetes, was prevented by DHEA administration.

Rheumatoid arthritis complicated with immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders during treatment with adalimumab.

A 71-year-old woman was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2002. Treatment was started with methotrexate and she was switched to adalimumab in 2006. In May 2008, she started complaining of swelling of the left axilla and the left elbow lymph nodes, and adalimumab was discontinued in December.

Effects of phorbol ester-sensitive PKC (c/nPKC) activation on the production of adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

PPARgamma plays a key role in adipocyte specific gene expression. In this study, we assessed the effects of phorbol ester (TPA)-sensitive PKC (c/nPKC) activation on the expression of adipocyte specific genes and inflammation related genes. Treatment with both TPA and TNFalpha decreased mRNA levels of PPARgamma, aP2, LPL and adiponectin.

Comparison of biochemical data, blood pressure and physical activity between longevity and non-longevity districts in Japan.

Background: There is controversy about longevity-associated factors, including environmental and genetic factors. Clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that multiple risk factors decrease life-span, but there has not been a definitive report regarding the association of risk factors with longevity. The ultimate aim of the present study was to prevent the overwhelming increase in life-style-related diseases by evaluating this association in 2 districts in Japan.