Association between adequate protein intake and quadriceps quantity and quality during rehabilitation in people with subacute stroke.

Background We aimed to investigate the association between protein intake and quadriceps quantity and quality on the paretic and non-paretic sides during rehabilitation in people with subacute stroke. Method Eighty-six people with stroke were recruited from a rehabilitation ward. We measured quadriceps muscle quantity and quality on the paretic and non-paretic sides using ultrasonography at admission and after 4weeks.

Effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous abatacept in biologic-naïve RA patients at Week 52: A Japanese multicentre investigational study (ORIGAMI study).

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of abatacept over 52 weeks in biologic-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with moderate disease activity in the prospective, 5-year, observational study (ORIGAMI study) in Japan.

Methods: Abatacept (125 mg) was administered subcutaneously once a week. Clinical outcomes included Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) remission at Week 52 (primary endpoint), Japanese Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ), EuroQol 5-Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D), treatment retention, and safety.

Global identification of RsmA/N binding sites in by UV CLIP-seq.

harbours two redundant RNA-binding proteins RsmA/RsmN (RsmA/N), which play a critical role in balancing acute and chronic infections. However, binding sites on target transcripts and the overall impact on the physiology remains unclear. In this study, we applied UV crosslinking immunoprecipitation followed by RNA-sequencing (UV CLIP-seq) to detect RsmA/N-binding sites at single-nucleotide resolution and mapped more than 500 binding sites to approximately 400 genes directly bound by RsmA/N in .

Fatal and extensive multiorgan hemorrhages in anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis: An autopsy case report.

Introduction: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody (anti-MDA5 Ab) is an autoantigen associated with dermatomyositis (DM). Anti-MDA5 Ab-positive DM patients frequently exhibit clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM), and develop rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD). Even with early detection and potent combination immunosuppressive therapy, anti-MDA5 Ab-positive DM patients have a poor prognosis.

Muraminomicins, new lipo-nucleoside antibiotics from Streptosporangium sp. SANK 60501-structure elucidations of muraminomicins and supply of the core component for derivatization.

We screened for bacterial phospho-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide-translocase (MraY: EC 2.7.8.

IL-6 is an independent predictive factor of drug survival after dose escalation of infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: We aimed to investigate factors predictive of increased serum infliximab (IFX) concentration with improvement of disease activity, as well as better 1-year continuation rate after dose escalation, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who showed inadequate response to 3 mg/kg IFX.

Methods: Among 42 patients allotted to receive 3 mg/kg IFX, 13 patients showed adequate response (DAS28 < 3.2) and 29 patients required dose escalation to 4.

A Fatal Case of Metformin-associated Lactic Acidosis.

A 72-year-old woman with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus was brought to the ER with metformin-associated lactic acidosis. She received continuous hemofiltration and hemodialysis, but the laboratory analyses showed no improvement. She died 11 hours after admission.

Coverage induced structural transformations of tetracene on Ag(110).

Self-assembly of tetracene on an anisotropic surface of Ag(110) has been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. We observe multistage structural transformations of the self-assembled tetracene on Ag(110) as a function of molecular coverages, which are accompanied by the changes in molecular orientations. They are analyzed by a balance between multiple molecule-molecule and anisotropic substrate-molecule interactions.

Non-autoimmune combined factor XIII A and B subunit deficiencies in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody (tocilizumab).

Introduction: Coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) is a plasma fibrin-stabilizing factor comprising A and B subunits (FXIII-A and FXIII-B, respectively) in the form of a heterotetramer (FXIII-A2B2). A humanized monoclonal antibody to the interleukin-6 receptor (tocilizumab, TCZ) has emerged as an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), because it drastically reduces the inflammation of RA. We previously reported that two TCZ-treated RA patients with acquired FXIII deficiency developed pelvic hemorrhage.

Study on the frequency and risk factors of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the frequency of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) that possibly influences long-term prognosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to analyze the risk factors for this group.

Methods: We examined respiratory disturbance index (RDI) by polysomnography in 62 hospitalized RA patients. Risk factors of moderate-to-severe SAS (RDI ≥20) were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Machine-Learning-Based Prediction of a Missed Scheduled Clinical Appointment by Patients With Diabetes.

Background: About 10% of patients with diabetes discontinue treatment, resulting in the progression of diabetes-related complications and reduced quality of life.

Objective: The objective was to predict a missed clinical appointment (MA), which can lead to discontinued treatment for diabetes patients.

Methods: A machine-learning algorithm was used to build a logistic regression model for MA predictions, with L2-norm regularization used to avoid over-fitting and 10-fold cross validation used to evaluate prediction performance.

CD1a+ survivin+ dendritic cell infiltration in dermal lesions of systemic sclerosis.

Introduction: Proto-oncogene survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins. The presence of serous antibodies against survivin in patients with systemic sclerosis has been previously reported; however, there are few reports regarding the pathophysiological relationship between survivin and systemic sclerosis. We herein investigated the expression and function of survivin in SSc patients.

The proto-oncogene survivin splice variant 2B is induced by PDGF and leads to cell proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Survivin is an independent prognostic factor for joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the expression and function of survivin in RA synoviocytes remain unclear. We certified the expression of survivin in RA synovial tissues and performed the experiment using RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS) treated with siRNA.

Anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibody (ACPA)-negative RA shares a large proportion of susceptibility loci with ACPA-positive RA: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association study in a Japanese population.

Introduction: Although susceptibility genes for anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibodies (ACPA)-positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been successfully discovered by genome-wide association studies (GWAS), little is known about the genetic background of ACPA-negative RA. We intended to elucidate genetic background of ACPA-negative RA.

Method: We performed a meta-analysis of GWAS comprising 670 ACPA-negative RA and 16,891 controls for 1,948,138 markers, followed by a replication study of the top 35 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using 916 cases and 3,764 controls.

An association between amino acid position 74 of HLA-DRB1 and anti-citrullinated protein antibody levels in Japanese patients with anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are highly specific to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and strong associations between HLA-DRB1 alleles and ACPA levels have been detected in RA patients. We undertook this study to elucidate the associations between particular amino acid positions in HLA-DRB1 and ACPA levels in patients with RA.

Methods: We analyzed ACPA data on a total of 4,371 Japanese ACPA-positive RA patients in whom HLA-DRB1 allele genotyping had been performed.

Sustainable Efficacy of Switching From Intravenous to Subcutaneous Tocilizumab Monotherapy in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of switching from intravenous (IV) tocilizumab (TCZ) to subcutaneous (SC) TCZ monotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Methods: Patients who had completed 24 weeks of TCZ-SC (162 mg/2 weeks) or TCZ-IV (8 mg/kg/4 weeks) monotherapy in the double-blind period of the MUSASHI study were enrolled in an 84-week open-label extension period. All received TCZ-SC (162 mg/2 weeks) monotherapy.

β2-Glycoprotein I/HLA class II complexes are novel autoantigens in antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by thrombosis and/or pregnancy complications. β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) complexed with phospholipid is recognized as a major target for autoantibodies in APS; however, less than half the patients with clinical manifestations of APS possess autoantibodies against the complexes. Therefore, the range of autoantigens involved in APS remains unclear.

Note: application of UF-4 emulsion films to detect low-energy ions from plasmas produced by laser ablation.

Detection of low-energy ions via Thomson parabola mass analyzer in the absence of any additional electrical systems is examined. Numerous low-energy ions were recorded on UF-4 solid state emulsion films. Kinetic energies between 1 and 4 keV of ions generated by YAG laser focused on Al and Ti targets were obtained using Thomson parabola measurements.

Autoantibodies to IgG/HLA class II complexes are associated with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility.

Specific HLA class II alleles are strongly associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, how HLA class II regulates susceptibility to RA has remained unclear. Recently, we found a unique function of HLA class II molecules: their ability to aberrantly transport cellular misfolded proteins to the cell surface without processing to peptides. Rheumatoid factor (RF) is an autoantibody that binds to denatured IgG or Fc fragments of IgG and is detected in 70-80% of RA patients but also in patients with other diseases.

Rational/antiemotional behaviors in interpersonal relationships and the functional prognosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Japanese multicenter, longitudinal study.

Background: The repression of negative emotions is a personality factor that received considerable attention in the 1950-60s as being relevant to the onset and course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite subsequent, repeated criticisms of the cross-sectional nature of the earlier studies, even to date few prospective studies have been reported on this issue. This multicenter study prospectively examined if "rational and antiemotional" behavior (antiemotionality), characterized by an extreme tendency to suppress emotional behaviors and to rationalize negative experiences in conflicting interpersonal situations, is associated with the functional prognosis of patients with RA.

Tocilizumab improved clinical symptoms of a patient with systemic tophaceous gout who had symmetric polyarthritis and fever: An alternative treatment by blockade of interleukin-6 signaling.

Chronic tophaceous gout is the end stage of gout. We employed a blockade of interleukin-6 signaling therapy by tocilizumab instead of anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, for a 61-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with tophaceous gout. Laboratory data showed that serum interleukin-6 concentration was elevated.

Comparison of the clinical utility of tocilizumab and anti-TNF therapy in AA amyloidosis complicating rheumatic diseases.

Objectives: Anti-cytokine therapy is reportedly useful in amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis complicating rheumatic diseases. However, to date no studies have directly compared the utility of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition to that of interleukin-6. The aim of our retrospective study was to compare the clinical utility of tocilizumab (TCZ) and anti-TNF (TNF inhibitor) therapy.