Evaluation of the Efficacy of Lusutrombopag for Chronic Liver Disease Based on Pre-Treatment Platelet Counts: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Background: Oral thrombopoietin receptor agonists are used to treat thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease who are scheduled for invasive procedures. The efficacy of lusutrombopag based on the pretreatment platelet count was investigated.

Methods: Patients treated at nine hospitals from December 2015 to December 2023 were included.

Disease-Modifying Effects of Lenvatinib, a Multiple Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, on Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis of the Knee.

Angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are involved in osteoarthritis (OA). We previously reported the inhibitory effect of bevacizumab in a rabbit model of OA. In the current study, we investigated the effects of lenvatinib, an angiogenesis inhibitor targeting the VEGF and fibroblast growth factor receptors, on synovitis, osteophyte formation, and cartilage degeneration in a rabbit OA model.

A Case of Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma Treated With Proton Beam Therapy and Followed Up for 15 Years.

Circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas are rare and benign tumors but often have a progressive course and are complicated by retinal detachment and glaucoma. The effectiveness of external radiation for large tumors that are difficult to treat with photodynamic therapy was recently reported; however, few studies have conducted long-term follow-ups. We encountered a case of localized choroidal hemangioma that was treated with proton beam therapy and followed up for 15 years.

Pathophysiologic and prognostic importance of cardiac power output reserve in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Aims: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a syndrome characterized by multiple cardiac reserve limitations during exercise. Cardiac power output (CPO) is an index of global cardiac performance and can be estimated non-invasively by echocardiography. We hypothesized that CPO reserve during exercise would be associated with impaired cardiovascular reserve, exercise intolerance, and adverse outcomes in HFpEF.

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism after messenger RNA vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019: A case report.

Unlabelled: Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is defined as thrombosis after inoculation of adenovirus vector vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). VITT rarely occurs with messenger RNA vaccines, and the use of heparin for VITT is also controversial. A 74-year-old female patient with no risk factors for thrombosis was brought to our hospital after loss of consciousness.

MPFL Reconstruction Combined with a Modified Elmslie-Trillat Procedure for Recurrent Patellofemoral Instability.

Several combined procedures have been reported for treating recurrent patellofemoral instability (RPI) with various types and severity of morphological abnormalities, but none have identified absolute threshold values as indications for surgery. We performed medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction combined with a modified Elmslie-Trillat (ET) procedure on 24 knees (10 male and 11 female patients) to treat RPI with morphological abnormalities corresponding to elevated tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, significant patella alta, and trochlear dysplasia. The inclusion criteria were RPI with morphological abnormalities corresponding to one or more of the following: sulcus angle > 160 degrees, trochlear dysplasia of Dejour classification C or D, Caton-Deschamps index > 1.

Changes of esophageal varices in hepatitis C patients after achievement of a sustained viral response by direct-acting antivirals.

Objectives: The changes in portal hypertension after achieving a sustained viral response (SVR) by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have not been fully elucidated. Consequently, noninvasive and inexpensive predictors need to be investigated. We therefore explored factors associated with the progression of EVs after the achievement of an SVR with DAAs in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Follow-up after Direct-acting Antiviral Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Most Patients Are Followed Appropriately.

Objective Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection carries a residual risk of hepatocarcinogenesis even after viral elimination, so appropriate follow-up is necessary. The present study investigated the current hospital visits and hepatocarcinogenesis status of patients who received daclatasvir plus asunaprevir treatment (DCV+ASV) to determine whether or not appropriate follow-up was being performed. Methods We retrospectively analyzed hepatocarcinogenesis, the overall survival, and the length of hospital visits in 442 patients who applied for the medical expense subsidy system for viral hepatitis and received DCV+ASV treatment in Gunma Prefecture between October 2014 and December 2015.

Lenvatinib for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Nonviral Infection Who Were Unlikely to Respond to Immunotherapy: A Retrospective, Comparative Study.

Aim: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (atezo + bev) shows a good overall survival (OS) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the OS of patients with nonviral infection is quite worse than that in those with viral infection. The present study investigated the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in patients with nonviral infection, who were unlikely to obtain benefit from atezo + bev.

Risk factor of pneumonitis on dose-volume relationship for chemoradiotherapy with durvalumab: Multi-institutional research in Japan.

Objectives: To estimate appropriate dose-volume parameters for avoidance of pneumonitis in use of chemoradiotherapy and durvalumab for treatment of lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by durvalumab at 9 centers were enrolled in the study. Three-dimensional radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy, and proton beam therapy were used.

Enhanced structural connectivity within the motor loop in professional boxers prior to a match.

Professional boxers train to reduce their body mass before a match to refine their body movements. To test the hypothesis that the well-defined movements of boxers are represented within the motor loop (cortico-striatal circuit), we first elucidated the brain structure and functional connectivity specific to boxers and then investigated plasticity in relation to boxing matches. We recruited 21 male boxers 1 month before a match (Time1) and compared them to 22 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls.

Therapeutic efficacy of lenvatinib as third-line treatment after regorafenib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

Aim: Multiple molecular agents have been developed for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical efficacy of sequential treatment with lenvatinib after regorafenib failure.

Methods: From June 2017 to October 2020, 63 patients with Child-Pugh A and treated with regorafenib followed by sorafenib were enrolled (median age 71 years, 52 men, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer B:C = 23:40).

A change in the timing for starting systemic therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: the comparison of sorafenib and lenvatinib as the first-line treatment.

Aim: The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to evaluate the differences in the timing for starting systemic therapies as the first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A total of 375 patients with HCC treated with sorafenib from May 2009 to March 2018 and 56 patients treated with lenvatinib from March 2018 to November 2018 at our affiliated hospitals were included in this study.

Results: The median ages of the sorafenib and lenvatinib groups were 71.

Tolvaptan reduces the required amount of albumin infusion in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with uncontrolled ascites : a multicenter retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study.

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether tolvaptan treatment reduces the amount of albumin administered, volume of ascites removed, and frequency of paracentesis procedures in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with uncontrolled ascites with conventional diuretics.

Patients And Methods: The control (C) group included patients treated with conventional diuretics. The tolvaptan (T) group included patients treated with both tolvaptan and conventional diuretics.

Identification of peroxidase-1 and beta-glucosidase as cross-reactive wheat allergens in grass pollen-related wheat allergy.

Background: Some patients with wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) or wheat allergy showed negative ω-5 gliadin-specific IgE test and high level of grass pollen-specific IgE. It was presumed that these patients developed allergic reaction upon cross-reaction of their IgE antibodies raised against grass pollen allergens to wheat allergens. This study aimed to clarify clinical characteristics and wheat allergens of this phenotype of WDEIA/wheat allergy, which were tentatively diagnosed as grass pollen-related wheat allergy (GPWA).

The Role of the Albumin-Bilirubin Score for Predicting the Outcomes in Japanese Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Ramucirumab: A Real-World Study.

Aim: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab treatment under real-world conditions and to clarify the role of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score in predicting outcomes.

Methods: Between June 2019 and May 2020, a total of 16 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with ramucirumab in Gunma Saiseikai Maebashi Hospital and its affiliated hospitals was included.

Results: The median age was 71 (interquartile range [IQR] 65-74) years old, and 12 patients (75.

Liver Function Changes in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Lenvatinib: Predictive Factors of Progression to Child-Pugh Class B, the Formation of Ascites and the Candidates for the Post-Progression Treatment.

The aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to assess the change in liver function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib. Among 139 consecutive patients receiving lenvatinib treatment between March 2018 and July 2019, 28 patients with Child-Pugh class B and one patient with inadequate patient information were excluded. Remaining 110 patients with Child-Pugh class A were analyzed.

Regenerative effects of human chondrocyte sheets in a xenogeneic transplantation model using immune-deficient rats.

Although cell transplantation has attracted much attention in regenerative medicine, animal models continue to be used in translational research to evaluate safety and efficacy because cell sources and transplantation modalities are so diverse. In the present study, we investigated the regenerative effects of human chondrocyte sheets on articular cartilage in a xenogeneic transplantation model using immune-deficient rats. Osteochondral defects were created in the knee joints of immune-deficient rats that were treated as Group A, untreated (without transplantation); Group B, transplantation of a layered chondrocyte sheet containing 5.

Surveillance Bronchoscopy in Lung Transplantation Recipients: A Single Center Experience Analysis.

Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of infection or acute cellular rejection in lung transplantation (LTx) recipients, but there is some controversy to perform it in asymptomatic patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical reports of LTx recipients who survived in the first year after transplant during the period of August 2003 to February 2018 to evaluate the applicability of this procedure in the management of asymptomatic acute cellular rejection in our center. We assessed 1252 bronchoscopies of 247 patients during this period, and, facing the histopathological results, we defined our management that included conservative or intervention therapy.

Analyses of objective response rate, progression-free survival, and adverse events in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with lenvatinib: A multicenter retrospective study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive factors of objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the correlation of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade with decreased appetite and fatigue in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with lenvatinib.

Methods: From March 2018 to December 2018, a total of 94 patients was included in this retrospective multicenter study.

Results: The median age of all patients was 73 years (interquartile range 66-79.

Favorable outcome of retreatment by direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C patients with daclatasvir plus asunaprevir combination therapy failure.

Aim: In patients with hepatitis C virus, treatment failure of daclatasvir plus asunaprevir combination therapy (DCV + ASV) seems to become intractable due to the induction of resistance-associated substitutions. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of retreatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in patients with DCV + ASV therapy failure, as well as changes in drug resistance mutations.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 44 patients re-treated with DAAs after DCV + ASV failure between December 2015 and April 2018.