Low total IgM values and high cytomegalovirus loads in the blood of newborns with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Aims: Neurological outcomes differ considerably between symptomatic and asymptomatic infants with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Our objective was to characterize laboratory markers in symptomatic newborns in comparison with asymptomatic newborns with congenital CMV infection.

Methods: Ten newborns with symptomatic and 13 newborns with asymptomatic congenital CMV infection were included in this 3-year prospective cohort study.

Risk factors for neonatal thyroid dysfunction in pregnancies complicated by Graves' disease.

Objective: To determine the factors related to adverse pregnancy outcomes and neonatal thyroid dysfunction in pregnancies complicated by Graves' disease.

Study Design: Thirty-five pregnancies complicated by Graves' disease were divided into two groups: adverse pregnancy outcome (n=15) and no adverse pregnancy outcome (n=20). Adverse pregnancy outcomes included spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, premature delivery, fetal growth restriction, and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Structural deterioration of finger joints with ultrasonographic synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients with clinical low disease activity.

Objective: In this study we investigated the relationship between synovial vascularity (SV) and structural alteration of finger joints in patients with RA and long-term sustained clinical low disease activity (CLDA).

Methods: RA patients with CLDA of >2 years (minimum 1 year of CLDA for study entry plus 1 year of observation) were analysed. Quantitative SV values were sequentially measured in each finger joint using power Doppler ultrasonography (0, 8, 20 and 52 weeks).

The IgG avidity value for the prediction of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in a prospective cohort study.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes congenital infection with high mortality and morbidity rates in affected neonates.

Objectives: To evaluate the maternal IgG avidity value for the prediction of congenital CMV infection.

Study Design: The serum IgG avidity in all mothers was measured, and the urine of their neonates was assessed for CMV DNA in a prospective cohort study.

Awareness of and knowledge about mother-to-child infections in Japanese pregnant women.

To reduce the incidence of infants with congenital infections, women should be aware of and know prevention measures against maternal infection with mother-to-child infections during pregnancy. Our objective was to assess the awareness of and knowledge about mother-to-child infections in Japanese pregnant women. A survey of 343 Japanese pregnant women was completed.

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.

Nationwide survey of maternal screening for mother-to-child infections in Japan.

Mother-to-child infections cause congenital infection with disease and sequelae. To evaluate a state of maternal blood screening for mother-to-child infections in Japan, we for the first time conducted a nationwide survey on obstetric facilities where regular maternity checkups were carried out. A questionnaire assessment involved an annual number of deliveries, scale of facilities and a state of maternal blood screening for eight pathogens.

Novel MRI finding for diagnosis of invasive placenta praevia: evaluation of findings for 65 patients using clinical and histopathological correlations.

Objective: To review established magnetic resonance (MR) criteria and describe a new MR finding for the diagnosis of invasive placenta praevia.

Methods: A retrospective review of prenatal MRI examinations of 65 patients (median age: 35 years) who underwent MR for the screening of invasive placenta praevia. All MRIs were performed on a 1.

Analysis of the factors which influence the measurement of synovial power Doppler signals with semi-quantitative and quantitative measures - a pilot multicenter exercise in Japan.

Objectives: This pilot multicenter exercise aimed to evaluate the inter-observer reproducibility of synovial power Doppler (PD) signals in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to determine the factors influencing the measurements.

Methods: Two representative RA patients were assessed by four independent experienced sonographers. The influence of machine difference, deterioration of the transducer and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) on the assessment of synovial PD signals was investigated.

Sonographic synovial vascularity of synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis.

RA is a condition of multiple synovitis. Abnormal synovial vascularity (SV) is evident with the onset of joint inflammation. The idea of estimating the level of joint inflammation by sonographic SV was conceived with the advancement of US.

Phase III study of the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous versus intravenous tocilizumab monotherapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacious noninferiority of subcutaneous tocilizumab injection (TCZ-SC) monotherapy to intravenous TCZ infusion (TCZ-IV) monotherapy in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response to synthetic and/or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Methods: This study had a double-blind, parallel-group, double-dummy, comparative phase III design. Patients were randomized to receive TCZ-SC 162 mg every 2 weeks or TCZ-IV 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks; no DMARDs were allowed during the study.

Identification of the recognition sequence and target proteins for DJ-1 protease.

DJ-1, the product of familial Parkinson's disease gene and an oncogene, is a cysteine protease which plays a role in anti-oxidative stress reaction. In this study, we identified the recognition sequence for DJ-1 protease by using recombinant DJ-1 and a peptide library. Protease activity of DJ-1 lacking C-terminal α-helix (DJ-1ΔH9) was stronger than that of full-sized DJ-1, and the most susceptible sequence digested by DJ-1ΔH9 was valine-lysine-valine-alanine (VKVA) under the optimal conditions of pH 5.

Hydrolysis of insoluble cellulose to glucose catalyzed by cellulase-containing liposomes in an aqueous solution of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

The liposome containing cellulase from Trichoderma viride was prepared under the condition that an appreciable amount of cellulase was incorporated in lipid membranes. The liposomal cellulase and free enzyme were examined in their hydrolytic activities to insoluble cellulose powder CC31 in the acetate buffer solution (pH 4.8) of 15 w/w% [Bmim][Cl] (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride).

Severe retinopathy of prematurity with retinal detachment in monozygotic twins.

We report a monochorionic diamniotic twin pair born at 29 weeks of gestation in which both twins developed severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with retinal detachment. The pregnancy was terminated due to reversal of donor-recipient phenotypes in possible TTTS. Both twins had unstable cardiopulmonary status during the first week, and developed chronic lung disease.

Ectoine production from lignocellulosic biomass-derived sugars by engineered Halomonas elongata.

In this study, the water-retaining cyclic amino acid ectoine was produced from a variety of sugars, including glucose, xylose, cellobiose, and glucose/xylose mixture using engineered Halomonas elongata. When grown on xylose as the sole carbon source, H. elongata produced 333 mmol/kg fresh cell weight (FW) of ectoine, which was 1.

Second trimester fetal death caused by varicella-zoster virus infection.

A 31-year-old woman contracted acute varicella at 13 weeks of gestation. Severe hydrops fetalis, hepatomegaly, and intrauterine fetal death were detected at 16 weeks of gestation by ultrasound examinations. An examination at autopsy, histopathology, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provided evidence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection of the fetus.

Positive synovial vascularity in patients with low disease activity indicates smouldering inflammation leading to joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis: time-integrated joint inflammation estimated by synovial vascularity in each finger joint.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between synovial vascularity and joint damage progression in each finger joint of patients with RA under low disease activity during treatment with biologic agents.

Methods: We studied 310 MCP and 310 PIP joints of 31 patients with active RA who were administered adalimumab (ADA) or tocilizumab (TCZ). Patients were examined with clinical and laboratory assessments.

Low IgG avidity and ultrasound fetal abnormality predict congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes congenital infection with high mortality and morbidity rates in affected neonates. The aim of this study was to assess whether prenatal clinical or laboratory findings in pregnant women who had high risks for primary CMV infection predicted the presence of congenital infection. Fifty pregnant women who had serum CMV IgG and positive or borderline tests for serum CMV IgM were included in this prospective study.

A high dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for women with four or more recurrent spontaneous abortions.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) may have immunological etiology. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a high dose intravenous immunoglobulin (HIVIg) therapy, in which 20 g of intact type immunoglobulin was infused daily for 5 days during early gestation, for women who had a history of four or more consecutive spontaneous abortions of unexplained etiology. A total of 60 pregnant RSA women underwent HIVIg therapy, and the pregnancy outcome was assessed.

Resection of giant liver hemangioma in a pregnant woman with coagulopathy: Case report and literature review.

Background: Hemangioma is a common benign tumor in the liver and usually asymptomatic. Scanty evidence concerning treatment modality of symptomatic hemangioma during pregnancy exists.

Case: A 35 year-old woman with giant hepatic cavernous hemangioma developed consumption coagulopathy due to the enlarged tumor, and underwent danaparoid therapy from 5 weeks of gestation (GW).

Selective breeding of mice for different susceptibilities to high fat diet-induced glucose intolerance: Development of two novel mouse lines, Selectively bred Diet-induced Glucose intolerance-Prone and -Resistant.

Unlabelled: Aims/Introduction:  The development of type 2 diabetes is primarily due to lifestyle and environmental factors, as well as genetics, as shown by familial clustering. To establish mouse lines for evaluating heritable factors determining susceptibility to diet-induced diabetes, we performed selective breeding for differences in high fat diet (HFD)-induced glucose intolerance.

Materials And Methods:   Selective breeding was performed using hybrid mice of C57BL/6J, C3H/HeJ and AKR/N backgrounds.

Dynamic change of chromatin conformation in response to hypoxia enhances the expression of GLUT3 (SLC2A3) by cooperative interaction of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 and KDM3A.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) is a master regulator of adaptive gene expression under hypoxia. However, a role for HIF1 in the epigenetic regulation remains unknown. Genome-wide analysis of HIF1 binding sites (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP] with deep sequencing) of endothelial cells clarified that HIF1 mainly binds to the intergenic regions distal from transcriptional starting sites under both normoxia and hypoxia.

Argatroban therapy for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia during pregnancy in a woman with hereditary antithrombin deficiency.

A 33-year-old woman developed deep venous thrombosis at 7 gestational weeks (GW). Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was evident at 9 GW during unfractionated heparin infusion. Immediately, anticoagulation therapies together with antithrombin (AT) infusion were commenced with the use of argatroban from 9 GW, and fondaparinux was substituted for argatroban after 24 GW.

Radiographic prognosis of finger joint damage predicted by early alteration in synovial vascularity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Potential utility of power doppler sonography in clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between synovial vascularity and progression of structural bone damage in each finger joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to demonstrate synovial vascularity as a potential therapeutic marker.

Methods: We studied 250 metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and 250 proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of 25 patients with active RA who were administered adalimumab or tocilizumab. Patients were examined with clinical and laboratory assessments.