Low Wilms' tumor gene expression in tumor tissues predicts poor prognosis in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

We elucidated the relationship between prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) mRNA expression in tumor tissue. The WT1 mRNA expression levels of the fatal cases were lower as compared with those of the survival cases. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of the high WT1 expression group were longer than of the low expression group.

Usefulness of LDL-C-related parameters to predict cardiovascular risk and effect of pravastatin in mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia.

Aim: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the ratio of LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; LDL-C/HDL-C), and non-HDL-C were evaluated to determine their ability to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with pravastatin treatment.

Methods: We conducted a large-scale randomized primary prevention trial in Japan (MEGA Study), in which we randomly allocated 7832 mild hypercholesterolemic patients to diet alone (n= 3966) and diet plus pravastatin groups (n= 3866) and followed them for an average of 5 years. We compared baseline levels and the CVD incidence in the diet alone group, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves in the overall population.

Structural property of soybean protein P34 and specific IgE response to recombinant P34 in patients with soybean allergy.

Soybean allergy is one of the important food allergies because soybean is widely used in processed foods. P34 has been identified as the main allergen in soybeans. The main objective was to analyze the structural property of recombinant P34 and the P34 antigen-specific IgE response in soybean allergy using recombinant P34.

MR imaging findings of cervical lymphadenopathy in patients with Kikuchi disease.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the MR imaging findings of cervical lymphadenopathy in patients with Kikuchi disease (histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis).

Materials And Methods: Nine patients with Kikuchi disease underwent MR imaging with a 1.5 T unit including diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging and five of nine underwent gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging.

Physical activity in the Japan population: association with blood lipid levels and effects in reducing cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

According to many prospective cohort studies and meta-analyses of those studies, physical inactivity and/or low levels of physical fitness are associated with an elevated risk for the development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke, and with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all-cause mortality. Most of these analyses, however, were conducted on non-Japanese populations in the West. This report summarizes prospective observational and clinical studies in Japan.

APPROACH-J study: design, rationale, and baseline data of the affirmation primary prevention with pravastatin in reduction of occlusive atherosclerotic complications in hypercholesterolemia--Japan study.

Aim: We investigated the relationship between the lipid levels achieved in a high-risk group of patients undergoing primary prevention with pravastatin and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, and moreover the influence of lifestyle compliance on lipid control.

Methods: In the APPROACH-J study, 6,229 patients who were treated with pravastatin were enrolled, and will be followed for two years. The subjects are men aged 20 years or older and women aged 55 years or older (or postmenopausal women) receiving primary prevention, who are categorized as high-risk patients with 3 or more major risk factors other than the LDL-C level according to the Japan Atherosclerosis Society guideline.

An expanded palette of genetically encoded Ca²⁺ indicators.

Engineered fluorescent protein (FP) chimeras that modulate their fluorescence in response to changes in calcium ion (Ca(2+)) concentration are powerful tools for visualizing intracellular signaling activity. However, despite a decade of availability, the palette of single FP-based Ca(2+) indicators has remained limited to a single green hue. We have expanded this palette by developing blue, improved green, and red intensiometric indicators, as well as an emission ratiometric indicator with an 11,000% ratio change.

Real-time vibrational dynamics in chlorophyll a studied with a few-cycle pulse laser.

We use a 6.8-fs laser as the light source for broad-band femtosecond pump-probe real-time vibrational spectroscopy to investigate both electronic relaxation and vibrational dynamics of the Q(y)-band of Chl-a at 293 K. More than 25 vibrational modes coupled to the Q(y) transition are observed.

Dual manganese-enhanced and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI detects myocardial border zone injury in a pig ischemia-reperfusion model.

Background: Gadolinium (Gd)-based delayed-enhancement MRI (DEMRI) identifies nonviable myocardium but is nonspecific and may overestimate nonviable territory. Manganese (Mn(2+))-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) denotes specific Mn(2+) uptake into viable cardiomyocytes. We performed a dual-contrast myocardial assessment in a porcine ischemia-reperfusion (IR) model to test the hypothesis that combined DEMRI and MEMRI identifies viable infarct border zone (BZ) myocardium in vivo.

Japanese dietary lifestyle and cardiovascular disease.

To demonstrate the reasons for low morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD) and reconfirm the effectiveness of the Japanese dietary lifestyle for preventing CAD, we herein review the CAD risk transition, and post-war changes in Japanese food and nutrient intake. Large-scale cohort studies in Japan were selectively reviewed. Low serum total cholesterol contributed to preventing CAD, and decreased blood pressure was the major factor favoring stroke reduction.

Sodium intake in men and potassium intake in women determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Japanese hypertensive patients: OMEGA Study.

Dietary intake affects hypertension and metabolic syndrome (MS) and their management. In Japanese hypertensive patients, little evidence exists regarding the relation between diet and MS. A self-administered lifestyle questionnaire was completed by each patient at the baseline.

Efficacy and safety of pitavastatin in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia: LIVES study and subanalysis.

The Livalo Effectiveness and Safety (LIVES) study was an observational study to examine the efficacy and safety of pitavastatin, a newly developed drug, in approximately 20,000 Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia. During a 2-year follow-up period, no significant problems concerning safety were observed upon treatment with pitavastatin. Pitavastatin demonstrated potent and stable lowering of the LDL-cholesterol level.

Blood pressure control status and effects of pravastatin on cardiovascular events occurrence in patients with dyslipidaemia.

Dyslipidaemia is often associated with hypertension, and many clinical trials have shown that lipid-lowering therapy and strict blood pressure (BP) control are important for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few reports describe the effect of statins on CVD occurrence in relation to long-term BP control. In the present analysis, we investigated the effects of baseline BP and follow-up BP control on the occurrence of CVD in patients enrolled in the MEGA Study.

Cholesterol 25-hydroxylation activity of CYP3A.

To date, many studies have been conducted using 25-hydroxycholesterol, which is a potent regulator of lipid metabolism. However, the origins of this oxysterol have not been entirely elucidated. Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase is one of the enzymes responsible for the metabolism of 25-hydroxycholesterol, but the expression of this enzyme is very low in humans.

Effects of docosahexaenoic Acid supplementation on blood pressure, heart rate, and serum lipids in Scottish men with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

To investigate the effects of daily supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on coronary heart disease risks in 38 middle-aged men with hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia in Scotland, a five-week double-blind placebo-controlled dietary supplementation with either 2 g of DHA or active placebo (1 g of olive oil) was conducted. Percent composition of DHA in plasma phospholipids increased significantly in DHA group. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased significantly in DHA group, but not in placebo group.

High-risk stage II colon cancer after curative resection.

Objectives: This study was designed to clarify which attributes of stage II colon cancer are associated with tumor recurrence and survival after curative resection, and the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed outcomes and clinicopathological characteristics of 1476 patients with stage II colon cancer who underwent curative resection.

Results: Of 1476 patients, 204 (13.

Genetic variations in MyD88 adaptor-like are associated with atopic dermatitis.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important pathogen-associated molecular pattern recognition receptors involved in initiating immune responses. The adaptor protein MyD88 adaptor-like (Mal), involved in signaling downstream of TLRs, plays a crucial role in mediating NF-κB activation. The association of Mal polymorphisms with allergic diseases has not previously been defined.

Evaluation of the peri-strut low intensity area following sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents implantation: insights from an optical coherence tomography study in humans.

Background: Recent pathological studies have demonstrated that peri-strut low intensity area (PLIA) seen on optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging represents the presence of fibrinogen and/or extracellular matrix. We sought to assess the clinical prevalence of PLIA and its relation to neointimal proliferation after the implantation of sirolimus- (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in humans.

Methods: Seventy patients underwent 6-months follow-up OCT after SES (43 stents) or PES (37 stents) implantation.