Association Between Introduction of the 23-valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) and Pneumonia Incidence and Mortality Among General Older Population in Japan: A Community-Based Study.

BackgroundWith global aging, especially in Asia, preventing pneumonia among seniors is vital. The necessity of introducing pneumococcal vaccines among the elderly has been highlighted but there is a paucity of community-based real-world evidence on their effect. Sera Town in Hiroshima Prefecture, a super-aged community, launched a distinctive pneumococcal vaccination support project for elderly residents and conducted a 5-year follow-up survey.

The gonio scratch study: methodology of a multicenter clinical trial establishing a new minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

There are numerous surgical procedures for glaucoma. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery is becoming popular; however, the disadvantage is the high incidence of anterior chamber hemorrhage. Heavy bleeding can also lead to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) postoperatively.

Safety and Efficacy of the Rho-Kinase Inhibitor (Ripasudil) in Bleb Needling after Trabeculectomy: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Ripasudil, a rho-associated protein kinase inhibitor ophthalmic solution, shows a protective effect in preventing excessive scarring in vitro. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ripasudil for glaucoma patients submitted to the needling procedure. In this prospective, multicenter, single-arm study, we included 20 eyes of 20 patients with glaucoma who underwent the needling procedure without antimetabolites.

Surgical Outcomes of Ab Interno Trabeculotomy Without Phacoemulsification.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate ab interno trabeculotomy outcomes without phacoemulsification.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 118 eyes of patients aged 18 and above who underwent ab interno trabeculotomy between December 2017 and August 2022. When surgeries were performed in both eyes, only the eye undergoing the initial surgery was evaluated.

A Retrospective Study of Risk Factors Affecting Long-Term Outcomes Following Ab Interno Trabeculotomy and Goniotomy Concomitant with Phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To examine the potential risk factors affecting the long-term outcomes following a combination of phacoemulsification with ab interno trabeculotomy with the microhook (μLOT-Phaco) and goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB-Phaco).

Methods: For 12 months, we retrospectively examined a total of 100 eyes of 100 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and exfoliation glaucoma (EG) who had previously undergone surgery between December 2016 and December 2020. Patients with a preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) ˂12 mmHg were excluded.

Effect of Ocular Dominance on Ocular Blood Flow Parameters.

Purpose: In binocular vision, there is a dominant eye and a nondominant eye, a phenomenon termed ocular dominance. This study determined the differences and associations of the ocular blood flow parameters between dominant and nondominant eyes in healthy Japanese subjects.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 128 eyes of 64 subjects (13 male and 51 female) aged ≥ 20 years.

Identification of p.(Asn51Thr): A novel pathogenic variant in primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: Pathogenic variants in , , and are associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with severe visual field defects. This study aims to understand further POAG-related pathogenic variant(s) based on a cohort of East Asian populations that have not been well-characterized.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive screening of , , and variants in 174 POAG Japanese patients, followed by 8380 population-specific genome sequencing data references, segregation analysis, and functional protein assays to determine pathogenic variants.

Comprehensive genomic profiling testing in Japanese castration-resistant prostate cancer patients: results of a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Comprehensive genomic profiling testing using a hybrid-capture next-generation sequencing is commonly used in clinical practice to employ precision medicine in cancer treatment worldwide. In this study, we aimed to analyze the profiles obtained using comprehensive genomic profiling testing that was performed in Japanese castration-resistant prostate cancer patients and to discuss the genetic findings in a real-world setting.

Methods: A total of 60 cases and 57 castration-resistant prostate cancer patients underwent comprehensive genomic profiling testing between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022.

Comparison of surgical outcomes between iStent inject W implantation and microhook ab interno trabeculotomy in combination with phacoemulsification in primary open-angle glaucoma patients.

Purpose: To examine primary open-angle glaucoma patients after undergoing combined cataract surgery with microhook ab interno trabeculotomy (μLOT-Phaco) or iStent inject W implantation (iStent-Phaco), and then evaluate the surgical outcomes after a minimum of 6 months of follow-up.

Methods: Between October 2020 and July 2022, 39 μLOT-Phaco eyes and 55 iStent-Phaco eyes that underwent surgery were evaluated in this retrospective, multicenter comparative case series. Data that included preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, and occurrence of complications were collected from medical records and then examined.

Ex-PRESS Implantation versus Trabeculectomy for Long-Term Maintenance in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of Ex-PRESS implantation (EXP) with that of trabeculectomy (TLE) with mitomycin C for maintaining low target intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Patients And Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive EXP or TLE. Surgical success was defined according to three target mean IOP ranges (5 mmHg ≤ IOP ≤ 18 mmHg [criterion A], 5 mmHg ≤ IOP ≤ 15 mmHg [criterion B], and 5 mmHg ≤ IOP ≤ 12 mmHg [criterion C]) representing reductions of at least 20% below the baseline on two consecutive follow-up visits 3 months post-surgery, with or without antiglaucoma medication and without further glaucoma surgery.

Comparison of Corvis ST Parameters between Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma.

Background: We compared corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (CST) parameters between eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on data from 89 eyes with POAG and 83 eyes with PACG that had CST examinations. CST parameters were compared between eyes with POAG and those with PACG using a linear mixed model (LMM).

Posterior sclerectomy for persistent serous retinal detachment with secondary glaucoma in Sturge-Weber syndrome: A case report.

Introduction: A serous retinal detachment is one of the most likely ocular manifestation of Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS). This finding can frequently occur as a complication after filtering surgery to maintain the intraocular pressure (IOP). Proper treatment has been approached with choroidal hemangioma as an organ target.

A multicenter phase II study on the safety of rho-kinase inhibitor (ripasudil) with needling for the patients after trabeculectomy.

Background: There is no established method of maintaining or reducing intra ocular pressure after the needling procedure for failing blebs post trabeculectomy. Regarding newer antihypertensive medications, ripasudil, which is a rho-associated protein kinase inhibitor ophthalmic solution, was able to prevent excessive scarring in vitro. This study aims to evaluate the safety of glaucoma patients submitted to the needling procedure and administered ripasudil for preventing scarring after the procedure.

Association between Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Osimertinib Tolerance in EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer via Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Most epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells are killed within a few days after osimertinib treatment; however, surviving cells remain detectable and are called drug-tolerant cells. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) was reported to be involved in chemotherapeutic or radiotherapeutic resistance. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether PAI-1 is involved in osimertinib tolerance and whether it could be a therapeutic target for overcoming this tolerance.

Usefulness of critical flicker fusion frequency measurement and its laterality for evaluating compressive optic neuropathy due to pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.

Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) is a short but sensitive method for evaluating optic nerve function. We measured CFF in patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (Pit-NETs) to assess its usefulness. Data from 184 patients with nonfunctioning Pit-NETs, who had been treated with transsphenoidal surgery and had no medical history of eye diseases, was used in this retrospective study.

Effect of the rho-kinase inhibitor ripasudil in needling with mitomycin C for the failure of filtering bleb after trabeculectomy: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Rho-kinase inhibitors can inhibit fibrosis after glaucoma surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of rho-kinase inhibitor after needling procedure with mitomycin C for the failure of filtering bleb with trabeculectomy.

Methods: This retrospective single-center study examined the effects of rho-kinase inhibitor after the needling procedure.

Association of the CYP39A1 G204E Genetic Variant with Increased Risk of Glaucoma and Blindness in Patients with Exfoliation Syndrome.

Purpose: Carriers of functionally deficient mutations in the CYP39A1 gene have been recently reported to have a 2-fold increased risk of exfoliation syndrome (XFS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of blindness and related clinical phenotypes of XFS patients carrying the loss-of-function CYP39A1 G204E mutation in comparison with XFS patients without any CYP39A1 mutation.

Design: Retrospective case study.

Treatment outcomes in the neovascular glaucoma tube versus trabeculectomy study.

Purpose: To compare surgical outcomes between patients who underwent Baerveldt glaucoma implantation versus trabeculectomy (TLE) for the treatment of neovascular glaucoma.

Methods: We performed a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial at Hiroshima University and Tsukazaki Hospital, Japan. Patients were randomized to Baerveldt glaucoma implantation (23 patients) or TLE (27 patients).

[An Autopsy Case of IGF‒Ⅱ Secreting Gastric Cancer with Non‒Islet Cell Tumor Hypoglycemia].

We present the case of a 72‒year‒old male patient with anorexia who was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer with multiple liver metastasis. He had marked hypoglycemia and lightheadedness from the time of admission. The serum insulin level was very low and other endocrinology test results were normal.

Comparison of the Humphrey Field Analyzer and Photopic Negative Response of Focal Macular Electroretinograms in the Evaluation of the Relationship Between Macula Structure and Function.

To investigate the association between macular inner retinal layer thickness and macula visual field (VF) mean deviation as measured by the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) or macular function as measured by focal macular electroretinograms (ERGs) in patients with glaucoma. The participants in this cross-sectional study were 71 patients with glaucoma and 10 healthy controls. Macular inner retinal layer thickness and function were measured in all participants using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and HFA or focal macular ERGs, respectively.

Effects of Study Population, Labeling and Training on Glaucoma Detection Using Deep Learning Algorithms.

Purpose: To compare performance of independently developed deep learning algorithms for detecting glaucoma from fundus photographs and to evaluate strategies for incorporating new data into models.

Methods: Two fundus photograph datasets from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study/African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study and Matsue Red Cross Hospital were used to independently develop deep learning algorithms for detection of glaucoma at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Tokyo. We compared three versions of the University of California, San Diego, and University of Tokyo models: original (no retraining), sequential (retraining only on new data), and combined (training on combined data).