Publications by authors named "Yasutaka Fukui"

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  • * This report discusses a case of pancreatic cancer that spread to the lungs, presenting as multiple cavitary lesions, which needed to be distinguished from similar lung issues related to Sjögren's syndrome.
  • * Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) was used in this case, as it can provide larger tissue samples for more accurate pathological analysis of complex lung lesions.
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  • β-D-glucan detection is a key diagnostic tool for identifying invasive fungal infections, but there are notable differences among various commercial assay kits.* -
  • In a study of 175 patients, three kits (Wako, MKII, and ES) were evaluated for their effectiveness in diagnosing invasive mycosis, showing varying degrees of sensitivity and specificity.* -
  • Despite generally high diagnostic values, the study highlights the need for careful interpretation of results due to potential false positives, particularly with the ES kit.*
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  • * Researchers analyzed RNA-seq data from 465 blood samples, uncovering 1169 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and 1549 splice QTLs (sQTLs) linked to COVID-19 severity, including immune-related expressions.
  • * The study highlights the impact of disease severity on gene expression, identifying specific eQTLs that interact with COVID-19 phenotypes, and provides an extensive resource for understanding gene regulation in response to the virus.
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A 59-year-old woman complained of continuous dyspnea. Computed tomography revealed multiple pulmonary nodules, mildly small enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes and a nodule in the liver segment 8. Her dyspnea worsened with respiratory failure 4 days after presentation.

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  • Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 2,393 COVID-19 patients and 3,289 controls in Japan, identifying a specific genetic variant (rs60200309-A) on chromosome 5 linked to severe cases in individuals under 65.
  • The variant is more common in East Asians and associated with reduced expression of the DOCK2 gene, which was found to be lower in severe COVID-19 cases, particularly in non-classical monocytes.
  • Additionally, inhibiting DOCK2 in hamsters worsened pneumonia symptoms, indicating its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for severe COVID-19.
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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of booster vaccinations against COVID-19 variants, particularly in Japan, where the booster significantly enhances humoral immunity following initial vaccination.
  • Serum samples from healthcare workers showed a dramatic increase in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels after receiving the booster, elevating neutralizing activity against both Delta and Omicron variants.
  • The results also noted that individuals who experienced certain side effects (like fever and fatigue) exhibited higher antibody responses, suggesting a correlation between booster reactions and immune effectiveness.
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  • The study investigated the levels of type I interferons (IFN-I), specifically IFN-α and IFN-β, in COVID-19 patients and their connection to clinical outcomes and viral load.
  • It found that higher levels of IFN-α were linked to patients with pneumonia and respiratory failure, as well as a correlation with viral load in nasal swabs and serum.
  • The research suggests that increased IFN-α, along with other cytokines like IL-6 and CXCL10, could indicate a stronger immune response and potentially serve as early indicators of respiratory complications in COVID-19 patients.
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Serological tests are beneficial for recognizing the immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). To identify protective immunity, optimization of the chemiluminescent reduction neutralizing test (CRNT) is critical. Whether commercial antibody tests have comparable accuracy is unknown.

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  • Vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 have been introduced, and this study examined how humoral immunity, specifically antibodies, relates to the age of vaccinated individuals.
  • Blood samples were taken from healthcare workers who received the BNT162b2 vaccine, revealing high antibody levels and strong neutralization against both wild-type and variant viruses after the second dose.
  • Results showed that while antibodies were universally present, older females had lower antibody levels, and age negatively impacted neutralization efficacy against the variants, raising concerns about vaccine effectiveness in older populations.
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  • * Out of 56 patients, RNA was found in 19.6% upon admission, with higher prevalence in those with moderate to critical illness, leading to increased need for oxygen, ICU care, and mechanical ventilation.
  • * The research indicated that higher viral loads in throat swabs were associated with greater disease severity and mortality, highlighting the potential benefits of using both serum and throat swab tests together for better prognosis in COVID-19 patients.
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  • The study investigates the dynamics of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in COVID-19 patients using a specific testing method on serum samples, focusing on their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2.
  • Analysis of samples from 11 patients revealed that 90.9% showed neutralizing activity upon hospital admission, with different patterns of antibody responses depending on disease severity.
  • The findings suggest that a quicker NAb response is linked to less severe illness, indicating that early antibody activity may help prevent worsened disease progression.
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  • This study looked at how different doses of linezolid affect the risk of thrombocytopenia in hemodialysis patients through drug monitoring.
  • Patients were split into two groups: one received a standard dose of 600 mg every 12 hours, while the other received a reduced dose of 300 mg every 12 hours or 600 mg every 24 hours.
  • Results showed that those on the reduced dose had significantly lower rates of thrombocytopenia and severe thrombocytopenia, suggesting that starting with a lower dose of linezolid could help minimize side effects in these patients.
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  • The study analyzed the nasopharyngeal viral load of COVID-19 patients discharged from Toyama University Hospital in Japan, focusing on those who met symptom-based criteria for discharge.* -
  • Out of 33 patients studied, the average viral load at discharge was 1.90 log-copies/μL, with 64% having viral loads above the infectious threshold of 50 copies/μL.* -
  • The findings suggest no correlation between age and viral load, indicating that even after discharge, patients may still pose a risk for virus transmission, highlighting the need for ongoing infection control measures.*
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  • The study focuses on how long it takes for COVID-19 patients to test negative for SARS-CoV-2 using qRT-PCR, the standard diagnostic method.
  • Conducted between April and June 2020 at Toyama University Hospital, it analyzed data from 42 COVID-19 patients to determine the time until they achieved two consecutive negative tests.
  • Results showed a median duration of 29 days for testing negative, with older adults (over 65 years) taking longer to clear the virus compared to younger patients (34.5 days vs. 25.0 days).
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  • As of October 2020, there is no specific treatment for COVID-19, but favipiravir has been proposed as a potential option despite lacking full validation.
  • A case study of a 64-year-old woman treated with favipiravir showed quick symptom resolution and decreased viral load, but she experienced a resurgence of fever after 12 days.
  • The fever was attributed to favipiravir itself, as stopping the drug alleviated her symptoms, indicating that drug-induced fever should be considered in COVID-19 patients undergoing favipiravir treatment.
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  • SARS-CoV-2 is a dangerous coronavirus classified as a BSL-3 pathogen, making it difficult to study in labs due to its infectious nature.
  • Researchers developed a new assay using a modified virus to safely assess neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in lower safety labs (BSL-2).
  • The new chemiluminescence reduction neutralization test (CRNT) showed strong correlation in neutralization results between patient serum samples and established antibody tests, indicating it is a reliable method for evaluating immunity to COVID-19.
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  • The study aimed to explore how viral load in COVID-19 patients relates to the transmission of the virus to others.
  • Researchers compared "index patients" (those who transmitted the virus) to "non-index patients" (those who did not) by analyzing clinical data from hospitalized patients.
  • Results showed that index patients had significantly higher viral loads at the start of their illness compared to non-index patients, suggesting that higher viral loads may increase the likelihood of spreading COVID-19.
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  • Most COVID-19 patients experience mild symptoms, but about 5% face severe cases; ECMO is used for those critically ill, but it's not the primary treatment.
  • A case study details a 54-year-old man who began showing symptoms on day 6 and required intubation and ECMO as his condition worsened.
  • The medical team monitored his viral load, which dropped significantly, leading them to continue ECMO after issues arose, ultimately improving his respiratory status and stopping ECMO after 21 days.
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Mutarotases catalyze the α-β anomeric conversion of monosaccharide, and play a key role in utilizing sugar as enzymes involved in sugar metabolism have specificity for the α- or β-anomer. In spite of the sequential similarity to l-rhamnose mutarotase protein superfamily (COG3254: RhaM), the ACAV_RS08160 gene in Acidovorax avenae ATCC 19860 (AaFucM) is located in a gene cluster related to non-phosphorylative l-fucose and l-galactose metabolism, and transcriptionally induced by these carbon sources; therefore, the physiological role remains unclear. Here, we report that AaFucM possesses mutarotation activity only toward l-fucose by saturation difference (SD) NMR experiments.

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A large amount of norepinephrine (NE) released from cardiac sympathetic nerve terminals might accelerate myocardial ischemic injury. Nicorandil (NICO), K channel opener, could attenuate cardiac NE release from the sympathetic nerve terminals during ischemia. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of NICO-induced attenuation of cardiac NE release on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats, by comparison with the effect of cardiac sympathetic denervation on I/R injury.

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Cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction are associated with a pro-inflammatory state and reduced NO bioavailability. Effects on myocardial structural and molecular alterations were compared between Waon therapy (WT; repeated dry sauna therapy) and statin in hypertensive rats. Seven-week-old Dahl salt-sensitive rats were assigned to 4 groups: low-salt (LS) diet, high-salt (HS) diet, HS diet with oral fluvastatin (FL; 10 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) starting from the age of 9 weeks, and HS diet with WT treatment in a far-infrared dry sauna (39 °C for 15 min followed by 34 °C for 20 min once daily for 4 weeks).

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Background: Appropriate initial antibiotics are essential for the treatment of infectious diseases. However, some patients with pneumonia might develop adverse outcomes, despite receiving appropriate initial antibiotics. We aimed to clarify the risk factors for 30-day mortality in patients who received appropriate initial antibiotics and to identify potential candidates who would benefit from adjunctive therapy.

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Waon therapy (WT), which in Japanese means soothing warmth, is a repeated sauna therapy that improves cardiac and vascular endothelial function in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We investigated whether WT could improve the quality of life (QOL) of CHF patients in addition to improving cardiac function and exercise capacity.A total of 49 CHF patients (69 ± 14 years old) were treated with a 60°C far infrared-ray dry sauna bath for 15 minutes and then kept in a bed covered with blankets for 30 minutes once a day for 3 weeks.

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Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-producing nonhematopoietic malignancies have been reported in various organs and are associated with a poor clinical outcome. Moreover, carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP) is an uncommon malignancy that occurs in about 2-6% of cancer patients. CUP also has a poor prognosis due to its missing profile.

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About 3% of all cancer patients suffer from carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP). In spite of its rarity, we will encounter them. While CUPs manifest a wide variety of clinical presentations, they have often resulted in poor prognosis.

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