Publications by authors named "Yoshikazu Ohtsuka"

Most pediatric intravenous anesthesia in Japan is performed outside the operating theatre by non-anesthetists. The 2020 revision increased reimbursement for long-term intravenous anesthesia (Category 3) by anesthesiologists, but its impact on practice behavior is unknown. We analyzed the annual number of calculations for each category of intravenous anesthesia and their age distribution from the national reimbursement data for the three-year period fiscal years (FY) 2018-20 to elucidate trends in the pediatric age group.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates Solid-FPIES, a non-IgE-mediated allergic disease leading to gastrointestinal issues, and highlights the need for new diagnostic markers due to inconclusive results from oral food challenge tests.
  • - Researchers assessed fecal markers (FHb, FLf, FCp) in 40 patients with Solid-FPIES, control, and remission groups over 7 days after food exposure, finding significantly higher levels in the FPIES group compared to controls.
  • - The findings suggest that analyzing these fecal markers can effectively diagnose Solid-FPIES and measure gastrointestinal inflammation severity, offering a promising diagnostic approach.
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Introduction: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders beyond eosinophilic esophagitis (non-EoE EGIDs) are rare chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms and histologic findings of eosinophilic inflammation after exclusion of a secondary cause or systemic disease. Currently, no guidelines exist for the evaluation of non-EoE EGIDs.

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  • The study explored the effects of stress on colonic motility and serotonin levels in adolescent rats, particularly those subjected to early-life stress through neonatal maternal separation (NMS).
  • Results showed that restraint stress (RS) led to increased fecal pellet discharge and higher serotonin (5-HT) levels in rats who had experienced NMS compared to normal handling (NH) controls.
  • Overall, the findings suggest that combined juvenile and acute stress enhances serotonin production and enterochromaffin (EC) cell density in the proximal colon, which may contribute to the understanding of IBS pathogenesis in adolescents.
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Background: Non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergies (non-IgE-GIFAs) seem to be increasing rapidly worldwide. However, nationwide studies have been limited to food-protein-induced enterocolitis (FPIES) and food-protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP), with little attention to other non-IgE-GIFA subgroups. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical features of all patients with non-IgE-GIFAs, not just certain subgroups.

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Background: The dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children are continually changing. We conducted a survey of pediatric allergy patients attending our department to determine the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in children.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed among children aged <11 years, referred to a pediatric allergy department between February 2020 and January 2022 with a chief complaint of allergy.

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Background: Transabdominal ultrasonography and transperineal ultrasonography (TPUS) appear correspond to colonoscopy (CS) for evaluating ulcerative colitis (UC) activity, but their utility in UC diagnosis remains unclear. This research compared the accuracy of TPUS and CS for assessing rectal activity and differentiating noninflammatory bowel disease proctitis from UC in pediatric cases.

Methods: The study is a blinded, prospective, and controlled trial.

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Background: In Japan, many asthma inhalers do not have formal approval for use in the pediatric population because of the lack of domestic data. In real-world settings, however, numerous off-label medications are prescribed. Currently, the nature of off-label prescriptions of asthma inhalers on pediatric patients in Japan remains unclear.

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Reports of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) in Japan have been increasing. However, the disease itself and the treatment options are poorly understood by both patients and medical professionals. The objective of this study is to develop an action plan for acute FPIES in Japan.

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Background: Patients with food allergy often suffer from atopic dermatitis, in which colonization is frequently observed. δ-toxin activates mast cells and promotes T helper 2 type skin inflammation in the tape-stripped murine skin. However, the physiological effects of δ-toxin present on the steady-state skin remain unknown.

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  • * It included 47 patients with ulcerative colitis, 20 with Crohn's disease, and 75 healthy controls, measuring different layers of heart strain through echocardiography.
  • * Results showed lower global longitudinal strain across all layers for both UC and CD patients, while midmyocardial and epicardial strain was particularly lower in Crohn's disease patients, indicating potential heart dysfunction related to their condition.
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  • The 2018 revision of Japan's social insurance allows for additional fees for pediatric MRIs performed under sedation, but the actual use and claims trends are unclear.
  • A study analyzed claims data from the Ministry of Health to determine how often these fees are being applied and to identify any regional disparities in their use.
  • Results showed a significant decrease in additional fee claims from FY 2018 to FY 2020, with only 0.35% of MRI scans incurring these fees and a notable disparity in fee claims across different prefectures.
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Objectives: The correlation between altered small intestinal motility and irritable bowel syndrome is not well evaluated. This study aimed to assess the small intestinal and colonic transits in an adolescent irritable bowel syndrome rat model with restraint stress and determine the role of small intestinal motility in the irritable bowel syndrome pathophysiology.

Materials: Restraint stress was utilized to prepare adolescent irritable bowel syndrome rat models that were evaluated for clinical signs, including stool frequency and diarrhea.

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Background & Aims: Substantial heterogeneity in terminology used for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs), particularly the catchall term "eosinophilic gastroenteritis," limits clinical and research advances. We aimed to achieve an international consensus for standardized EGID nomenclature.

Methods: This consensus process utilized Delphi methodology.

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Unlabelled: Acute pancreatitis (AP) develops in approximately 2% of patients with the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the characteristics and frequency of childhood-onset IBD-associated AP in Japan have not been studied. The present study aimed to clarify the characteristics of IBD-associated AP in Japan.

Methods: A nationwide survey of pediatric patients with IBD (age, <17 years) was conducted from December 2012 to March 2013 at 683 hospitals and medical centers in Japan.

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Introduction: Long-term disease duration of ulcerative colitis (UC) is known to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer in adults; however, this association has not been genetically analyzed in children with UC. Herein, we examined the expression of cancer-related genes in the colonic mucosa of pediatric UC patients and their risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Methods: Microarray analysis of cancer-related gene expression was conducted on rectal mucosa biopsy specimens randomly selected from pediatric cases, including 4 active-phase UC cases, 3 remission-phase UC cases, and 3 irritable bowel syndrome control cases.

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Introduction: Anal fistulae have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine whether biological agents were effective in treating anal fistulae in patients with CD.

Methods: Fifty-three patients diagnosed with CD were retrospectively enrolled.

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Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes chronic gastritis, duodenal and to a lesser extent, gastric ulcers, and gastric cancer. Most H.

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Background: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) aims to establish desensitization and sustained unresponsiveness (SU) in patients with food allergy by ingestion of gradually increasing doses of specific food allergens. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which OIT induces SU to specific allergens.

Objectives: We investigated the role of Notch signaling, which controls cell fate decisions in many types of immune cells in the induction of SU by OIT treatment.

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Background: In 2019 we reported the results of a Japanese national survey designed to explore the views of adult gastroenterologists regarding transitional care for patients with childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For the present study, we conducted a similar survey of pediatric gastroenterologists to compare the views of the two sets of specialists.

Methods: The survey conducted in 2019 involved 48 representative members of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

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Background/aims: Tacrolimus is effective for refractory ulcerative colitis in adults, while data for children is sparse. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tacrolimus for induction and maintenance therapy in Japanese children with ulcerative colitis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the multicenter survey data of 67 patients with ulcerative colitis aged < 17 years treated with tacrolimus between 2000 and 2012.

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Background: In 2018, Japanese guidelines for autonomy support of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the transitional period were published. These guidelines, however, were prepared mainly by pediatric gastroenterologists. In order to improve such supportive guidelines, it is necessary for pediatric gastroenterologists to be aware of the attitudes and expectations of adult gastroenterologists.

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Background: Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially fatal allergic response. Early-life exposure to rural environments may help protect against allergic reaction. This study assesses urban/rural differences by age and race/ethnicity in emergency department (ED) pediatric visit rates for food-induced anaphylaxis.

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Background: Although non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy has increased rapidly in Japan, a small number of reports has evaluated B-mode and Doppler ultrasonographic findings in the acute phase of infantile gastrointestinal milk allergy. The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic utility of ultrasonographic findings and laboratory allergic data in non-IgE-mediated infantile gastrointestinal milk allergy.

Methods: Sixteen cases of active non-IgE-mediated infantile gastrointestinal milk allergy, diagnosed by food elimination tests and oral food challenge tests (OFCTs) (group A), 15 cases of acute viral gastroenteritis (AGE) (group B), and 15 controls (group C) were enrolled.

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