Pulmonary embolism after dexamethasone treatment for COVID-19: a case report.

Background: Although the RECOVERY trial showed that dexamethasone was efficacious for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), its impact on the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) and other serious procoagulant events was not assessed.

Case Presentation: Here we report the case of a previously healthy 83-year-old woman with COVID-19, without any genetic predisposition to thrombosis. She developed moderate respiratory distress 12 days after symptom onset and a 10-day course of dexamethasone therapy was initiated.

Two cases of lung cancer with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors.

We report the cases of two patients with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors, who were diagnosed using the recently developed HScore. The first patient presented with fever, cytopenia, and elevated liver enzyme levels at 46 days post-pembrolizumab administration. The HScore was 175.

Reply to Correspondence: Response to a case report: idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome in remission with benralizumab treatment after relapse with mepolizumab.

See related Letter.

Case studies of SARS-CoV-2 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak is rising globally. However, clinically effective antiviral treatments are not established. Favipiravir may prevent pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome aggravation.

A case of pembrolizumab-induced hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis successfully treated with pulse glucocorticoid therapy.

Treatments using immune checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab lead to immune mediated adverse effects including hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Herein, we present a case where HLH developed after pembrolizumab administration, which was treated using high dose prednisolone. He developed high-grade fever complicated with liver dysfunction and diarrhea 7 days after pembrolizumab administration.

Phase II Study of S-1 and Paclitaxel Combination Therapy in Patients with Previously Treated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lessons Learned: In terms of efficacy and safety, good results were obtained with S-1 and paclitaxel (PTX) combination therapy.The findings suggest that S-1 and PTX combination therapy is a feasible treatment option in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Although monotherapy with cytotoxic agents, including docetaxel and pemetrexed, is recommended for patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), its outcomes are unsatisfactory.

A Phase II Study of S-1 and Paclitaxel Combination Therapy as a First-Line Treatment in Elderly Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lessons Learned: Coadministration of S-1 and paclitaxel in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer showed favorable efficacy.Coadministration of S-1 and paclitaxel in elderly patients with advanced non-small lung cancer showed tolerable toxicity.

Background: Although monotherapy with cytotoxic agents including docetaxel or vinorelbine are recommended for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the outcome is not satisfactory.

Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Mediastinum Successfully Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy after Palliative Radiotherapy.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a highly malignant cancer originally found in lung in 1991. In extremely rare occasions, primary LCNEC is found in the mediastinum; approximately 40 of such cases have been reported. Due to the limited number of reported cases, a standardized treatment protocol has yet to be established.

Phase I study of S-1 plus paclitaxel combination therapy as a first-line treatment in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

This phase I study was aimed at determining the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) for oral S-1 plus paclitaxel combination therapy in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy-naïve patients (age, >70 years) with stage III/IV NSCLC were treated with paclitaxel intravenously at four dose levels (DLs), 60, 70, 80, and 90 mg/m, on day 1 and 8, and with S-1 (80 mg/m) orally on days 1-14 every 3 weeks. MTD was defined as the dose at which two of the initial three patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs).

Feasibility Study of Sequentially Alternating EGFR-TKIs and Chemotherapy for Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aim: The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of alternating platinum-based doublet chemotherapy with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced NSCLC harboring an EGFR mutation were enrolled. All patients underwent induction chemotherapy by sequentially alternating pemetrexed/cisplatin/bevacizumab and EGFR-TKIs followed by maintenance therapy with pemetrexed/bevacizumab and EGFR-TKIs.

Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide and serum surfactant protein D levels for monitoring radiation pneumonitis following thoracic radiotherapy.

The present study aimed to examine the role of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and serum surfactant protein D (SP-D) level in the determination of radiation pneumonitis (RP) after thoracic radiotherapy (RT). The study included 34 treatments for 33 patients, including 16 three-dimensional conformal and 18 stereotactic body RT treatments. eNO levels were measured prior to RT, immediately subsequent to RT, every week during the RT course and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months following the treatment.

[A case of mediastinal recurrence of esophageal cancer diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration].

A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for treatment of cervical esophageal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. He had undergone subtotal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma after preoperative chemotherapy and transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Histologically, esophageal cancer was diagnosed as pT3, pN2, M0, pStage III.

Transformation from asymptomatic to symptomatic of lower cervical spinal dural arteriovenous fistula.

A 60-year-old woman presented with a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) located in the lower cervical region, which had been asymptomatic for 56 months after the initial detection. She underwent embolization of the SDAVF when she became symptomatic, but her neurological recovery was only partial. Cervical SDAVF is rare but sometimes discovered in an asymptomatic state.

Primary cauda equina lymphoma treated with high-dose methotrexate.

A 69-year-old man presented with a very rare case of primary central nervous system lymphoma originating in the cauda equina manifesting as progressive paraparesis. The patient underwent a biopsy, and was treated with intravenous high-dose (3.5 g/m(2)) methotrexate chemotherapy and local irradiation.

Favorable outcome after radical resection and subsequent local irradiation of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the cervical spine.

A 25-year-old man presented with malignant transformation to malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) in the cervical spine associated with neurofibromatosis type 1. He presented with a 3-week history of rapidly increasing weakness and numbness in all four extremities. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the cervical spine demonstrated a dumbbell-shaped tumor, which compressed the spinal cord at the C2-3 level.

Procaterol-stimulated increases in ciliary bend amplitude and ciliary beat frequency in mouse bronchioles.

The beating cilia play a key role in lung mucociliary transport. The ciliary beating frequency (CBF) and ciliary bend amplitude (CBA) of isolated mouse bronchiolar ciliary cells were measured using a light microscope equipped with a high-speed camera (500 Hz). Procaterol (aβ(2)-agonist) increased CBA and CBF in a dose dependent manner via cAMP.

Transplanted bone marrow stromal cells protect neurovascular units and ameliorate brain damage in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

This study was aimed to assess whether bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) could ameliorate brain damage when transplanted into the brain of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP). The BMSC or vehicle was stereotactically engrafted into the striatum of male SHR-SP at 8 weeks of age. Daily loading with 0.

[A case of microscopic polyangiitis with silicosis].

A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of increasing size of lung nodules, while he was under observation for silicosis at another hospital. As the result of bronchoscopic biopsy, it was confirmed that they were silicotic nodules. However, he was hospitalized again about one month later due to left spontaneous pneumothorax.

Regulation of epithelial sodium transport via epithelial Na+ channel.

Renal epithelial Na+ transport plays an important role in homeostasis of our body fluid content and blood pressure. Further, the Na+ transport in alveolar epithelial cells essentially controls the amount of alveolar fluid that should be kept at an appropriate level for normal gas exchange. The epithelial Na+ transport is generally mediated through two steps: (1) the entry step of Na+ via epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) at the apical membrane and (2) the extrusion step of Na+ via the Na+, K+-ATPase at the basolateral membrane.

Impact of ageing on biological features of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) in cell transplantation therapy for CNS disorders: functional enhancement by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF).

This study was designed to clarify the effects of donor age on biological features of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC), one of the candidates for cell transplantation therapy for CNS disorders, because many aged patients might require such therapy. This study was also aimed to test whether ex vivo treatments with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) could modify biological properties of BMSC from aged donors and enhance its therapeutic effects in an animal model of traumatic brain injury. The BMSC were harvested from young (6-week-old) and aged (100-week-old) rats.

Therapeutic effects of intra-arterial delivery of bone marrow stromal cells in traumatic brain injury of rats--in vivo cell tracking study by near-infrared fluorescence imaging.

Background: A noninvasive and effective route of cell delivery should be established to yield maximal therapeutic effects for central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

Objective: To elucidate whether intra-arterial delivery of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) significantly promotes functional recovery in traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.

Methods: Rat BMSCs were transplanted through the ipsilateral internal carotid artery 7 days after the onset of cortical freezing injury.

Motor cortex stimulation improves local cerebral glucose metabolism in the ipsilateral thalamus in patients with poststroke pain: case report.

Background And Importance: Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is documented as an effective therapeutic option for patients with poststroke pain. However, its underlying mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate local cerebral glucose metabolism before and after MCS in patients with poststroke pain.

Morphological and histological changes of glioma cells immediately after 5-aminolevulinic acid mediated photodynamic therapy.

Objective: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a new therapeutic modality for malignant glioma. This study is designed to evaluate acute morphological and histological changes of glioma cells after 5-ALA mediated PDT using fluorescence microscopy and three-dimensional spheroid models.

Methods: Monolayer cultures and spheroids (small and large sizes) of C6 (rat glioma cell line) and U251MG (human glioma cell line) cells were co-incubated for 4 hours with 5-ALA (100 μg/ml) and irradiated using a diode laser (635±5 nm, 5-100 mW/cm(2), and total light dose 2.

Clinical and radiographic characteristics of upper lumbar disc herniation: ten-year microsurgical experience.

Upper and lower lumbar disc herniation apparently have different background, symptoms, and operative results. This retrospective study reviewed the clinical records of 403 patients (409 discs) who underwent lumbar microdiscectomy performed by different surgeons at our institute between 1999 and 2009. The 290 male (72.