Early-stage antibody kinetics after the third dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination measured by a point-of-care fingertip whole blood testing.

Amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, we aimed to demonstrate the accuracy of the fingertip whole blood sampling test (FWT) in measuring the antibody titer and uncovering its dynamics shortly after booster vaccination. Mokobio SARS-CoV-2 IgM & IgG Quantum Dot immunoassay (Mokobio Biotechnology R&D Center Inc., MD, USA) was used as a point-of-care FWT in 226 health care workers (HCWs) who had received two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) at least 8 months prior.

First-line sorafenib sequential therapy and liver disease etiology for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma using inverse probability weighting: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background And Aims: Sequential therapy with molecular-targeted agents (MTAs) is considered effective for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study purposed to evaluate the efficacy of sequential therapy with sorafenib (SORA) as a first-line therapy and to investigate the therapeutic impact of SORA in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or nonalcoholic steato hepatitis (NASH)-related HCC.

Methods: We evaluated 504 HCC patients treated with SORA (Study-1).

Lenvatinib prolongs the progression-free survival time of patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma refractory to transarterial chemoembolization: A multicenter cohort study using data mining analysis.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are considered for use in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refractory to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The aim of the present retrospective study was to identify factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and to evaluate the indications for lenvatinib treatment in patients with intermediate-stage HCC refractory to TACE using a data-mining analysis. A total of 171 patients with intermediate-stage HCC refractory to TACE were included.

Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score is Associated with Overall Survival in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Lenvatinib: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

We aimed to investigate the impact of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, an immuno-nutritional biomarker, on the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with lenvatinib (LEN). This retrospective study enrolled 164 patients with HCC and treated with LEN (median age 73 years, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B/C 93/71). Factors associated with overall survival (OS) were evaluated using multivariate and decision tree analyses.

Prognostic impact of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Comparison with TACE alone using decision-tree analysis after propensity score matching.

Aims: The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is still poor. We aimed to evaluate the impact of TACE combined with radiofrequency ablation (TACE+RFA) on the prognosis of HCC patients using decision-tree analysis after propensity score matching.

Methods: This was a retrospective study.

Influence of angiogenesis by implantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells in the rat ischemic heart.

Bone marrow implantation (BMI) enhances angiogenesis in several animal models of ischemic diseases, and it is currently applied in the clinical treatment of humans. However, the mechanisms of this effect have not yet been fully described. Rat bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) were obtained by Histopaque density gradient centrifugation and injected directly into the ischemic myocardium of the test rats (BMI group), which were then examined and compared with the groups that received surgery only (Controls) or surgery and an injection of phosphate buffered saline (PBS group).

Late re-operation for aortic and mitral Starr-Edwards ball valve prostheses.

Starr-Edwards ball valves removed more than 15 years after implantation were retrospectively investigated macroscopically. Eight patients required re-operation. Valve models used in the initial operations were a non-cloth-covered valve in 2 patients and a cloth-covered valve in 6.

Infection management in a patient with a left ventricular assist device: a case report of long-term cefazolin sodium hydrate administration.

A 55-year-old woman suffered from a bloodstream infection (Staphylococcus aureus), which originated from pump inflow and outflow skin exits, from 4 months after a parocorporeal left ventricular assist device (LVAD) had been implanted. In addition to local irrigation, repeated administration of a weekly unit of cefazolin hydrate was temporarily effective, but fever frequently recurred. Because short-term antibiotic administration had limited effectiveness, a much longer-term course of cefazolin was begun at 14 months post-LVAD implantation and was planned to continue until future transplantation.

P-wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram for predicting atrial arrhythmia after cardiac surgery.

Background: Atrial arrhythmias (AF) are usually benign, but occur frequently after cardiac surgery. P-wave signal-averaged electrocardiogram has been used to characterize atrial conduction delay as a marker of risk of AF during sinus rhythm.

Methods: Ninety-five patients undergoing either primary isolated coronary artery bypass grafting or aortic valve replacement were enrolled.

Right atrial myxoma in a patient presenting with syncope.

We describe a case of right atrial myxoma in a 62-year-old woman presenting with syncope. The patient had a 4-month history of syncope and felt faint on lying flat in bed before the admission. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed a large right atrial mass that was prolapsing through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle during diastole.

Left ventricular outflow tract pseudoaneurysm after aortic valve replacement: case report.

A 68-year-old woman was admitted for angina pectoris and general fatigue without symptoms or signs of infective endocarditis. The patient had undergone re-replacement of an aortic prosthetic valve three months previously. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed an echo-free cavity in the mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa region just below the aortic annulus, communication of the echo-free cavity with the left ventricular outflow tract, and turbulent flow into the cavity.

Clinical outcome after cardiac operations in patients with cirrhosis.

Background: To evaluate the clinical outcome after cardiac operations in patients with cirrhosis, a retrospective study was undertaken.

Methods: Between 1989 and 2003, 18 patients with cirrhosis who underwent cardiac operations were identified. Their preoperative status and postoperative clinical results were assessed.

Nonparasitic solitary huge liver cysts causing intracystic hemorrhage or obstructive jaundice.

We report two cases of a nonparasitic solitary huge liver cyst. The first case, that of a 42-year-old woman, was admitted with a chief complaint of upper abdominal pain. Computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a huge cyst, 10 cm in diameter, in segments 4 and 5 of the liver, and spontaneous rupture of the cyst with intracystic hemorrhage.