Common and rare genetic variants predisposing females to unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a major reproductive health issue with multifactorial causes, affecting 2.6% of all pregnancies worldwide. Nearly half of the RPL cases lack clinically identifiable causes (e.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Atezolizumab versus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Patients with Unresectable Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with PD-L1 Expression Status in Japan.

Background And Objectives: Atezolizumab has demonstrated safety and efficacy in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the IMpower110 trial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of atezolizumab as the first-line treatment for patients with unresectable advanced NSCLC, including programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1)-positive probability testing, from the perspective of healthcare costs in Japan.

Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis model for atezolizumab, including PD-L1-positive probability testing, was used to construct a partitioned survival model with three health states.

Survival Prediction of Patients Who Were Terminally Ill Using the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL Scores and Laboratory Test Values.

Background: Prognostics for patients with cancer is especially important for the supportive care of those who are terminally ill. We previously found that symptom scores as patient-reported outcomes (PROs)-such as dyspnea and fatigue scores-some biochemical parameters, the palliative performance scale (PPS) scores, and symptom clusters were useful prognostic factors; however, the predictability of a prognosis based on these factors remains unclear.

Objective: To identify appropriate three-week survival predictive factor(s), in terms of performance, in patients who were terminally ill.

Butyrate as a Potential Driver of a Dysbiotic Shift of the Tongue Microbiota.

The tongue dorsum is colonized by a stable microbiota, mostly comprising common commensal taxa. However, the predominance of each taxon varies among individuals. We hypothesized that equilibrium in the tongue microbiota is affected by exposure to butyrate in the oral fluid, which is reported to affect the growth of specific microorganisms.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of Multiple Immune-Related Adverse Events and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With Cancer Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Background And Objectives: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are effective in various types of cancer and cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The occurrence of irAEs is associated with improved survival outcome. We investigated the association between the occurrence of irAEs and overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), and the risk factors for the development of irAEs, in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), gastric cancer (GC) and melanoma (MM) treated with ICIs.

The Occurrence of Encephalitis Due to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Pharmacovigilance Study.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are associated with peculiar adverse events related to the mechanism of action. Less than 1% of patients treated with ICIs develop autoimmune encephalitis. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of encephalitis development due to ICIs with encephalitis due to other drugs using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database and Bayesian confidence propagation neural networks for signal detection.

Protease inhibitor concentrations in the saliva of individuals experiencing oral dryness.

Background: Oral dryness is a common symptom that may interfere with swallowing, chewing, and taste. The most common reason for oral dryness is hyposalivation. Some individuals experiencing oral dryness do not have hyposalivation, however, and the reverse is also true.

Symptom clusters and their influence on prognosis using EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL scores in terminally ill patients with cancer.

Purpose: The aims of the present study were to investigate the symptom clusters in terminally ill patients with cancer using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL), and to examine whether these symptom clusters influenced prognosis.

Methods: We analyzed data from 130 cancer patients hospitalized in the palliative care unit from June 2018 to December 2019 in an observational study. Principal component analysis was used to detect symptom clusters using the scored date of 14 items in the QLQ-C15-PAL, except for overall QOL, at the time of hospitalization.

Optimal vial sizes for infliximab injection: a simulation study of Japanese demographic data.

Objectives: Drug wastage costs in the medical field must be reduced, particularly for expensive biological drugs. In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has developed specific criteria for the divided use of injectable vials and vial sharing of anticancer injection drugs to reduce drug wastage. This study investigates the optimal vial size for infliximab infusion to reduce drug wastage in Japan.

β-Glycyrrhetinic acid inhibits the bacterial growth and biofilm formation by supragingival plaque commensals.

β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (BGA) is a natural antibacterial agent. Previous studies reported that BGA has antibacterial effects against several bacteria. This study evaluated the effects of BGA on the regulation of supragingival plaque bacteria.

The role of EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL scores and inflammatory biomarkers in predicting survival in terminally ill patients with cancer.

Background: The clinical use of patient-reported outcomes as compared to inflammatory biomarkers for predicting cancer survival remains a challenge in palliative care settings. We evaluated the role of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative scores (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL) and the inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (Alb), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for survival prediction in patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: This was an observational study in terminally ill patients with cancer hospitalized in a palliative care unit between June 2018 and December 2019.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Atezolizumab Plus Nab-Paclitaxel for Advanced PD-L1 Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Japan.

Background And Objectives: Atezolizumab is an anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody that shows good safety and efficacy for patients with PD-L1-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The cost of atezolizumab therapy is expensive, and its economic burden is an important problem. In this study, we evaluated the cost effectiveness of atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel therapy (AnP) compared with nab-paclitaxel monotherapy (nP) for PD-L1-positive TNBC under Japanese medical conditions and environments using a Markov model.

Relationship between Pain Scores and EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL Scores in Outpatients with Cancer Pain Receiving Opioid Therapy.

Cancer pain is one of the most frequent and distressing symptoms associated with cancer and has a serious impact on the QOL of patients. However, inadequate pain treatment has also been reported in outpatients with cancer pain. The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the relationship between pain intensity using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and QOL scores using the Japanese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (QOL Questionnaire Core 15 for Palliative Care (QLQ-C15-PAL)), and (2) to investigate their association with various pain patterns, especially with baseline and breakthrough pain.

Effectiveness of protocol-based pharmacotherapy management collaboration between hospital and community pharmacists to address capecitabine-related hand-foot syndrome in cancer patients: a retrospective study.

Background: Pharmaceutical care of capecitabine-related hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is extremely important to avoid the progression of the syndrome. Protocol-based pharmacotherapy management (PBPM) of HFS by community pharmacists has been introduced in our community, whereby the community pharmacist instructs patients to use steroid creams if they develop HFS of grade 2 or higher. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PBPM in cancer patients with HFS by comparing it to conventional pharmaceutical care using monitoring reports for pharmacotherapy management by community pharmacists.

Factors Associated With Efficacy and Nivolumab-Related Interstitial Pneumonia in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Survey.

Background And Objectives: Immune-checitors have been established as a novel standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with efficacy and nivolumab-related interstitial pneumonia in NSCLC by evaluating clinical data at the initiation of and during treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent treatment with nivolumab between October 2015 and December 2017.

Association of Protein and Endotoxin in Outdoor Air with Emergency Department Visits for Children and Adults with Asthma in Fukuoka, Japan.

We examined the association of biological components in airborne particles, i.e., proteins and endotoxins, in outdoor air with asthma exacerbation in the Fukuoka metropolitan area, Fukuoka, Japan.

Comparison of Patient Self-Reported Quality of Life and Health Care Professional-Assessed Symptoms in Terminally ill Patients With Cancer.

Background: Few studies evaluated whether health care professionals accurately assess several symptoms for patients with cancer in palliative care units. We determined the agreement level for several symptoms related to quality of life (QOL) between patient-reported QOL assessment and health care professional-assessed symptoms based on the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS).

Method: An observational study was performed with terminally ill patients with cancer hospitalized in the palliative care unit between June 2018 and December 2019.

6-Hydroxythiobinupharidine Inhibits Migration of LM8 Osteosarcoma Cells by Decreasing Expression of LIM Domain Kinase 1.

Background/aim: Osteosarcoma is the most malignant type of bone tumor. Patients with osteosarcoma metastases have a poorer prognosis than those without metastases. Thus, the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients with metastases must be improved.

Age-related changes in gingival blood flow parameters measured using laser speckle flowmetry.

Previous studies have suggested a possible relationship between age-related changes to human gingival hemodynamics and periodontal disease. However, firmly establishing this has been difficult because of a lack of suitable tools. Our study investigated whether a non-invasive laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG)-based 2-dimensional technique could be used to assess maxillary anterior gingival blood flow under resting conditions.

Association of airborne particles, protein, and endotoxin with emergency department visits for asthma in Kyoto, Japan.

Background: The health effects of biological aerosols on the respiratory system are unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association of airborne particle, protein, and endotoxin with emergency department visits for asthma in Kyoto City, Japan.

Methods: We collected data on emergency department visits at a hospital in Kyoto from September 2014 to May 2016.

Bone-Marrow-Derived Microglia-Like Cells Ameliorate Brain Amyloid Pathology and Cognitive Impairment in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Microglia, the primary immune cells in the brain, sense pathogens and tissue damage, stimulate cytokine production, and phagocytosis to maintain homeostasis. Accumulation of amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) in the brain triggers the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accordingly, promotion of Aβ clearance represents a promising strategy for AD therapy.

Effect of Continuous Pharmacist Interventions on Pain Control and Side Effect Management in Outpatients with Cancer Receiving Opioid Treatments.

For improving the QOL of patients diagnosed with cancer, early palliative care is recommended, aiming to minimize pain and opioid-induced side effects. Herein, we evaluated the effect of continuous interventions for pain management and opioid-induced side effects in outpatients with cancer. Pharmacists continuously performed interventions on patients on their hospital visits, starting from the first visit for opioid introduction to intervention via telephone.

Prediction of Apparent Oral Clearance of Small-Molecule Inhibitors in Pediatric Patients.

The purpose of this study was to build regression models for the prediction of apparent oral clearance (CL/F) for small-molecule inhibitors in the pediatric population using data obtained from adults. Two approaches were taken; a simple allometric regression model which considers no interdrug or interindividual variability and an allometric regression model with mixed-effects modeling where some variability parameters are included in the model. Average CL/F values were obtained for 15 drugs at various dosages from 31 literatures (a total of 139 data sets) conducted in adults and for 15 drugs from 26 literatures (62 data sets) conducted in children.

Analysis of Adverse Drug Reaction Risk in Elderly Patients Using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) Database.

In general, the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is higher in elderly patients than in younger patients. In this study, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the risks of possible drug-ADR combinations in elderly patients using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA, Japan) using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) as an index. Data recorded from April 2004 to September 2015 in the JADER database were downloaded from the PMDA website.

Time-Series Modeling and Simulation for Comparative Cost-Effective Analysis in Cancer Chemotherapy: An Application to Platinum-Based Regimens for Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

The purpose of this study was to propose a time-series modeling and simulation (M&S) strategy for probabilistic cost-effective analysis in cancer chemotherapy using a Monte-Carlo method based on data available from the literature. The simulation included the cost for chemotherapy, for pharmaceutical care for adverse events (AEs) and other medical costs. As an application example, we describe the analysis for the comparison of four regimens, cisplatin plus irinotecan, carboplatin plus paclitaxel, cisplatin plus gemcitabine (GP), and cisplatin plus vinorelbine, for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.