Analysis of 25 surgical cases of thymic neuroendocrine tumors and thymic carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of patients who underwent surgical resection for thymic neuroendocrine tumors (TNET) or thymic carcinoma.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics of our surgical patients at Fukuoka University Hospital from January 1995 to December 2018.

Results: There were nine cases of TNET and 16 cases of thymic carcinoma.

Evaluation of the radiofrequency identification lung marking system: a multicenter study in Japan.

Background: The radiofrequency identification (RFID) lung marking system is a novel technique using near-field radio-communication technology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility and feasibility of this system in the resection of small pulmonary nodules.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of 182 patients who underwent sublobar resection with the RFID marking system between March 2020 and November 2021 in six tertial hospitals in Japan.

Relationship between serum total carbon dioxide concentration and bicarbonate concentration in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Background: Few studies have investigated the relationship between serum total carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) concentration in patients undergoing hemodialysis. We determined the agreement and discrepancy between serum total CO2 and HCO3- concentrations and the diagnostic accuracy of serum total CO2 for the prediction of low (HCO3- < 24 mEq/L) and high (HCO3- ≥ 24 mEq/L) bicarbonate concentrations in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: One hundred forty-nine arteriovenous blood samples from 84 hemodialysis patients were studied.

Approximation of bicarbonate concentration using serum total carbon dioxide concentration in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease.

Background: We investigated the relationship between serum total carbon dioxide (CO) and bicarbonate ion (HCO) concentrations in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and devised a formula for predicting low bicarbonate (HCO < 24 mmol/L) and high bicarbonate (HCO ≥ 24 mmol/L) using clinical parameters.

Methods: In total, 305 samples of venous blood collected from 207 pre-dialysis patients assessed by CKD stage (G1 + G2, 46; G3, 50; G4, 51; G5, 60) were investigated. The relationship between serum total CO and HCO concentrations was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient.

A case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a patient undergoing automated peritoneal dialysis.

A 44-year-old man undergoing automated peritoneal dialysis (PD) developed headache and dizziness with truncal ataxia and ataxic gait. Severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure/diastolic pressure: 193/83 mm Hg) and lower extremity edema were present, and his PD efficiency (weekly KT/V: 1.49) was inadequate.

Efficacy and safety of adding mizoribine to standard treatment in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Mizoribine (MZR) is an immunosuppressive drug used in Japan for treating patients with lupus nephritis and nephrotic syndrome and has been also reportedly effective in patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. However, to date, few randomized control studies of MZR are performed in patients with IgA nephropathy. Therefore, this prospective, open-label, randomized, controlled trial aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of adding MZR to standard treatment in these patients, and was conducted between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2016, as a multicenter study.

New Method for the Approximation of Corrected Calcium Concentrations in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

The following conventional calcium correction formula (Payne) is broadly applied for serum calcium estimation: corrected total calcium (TCa) (mg/dL) = TCa (mg/dL) + (4 - albumin (g/dL)); however, it is inapplicable to chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. A total of 2503 venous samples were collected from 942 all-stage CKD patients, and levels of TCa (mg/dL), ionized calcium ([iCa(2+) ] mmol/L), phosphate (mg/dL), albumin (g/dL), and pH, and other clinical parameters were measured. We assumed corrected TCa (the gold standard) to be equal to eight times the iCa(2+) value (measured corrected TCa).

Low-density lipoprotein apheresis ameliorates monthly estimated glomerular filtration rate declines in patients with renal cholesterol crystal embolism.

The incidence of cholesterol crystal embolism (CCE) has increased along with increases in the prevalence of atheromatous diseases and intravascular procedures. CCE frequently results in the deterioration of renal function, which sometimes leads to end-stage renal failure. Although there has been no established therapy for CCE, the possibility that low-density lipoprotein apheresis (LDL-A) is an effective therapy for renal CCE was previously reported.