Publications by authors named "Yuna Ku"

Background/purpose Of This Study: It has been recommended that individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) be vaccinated against Coronavirus disease - 19 (COVID-19). Recently, we documented the incidence of side effects (SEs) after COVID-19 immunization among individuals with IBD in Japan. However, the study did not show differences between the types of IBD or the patients' clinical backgrounds.

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complex (MAC) is an important cause of opportunistic infections in immunosuppressed hosts, such as patients with HIV infection and solid organ transplant recipients. MAC disease usually presents in 4 distinct clinical categories: chronic pulmonary disease, disseminated disease, skin/soft-tissue infection, and superficial lymphadenitis. However, clinical reports on gastrointestinal (GI) MAC disease are rare, especially in patients without HIV infection or a history of organ transplantation.

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Background: Amino acid transporters play an important role in supplying nutrition to cells and are associated with cell proliferation. L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is highly expressed in many types of cancers and promotes tumor growth; however, how LAT1 affects tumor development is not fully understood.

Methods: To investigate the role of LAT1 in intestinal tumorigenesis, mice carrying LAT1 floxed alleles that also expressed Cre recombinase from the promoter of gene encoding Villin were crossed to an Apc background (LAT1; vil-cre; Apc), which were subject to analysis; organoids derived from those mice were also analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) showed more hesitation to get the COVID-19 vaccine compared to the general population, highlighting a need for detailed information about vaccine side effects to encourage vaccination.
  • A survey conducted in Japan found that a high percentage of IBD patients had received multiple doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with many reporting side effects, particularly fever, chills, and headaches.
  • The study's results indicate that understanding these side effects can help alleviate concerns and promote vaccination among IBD patients.
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Article Synopsis
  • Behçet's disease (BD) is a recurring inflammatory condition that affects multiple systems, and anti-TNFα agents are used to treat severe or resistant cases of intestinal BD.
  • A study analyzed the medical records of 29 patients treated with anti-TNFα agents from January 2009 to June 2020, finding that 75.9% continued treatment for 48 weeks, and notable rates of marked improvement and mucosal healing were observed.
  • The research concluded that while many patients continued treatment, a higher baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) level (≥1 mg/dL) was linked to a greater likelihood of discontinuation.
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Daikenchuto (TU-100) is herbal medicine which predominantly contains ginger, Japanese pepper, and ginseng. We investigated whether TU-100 can affect the composition of gut flora and intestinal tumor development using Apc mice, a murine model of intestinal tumor. Bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis were performed on faecal samples.

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Autoimmune enteropathy (AIE) is a rare disease, characterized by intractable diarrhea, villous atrophy of the small intestine, and the presence of circulating anti-enterocyte autoantibodies. Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome, and mutations in FOXP3, which is a master gene of regulatory T cells (Tregs), are major causes of AIE. Recent studies have demonstrated that mutations in other Treg-associated genes, such as CD25 and CTLA4, show an IPEX-like phenotype.

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Background/aims: While some studies have shown that IFX and TAC exhibit similar efficacy against UC in the short-term, it is unclear which drug produces better long-term outcomes. In this study, we compared the long-term efficacy of IFX and TAC in patients with moderate to severe UC.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from 2009 to 2017.

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Aims: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the clinicopathological significance of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-33 expression in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (iCCAs) and perihilar cholangiocarcinomas (pCCAs).

Methods And Results: IL-6 and IL-33 mRNA expression levels were examined in iCCAs (n = 55) and pCCAs (n = 32) by the use of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and a highly sensitive in-situ hybridisation protocol (RNAscope), and expression levels were correlated with clinicopathological features. According to a recently proposed classification scheme, iCCAs were separated into small-duct (n = 33) and large-duct (n = 22) types.

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Background And Aims: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most frequently prescribed medications. Side effects including an increased risk of intestinal infections have been reported. It is assumed that PPIs can increase susceptibility to enteropathogens; however, the underlying mechanisms are unknown.

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Type 2 autoimmune pancreatitis (type 2 AIP) develops in isolation or sometimes in association with ulcerative colitis. Its diagnosis requires the histologic confirmation of granulocytic epithelial lesions (GELs) with no diagnostic biomarker currently available. This study aimed to elucidate the tissue expression of cytokines and their diagnostic value in this condition.

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