Publications by authors named "Yuri Matsubara"
Article Synopsis
- Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) and juvenile polyposis syndrome (JPS) are hereditary conditions linked to a high risk of cancer, but their prevalence and incidence in Japan were previously unknown.
- A nationwide survey in 2022 revealed that there are an estimated 701 patients with PJS and 188 with JPS in Japan, with low prevalence and incidence rates highlighted.
- Results also showed a higher male representation in both conditions and indicated a need for further research on clinical details and outcomes associated with these syndromes.
Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) presents some clinical overlap with Kawasaki disease (KD). Although KD is common in Japan, the clinical characteristics of MIS-C in Japan remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to determine the epidemiological and clinical features of MIS-C in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevalence, Clinical Profiles, and Prognosis of Stiff-Person Syndrome in a Japanese Nationwide Survey.
Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm
November 2023
Background And Objectives: To elucidate current epidemiologic, clinical, and immunologic profiles and treatments of stiff-person syndrome (SPS) in Japan.
Methods: A nationwide mail survey was conducted using an established method. Data processing sheets were sent to randomly selected departments of internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and neurosurgery in hospitals and clinics throughout Japan to identify patients with SPS who were seen between January 2015 and December 2017.
Objective: We conducted a nationwide epidemiological study to estimate the number of patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) in Japan and to describe the clinical characteristics of these patients.
Methods: The first survey was designed to estimate the number of patients with TAK and GCA who were treated at medical institutions in Japan in 2017. The second survey was designed to collect data on the clinical characteristics of the patients who were reported in the first survey.
Article Synopsis
- A study followed 6,576 individuals with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) over an average of 30 years to assess long-term outcomes, particularly mortality.
- 68 deaths were recorded, revealing that while the overall mortality rate was not higher than the general population, those with cardiac complications had a significantly increased risk of death.
- The findings suggest that further follow-up is needed to understand the impact of KD on heart health as patients age, especially regarding atherosclerosis risk.
Importance: Global studies have reported that the incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. These studies suggest that the global pandemic and its accompanying mitigation measures may provide an important opportunity to explore the hypothesis of a KD pathogenesis.
Objective: To compare changes in KD incidence in Japan before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated how well two different echocardiographic criteria (Japanese and Z score) detect coronary artery (CA) abnormalities in Kawasaki disease (KD) using a large dataset from Japan's 25th nationwide KD survey, which included over 30,000 patients from multiple hospitals.
- The analysis found that larger hospitals, which often had more specialized staff, were more likely to use Z score criteria, which showed significantly higher sensitivity for detecting CA dilatations and aneurysms compared to Japanese criteria, particularly in younger patients.
- Overall, the findings suggest that the effectiveness of these criteria in detecting CA issues depends on the size of the abnormalities and the patient's age, with Z score criteria being more reliable for certain cases.
Article Synopsis
- Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels serve as a potential indicator of initial IVIG resistance in Kawasaki disease, but their reliability varies depending on the timing of examination after disease onset.
- In a study of over 18,000 Kawasaki disease patients in Japan, serum ALT peaked at day 4 and then decreased, showing a significant correlation with IVIG resistance for patients assessed within the first 5 days.
- For those evaluated later (6-10 days post-onset), ALT levels did not show a significant relationship with IVIG resistance, suggesting early assessment is crucial for risk evaluation.
Objective: This nationwide study aimed to reveal the prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-ax SpA), and the positivity rate of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) among such patients in Japan.
Methods: The first survey was conducted in 2221 randomly selected facilities (26.3%) in September 2018, where the patients with AS/nr-ax SpA were taken care of from January to December 2017.
Article Synopsis
- * A study analyzed over 21,600 KD patients in Japan, finding that 3.6% of infants and 1.8% of older patients developed CALs, with infants showing a higher likelihood at normal sodium levels.
- * The research indicated that low serum sodium (≤130 mEq/L) significantly raises the risk of CALs in both groups, but the association with sodium levels varies, indicating that risk assessments should treat infants and older patients differently.
Article Synopsis
- - The study analyzed data from 89,725 patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) in Japan from 2011-2018 to explore clinical characteristics of patients with siblings who also had the disease.
- - Of these patients, 2% had a sibling history of KD, which was significantly linked to recurrence of the disease and parental history, suggesting a possible genetic predisposition.
- - Male patients with a sibling history were less likely to experience recurrent KD compared to females, and while there was an association between sibling history and treatment resistance, it did not correlate with the development of coronary artery abnormalities.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined data from a nationwide survey of Kawasaki disease (KD) patients in Japan, focusing on those with coronary artery lesions (CALs) detected during their initial echocardiography.
- Results showed that 3.6% of patients had CALs, with younger patients (<12 months) and older patients (≥60 months) being more likely to have CALs.
- Delayed hospital visits significantly increased the risk of CAL detection, especially after 7 days of illness, indicating the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment for KD patients.
Article Synopsis
- A study analyzed data from over 90,000 patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease (KD) in Japan to understand the risk factors for developing giant coronary artery (CA) aneurysms, a serious heart condition that can occur after KD.
- Out of the patients, 144 (0.16%) developed giant CA aneurysms, with prevalence rates staying consistent from 2011 to 2018.
- Key risk factors for these complications included male sex, recurrent KD, timing of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment, initial echocardiography findings, and resistance to IVIG treatment.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to determine if redness and crusting at the BCG vaccination site (BCGitis) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) could indicate a higher risk of heart problems.
- Researchers analyzed data from a large national survey in Japan involving over 17,000 KD patients to explore the relationship between BCGitis and cardiac complications.
- Results showed that while BCGitis appeared less common in patients who developed heart issues, this association became insignificant when considering treatment factors, suggesting BCGitis is not an independent risk factor for cardiac complications but may be influenced by timely treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Previous studies showed conflicting results about the effectiveness of adding corticosteroids to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for treating Kawasaki disease (KD), particularly in preventing heart issues.
- By analyzing extensive data from national surveys in Japan, researchers found that patients receiving the combination treatment had significantly lower rates of coronary artery abnormalities (4.6% vs. 8.8%) and treatment failure (14.1% vs. 21.7%) compared to those on standard IVIG.
- The combination treatment was estimated to reduce the risk of coronary abnormalities by 47% and treatment failure by 35%, suggesting that corticosteroids may be beneficial for high-risk KD patients.
Article Synopsis
- Previous research shows that coronary artery lesions (CALs) from Kawasaki disease (KD) can improve over time, but there’s little information on their condition right after diagnosis.
- A study of 2024 patients found that 76.5% had improved CALs within 30 days of treatment, while only 4.2% showed progression.
- Factors leading to worse outcomes included larger CAL sizes, older age (≥60 months), recurrent KD, parental history, and delays in treatment initiation.
Article Synopsis
- A nationwide survey in Japan reported on Kawasaki disease, collecting data from pediatric hospitals biennially since 1970, with the latest data from 2017-2018.
- The survey identified 32,528 patients, with an increase in cases, especially in children aged 0-4, and noted that about 19.7% of those treated with intravenous immunoglobulin did not respond.
- Although the total annual incidence of Kawasaki disease rose, the percentage of patients experiencing cardiac complications declined in the last two decades, likely due to improved early diagnosis and treatment advancements.
Background: Some patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) develop cardiac sequelae, which increase the risk of subsequent ischemic heart events. Knowing the cumulative incidence (CI) of KD with cardiac sequelae may contribute to developing health policies to prevent subsequent ischemic events in these patients.
Methods: Study participants consisted of 254 984 patients aged 0-9 years with KD who were registered in nationwide surveys in Japan from 1991-2016.
Article Synopsis
- Platelet count is a potential biomarker for coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) in Kawasaki disease (KD), but past research has shown mixed results, which this study aims to clarify using a large dataset from Japan.
- Conducting a retrospective cohort study of over 25,000 KD patients, the researchers evaluated platelet trends and performed logistic regression to assess the relationship between platelet counts and CAAs, factoring in IVIG treatment responsiveness.
- The findings indicated that abnormal platelet counts—both high at admission and low after hospitalization—increased the risk of CAAs, highlighting the importance of monitoring platelet levels in KD management.
Objective: Few studies have reported the influence of clinical background factors on the outcome of eradication therapy in primary care practice. We aimed to determine which clinical background factors influence the outcome of eradication therapy in a primary care setting.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients who received eradication therapy at Higashiohmi City Gamo Medical Center, Shiga, Japan, from January 2012 to December 2015.
Background: Evidence suggests that seasonal variation in the onset of Kawasaki disease (KD) exists worldwide. Whether a seasonal component to successful i.v.
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- The prevalence of food allergies in Japan is increasing, but accurate numbers are unclear; this study aims to estimate the food allergy population and improve investigation methods.
- Using government data and statistics, the research found significant discrepancies in self-reported food allergy cases versus physician-diagnosed ones, with infants having 800,000 self-reports but only 300,000-500,000 confirmed diagnoses.
- The study suggests enhancing diagnosis methods for children with questionnaires and proposes comprehensive surveys for adults to better understand food allergy prevalence and patterns.
Background: Acute encephalopathy causes various sequelae, including motor disabilities and intellectual delays. Previous studies reported that cognitive impairments can also occur after acute encephalitis. Although the incidence of acute encephalopathy is high in Japan, there have been few reports on its sequelae.
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