Prospective changes in financial toxicity and health-related quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancer.

Background: Financial toxicity impacts the treatment choices, daily life, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients. We investigated future variations in financial toxicity and HRQoL of patients with gynecologic cancer, evaluated using the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) questionnaire.

Methods: This multicenter study enrolled patients with gynecologic cancer incurring co-payments for anti-cancer drug treatment for over 2 months.

Myeloperoxidase-Associated Membranous Nephropathy in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis.

Introduction: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis (GN) is characterized by pauci-immune crescentic GN. Myeloperoxidase ANCA-associated GN (MPO-ANCA GN) with membranous nephropathy (MN), where bright granular capillary MPO and IgG staining along the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) is present, has been reported; however, its clinicopathological features remain unclear.

Methods: We investigated 7 MPO-ANCA GN with MN and 11 control cases (6 MPO-ANCA GN and 5 primary MN cases).

Predominant CD8 cell infiltration and low accumulation of regulatory T cells in immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced tubulointerstitial nephritis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can provide survival benefits to cancer patients; however, they sometimes result in the development of renal immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) is the most representative pathological feature of renal irAEs. However, the clinicopathological entity and underlying pathogenesis of ICI-induced TIN are unclear.

Factors associated with financial toxicity in patients with breast cancer in Japan: a comparison of patient and physician perspectives.

Background: Financial toxicity (FT) is a notable concern for patients with breast cancer worldwide. The situation regarding FT in Japan, however, has not been well explored. This study examined FT in patients with breast cancer in Japan and presented an overview of the group study's overall findings.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors associated granulomatous small vessel vasculitis accompanied with tubulointerstitial nephritis: a case report.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have provided significant benefits in cancer treatment, but they could develop immune-related adverse events (irAE). ICI-associated renal adverse effects are rare and tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) is the most common in the renal irAE. However, only a few case reports of renal vasculitis associated with ICI have been reported.

Association between financial toxicity and health-related quality of life of patients with gynecologic cancer.

Objectives: Patients often struggle with their financial situation during cancer treatment due to treatment-related costs or loss of income. This resulting negative effect is called financial toxicity, which is a known as a side effect of cancer care. This study aimed to evaluate the association between financial toxicity and health-related quality of life among patients with gynecologic cancer using validated questionnaires.

Use of Anticancer Therapies and Economic Burden Near the End of Life in Japan: Results From Claims Database.

Purpose: In patients with cancer, aggressive treatment near the end of life (EOL) may decrease quality of life and increase medical costs. In this study, we examined the use of anticancer therapies near the EOL in Japan.

Methods: We used a commercial database of health insurance claims in Japan, to examine patient data on cancer and death until August 2020.

The reduced number of nephrons with shortening renal tubules in mouse postnatal adverse environment.

Background: The intrauterine adverse environment during nephrogenesis reduces the nephron number, probably associates with impaired ureteric bud (UB) branching.

Methods: The kidneys in C57/BL6 mice were irradiated with a single dose of 10 gray (10 Gy) as adverse environment on postnatal day 3 (irradiated PND3 kidneys) after UB branching ceased. The renal functions and pathological findings of irradiated PND3 kidneys were compared with those of non-irradiated control and 10 Gy irradiation on PND14 (irradiated PND14 kidney) from 1 to 18 months.

Heavy Metal Enhancement Technique for Diaminobenzidine in Immunohistochemistry Enables Ultrastructural Observation by Low-vacuum Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM) is a powerful tool that allows to observe light microscopic specimens with periodic acid-silver methenamine (PAM) staining at a higher magnification, simply by removing the coverslip. However, it is not suitable for observation of immunohistochemistry (IHC) using 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) due to insufficient backscattered electron image. Traditional heavy metal enhancement techniques for DAB in IHC, (1) osmium tetroxide and iron, (2) cobalt, (3) methenamine silver (Ag), (4) gold chloride (Gold), and (5) both Ag and Gold (Ag + Gold), were examined by LV-SEM.

Validity of the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) in patients with gynecologic cancer.

Objective: Financial toxicity is a financial burden of cancer care itself, which leads to worse quality of life and higher mortality and is considered an adverse effect. The COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) tool is a patient-reported outcome measurement used to evaluate financial toxicity. We aimed to validate the internal consistency and reproducibility of the COST tool in patients with gynecologic cancer.

Uterine leiomyosarcomas with osteoclast-like giant cells associated with high expression of RUNX2 and RANKL.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) with osteoclast-like giant cells (OLGCs) has been reported as a rare phenomenon in ULMS, and its clinico-pathological features and tumorigenesis remain unclear. We recently reported high expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) in ULMS with OLGCs. As osteoblasts produce RANKL, in this study, we analyzed the expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), a critical transcription factor for osteoblasts, and osteoclast-related proteins in three cases of ULMS with OLGCs as well as five conventional ULMSs and nine leiomyomas.

T-cell lymphoma with a granulomatous lesion of the lungs after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a unique rare case of metachronous B-cell and T-cell lymphoma.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of malignancies, most notably lymphomas. Especially in the background of immunodeficiency, such as primary immunodeficiency disorder (PID) and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), the role of EBV might be crucial. PIDs are rare heterogeneous diseases affecting the development and/or the function of the innate and adaptive immune system.

Patient and National Economic Burden of Dengue in Japan: Results from Japanese National Claims Database.

Dengue fever is a predominantly imported infectious disease in Japan. However, domestic dengue infections were found in 2014. The economic burden of dengue is informative to formulate a policy toward its control.

Clinical Management of Patients with Dengue Infection in Japan: Results from National Database of Health Insurance Claims.

Dengue guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control (WHO, 2011) recommend acetaminophen and isotonic fluid for patients with dengue infection but do not recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and hypotonic fluid. Other research showed no evidence of efficacy of platelet infusion in prophylactic. This research aims to clarify to what extent dengue patients were managed in accordance with the guidelines in Japan.

Effect of H treatment in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), a primary cause of mortality in patients with RA, has limited treatment options. A previously established RA model in D1CC transgenic mice aberrantly expressed major histocompatibility complex class II genes in joints, developing collagen II-induced polyarthritis and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and interstitial pneumonitis, similar to those in humans. Molecular hydrogen (H ) is an efficient antioxidant that permeates cell membranes and alleviates the reactive oxygen species-induced injury implicated in RA pathogenesis.

Molecular hydrogen attenuates gefitinib-induced exacerbation of naphthalene-evoked acute lung injury through a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation.

Although inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated cell signaling by the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib is highly effective against advanced non-small cell lung cancer, this drug might promote severe acute interstitial pneumonia. We previously reported that molecular hydrogen (H) acts as a therapeutic and preventive anti-oxidant. Here, we show that treatment with H effectively protects the lungs of mice from severe damage caused by oral administration of gefitinib after intraperitoneal injection of naphthalene, the toxicity of which is related to oxidative stress.

Pathologic glomerular characteristics and glomerular basement membrane alterations in biopsy-proven thin basement membrane nephropathy.

Background: Thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) is diagnosed by diffuse thinning of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) without any clinical and pathologic findings of Alport syndrome and the other renal diseases. TBMN is characterized clinically by benign familial hematuria but rarely develops into end-stage renal disease.

Methods: In 27 cases of biopsy-proven TBMN, we evaluated the pathologic characteristics of TBMN, and examined the correlation between these pathologic characterizations and renal dysfunction.

Impact of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies and glomerular neutrophil activation on glomerulonephritis in experimental myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis.

Background: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) and neutrophil interactions play important roles in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) pathogenesis. However, mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of crescent formation in ANCA-associated vasculitis have not been completely elucidated. To ascertain the involvement of these interactions in necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (NCGN), we used an AAV rat model and investigated the effects of the anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibody (Ab) titer, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and subnephritogenic anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) Abs, as proinflammatory stimuli.

Pharmacokinetics of Levodopa before and after Gastrointestinal Resection in Parkinson's Disease.

Introduction: Levodopa (LD) is important in the clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), and the changes of its pharmacokinetics may affect the clinical outcome. LD is mainly absorbed in the upper intestine; thus, the pharmacokinetics of LD may change after gastrointestinal operation. Here, we present the case of a patient who underwent resection of the intestine and compared his LD pharmacokinetics before and after resection.

Acute graft-versus-host disease of the kidney in allogeneic rat bone marrow transplantation.

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell or bone marrow transplantation (BMT) causes graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). However, the involvement of the kidney in acute GVHD is not well-understood. Acute GVHD was induced in Lewis rats (RT1l) by transplantation of Dark Agouti (DA) rat (RT1(a)) bone marrow cells (6.

Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin G3κ deposits in association with parvovirus B19 infection.

Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin G deposits is a recently described disease entity, characterized by nonorganized electron-dense deposits in glomeruli and immunofluorescence findings indicating monoclonal immunoglobulin G deposits. The pathogenesis of many cases of proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin G deposits remains unknown. We herein report 2 patients with parvovirus B19 infection who developed acute nephritic syndrome with hypocomplementemia (patient 1) or persistent proteinuria and congestive heart failure (patient 2); however, neither patient had detectable levels of serum monoclonal immunoglobulin G.