Opioidergic activation of the descending pain inhibitory system underlies placebo analgesia.

Placebo analgesia is caused by inactive treatment, implicating endogenous brain function involvement. However, the neurobiological basis remains unclear. In this study, we found that μ-opioid signals in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activate the descending pain inhibitory system to initiate placebo analgesia in neuropathic pain rats.

Impacts of donor age and HLA mismatch on HCT outcomes differ according to the donor CMV serostatus in unrelated allo-HCT.

In unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), older and/or HLA-mismatched donors are known risk factors for survival outcomes. In healthy individuals, cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity is associated with impaired adaptive immune systems. We assessed whether the adverse effects of donor risk factors are influenced by the donor CMV serostatus.

Perilymphatic fistula caused by Eustachian tube air inflation.

We present a case of a perilymphatic fistula (PLF) caused by Eustachian tube air inflation (ETAI) that was diagnosed using cochlin-tomoprotein (CTP) testing and successfully treated using transcanal endoscopic ear surgery to seal the inner ear window. A 77-year-old woman developed hearing loss and dizziness after undergoing ETAI at a local ear, nose, and throat clinic. Despite initial bed rest and steroid pulse therapy, the hearing did not improve, and transcanal endoscopic ear surgery was performed to repair the PLF.

Changes in the pharmacokinetics of lurasidone in a pregnant woman with schizophrenia.

Background: The population of pregnant women with schizophrenia is increasing. Managing schizophrenia during pregnancy poses unique challenges due to the potential effects of second-generation antipsychotics on maternal mental health and fetal development and changes in drug pharmacokinetics. Evidence on how physiological changes during pregnancy affect the levels of second-generation antipsychotics, particularly lurasidone, is limited.

Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation in the Asia-Pacific region: APBMT Activity Survey 2020/2021.

COVID-19 became a global pandemic in 2020 and significantly affected the activity of hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) worldwide. Despite these challenges, a total of 28,793 transplants, including 18,518 allogeneic and 10,275 autologous transplants, were performed in 719 facilities in 2020 in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region. This represented a 5.

Anti-integrin αvβ6 antibody as a biomarker for diagnosing ulcerative colitis: a nationwide multicenter validation study.

Background: A serum biomarker for diagnosing ulcerative colitis (UC) remains to be established. Although we recently reported an anti-integrin αvβ6 antibody (V6 Ab) for diagnosing UC with high sensitivity and specificity, no large-scale validation study exists. This study aimed to validate the diagnostic value of V6 Ab for UC using a nationwide multicenter cohort study.

Effect of repeated hot and cold stimulation for the neck and shoulders on muscle fatigue recovery: a pilot study.

Increased use of electronic devices such as smartphones has led to an increase in neck and shoulder stiffness to the forefront of the public people. It is said that prolonged posture with the head tilted forward causes excessive muscle activity in the head and neck region, resulting in muscle fatigue symptoms such as stiff shoulders. Various bathing methods have been proposed as a means of recovering from muscle stiffness, and in particular, contrast water therapy (CWT) is said to be highly effective in recovering from muscle fatigue.

Machine learning evaluation of intensified conditioning on haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Background: The advantage of intensified myeloablative conditioning (MAC) over standard MAC has not been determined in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients.

Methods: To evaluate heterogeneous effects of intensified MAC among individuals, we analyzed the registry database of adult ALL patients between 2000 and 2021. After propensity score matching, we applied a machine-learning Bayesian causal forest algorithm to develop a prediction model of individualized treatment effect (ITE) of intensified MAC on reduction in overall mortality at 1 year after HSCT.

Different impacts of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration on allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant outcomes for adult acute myeloid leukemia according to graft type.

We retrospectively evaluated the impacts of using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and its timing on posttransplant outcomes for 9766 adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) between 2013 and 2022 using a Japanese database. We separately evaluated three distinct cohorts based on graft type: 3248 received bone marrow transplantation (BMT), 3066 received peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), and 3452 received single-unit cord blood transplantation (CBT). Multivariate analysis showed that G-CSF administration significantly accelerated neutrophil recovery after BMT, PBSCT, and CBT.

Association between early anti-cytomegalovirus therapy and the incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Ganciclovir and foscarnet are two representative anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) agents. A previous regional study revealed a lower risk of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients who received pre-emptive foscarnet. We conducted a retrospective nationwide study to confirm the results.

Dairy Intake and All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk in A Large Japanese Population: A 12-Year Follow-Up of the J-MICC Study.

Aim: We examined the association between dairy intake and all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality in a cohort of the general population followed up for 12 years across Japan.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 79,715 participants from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort study (57.2% women, mean age 54.

Coherent Raman microscopy visualizes ongoing cellular senescence through amide I peak shifts originating from β sheets in disordered nucleolar proteins.

Cellular senescence occurs through the accumulation of many kinds of stresses. Senescent cells in tissues also cause various age-related disorders. Therefore, detecting them without labeling is beneficial for medical research and developing diagnostic methods.

SMN2 gene copy number affects the incidence and prognosis of motor neuron diseases in Japan.

Background: The copy number status (CNS) of the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene may influence the risk and prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and lower motor neuron diseases (LMND) other than spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). However, previous studies of this association, mainly from Europe, have yielded controversial results, suggesting possible regional differences. Here, we investigated the effect of the SMN gene in Japanese patients with ALS and LMND.

Outcome of donor lymphocyte infusion after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relapsed myelodysplastic syndrome.

Background Aims: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improves outcomes for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, but relapse rates remain high, and postrelapse treatment options are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the factors contributing to the response to donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in relapsed MDS patients post-HSCT.

Methods: This study included 107 patients with relapsed and DLI-treated MDS who underwent their first HSCT between 2002 and 2022 and were registered in the Transplant Registry Unified Program.

Comparing de novo chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic phase with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Background: De novo chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic phase (CML-BP) showing lymphoid immunophenotype mimics Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-positive ALL). Although upfront allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is considered in both diseases, it is not yet clear whether the transplant outcomes are also similar.

Methods: Using a registry database, the transplant outcomes between de novo CML-BP and Ph-positive ALL in negative-minimal residual disease (MRD), positive MRD, and nonremission cohorts were compared, respectively.

Causes of death in Japanese patients with diabetes based on the results of survey of 68,555 cases during 2011-2020: committee report on causes of death in diabetes mellitus, Japan Diabetes Society (English version).

The principal causes of death among 68,555 patients with diabetes and 164,621 patients without diabetes who died in 208 hospitals throughout Japan between 2011 and 2020 were determined based on a survey of hospital records. 1. The most frequent cause of death in patients with diabetes was malignant neoplasms (38.

Female-to-male allogeneic transplantation affects outcomes differently according to the type of haplo-transplantation.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a female donor to a male recipient (female-to-male allo-HCT) is a well-established risk factor for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and non-relapse mortality (NRM). The inferior outcomes of female-to-male allo-HCT are considered to be due to allo-immunity against H-Y antigens. However, the influence of minor histocompatibility antigens in haplo-identical allo-HCT remains to be elucidated.

Catecholamines Attenuate LPS-Induced Inflammation through β2 Adrenergic Receptor Activation- and PKA Phosphorylation-Mediated TLR4 Downregulation in Macrophages.

Inflammation is a tightly regulated process involving immune receptor recognition, immune cell migration, inflammatory mediator secretion, and pathogen elimination, all essential for combating infection and restoring damaged tissue. However, excessive inflammatory responses drive various human diseases. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is known to regulate inflammatory responses; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying this regulation remain incompletely understood.