Intradiploic Arachnoid Cyst with Meningothelial Hyperplasia: A Case Report.

We report the case of a 40-year-old man presenting with focal headache and a bulge at the right parietal bone, diagnosed as an intradiploic arachnoid cyst. The cyst wall included "meningothelial hyperplasia," which is a rare finding. While over 40 cases of intradiploic arachnoid cysts have been reported to date, meningothelial hyperplasia in an intradiploic arachnoid cyst does not appear to have been reported.

Achilles Tendon Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Among Japanese Subjects.

Background: Difficulty in detecting and measuring Achilles tendon (AT) xanthomas may be responsible for underdiagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We aimed to determine a cutoff value for AT thickness (AT-T) using ultrasonography to diagnose FH, and to investigate the relationship between AT-T and atherosclerosis.

Methods and results: Ultrasonographic AT-T and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were evaluated in 130 genetically diagnosed FH patients and 155 non-FH patients.

Prevalence of Positive Diabetes-Associated Autoantibodies among Type 2 Diabetes and Related Metabolic and Inflammatory Differences in a Sample of the Bulgarian Population.

Background: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of unrecognized cases with positive autoantibodies among type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a sample of the Bulgarian population and to compare some metabolic and inflammatory markers to those of patients having negative autoantibodies and subjects with latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA).

Methods: Patients with T2D, patients with LADA, and control participants were enrolled. Antiglutamic acid decarboxylase, anti-insulinoma-associated 2, and antizinc transporter 8 autoantibodies were assayed through ELISA.

Enhanced Feedback-Related Negativity in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, results in the impairment of executive function, including that of performance monitoring. Feedback-related negativity (FRN) is an electrophysiological measure reflecting the activity of this monitoring system via feedback signals, and is generated from the anterior cingulate cortex. However, there have been no reports on FRN in AD.

Higher success rate with transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potentials using constant-voltage stimulation compared with constant-current stimulation in patients undergoing spinal surgery.

Background Context: During spine surgery, the spinal cord is electrophysiologically monitored via transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potentials (TES-MEPs) to prevent injury. Transcranial electrical stimulation of motor-evoked potential involves the use of either constant-current or constant-voltage stimulation; however, there are few comparative data available regarding their ability to adequately elicit compound motor action potentials. We hypothesized that the success rates of TES-MEP recordings would be similar between constant-current and constant-voltage stimulations in patients undergoing spine surgery.

Interferon-free therapy with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for successful treatment of genotype 2 hepatitis C virus with lichen planus: a case report.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains the main cause of liver disease and can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV may also develop extrahepatic manifestations in the skin, eyes, joints, kidneys, nervous system, and immune system. In fact, several studies reported that up to 70% of HCV patients experienced extrahepatic manifestations.

Pilot Study of Changes in Presepsin Concentrations Compared With Changes in Procalcitonin and C-Reactive Protein Concentrations After Cardiovascular Surgery.

Objective: The authors investigated the presepsin-concentration profile after cardiac surgery compared with those of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Design: A single-center, prospective, observational clinical study.

Setting: Hirosaki University Hospital.

Changes in brain natriuretic peptide in chronic heart failure patients treated with long-acting versus short-acting loop diuretics: J-MELODIC subanalysis.

We have previously reported that a long-acting loop diuretic, azosemide, reduces cardiovascular risks in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) as compared with a short-acting one, furosemide, in Japanese Multicenter Evaluation of LOng- versus short-acting Diuretics In Congestive heart failure (J-MELODIC). However, the mechanisms of the difference have not been elucidated. This study aimed to examine whether there is a difference in the reduction in plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and in left ventricular (LV) functional recovery between the CHF patients treated with the long-acting diuretic (the azosemide group) and the short-acting diuretic (the furosemide group).

Change in number and size of circulating tumor cells with high telomerase activity during treatment of patients with gastric cancer.

Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood is useful for estimating the prognosis of patients with cancer. We previously reported the detection of CTCs by OBP-401, a telomerase-specific, replication-selective, oncolytic adenoviral agent carrying the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. We demonstrated that the number of large (L)-GFP+ cells (≥7.

Gene analysis of six cases of congenital protein S deficiency and functional analysis of protein S mutations (A139V, C449F, R451Q, C475F, A525V and D599TfsTer13).

Congenital deficiency of protein S (PS), an anticoagulant factor, leads to venous thrombosis, with onset predominantly beginning in adolescence. In the present study, gene analysis of six unrelated Japanese families diagnosed with congenital PS deficiency identified five missense mutations in the PROS1 gene - c.757C>T (Ala139Val; A139V), c.

Enhancing the Detection of Dysmorphic Red Blood Cells and Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells with a Modified Urinalysis Protocol.

Urinary sediment is used to evaluate patients with possible urinary tract diseases. Currently, numerous protocols are applied to detect dysmorphic red blood cells (RBCs) and renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) in urinary sediment. However, distinct protocols are used by nephrologists and medical technologists for specimen concentration and observation, which leads to major discrepancies in the differential counts of formed elements such as dysmorphic RBCs and RTECs and might interfere with an accurate clinical diagnosis.

Myeloperoxidase in blood neutrophils during normal and abnormal menstrual cycles in women of reproductive age.

Introduction: We previously reported that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) plays a critical role in ovulation, suggesting that neutrophils may maintain ovulation. We assessed myeloperoxidase (MPO), a major and specific enzyme of neutrophils, in women with abnormal and normal menstrual cycles to clarify the relationship between MPO and ovulation.

Methods: We analyzed MPO activity in blood neutrophils of women with abnormal menstrual cycles (indicative of anovulation, n = 12) and age- and body mass index-matched normal menstrual cycles (indicative of ovulation, n = 24) using two parameters as a marker of MPO, Neut X and mean peroxidase index (MPXI).

One-year mortality after severe COPD exacerbation in Bulgaria.

Introduction: One-year mortality in COPD patients is reported to be between 4% and 43%, depending on the group examined.

Aim: To examine the one-year mortality in COPD patients after severe exacerbation and the correlation between mortality and patients' characteristics and comorbidities.

Methods: A total of 152 COPD patients hospitalized for severe exacerbation were assessed for vitamin D status, diabetes mellitus (DM), arterial hypertension (AH), and metabolic syndrome (MS).

Causative genetic mutations for antithrombin deficiency and their clinical background among Japanese patients.

We summarize causative genetic mutations for antithrombin (AT) deficiency and their clinical background in Japanese patients. A total of 19 mutations, including seven novel mutations, were identified. We also summarize clinical symptoms of thrombosis, age at onset, family history, and contributing factors for thrombosis, and review the use of prophylactic anticoagulation in pregnant women with heterozygous type II heparin binding site defects (HBS) AT deficiency.

IL-6 controls resistance to radiation by suppressing oxidative stress via the Nrf2-antioxidant pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: In promoting tumour malignancy IL-6 signalling is considered to have an important role. However, the biological roles of IL-6 on radiosensitivity in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain largely unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the effects and molecular mechanisms of IL-6 on radiosensitivity in OSCC.

Clinical significance of granule-containing myeloma cells in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The clinical features and prognostic significance of myeloma cells containing granules remain unclear. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the clinical significance of granule-containing myeloma cells in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). We retrospectively analyzed the records of 122 patients diagnosed with NDMM between January 2007 and December 2013.

Analysis of first-trimester combined test results in preparation for a cell-free fetal DNA era.

Objective: To survey experience with the first-trimester combined test (FCT) for trisomy 21 (T21) in different risk score groups to determine the most useful clinical application of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) screening.

Methods: In a retrospective study, the records of FCT results obtained at a center in Turkey between January 2009 and January 2014 were reviewed. The FCT results and rates of uptake of invasive diagnostic testing were compared among different risk score groups.

MicroRNA-331-3p Suppresses Cervical Cancer Cell Proliferation and E6/E7 Expression by Targeting NRP2.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in the development and progression of various types of cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-331-3p in cell proliferation and the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers of uterine cervical cancer cells. Moreover, we evaluated whether neuropilin 2 (NRP2) are putative target molecules that regulate the human papillomavirus (HPV) related oncoproteins E6 and E7.

Rapid species identification and epidemiological analysis of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. by a PCR-based open reading frame typing method.

The spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. has become a global problem. In this study, 18 carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (ACB) complexes, identified using a conventional biochemical method at our hospital during 2004-2013, were studied for species identification and epidemiological analyses.

Impact of weight gain on the evolution and regression of prediabetes: a quantitative analysis.

Background/objectives: The quantitative impact of weight gain on prediabetic glucose dysregulation remains unknown; only one study quantitated the impact of weight loss. We quantified the impact of weight gain on the evolution and regression of prediabetes (PDM).

Subjects/methods: In 4234 subjects without diabetes, using logistic regression analysis with a 4.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Hospitalized COPD Patients: Impact on Quality of Life and Lung Function.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is estimated to affect 2-37% of COPD patients, results varying widely between studies. DM may also correlate with quality of life and lung function.

Aim: To examine correlations between DM and quality of life and lung function in COPD patients admitted to hospital with exacerbation of COPD.

Serum Paraoxonase-1 Levels are Significantly Decreased in the Presence of Insulin Resistance.

Unlabelled: Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an extracellular esterase contributing to the anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of HDL and has a protective role in the progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to compare serum paraoxonase-1 levels between obese subjects with prediabetes and normal glucose tolerance.

Methods: In this study were included 76 patients with mean age 50.

Primacy of lowered baseline glomerular filtration rate as a risk for incident chronic kidney disease: A longitudinal study in Japanese subjects.

Aim: Risk profile for incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Japanese subjects has not been established. Our aim was to identify risk factors for CKD in Japanese.

Methods: Consecutive 171 536 health examinees (median age 49 years and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 78.