Impact of Underdosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Underdoses of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are sometimes prescribed due to bleeding risk concerns in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the prevalence of DOAC underdosing and its impact on clinical outcomes in AF patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: This multicenter observational cohort study enrolled patients with AF on DOAC undergoing PCI between January 2015 and March 2021 at 15 institutions across Japan.

Generation of short-term follow-up chest CT images using a latent diffusion model in COVID-19.

Purpose: Despite a global decrease in the number of COVID-19 patients, early prediction of the clinical course for optimal patient care remains challenging. Recently, the usefulness of image generation for medical images has been investigated. This study aimed to generate short-term follow-up chest CT images using a latent diffusion model in patients with COVID-19.

A phase 2 clinical trial of luspatercept in non-transfusion-dependent patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Luspatercept has shown durable clinical efficacy for the treatment of anemia in transfusion-dependent patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS). We report the results of a prespecified primary analysis of a phase 2 trial of luspatercept in non-transfusion-dependent (NTD) Japanese patients with anemia due to LR-MDS. Luspatercept (starting dose 1.

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.

Comparison of the ability of different quantitative indices in I-FP-CIT single-photon emission computed tomography to differentiate dopaminergic neurodegenerative disease.

Purpose: By imaging dopamine transporter (DAT) uptake in the striatum, I-FP-CIT SPECT can differentiate dopaminergic neurodegenerative disease (dNDD) and non-dNDD, which differ in pathophysiology and clinical management. Our aim was to compare and validate the diagnostic abilities of various I-FP-CIT SPECT quantitative indices for dNDD.

Materials And Methods: Distribution volume ratio (DVR) and binding ratio (BR), measures of DAT uptake capacity, were measured by analyzing clinical I-FP-CIT SPECT images of 29 patients with dNDD, including dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease, and 18 patients with non-dNDD, using Montreal Neurological Institute space-based anatomical standardization and an atlas template, which utilizes statistical parametric mapping.

Intraoperative fluoroscopic confirmation of the knee improves the accuracy of stem anteversion in total hip arthroplasty with direct anterior approach using traction table.

Background: Stem anteversion (SA) in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is crucial for postoperative outcomes, affecting dislocation risk and hip function. Accurate SA placement is challenged by intraoperative estimation methods, with discrepancies reported between predicted and true SA. This study investigates the effect of conventional methods and intraoperative fluoroscopic confirmation on SA accuracy in THA performed with a direct anterior approach using a traction table.

Allogeneic stem cell transplant with TBI-based myeloablative conditioning in adolescents and young adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL treated with pediatric protocols.

To investigate the safety of total body irradiation-based myeloablative conditioning (TBI-MAC) in adolescent and young adult (AYA) Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated with pediatric protocols, treatment outcomes of 106 AYA patients aged 16-39 years old undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) with TBI-MAC in the first remission were compared according to chemotherapy types before transplant. Pediatric and adult protocols were used in 56 and 50 of the patients, respectively. The cumulative incidence (CI) of non-relapse mortality (NRM) and the overall survival (OS) rates were not significantly different between the pediatric-protocol and adult-protocol group (NRM: 4 % vs.

Effects of Xanthine Oxidase Inhibition by Febuxostat on Lipid Profiles of Patients with Hyperuricemia: Insights from Randomized PRIZE Study.

Although patients with hyperuricemia and gout often have dyslipidemia, the effects of febuxostat, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, on their lipid profiles are unclear. Thus, we performed a sub-analysis of the randomized PRIZE study in which the effects of febuxostat on carotid atherosclerosis were investigated in patients with hyperuricemia. The participants were randomized to the febuxostat or control group.

Long-term outcome of regional cooperation pathway after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early detection of new gastric cancer.

Objectives: The Cancer Control Act requires the maintenance of regional cooperation pathways (RCP) for cancer treatment. In 2008, we started RCP for early detection of new gastric cancer after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). In gastric cancer treatment, RCP after surgical resection had been widely used, but little is known about RCP after ESD.

Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by : a case report.

Background: While is well known for its potential to cause acne vulgaris, postsurgical infections, and other human infections, few reports have described infections. Thus, the clinical characteristics of as an infectious disease are not well understood. Herein, we describe the characteristics of a case of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by .

Survival impact of response within the first year in a multicenter prospective observational study of chronic GVHD in a Japanese cohort.

A prospective multicenter observational study of organ response was conducted in patients with chronic GVHD diagnosed by the NIH criteria. When response was assessed at 12 months (12 M) in 118 patients, 74.6% were classified as responders and 25.

Efficacy and safety of biosimilar infliximab in bio-naïve patients with Crohn's disease.

Background And Study Aims: The infliximab biosimilar CT-P13 was the first biosimilar drug targeting tumor necrosis factor-α. However, its efficacy and safety in real-world clinical situations have remained insufficient. Therefore, we aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of CT-P13 in bio-naïve patients with Crohn's disease.

A phase 1/2 study of NS-87/CPX-351 (cytarabine and daunorubicin liposome) in Japanese patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia.

Objectives: NS-87/CPX-351 is a dual-drug liposomal encapsulation of cytarabine and daunorubicin. NS-87/CPX-351 exerts antileukemic action by maintaining a synergistic molar ratio of cytarabine to daunorubicin of 5:1 within the liposome while in circulation. Patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which includes therapy-related AML and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC), have poorer outcomes than those with other AML.

Prognosis of anemic patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: There are limited data regarding whether anemia is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Patients with AF undergoing PCI at 15 institutions between January 2015 and March 2021 were included in this analysis. Based on the baseline hemoglobin levels, moderate to severe anemia was defined as hemoglobin levels <11 g/dL, and mild anemia was defined as hemoglobin levels 11-12.

Immunogenicity and influence on disease activity of recombinant zoster vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with DMARDs.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the immunogenicity and the influence on disease activity of an adjuvanted recombinant varicella-zoster virus (VZV) subunit vaccine (RZV) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Methods: This prospective longitudinal study enrolled 53 patients with RA (aged ≥50 years) treated with DMARDs (conventional synthetic (cs)DMARDs 20, biological (b)DMARDs 23 and targeted synthetic (ts)DMARDs 10) and 10 control individuals. The participants received two intramuscular RZV 2 months apart.

Short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis.

Objectives: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody-positive dermatomyositis (MDA5-DM) is a subtype of dermatomyositis characterized by frequent interstitial lung disease and reduced muscle involvement. This study aimed to determine the short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with MDA5-DM.

Methods: Information on baseline characteristics, treatments, and short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with MDA5-DM including survival, relapse, and the titer of anti-MDA5 antibody, was retrospectively collected.

Minimally Invasive Approach for Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH)-Related Vertebral Fractures: A Case Report on Combining Vertebral Cement Augmentation and Cement-Augmented Pedicle Screw Instrumentation.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)-related vertebral fractures often require surgical intervention due to associated spinal instability and neurological deficits. This study presents a minimally invasive approach that utilizes vertebral cement augmentation and cement-augmented pedicle screw (PS) instrumentation to manage DISH-related vertebral fractures. We present an 87-year-old male patient with a T11 vertebral fracture associated with DISH.

Reduced-dose versus high-dose glucocorticoids added to rituximab on remission induction in ANCA-associated vasculitis: predefined 2-year follow-up study.

Objectives: The LoVAS trial reported non-inferiority in remission induction rates between the reduced-dose and conventional high-dose glucocorticoid regimens plus rituximab for antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis at 6 months; however, maintenance glucocorticoid requirements and long-term outcomes are unknown.

Methods: A total of 140 patients with new-onset ANCA-associated vasculitis without severe glomerulonephritis or alveolar haemorrhage were randomised to receive reduced-dose prednisolone (0.5 mg/kg/day) plus rituximab (375 mg/m/week×4) or high-dose prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) plus rituximab.