2,502 results match your criteria: "Ehime University School of Medicine[Affiliation]"

High doses of intravenous immunoglobulin stimulate regulatory T cell and suppress natural killer cell in women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

J Reprod Immunol

August 2023

Research & Development Division, Japan Blood Products Organization, 15F Tamachi Station Tower N 3-1-1 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate the role of natural killer (NK) cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the positive outcomes of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment for women experiencing recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL) of unclear causes.
  • In a controlled trial involving 50 women receiving IVIG and 49 receiving a placebo, blood samples were analyzed at various points to measure the levels of NK and Treg cells.
  • Results showed that IVIG treatment significantly increased Treg cell percentages and decreased NK cell activity shortly after infusion, suggesting that these changes could contribute to higher rates of live births among participants receiving IVIG.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: We aimed to elucidate the dynamics of deglutition during head rotation by acquiring 320-row area detector computed tomography (320-ADCT) images and analyzing deglutition during head rotation.

Methods: This study included 11 patients experiencing globus pharyngeus. A 320-ADCT was used to acquire images in two types of viscosity (thin and thick), with the head rotated to the left.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The ventriculus terminalis (VT) is a cystic embryological remnant of the conus medullaris that usually regresses after birth. This structure rarely persists into adulthood and may produce neurological symptoms. We recently encountered three cases of symptomatic enlarging VT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of zero-echo-time (ZTE)-based MRI in helping plan surgeries and providing anatomical guidance during transcranial procedures.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 11 out of 26 patients who had undergone transcranial surgery, comparing ZTE/MRA fusion images and 3D ZTE MRI models to traditional imaging methods.
  • Results showed ZTE-based imaging offered clear views of cranial anatomy without radiation or contrast, aiding in planning for certain conditions while proving less effective for others, particularly those involving the skull base.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: We evaluated the feasibility of using deep learning with a convolutional neural network for predicting bone mineral density (BMD) and bone microarchitecture from conventional computed tomography (CT) images acquired by multivendor scanners.

Methods: We enrolled 402 patients who underwent noncontrast CT examinations, including L1-L4 vertebrae, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) examination. Among these, 280 patients (3360 sagittal vertebral images), 70 patients (280 sagittal vertebral images), and 52 patients (208 sagittal vertebral images) were assigned to the training data set for deep learning model development, the validation, and the test data set, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: Hepatitis C complicated by diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a risk factor for the progression of fibrosis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cardiovascular diseases. However, several studies may have lacked appropriate diagnosis of glucose intolerance. We aimed to examine the risk associated with abnormal glucose intolerance in the development of liver-related diseases, including HCC and complications of liver cirrhosis, such as ascites, esophageal and gastric varices, and hepatic encephalopathy, and cardiovascular diseases in patients with hepatitis C accurately diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to reveal the efficacy of physical therapy for patients with peripheral facial palsy.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Ichushi-Web, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Published randomized controlled trials comparing the physical therapy versus placebo/non-treatment for peripheral facial palsy such as Bell's palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and traumatic facial palsy were included for meta-analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the effectiveness of using neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer in Japan.
  • The research involved 940 women with advanced cancer stages, comparing two treatment strategies: NAC followed by IDS and primary debulking surgery (PDS) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.
  • Results showed that for FIGO stage IIIC patients, NAC was linked to a shorter overall survival, while stage IV patients had similar survival rates with either treatment approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction And Importance: When treating adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing adenoma, accurate tumor localization is critical. We report a case of Cushing's disease in which MRI with a spoiled-gradient echo 3D T1-weighted sequence was useful in precise localization of an ACTH-producing adenoma and deciding appropriate treatment strategy.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with signs and symptoms of Cushing's disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report a case of Peters plus-like syndrome, which revealed to have an 8q21.11 microdeletion by copy number variation analysis using exome data.

Methods: A 6-month-old Japanese boy presented with bilateral corneal opacity since birth.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare entity among large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and is often difficult to diagnose. We report the case of a patient with IVLBCL who presented with central nervous system (CNS) symptoms alone, in which positron emission tomography (PET) enabled a rapid and accurate diagnosis.

Case Description: An 81-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 3-month history of gradually progressive dementia and declining spontaneity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Tracheostomy is an important procedure for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Older age and obesity have been reported to be associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 and prolonged intubation, and anticoagulants are often administered in patients with severe COVID-19; these factors are also related to a higher risk of tracheostomy. Cricotracheostomy, a modified procedure for opening the airway through intentional partial cricoid cartilage resection, was recently reported to be useful in cases with low-lying larynx, obesity, stiff neck, and bleeding tendency.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The role of surgery in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is to allow pathological diagnosis from tumor biopsy. However, PCNSL is often difficult to distinguish from other tumors, particularly glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Quantitative evaluations to facilitate differentiation between PCNSL and GBM would be useful.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hemangioblastoma originates in the central nervous system (CNS), usually in the cerebellum, and sporadic cases in the supratentorial region are extremely rare. In addition, there have been no previous reports of cases showing hyperintensity on diffusion weighted image (DWI) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and negative immunostaining for inhibin-alpha. Here, we report a rare case of sporadic supratentorial hemangioblastoma arising in the parasagittal region and suggest a useful indicator for the exact diagnosis and pitfalls for surgical procedures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), intraoperative rapid pathological diagnosis can dramatically change the surgical strategy, and more accurate diagnostic methods are required. In April 2020, we adopted intraoperative rapid immunohistochemistry (IHC) in addition to conventional rapid intraoperative diagnosis based on morphological assessment, mainly for patients with PCNSL. Here, we investigate the usefulness and significance of intraoperative rapid IHC based on our initial experience.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Glutamate levels in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) are linked to epileptic seizures, making it important to understand how these metabolite concentrations can predict refractory seizures.
  • A study examined 40 GBM patients, where 23 underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure metabolites like glutamate and lactate, categorizing patients based on their seizure experiences.
  • Results showed that patients with refractory seizures (Type C) had higher lactate levels compared to those whose seizures disappeared after treatment (Type B), while both types exhibited elevated glutamate and N-acetylaspartate compared to non-epileptic patients, indicating specific metabolite ratios could help predict seizure outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Allergic conjunctival disease (ACD) is an inflammatory disease of the conjunctiva that is mainly caused by type I hypersensitivity response to allergens and accompanied by subjective symptoms and other findings induced by antigens. ACD is classified as allergic conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis. This article summarizes the third edition of the Japanese guidelines for allergic conjunctival diseases published in 2021 and outlines the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of ACD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction And Importance: Generally, schwannoma increases the concentration of protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and causes normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) due to absorption disorders of CSF. Cases of NPH caused by spinal schwannoma in the cauda equina are very rare. Here, we report a case of spinal schwannoma-related NPH in the cauda equina successfully treated by surgical resection alone.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A multicenter study in Japan explored home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) in pregnant women with a low risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), involving 218 participants who tracked their blood pressure daily.
  • Results showed that 12 women developed HDP, with systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels rising after 24 weeks of gestation and returning to normal by 4 weeks postpartum.
  • The study concluded that HBPM can help identify HDP early, and established specific blood pressure cut-offs for diagnosing hypertensive conditions at different stages of pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study in Japan analyzed data on pregnancy-associated cervical cancer from 523 hospitals, highlighting the lack of established treatment strategies for this condition.
  • Out of 40 patients diagnosed at 22 weeks of gestation or later, 85% were monitored until delivery without treatment, while 163 diagnosed earlier had mixed outcomes, with some terminating their pregnancies.
  • Various treatments for stage IB1 cervical cancer were assessed, showing no major survival differences, but highlighting concerns like lower birth weights after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and higher full-term delivery rates with trachelectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in women with four or more recurrent pregnancy losses: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

EClinicalMedicine

August 2022

Research & Development Division, Japan Blood Products Organization, 15F Tamachi Station Tower N 3-1-1 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • Researchers explored the effectiveness of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment for women experiencing unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in early pregnancy through a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
  • The study involved 102 women, with 50 receiving IVIG and 49 receiving a placebo, assessing ongoing pregnancy rates at 22 weeks and live birth rates as primary outcomes.
  • Results showed significantly higher ongoing pregnancy (62.0% vs. 34.7%) and live birth (58.0% vs. 34.7%) rates in the IVIG group, particularly in those treated at 4-5 weeks of gestation, compared to the placebo group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study analyzed patients with giant pituitary adenomas treated with either endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) alone or a combination of ETSS and transcranial surgery, focusing on how imaging features influence surgical choices.
  • Of the ten patients, four had ETSS alone with high success rates, while six underwent combined surgery, with varied outcomes based on the tumor's characteristics observed in MRI scans.
  • The findings suggest that successful surgical approaches depend on the tumor's imaging features, with certain types better suited for ETSS and others for combined surgery, while extensive tumors involving neurovascular structures pose significant challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This multicenter, open-label, phase II study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel-carboplatin, bevacizumab, and bevacizumab-based maintenance therapy for metastatic, recurrent, and persistent uterine cervical cancer.

Methods: Patients with measurable diseases that were not adapted to regional therapies, such as surgery or radiotherapy, and were systematic chemotherapy-naïve were eligible. The participants received paclitaxel (175 mg/m), carboplatin (AUC 5), and bevacizumab (15 mg/m) every three weeks until disease progression or unacceptable adverse events occurred.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: Diabetes confers a high risk of developing poor health in later life in women. Based on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory, the present study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of perinatal fat restriction in maternal high-fat-exposed female offspring to maintain glucose homeostasis in later life between adulthood and aging.

Methods: Low-fat dietary intervention during either gestation or lactation was performed using a high-fat diet-induced maternal obesity mouse model (HFD mice).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The long-term effect of changes in maternal dietary composition during pregnancy on the offspring's metabolic homeostasis is uncertain. We aimed to investigate the long-term effects of maternal balanced low-fat interventions on metabolic homeostasis of the offspring using a mouse model of gestational obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Male newborns in the balanced low-fat intervention group had significantly lower serum insulin and higher serum adiponectin levels than those in the HFD group.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF