Elderly onset age is associated with low efficacy of first anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

The outcomes of patients with elderly onset (EO) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) remains uncertain. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF treatment for bio-naïve EO-IBD. Elderly patients were defined as those 60 years and older, and further divided into those with EO (Elderly-EO) and those with non-elderly onset (Elderly-NEO).

Epidermoid Cyst with Torcular Herophili Obstruction and Unusual Venous Drainage.

Background: An epidermoid cyst arising from diploic space in the skull can cause an intracranial mass effect with compression of the underlying venous sinuses.

Case Description: A 66-year-old woman came to us with a persistent headache and unsteadiness. Computed tomography demonstrated an occipital bone cystic lesion with an intracranial mass effect overlying the torcular herophili, with high-intensity findings in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Clinical use of molecular targeted agents for primary small bowel adenocarcinoma: A multicenter retrospective cohort study by the Osaka Gut Forum.

Primary small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare cancer for which effective treatment strategies have not yet been established. The results of previous retrospective studies suggest that chemotherapy contributes to a longer survival time in patients with SBA. However, there are few case reports about the efficacy of molecular targeted agent-containing chemotherapy for SBA.

The efficacy of active drainage for preventing postoperative organ/space surgical site infections in patients with Crohn's disease.

Purpose: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) show a higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) after bowel resection in comparison to other patient populations because CD patients commonly suffer from anemia, malnutrition, and immunosuppression. In comparison to conventional passive drainage, active drainage using a closed-suction drain reportedly reduces postoperative wound-related complications in several diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of SSI and to identify the risk factors for SSI in patients with CD.

Successful extension of tocilizumab infusion intervals from 4 weeks to 6 or 5 weeks in 90% of RA patients with good response to 4-week intervals.

Objectives: A period of 4 weeks (w) has been recommended as the interval between tocilizumab (TCZ) infusions for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, treating the patients with TCZ (8 mg/kg), we experienced that longer intervals were also effective. We conducted the study to investigate whether the intervals of TCZ infusions could extend from 4w to 5 or 6w.

Indigo Naturalis ameliorates murine dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis via aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation.

Background: Indigo Naturalis (IN) is used as a traditional herbal medicine for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the mechanisms of action of IN have not been clarified. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of IN for ameliorating colonic inflammation.

Anti-metastatic Effect of Short-term Postoperative Anticoagulation for Patients Undergoing Curative Resection of Colorectal Cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of anticoagulant fondaparinux postoperatively for preventing recurrence after curative resection of colorectal cancer with lymphnode metastasis.

Patients And Methods: The records of 279 patients who underwent curative resection of colorectal cancer with lymph-node metastasis between 2006 and 2013 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the type of prophylaxis for postoperative venous thromboembolism: the FPX group, treated with subcutaneous fondaparinux plus intermittent pneumatic compression; and the IPC group, treated with intermittent pneumatic compression alone.

[An autopsy case of leptomeningeal amyloidosis associated with transthyretin Gly47Arg mutation].

We report the case of a 47-year-old woman with a 4-year history of progressive numbness in the distal portions of both her lower limbs, diarrhea alternating with periods of constipation, and orthostatic syncope. She demonstrated sensory dominant neuropathy and dysautonomia including orthostatic hypotension, paralytic ileus, and urinary retention. A systemic mutation analysis revealed a G47R mutation in transthyretin (TTR).

Ultra-deep sequencing analysis of resistance-associated variants during retreatment with simeprevir-based triple therapy after failure of telaprevir-based triple therapy in patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection.

Aim: Simeprevir (SMV)-based triple therapy is an effective retreatment option following failure of telaprevir (TVR)-based triple therapy. However, it is unclear whether the persistence of resistance-associated variants (RAVs) induced by TVR-based therapy may reduce the treatment effect of SMV-based therapy.

Methods: The factors associated with the treatment effect, including RAVs in the NS3 region, were examined in 21 patients with genotype 1b HCV infection who were treated with SMV-based therapy after failure of TVR-based therapy.

Prognostic Factors of Oral Intake After Endoscopic Gastroduodenal Stent Placement for Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Gastroduodenal stents are effective for gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) due to gastric cancer. However, some patients are unable to eat again soon. We retrospectively analyzed the cause of short-feeding periods.

Safety and efficacy of an "enhanced recovery after surgery" protocol for patients undergoing colon cancer surgery: a multi-institutional controlled study.

Purpose: The aim of this multi-institutional study was to prospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for colonic surgery.

Methods: The subjects of this study were 320 patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade I or II physical status. Patients underwent elective open or laparoscopic colonic resection or high anterior resection between April 2011 and January 2014 at one of six institutions.

[A Case of Liver Metastasis from Colorectal Cancer That Showed a Pathological Complete Response to mFOLFOX6 plus Cetuximab].

A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with rectal cancer on colonoscopy and liver metastasis of rectal cancer on abdominal computed tomography(CT). He underwent resection of the primary lesion, and the final diagnosis was A, N1, H1, P0, M0, fStage IV. After resection of the primary lesion, he received chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 plus cetuximab.

Combination antiemetic therapy with aprepitant/fosaprepitant in patients with colorectal cancer receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in the SENRI trial: analysis of risk factors for vomiting and nausea.

Background: We previously reported in the SENRI trial on the usefulness of aprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in colorectal cancer patients receiving an oxaliplatin-based regimen which is classified as moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy. In the present subgroup analysis of the SENRI trial, we assessed the risk factors for CINV in colorectal cancer patients who received oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Methods: Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of aprepitant use and patient characteristics on vomiting and nausea.

First-line cetuximab-based chemotherapies for patients with advanced or metastatic wild-type colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly occurring cancers worldwide. A burgeoning number of studies have demonstrated that the addition of cetuximab to another standard first-line regimen markedly improves the outcome of CRC treatment. However, at present, the efficacy and safety of cetuximab-based combination chemotherapy has not been well described in Japan.

Short-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for Crohn's disease patients treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha agents.

Purpose: The impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) on surgical outcomes is still controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for CD patients treated preoperatively with anti-TNFα agents.

Methods: We investigated, retrospectively, the clinical features and surgical outcomes of 35 consecutive CD patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery after receiving scheduled anti-TNFα treatment preoperatively.

De Novo Aneurysm Associated with Superficial Temporal Artery to Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass: Report of Two Cases and Review of Literature.

Background: De novo aneurysm formation has been reported as a rare complication of superficial temporal artery (STA) to middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass surgery.

Case Description: The first patient with intracerebral hemorrhage had a ruptured de novo aneurysm arising from the recipient MCA at 6 years after undergoing STA-MCA bypass for hemispheric hemodynamic insufficiency. In the second case, an enlarging unruptured STA aneurysm was detected by follow-up magnetic resonance angiography at 8 years after the patient underwent STA-MCA bypass for moyamoya disease.

Regeneration of peritoneal mesothelial cells after placement of hyaluronate carboxymethyl-cellulose (Seprafilm).

Purpose: To examine the regeneration of mesothelium under a bioresorbable membrane.

Methods: A 1 cm piece of peritoneum was resected from both sides of the abdominal wall of retired female mice. A piece of hyaluronate and carboxymethyl-cellulose (Seprafilm) was placed over the wound on one side and the other side was left uncovered.

Optimization of the filter parameters in (99m)Tc myocardial perfusion SPECT studies: the formulation of flowchart.

Myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is typically subject to a variation in image quality due to the use of different acquisition protocols, image reconstruction parameters and image display settings by each institution. One of the principal image reconstruction parameters is the Butterworth filter cut-off frequency, a parameter strongly affecting the quality of myocardial images. The objective of this study was to formulate a flowchart for the determination of the optimal parameters of the Butterworth filter for filtered back projection (FBP), ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) and collimator-detector response compensation OSEM (CDR-OSEM) methods using the evaluation system of the myocardial image based on technical grounds phantom.

Evaluation of Fucosylated Haptoglobin and Mac-2 Binding Protein as Serum Biomarkers to Estimate Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C.

Fucosylated haptoglobin (Fuc-Hpt) and Mac-2 binding protein (Mac-2 bp) are identified as cancer biomarkers, based on the results from a glyco-proteomic analysis. Recently, we reported that these glyco-biomarkers were associated with liver fibrosis and/or ballooning hepatocytes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We evaluated the ability of these glycoproteins to estimate liver fibrosis in 317 patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Ruptured True Anterior Choroidal Artery Aneurysm in Cisternal Segment.

Background: Rupture of a true anterior choroidal artery (AChA) aneurysm in the cisternal segment is extremely rare, whereas cases of a distal AChA aneurysm associated with moyamoya disease are increasingly reported.

Case Description: A 58-year-old woman presented with a severe headache and vomiting. Computed tomography demonstrated a subarachnoid hemorrhage without intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhaging.

Reliability and validity of Japanese versions of KIDSCREEN-27 and KIDSCREEN-10 questionnaires.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of Japanese versions of the KIDSCREEN-27 (J-KIDSCREEN-27) and KIDSCREEN-10 (J-KIDSCREEN-10) questionnaires, which are shorter versions of the KIDSCREEN-52 (J-KIDSCREEN-52).

Methods: The present analyses are based on a pre-existing dataset of the J-KIDSCREEN-52 validation study, including 1564 children and adolescents aged 8-18 years and their 1326 parents. All were asked to complete the J-KIDSCREEN and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) questionnaires.