Applicable predictive factors extracted from peak flow trajectory for the prediction of asthma exacerbation.

Background: Real-time asthma exacerbation prediction and acute asthma attack detection are essential for patients with severe asthma. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) exhibits a potential for use in long-term asthma self-monitoring. However, the method for processing PEF calculations remains to be clarified.

Guselkumab in Patients With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis: QUASAR Phase 2b Induction Study.

Background & Aims: The QUASAR Phase 2b Induction Study evaluated the efficacy and safety of guselkumab, an interleukin-23p19 subunit antagonist, in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) with prior inadequate response and/or intolerance to corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and/or advanced therapy.

Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, induction study, patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive intravenous guselkumab 200 or 400 mg or placebo at weeks 0/4/8. The primary endpoint was clinical response (compared with baseline, modified Mayo score decrease ≥30% and ≥2 points, rectal bleeding subscore ≥1-point decrease or subscore of 0/1) at week 12.

Phase IIa, randomised, double-blind study of GSK3389404 in patients with chronic hepatitis B on stable nucleos(t)ide therapy.

Background & Aims: Bepirovirsen, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting pregenomic and mRNA transcripts of HBV, has been conjugated to N-acetyl galactosamine (GSK3389404) to enhance hepatocyte delivery. This dose-finding study was the first to assess GSK3389404 for chronic HBV infection.

Methods: This phase IIa, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-part study was conducted in 22 centres in Asia (NCT03020745).

Feasibility of an Ultrasound-Based Method for Measuring Talar Displacement during the Anterior Drawer Stress Test Using a Telos Device: A Preliminary Study.

This study was conducted to measured talar displacement using ultrasound during an anterior drawer test (ADT) with a Telos device. Five adults (3 men and 2 women; 8 ankles; mean age: 23.2 y) with a history of ankle sprain and eight adults (5 men and 3 women; 16 ankles; mean age: 22.

A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing the Prevalence of Bullous Pemphigoid Autoantibodies in 275 Cases of Type II Diabetes Mellitus Treated With or Without Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV Inhibitors.

Anti-hyperglycemic drug dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors (DPP-4i) have recently been recognized as bullous pemphigoid (BP) inducing drugs. It remains uncertain whether DPP-4i induce BP-IgG autoantibodies before the onset of BP. To evaluate the effect of DPP-4i in the development of BP-IgG autoantibodies in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Clinical efficacy and safety of first-line nilotinib therapy and evaluation of the clinical utility of the FRET-based drug sensitivity test.

Nilotinib is widely used for primary treatment of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). We previously reported that use of an FRET-based drug sensitivity test at diagnosis efficiently predicts the response to treatment with imatinib or dasatinib. Here, we conducted a phase-II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nilotinib treatment and identify useful biomarkers, including results of the FRET-based drug sensitivity test, for predicting treatment response.

Short-term and Long-term Outcomes Following Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Advanced Gastric Cancer Compared With Open Gastrectomy.

Introduction: To investigate the oncological feasibility and technical safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 186 advanced gastric cancer patients treated by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy were eligible for inclusion including those with invasion into the muscularis propria, subserosa, and serosa without involvement of other organs, and stages N0-2 and M0. We retrospectively compared the short-term and long-term outcomes between laparoscopic gastrectomy and open gastrectomy.

Efficacy and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in Japanese patients with chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection with and without cirrhosis.

Background: The once-daily, all oral, RBV-free, pangenotypic direct-acting anti-viral regimen consisting of co-formulated NS3/4A protease inhibitor glecaprevir and NS5A inhibitor pibrentasvir (G/P), demonstrated high rates of sustained virologic response (SVR) in phase 2 and 3 studies outside Japan.

Methods: CERTAIN-1 is a phase 3, open-label, multicenter study assessing the safety and efficacy of G/P (300/120 mg) once daily in Japanese patients with chronic HCV GT1 infection. Patients without cirrhosis received 8 weeks of G/P or 12 weeks of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r, 25/150/100 mg); patients with cirrhosis received G/P for 12 weeks.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in a Child Using Slender Forceps.

Laparoscopic procedures in children are technically demanding because of reduced working space with careful monitoring of pneumoperitoneum pressure. We report a case of laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed in a 9-year-old boy using slender forceps which addressed all the above mentioned concerns. This shows a possibility of needlescopic surgery in children.

Multicenter, randomized, open-label Phase II study comparing S-1 alternate-day oral therapy with the standard daily regimen as a first-line treatment in patients with unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: Non-inferiority for overall survival (OS) following alternate-day treatment with the oral anticancer drug S-1 compared with standard daily treatment was assessed in Japanese patients with unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer in a multicenter, randomized, phase II study. This trial was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (no. 000008604).

[A Case of Goblet Cell Carcinoid of the Appendix Invading Directly into the Sigmoid Colon].

A 73-year-old man underwent a screening colonoscopy, and a depressed lesion in the sigmoid colon was detected. Biopsy revealed a Group V lesion, and he was diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer. During surgery, there was dense adhesion of the appendix to the sigmoid colon, and sigmoidectomy combined with appendectomy was performed.

[Analysis of Oxaliplatin Combination Therapy for Unresectable or Recurrent Gastric Cancer].

We analyzed 26 cases of unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer treated with oxaliplatin(OX)combination therapy between September 2014 and January 2016. The number of unresectable gastric cancer cases was 14 and there were 12 recurrent cases. The number of patients receiving S-1 plus OX(SOX), SOX plus trastuzumab(Tmab), capecitabine(Cape)plus OX(CapeOX), and CapeOX plus Tmab was 17, 1, 6, and 2, respectively.

[A Case of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Derived from Cecum Colon Cancer with Long-Term Recurrence-Free Survival].

A 29-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced cecum colon cancer, and right hemicolectomy was performed. The pathological findings showed stage Ⅲa disease, including moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma>mucinous adenocarcinoma, pT3, pN1, cM0, and Cur A resection. The patient was treated with 5-FU plus l-LV adjuvant chemotherapy.

[A case of an elderly patient with recurrent GIST, which was effectively treated with low-dose imatinib mesylate].

The recommended dose of imatinib for recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is 400mg/day. However, adverse effects limit the use of the standard dose in elderly patients. We report a case of an elderly patient with recurrent GIST, where long-term control of the disease was achieved with low-dose imatinib therapy.

[Adjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine for colon cancer - a case series].

We examined the treatment condition; adverse events, especially hand-foot syndrome (HFS); and prognosis in 65 patients with colon cancer who received adjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine. The treatment completion rate was 75.4%; however, only 15.

The Patient-Related Burden of Pegylated-Interferon-α Therapy and Adverse Events among Patients with Viral Hepatitis C in Japan.

Objectives: Pegylated-interferon-α (IFN-α)-based therapies for viral hepatitis C (HCV) are effective, but they are associated with several adverse events (AEs). The primary objectives of this study were to quantify the burden of IFN-α-based treatment and to measure the prevalence and burden of IFN-α-related AEs in Japan.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered online to patients with HCV in 2013.

Etoposide-containing conditioning regimen reduces the occurrence of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis after SCT.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening disease of severe hyperinflammation caused by uncontrolled proliferation of activated lymphocytes and macrophages that secrete high amounts of inflammatory cytokines. HLH occurring after SCT is difficult to diagnose. It is characterized by severe clinical manifestations and high mortality.

[A case report of goblet cell carcinoid tumor of the appendix].

Goblet cell carcinoid (GCC) tumor of the appendix is rare, and the prognosis is considered poor compared to classical carcinoid tumor. We present a case of a 60-year old woman who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Histopathological studies revealed a GCC tumor with submucosal invasion.

[A case in which a mucin-producing papillary adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder was resected].

An 81-year-old man complaining of abdominal pain underwent ultrasonography at another hospital that revealed gallbladder swelling, and he was admitted to our hospital for further examination. CT and ERCP revealed a papillary tumor extending from the body to the fundus, leading to the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer. Other examinations showed no sign of invasion or lymph node metastases.