Long-term efficacy and safety of perampanel monotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed or currently untreated recurrent focal-onset seizures: Results from the open-label extension phase of FREEDOM (Study 342).

Objective: FREEDOM (Study 342; NCT03201900) assessed the long-term treatment effect of perampanel monotherapy in adolescent and adult patients (12-74 years of age) with untreated focal-onset seizures (FOS), with or without focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCS).

Methods: In the Core Study, after a 4-week Pretreatment Phase, perampanel was up-titrated to 4 mg/day during a 6-week Titration Period followed by a 26-week Maintenance Period. Patients experiencing seizure(s) during the 4-mg/day Maintenance Period could have perampanel up-titrated to 8 mg/day over 4 weeks then could enter the 26-week 8-mg/day Maintenance Period.

Effectiveness of tacrolimus therapy in refractory ulcerative colitis compared to infliximab with propensity score matching.

There is insufficient evidence comparing the outcomes of tacrolimus-based remission induction therapy with infliximab in refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) and evidence regarding optimal strategies after tacrolimus-based remission induction therapy. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of patients with UC treated with tacrolimus or infliximab between January 2010 and March 2019. The proportion of clinical remission at week 8 and cumulative colectomy-free rate were examined using propensity score matching analysis.

[Evaluation of Reduced Port Surgery for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax:Marionette Surgery].

Background: We aimed to assess the outcomes of reduced port surgery using "marionette technique" in patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) compared to conventional three-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery( VATS).

Methods: Ninety patients were enrolled in this study from August 2015 to July 2021. The marionette technique was performed as follow.

Selection of anti-cytokine biologics by pretreatment levels of serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) can monitor disease activities during biologics treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is unclear whether the pretreatment serum LRG level can predict clinical effectiveness including serum trough levels of ustekinumab in patients with IBD. This multicenter prospective cohort study included 184 patients (Crohn's disease, 104; ulcerative colitis, 80) who received ustekinumab (n = 119) or anti-tumor necrosis factor (n = 65) between January 2019 and March 2023.

Efficacy and Safety of Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, and Edoxaban for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Based on Blood Coagulation Activity and Drug Plasma Concentration: SETtsu and North Osaka Multicenter Direct Oral AntiCoagulant (SET DOAC) Registry.

The therapeutic effects of oral anticoagulant drugs for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) suggest that the three factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors may have distinct safety profiles, though this is not yet fully conclusive. This study investigated the current dosing of rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban by monitoring drug plasma concentration (PC) and coagulation activity from the viewpoint of the safety. This multicenter clinical study monitored the drug PC and two coagulation biomarkers (fibrinogen and fibrin monomer complex [FMC]) at peak and trough timing in 268 outpatients taking rivaroxaban (n = 72), apixaban (n = 71), and edoxaban (n = 125) for NVAF.

Influence of the rotation of the diverting loop ileostomy in rectal cancer surgery on small-bowel obstruction: A multicenter prospective study conducted by the Clinical Study Group of Osaka University, Colorectal Group.

Aims: Whether rotation of a diverting loop ileostomy during rectal cancer surgery, for reducing the catastrophic effect of an anastomotic leakage, affects the incidence of small-bowel obstruction has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study is to explore whether technical maneuvers in diverting loop ileostomy creation, including its rotation, are associated with increased incidence of small-bowel obstruction in rectal tumor surgery.

Methods: This multicenter prospective study was conducted by the Clinical Study Group of Osaka University, which comprises 24 major institutions.

Spontaneous high clonal expansion of Wilms' tumor gene 1-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in patients with Wilms' tumor gene 1-expressing solid tumor.

Wilms' tumor protein 1 (WT1)-targeted immunotherapy has been used in patients with leukemia and solid tumors. However, the spontaneous WT1-specific immune response before WT1 peptide vaccination in patients with WT1-expressing tumors (PTs) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether WT1-specific cytotoxic CD8 T-lymphocytes (CTLs) are clonally expanded in the peripheral blood outside of tumor sites.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors plus platinum-based chemotherapy as 1st line treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring HER2 mutations: Results from LC-SCRUM-Asia.

Introduction: HER2 mutations are reported to occur in 2%-5% of all cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The clinical outcomes in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus platinum-based chemotherapy as 1st line treatment still remain unclear.

Methods: Using the large-scale clinico-genomic database of LC-SCRUM-Asia, the clinico-genomic characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC were investigated.

A Case of Bilateral Retinal Vasculitis in Atypical Cogan Syndrome.

Cogan syndrome (CS) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease characterized by ocular and inner ear inflammation. Well-known ocular manifestations include non-syphilitic interstitial keratitis (IK); however, some cases are not associated with IK. Inner ear symptoms include sensorineural hearing loss, rotatory vertigo, and tinnitus, which can become irreversible without timely treatment.

Real-World Outcomes of Subsequent Chemotherapy after Progression Following Chemoradiation and Consolidative Durvalumab Therapy in Locally Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: An Exploratory Analysis from the CRIMSON Study (HOPE-005).

Background: The optimal subsequent treatment strategy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and consolidative durvalumab therapy remains unknown. We aimed to determine the optimal subsequent treatment strategy for this clinical population.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 523 consecutive patients with LA-NSCLC treated with CRT and analyzed the treatment outcomes of subsequent therapy after progression following CRT and consolidative durvalumab therapy.

A machine learning model for predicting the lymph node metastasis of early gastric cancer not meeting the endoscopic curability criteria.

Background: We developed a machine learning (ML) model to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) who did not meet the existing Japanese endoscopic curability criteria and compared its performance with that of the most common clinical risk scoring system, the eCura system.

Methods: We used data from 4,042 consecutive patients with EGC from 21 institutions who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and/or surgery between 2010 and 2021. All resected EGCs were histologically confirmed not to satisfy the current Japanese endoscopic curability criteria.

Prognostic Impact of Post-operative Infectious Complications in Gastric Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial, JCOG0501.

Purpose: Post-operative infectious complication (IC) is a well-known negative prognostic factor, while showing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may cancel out the negative influence of IC. This analysis compared the clinical impacts of IC according to the presence or absence of NAC in gastric cancer patients enrolled in the phase III clinical trial (JCOG0501) which compared upfront surgery (arm A) and NAC followed by surgery (arm B) in type 4 and large type 3 gastric cancer.

Methods: The subjects were 224 patients who underwent R0 resection out of 316 patients enrolled in JCOG0501.

Pancreatic Adenosquamous Carcinoma Discovered Upon a Resection for Neck Tuberculous Lymphadenitis: A Case Report.

Cancer (including pancreatic cancer) can develop following a infection within one year of tuberculosis infection. However, it is unclear whether tuberculosis infection increases the risk of developing adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas (ASCP), an extremely rare cancer with a poorer prognosis than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Herein, we report a case of rapid growing ASCP discovered upon a resection for neck tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Recurrent cementoblastoma with multifocal growth and cellular atypia: a case report.

Background: Cementoblastoma is a rare odontogenic tumor characterized by the formation of osteocementum-like tissue on a tooth root directly by neoplastic cementoblasts. Although it is categorized as benign, it has a high potential for growth with a certain degree of recurrence risk. However, there are only a few studies describing the features of recurrent cementoblastoma.

Risk factors for intraoperative and delayed perforation related with gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Background And Aim: Perforation is one of the most important complications of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC). Several studies have examined risk factors for intraoperative and delayed perforations, but most were retrospective analyses with small numbers of patients.

Methods: This study represents a secondary analysis of a Japanese multicenter prospective cohort study.

Efficacy of prophylactic clip closure in reducing the risk of delayed bleeding after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients on anticoagulant therapy: Multicenter prospective study.

Objectives: The high rate of delayed bleeding after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy remains a problem. Whether prophylactic clip closure reduces the rate of delayed bleeding in these patients is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic clip closure in patients receiving anticoagulants.