Japanese living donor liver transplantation criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma: nationwide cohort study.

Background: Validating the expanded criteria for living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma using national data is highly significant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the new Japanese criteria for living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma patients and identify factors associated with a poor prognosis using the Japanese national data set.

Methods: The study population comprised patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma at 37 centres in Japan between 2010 and 2018.

Efficacy and Safety of Ixazomib Plus Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone Following Injectable PI-Based Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

This nationwide, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the oral proteasome inhibitor (PI), ixazomib plus lenalidomide (LEN) and dexamethasone (DEX) (IRd) following injectable PI-based therapy for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Of 45 patients enrolled, 36 patients received IRd after achieving at least a minor response to 3 cycles of bortezomib or carfilzomib plus LEN + DEX (VRd, n=6; KRd, n=30). At median follow-up of 20.

Genetic control of CCL24, POR, and IL23R contributes to the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a genetically complex systemic inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs. We present a GWAS of a Japanese cohort (700 sarcoidosis cases and 886 controls) with replication in independent samples from Japan (931 cases and 1,042 controls) and the Czech Republic (265 cases and 264 controls). We identified three loci outside the HLA complex, CCL24, STYXL1-SRRM3, and C1orf141-IL23R, which showed genome-wide significant associations (P < 5.

The International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for adult male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor symptoms and dysfunction.

Introduction: In the development of terminology of the lower urinary tract, due to its increasing complexity, the terminology for male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor symptoms and dysfunction needs to be updated using a male-specific approach and via a clinically-based consensus report.

Methods: This report combines the input of members of the Standardisation Committee of the International Continence Society (ICS) in a Working Group with recognized experts in the field, assisted by many external referees. Appropriate core clinical categories and a subclassification were developed to give a numeric coding to each definition.

Final 3-year Results of the Dasatinib Discontinuation Trial in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Who Received Dasatinib as a Second-line Treatment.

Introduction: We previously reported an interim analysis of the DADI (dasatinib discontinuation) trial. The results showed that 48% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase who maintained a deep molecular response (DMR) for ≥ 1 year could discontinue second- or subsequent-line dasatinib treatment safely at a median follow-up of 20 months. However, the results from longer follow-up periods would be much more useful from a clinical perspective.

Intraoperative Resuturing of Occluded Superficial Temporal Artery-Middle Cerebral Artery Anastomoses: Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: In superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis, there is a certain risk of intraoperative acute occlusion of the bypass that can cause operative complications.

Objective: We sought to assess the efficacy of resuturing at the same site after intraoperative acute occlusion of the bypass.

Methods: In total, 129 STA-MCA anastomosis operations were performed on 125 patients at our institution.

Prospective evaluation of the International Study Group for Liver Surgery definition of post hepatectomy liver failure after liver resection: an international multicentre study.

Background: The International Study Group for Liver Surgery (ISGLS) definition of post hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) was developed to be consistent, widely applicable, and to include severity stratification. This international multicentre collaborative study aimed to prospectively validate the ISGLS definition of PHLF.

Methods: 11 HPB centres from 7 countries developed a standardised reporting form.

Oxidized regenerated cellulose induces pleural thickening in patients with pneumothorax: possible involvement of the mesothelial-mesenchymal transition.

Purpose: The pleural covering technique, i.e., wrapping a part of or the entire surface of the lung with oxidized regenerative cellulose (ORC), reinforces visceral pleura through pleural thickening for patients with pneumothorax and cystic lung diseases.

Systematic review of the influence of chemotherapy-associated liver injury on outcome after partial hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases.

Background: The impact of chemotherapy-associated liver injury (CALI) on postoperative outcome in patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) remains controversial. The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of CALI (sinusoidal dilatation (SD), steatosis and steatohepatitis) on postoperative morbidity and mortality by investigating a large data set from multiple international centres.

Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched for studies published between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 with keywords 'chemotherapy', 'liver resection', 'outcome' and 'colorectal metastases' to identify potential collaborating centres.

Histological analysis of vasculopathy associated with pulmonary hypertension in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: comparison with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or emphysema alone.

Aims: To evaluate pulmonary vasculopathy in an autopsy series of patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE), and compare these findings with those of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) alone and emphysema alone.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analysed the clinical, radiological and pathological features of 26 patients with CPFE, 11 with IPF, and 23 with emphysema. We evaluated pulmonary vascular, venous-venular and arteriolar tissue changes in the fibrotic, emphysematous and relatively unaffected (preserved) areas by using the Heath-Edwards scoring system.

The pathological features of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia-associated pulmonary adenocarcinomas.

Aims: To investigate the pathological features of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP)-associated pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Methods And Results: Surgically resected adenocarcinomas associated with IIP (the IIP group) and adenocarcinomas without IIP (the non-IIP group) were subjected to analysis. Adenocarcinomas in the IIP group were subdivided into two groups: one group included tumours connected to bronchiolar metaplasia in honeycomb lesions (the H-IIP group), and the other included tumours unrelated to honeycomb lesions (the NH-IIP group).

Role of microRNA-29b in myelodysplastic syndromes during transformation to overt leukaemia.

Chromosome 7q32 is a frequently deleted region in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and encodes the microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-29a/miR-29b. Both miR-29s down-regulate the anti-apoptotic protein myeloid cell leukaemia 1 (MCL-1) in acute myeloid leukaemia. Thus, to investigate the role of miR-29s in the transformation of MDS to overt leukaemia (OL), we analysed the relationship between miR-29 expression and MCL-1 expression.

A phase 1/2 study of carfilzomib in Japanese patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

We conducted a phase 1/2 study of single-agent carfilzomib in Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of carfilzomib were examined in phase 1. The primary endpoint in phase 2 was the overall response rate (ORR).

Discontinuation of dasatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia who have maintained deep molecular response for longer than 1 year (DADI trial): a multicentre phase 2 trial.

Background: First-line imatinib treatment can be successfully discontinued in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia after deep molecular response has been sustained for at least 2 years. We investigated the safety and efficacy of discontinuing second-line or subsequent dasatinib after at least 1 year of deep molecular response.

Methods: The Dasatinib Discontinuation trial was a prospective multicentre trial done in Japan.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis in a Male.

We report a 17-year-old male with a histopathologic diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis after surgery for a pneumothorax. In general, lymphangioleiomyomatosis has been considered a female-specific disease. However, there are a few lymphangioleiomyomatosis cases reported in males, and our patient is the youngest case reported.

An autopsy study of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: correlations among clinical, radiological, and pathological features.

Background: Clinical evaluation to differentiate the characteristic features of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema is often difficult in patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE), but diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis is important for evaluating treatment options and the risk of acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia of such patients. As far as we know, it is the first report describing a correlation among clinical, radiological, and whole-lung pathological features in an autopsy cases of CPFE patients.

Methods: Experts retrospectively reviewed the clinical charts and examined chest computed tomography (CT) images and pathological findings of an autopsy series of 22 CPFE patients, and compared these with findings from 8 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and 17 emphysema-alone patients.

Characterization of pulmonary cysts in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: histopathological and morphometric analysis of 229 pulmonary cysts from 50 unrelated patients.

Aims: To characterize the pathological features of pulmonary cysts, and to elucidate the possible mechanism of cyst formation in the lungs of patients with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS), a tumour suppressor gene syndrome, using histological and morphometric analyses.

Methods And Results: We evaluated 229 lung cysts from 50 patients with BHDS and 117 from 34 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) for their number, size, location and absence or presence of inflammation. The BHDS cysts abutted on interlobular septa (88.

Expression of bone morphogenetic proteins in salivary pleomorphic adenomas.

Salivary pleomorphic adenomas are often associated with chondroid tissue formation. We investigated the relationship between chondroid tissue formation and the expression of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which are strong inducers of ectopic bone and cartilage formation. Fifteen pleomorphic adenomas and seven normal salivary glands were examined genetically and immunohistochemically.

Platelet kinetics after transfusion.

A kinetics model is proposed for platelet disposition after transfusion of platelets. In this model, transfusion of platelets and production of endogenous platelets contribute to an increase in the number of platelets in patients, and the life span and age of each platelet contribute to a decrease. The time course of the number of platelets after transfusion of platelets is theoretically described by this model to be a straight line followed by a concave curve.

[A case of coccidioidomycosis with central nervous system involvement].

We report a 44-year-old Japanese man with chronic meningitis due to coccidoiodomycosis. He was admitted to our hospital because of pneumonia after the business trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Coccidioid immitis was cultured from periathric abscess on the sternoclavicular joint.

Endoscopic management of shoulder pain in long-term haemodialysis patients.

In 48 shoulders of 29 patients receiving long-term haemodialysis and complaining of intolerable shoulder pain, endoscopic resection of the coracoacromial ligament was performed under local anaesthesia on an outpatient basis, using the Universal Subcutaneous Endoscope system. Predominant endoscopic findings were proliferation of the subacromial bursae and popping between the coracoacromial ligament and the rotator cuff. Amyloid originating from beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2-M) was demonstrated in 87% of the resected coracoacromial ligaments and 86% of the subacromial bursae.