Interleukin-33 Deficiency Protects the Skin From Ulcer Formation in an Ischemia-Reperfusion-Induced Decubitus Mouse Model.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is an alarmin released upon epithelial tissue damage. It functions as a nuclear factor for regulating gene expression. We hypothesised that IL-33 is involved in the formation of decubitus ulcers through damaged epidermis.

Association of recent antibiotic exposure and coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease: nationwide study.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between recent antibiotic exposure and the development of coronary artery lesions (CALs) during the clinical course of Kawasaki disease (KD).

Design: Data were obtained from the 25th nationwide epidemiological survey of KD conducted in Japan from 2017 to 2018. Baseline characteristics and clinical course were compared between Antibiotics (+) and Antibiotics (-) groups.

[A CASE OF CASHEW NUT-RELATED CITRUS SEED ALLERGY WITH SUSPECTED CITRIN INVOLVEMENT].

The case is a 12-year-old girl. She was diagnosed with cashew nut allergy in infancy. She experienced the following allergic symptoms at age 11: sore throat after ingesting gummy bears containing citrus-derived pectin; sore throat, nausea, and severe abdominal pain after ingesting jelly containing yuzu (citrus junos) seeds and peel.

A multisite observational real-world study on the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression in Japan.

The objective of this study was to reveal the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for Japanese patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in clinical practice, based on real-world data from a nationwide multicenter observational study in Japan. Clinical data of patients with TRD treated with rTMS (NeuroStar TMS treatment system) under public insurance coverage were retrospectively collected from 21 institutes nationwide between June 2019 and December 2023. Depression severity was assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17).

Acoustic radiation force impulse (push pulse)-induced lung hemorrhage: investigating the effect of ultrasound contrast agent in rabbits.

Purpose: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) are emerging techniques that are becoming common in ultrasound examinations. We previously reported that ARFI (push pulse) induced lung hemorrhage in rabbits, indicating that greater risks are associated with ARFI than with conventional ultrasound. In this study, we assessed the risk of lung hemorrhage under a combination of ARFI elastography and CEUS, considering potential exacerbation of ARFI-induced lung hemorrhage as a result of the ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) used in CEUS.

Blue toe syndrome - systemic cholesterol crystal embolism secondary to cardiovascular procedures: a forensic autopsy report of two cases.

Blue toe syndrome, also referred to as cholesterol crystal embolism is characterized by the distal embolization of cholesterol crystals originating from ruptured atherosclerotic plaques. This condition commonly arises in the context of cardiovascular procedures. Emboli from the thoracoabdominal aorta primarily affect the downstream extremities and intra-abdominal viscera, often resulting in fatal atheroembolic renal failure.

Developing competencies relating to information science and technology in Japanese undergraduate medical education.

In response to the growing expectation and recognized potential for integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into medicine, the Model Core Curriculum for Medical Education in Japan incorporated 'the ability to use information science and technology' as a new competency in its 2022 revision. This study aimed to identify specific learning objectives that medical students should achieve to acquire this competency. The research team developed an initial list of 107 learning objectives through a literature survey.

Competency-based medical education guidelines are context-based: Lessons from national guidelines in five countries.

Background And Objectives: The global shift towards competency-based medical education (CBME) has led to the development of national guidelines for CBME implementation (CBME Guides). The characteristics of CBME Guides from CBME-developed countries were analysed to inform the revision process for the CBME Guide in Japan, a CBME-developing country.

Methods: Document analysis of CBME Guides from Canada, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States was conducted by six Japanese medical education experts.

Implementing digital transformation in the revision process for Japan's Model Core Curriculum: A qualitative document analysis.

Purpose: Digital transformation (DT) is significantly impacting medical education. Despite advancements such as virtual reality and remote education, the influence of DT on the development of curricula and guidelines has not been thoroughly explored. This study aims to explore the enabling factors and impacts of DT on the revision process for Japan's Model Core Curriculum (MCC) in 2022.

Development of medical knowledge content for problem-solving competencies through dialogue with the undergraduate medical education community in Japan.

Background: Discrepancies existed between the medical knowledge sections of the Model Core Curriculum for Medical Education (MCC) and the Guidelines for the National Examination for Medical Practitioners (GNEMP) in Japan. These discrepancies have been one of the underlying factors hindering the development of learner-centered medical education in the country. The project team responsible for the 'Problem-Solving' section of the MCC aimed to address discrepancies between the disease lists in the MCC and the GNEMP.

Orexin concentrations and diurnal variation in the cerebrospinal fluid of intensive care unit patients undergoing aortic surgery with spinal drainage.

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of orexin show a cyclic diurnal variation in healthy subjects, which is diminished in patients with certain diseases. However, possible circadian variations in orexin levels in critically ill patients remain unknown. In this study, we evaluated the orexin concentrations in the CSF and their diurnal variation in patients undergoing thoracic aortic aneurysm repair with lumbar intrathecal catheterization for CSF drainage after non-neurosurgery.

The interplay between cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are the leading causes of death in Japan, with an increasingly recognized interrelationship. Both diseases share numerous risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms, suggesting a bidirectional influence on onset and progression. Recent studies reveal that cancer survivors face elevated CVD risks, particularly shortly after diagnosis, while CVD may predispose individuals to cancer.

Novel approaches to define responders to interventional treatment in hypertension: insights from the SPYRAL HTN-OFF and HTN-ON MED trials.

Multiple sham-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated significant reductions in both office and 24-h blood pressure (BP) following radiofrequency renal denervation (RDN) in the uncontrolled hypertension population. Notably, the blood pressure response varies widely within individual participants, thus showing a clinical need to identify potential RDN "responders" prior to the procedure. Despite multiple analytic efforts, no single parameter, aside from baseline blood pressure, has been consistently associated with BP reduction following RDN.

Association between early anti-cytomegalovirus therapy and the incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Ganciclovir and foscarnet are two representative anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) agents. A previous regional study revealed a lower risk of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients who received pre-emptive foscarnet. We conducted a retrospective nationwide study to confirm the results.

[Allergy and immunotoxicology in preventive and clinical medicine from theory to practice: Environmental factors in Bronchial Asthma].

Background: According to the gene-environment interactions (GEi) concept, the mechanism of health impairment can be explained by genetic factors, environmental factors, or their interaction. Physical and mental health effects resulting from environmental exposure may be classified either as toxicity, immune response, and allergic reaction. Moreover, despite the already established therapeutic approaches to bronchial asthma and decreasing mortality due to bronchial asthma, patients with difficult and severe asthma are increasing in number.

Machine learning model for predicting the cold-heat pattern in Kampo medicine: a multicenter prospective observational study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to predict the four cold-heat patterns in patients who have the subjective symptoms of the cold-heat pattern described in the International Classification of Diseases Traditional Medicine Conditions - Module 1 by applying a machine learning algorithm.

Methods: Subjects were first-visit Kampo outpatients at six institutions who agreed to participate in this multicenter prospective observational study. The cold pattern model and the heat pattern model were created separately with 148 symptoms, body mass index, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), age, and sex.

Humoral factors in serum as predictors of therapeutic response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of serum humoral factors in determining the therapeutic responses to biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs), especially TNF inhibitors (TNFis), in patients with RA.

Methods: A cohort of 52 patients with RA who were treated with bDMARDs, including TNFis, abatacept, and tocilizumab, was analyzed. Serum samples were collected at baseline (t1), 5 ± 1 (t2), and 14 ± 2 weeks (t3) after treatment.