Inflammation of the adipose tissue in the retroperitoneal cavity adjacent to pelvic endometriosis.

Aim: Peritoneal endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease particularly associated with macrophages. Of note, adipose tissues with fibrotic changes in the context of peritoneal endometriotic lesions are often observed during surgery. However, the characteristics of fibrotic adipose tissues in endometriosis are still unknown.

Probucol Trial for Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Events in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease (PROSPECTIVE).

Aims: Although intensive statin therapy reduced cardiovascular risks, cardiovascular events have not been completely prevented. Probucol is a potent antioxidant and reduces tendon xanthomas in familial hypercholesterolemia patients despite reduction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (HDL-C). We investigated whether probucol can reduce cardiovascular events on top of conventional lipid-lowering therapy in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Correlation between Skeletal Muscle Mass and Adverse Events of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery is a promising treatment strategy for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Severe toxicity associated with the treatment may reduce the dose intensity of chemotherapy, resulting in the effect of chemotherapy being attenuated. Recently, skeletal muscle mass has been reported to be associated with the treatment outcomes of cancer patients.

Innovation in surgery/operating room driven by Internet of Things on medical devices.

Background: With the improvement of sensor technology, the trend of Internet of Things (IoT) is affecting the medical devices. The aim of this study is to verify whether it is possible to "visualize instrument usage in specific procedures" by automatically accumulating the digital data related to the behavior of surgical instruments/forceps in laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: Five board-certified surgeons (PGY 9-24 years) performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy on 35-kg porcine (n = 5).

Safety and Efficacy of Lomitapide in Japanese Patients with Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HoFH): Results from the AEGR-733-301 Long-Term Extension Study.

Aim: Lomitapide is an approved lipid-lowering agent indicated as adjunct to low-fat diet and standard lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs) including lipoprotein apheresis for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). Clinical data from Phase 3 studies have demonstrated the prolonged lipid-lowering capacity of lomitapide in patients with HoFH. We assessed the long-term lipid-lowering capacity of daily oral lomitapide in a cohort of Japanese patients with HoFH enrolled in a Phase 3 extension study.

Dietary Intake during 56 Weeks of a Low-Fat Diet for Lomitapide Treatment in Japanese Patients with Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Aim: Lomitapide is an oral inhibitor of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein used to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH); patients require a low-fat diet to minimize gastrointestinal adverse effects and dietary supplements to prevent nutrient deficiencies. We investigated the diet and nutritional status during lomitapide treatment.

Methods: Japanese patients with HoFH, who were in a phase 3 trial of lomitapide, were instructed to start low-fat diets with supplements of vitamin E and essential fatty acids 6 weeks before starting lomitapide treatment.

Potential link between Fusobacterium enrichment and DNA methylation accumulation in the inflammatory colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis.

Background And Aim: enrichment has been associated with colorectal cancer development. Ulcerative colitis (UC) associated tumorigenesis is characterized as high degree of methylation accumulation through continuous colonic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential link between enrichment and DNA methylation accumulation in the inflammatory colonic mucosa in UC.

Achilles Tendon Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Among Japanese Subjects.

Background: Difficulty in detecting and measuring Achilles tendon (AT) xanthomas may be responsible for underdiagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We aimed to determine a cutoff value for AT thickness (AT-T) using ultrasonography to diagnose FH, and to investigate the relationship between AT-T and atherosclerosis.

Methods and results: Ultrasonographic AT-T and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were evaluated in 130 genetically diagnosed FH patients and 155 non-FH patients.

Assessment of postoperative quality of life following pylorus-preserving gastrectomy and Billroth-I distal gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients: results of the nationwide postgastrectomy syndrome assessment study.

Background: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) is increasingly being used to treat early gastric cancer in the middle third of the stomach, with the hope of ameliorating postoperative dysfunction and improving quality of life (QOL). We evaluated symptoms of postgastrectomy syndrome (PGS) and QOL by means of a newly developed integrated questionnaire, the Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale-45 (PGSAS-45), and compared PPG with Billroth-I distal gastrectomy (DGBI).

Methods: The PGSAS-45 consists of 45 items, including items from the SF-8 and GSRS instruments, as well as 22 newly selected items.

[Unilateral synchronous occurrence of renal pelvic urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma : report of two cases].

Two cases of unilateral synchronous occurrence of renal pelvic urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma are presented. Case 1 : A 70-year-old woman presented with macroscopic hematuria. Retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy was performed under the diagnosis of renal pelvic carcinoma.

Removal of plasma mature and furin-cleaved proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 by low-density lipoprotein-apheresis in familial hypercholesterolemia: development and application of a new assay for PCSK9.

Context: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is known to be a good target to decrease LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and two forms of PCSK9, mature and furin-cleaved PCSK9, circulate in blood. However, it has not been clarified whether and how the levels of each PCSK9 are affected by LDL-apheresis (LDL-A) treatment, a standard therapy in patients with severe forms of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the differences in LDL-A-induced reduction of mature and furin-cleaved PCSK9 between homozygous and heterozygous FH, and between dextran sulfate (DS) cellulose adsorption and double membrane (DM) columns and to clarify the mechanism of their removal.

Increased serum C1q-binding adiponectin complex to total-adiponectin ratio in men with multi-vessel coronary disease.

Background: Adiponectin plays a role as a positive contributor to the stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. Circulating total adiponectin (Total-APN) levels associates with the number of coronary vessels in men with coronary artery disease (CAD). We recently reported that adiponectin binds to C1q in human blood, and serum C1q-binding adiponectin (C1q-APN) /Total-APN levels are associated with CAD in type 2 diabetic subjects.

[A case of recurrent colon cancer involved in multiple organs maintaining complete response over the long-term after chemotherapy].

We report a case of recurrent colon cancer successfully treated by mFOLFOX6 and FOLFIRI, and maintaining a complete response(CR)over the long-term. A 60-year-old woman complained of abdominal discomfort 18 months after surgery for advanced descending colon cancer(tub2, pT3, pN2, cM0, fStage IIIb). A pelvic mass was demonstrated by abdominal computed tomography(CT)scan, and relapse of the cancer was suspected.

[Tension-free vaginal mesh repair for recurrence of pelvic organ prolapse after vaginal mesh procedures: a case report].

A 61-year-old woman presented with the chief complaint of a vaginal bulge for 2 years. She had undergone two operations for pelvic organ prolapse. The initial procedure was the Manchester procedure and posterior colporrhaphy, and the second was a vaginal repair with mesh for recurrent rectocele 3 years after the initial surgery.

[Ropivacaine-induced late-onset systemic toxicity after transversus abdominis plane block under general anesthesia: successful reversal with 20% lipid emulsion].

We report a case of late-onset systemic toxicity due to ropivacaine over dose, and its successful reversal with 20% lipid emulsion (20% Intralipos). A 40-year-old woman, 40 kg, ASA-I, was scheduled for laparoscopy-assisted myomectomy of the uterus in which 40 ml of 0.375% ropivacaine was injected for bilateral US guided transversus abdominis plane block (TAPblock) under general anesthesia.

[Reaction to blood transfusion recognized by sudden onset of red urine during operation].

A 54-year-old woman was scheduled for the total hip replacement. She was anesthetized with continuous epidural blockade combined with general anesthesia using oxygen, sevoflurane, and propofol. When she received her autologous blood transfusion, we noticed the obstruction of the venous line, and pushed 30 ml of blood with 10 ml syringe.