Deletion of p38 MAPK in macrophages ameliorates peritoneal fibrosis and inflammation in peritoneal dialysis.

One of the most common causes of peritoneal dialysis withdrawal is ultrafiltration failure which is characterized by peritoneal membrane thickening and fibrosis. Although previous studies have demonstrated the inhibitory effect of p38 MAPK inhibitors on peritoneal fibrosis in mice, it was unclear which specific cells contribute to peritoneal fibrosis. To investigate the role of p38 MAPK in peritoneal fibrosis more precisely, we examined the expression of p38 MAPK in human peritoneum and generated systemic inducible p38 MAPK knockout mice and macrophage-specific p38 MAPK knockout mice.

Successful treatment of recurrent extracranial hypoglossal schwannoma using the neuroendoscopic transnasal far-medial approach.

Background: Extracranial hypoglossal schwannomas are rare, and transcranial skull base surgery can be challenging due to their proximity to the lower cranial nerves, jugular vein, vertebral artery, and carotid artery. The application of neuroendoscopic surgery for extracranial hypoglossal schwannomas has rarely been reported.

Case Description: A 53-year-old woman previously underwent lateral suboccipital surgery for a hypoglossal schwannoma when she was 25 years old.

A Case of Spontaneous Regression of Adult Multi-system Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Presenting as Liver Tumor Rupture.

Adult multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (MS-LCH) is rare and has a poor prognosis. A 67-year-old man with MS-LCH presented with a hepatic tumor rupture and multiple masses in the lungs, liver, and pancreas. Despite the initial aggressive disease course and involvement of organs at risk, the patient experienced spontaneous regression and lesion disappearance following smoking cessation without chemotherapy.

Minimum and early high-energy sonication protocol of MR-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for low-skull density ratio patients with essential tremor and Parkinson's disease.

Objective: MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy is an incisionless neurosurgical treatment for patients with medically refractory essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease. A low skull density ratio (SDR) < 0.40 is a known risk factor for treatment failure.

Daily change of peritoneal ultrafiltration volume in patients with hybrid dialysis.

Introduction: Hybrid dialysis is widely used in Japan. Although previous reports have shown the beneficial effects of hybrid dialysis, little is known about the daily change in peritoneal ultrafiltration volume in hybrid dialysis.

Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in 25 patients with hybrid dialysis.

Early detection of pancreatic cancer by comprehensive serum miRNA sequencing with automated machine learning.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages, and early-stage diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult because of nonspecific symptoms and lack of available biomarkers.

Methods: We performed comprehensive serum miRNA sequencing of 212 pancreatic cancer patient samples from 14 hospitals and 213 non-cancerous healthy control samples. We randomly classified the pancreatic cancer and control samples into two cohorts: a training cohort (N = 185) and a validation cohort (N = 240).

Intraventricular pituicytoma: illustrative case.

Background: Pituicytoma is a rare glial neoplasm from pituicytes of the neurohypophysis or infundibulum. It occurs in the sella and suprasellar area, and it is extremely uncommon to observe intraventricular pituicytoma without affecting the infundibulum or infundibular recess.

Observations: A 69-year-old man had suffered progressive dementia for 6 months.

JNK2-MMP-9 axis facilitates the progression of intracranial aneurysms.

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) can cause subarachnoid hemorrhage or some other hemorrhagic stroke after rupture. Because of the poor outcome in spite of the intensive medical care after the onset of hemorrhage, the development of a novel therapeutic strategy like medical therapy to prevent the progression of the disease becomes a social need. As the reduction of arterial stiffness due to the degeneration of the extracellular matrix via Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) becomes one of the central machineries leading to the progression of IAs through a series of studies, factors regulating the expression or the activity of MMPs could be a therapeutic target.

Tympanic Membrane Regeneration Therapy for Pediatric Tympanic Membrane Perforation.

Objective: To evaluate tympanic membrane regeneration therapy (TMRT) for pediatric tympanic membrane perforations (TMPs).

Study Design: Intervention study.

Setting: Research institute hospital.

Validation of a modified enrichment broth for efficient screening of group B Streptococcus in pregnant women.

We validated a modified enrichment broth that changes its color when group B Streptococcus (GBS) grows. No GBS was detected in any of the non-yellow samples. Thus, the non-yellow samples were considered GBS-negative without conducting further examinations, potentially reducing medical costs and workload.

Disruption of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) causes non-obese type 2 diabetes with β-cell dysfunction in the golden (Syrian) hamster.

Because of the advent of genome-editing technology, gene knockout (KO) hamsters have become attractive research models for diverse diseases in humans. This study established a new KO model of diabetes by disrupting the insulin receptor substrate-2 (Irs2) gene in the golden (Syrian) hamster. Homozygous KO animals were born alive but with delayed postnatal growth until adulthood.

A synovial cyst-induced vertebral artery dissection in bow hunter's stroke: illustrative case.

Background: Bow hunter's stroke (BHS) is a rare condition characterized by occlusion of the vertebral artery (VA) due to a head rotation. BHS typically results from neck hyperrotation, often due to anatomical factors. The authors present a case of BHS in a young male patient exacerbated by os odontoideum (OD), resulting in atlantoaxial dislocation, which ultimately led to VA dissection.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer with brain and/or leptomeningeal metastases: an updated overall survival analysis using data from a multicenter retrospective study (ROSET-BM).

We provide updated results (median follow-up duration: 20.4 months) of a retrospective study on the effectiveness of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer with brain metastases (BM) and/or leptomeningeal disease (ROSET-BM). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.

Two reports of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms intraoperatively induced by an ultrasonic surgical aspirator: A rare intraoperative complication.

Background: The ultrasonic surgical aspirator is widely used in intracranial tumor resection as this instrument is considered safe. The advantage of an ultrasonic surgical aspirator is that it does not damage vessels or nerves close to the tumor. Therefore, limited information exists regarding intraoperative arterial injury by the ultrasonic surgical aspirator.