Autoimmune Aspects of Kawasaki Disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis that is part of systemic vasculitis syndrome. It affects medium-sized vessels and is characterized by hypercytokinemia. Although the etiology of KD remains unidentified, epidemiological features point to the role of infection and genetic predisposition.

Experimental hypercoagulable state induced by tissue factor expression in monocyte-derived dendritic cells and its modulation by C1 inhibitor.

The crosstalk between immune and coagulation systems plays pivotal roles in host defense, which may involve monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs). Our objectives were to elucidate the role of moDCs in coagulation under inflammatory conditions and the involvement of the complement system. We assessed the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated moDCs on coagulation using whole blood thromboelastometry in the presence of complement inhibitors.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hematopoietic Embryoid Bodies Secrete Sphingosine-1-Phosphate and Revert Endothelial Injury.

The possibility of sphingosine-1-phosphate production by induced pluripotent stem cells is examined to assess their potential in treatment of sepsis. The hematopoietic embryoid bodies were derived from the culture of 6-day-old differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells. These embryoid bodies secreted sphingosine-1-phosphate, an important bioactive lipid that regulates integrity of the pulmonary endothelial barrier, prevents elevation of its permeability, and impedes the formation of stress fibers in human endotheliocytes derived from umbilical vein.

Graft-Sparing Strategy for Thoracic Prosthetic Graft Infection.

Objective: Thoracic prosthetic graft infection is a rare but serious complication with no standard management. We reported our surgical experience on graft-sparing strategy for thoracic prosthetic graft infection.

Methods: This study included patients who underwent graft-sparing surgery for thoracic prosthetic graft infection at Matsubara Tokushukai Hospital in Japan from January 2000 to October 2017.

Dual Gas Treatment With Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Protects From Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Hydrogen (H) and carbon monoxide (CO) gas are both reported to reduce reactive oxygen species and alleviate tissue ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a mixture of H gas and CO gas (dual gas) in comparison with hydrogen gas (H: 2%) alone on I-R renal injury (composition of dual gas; N: 77.8%; O: 20.

Strategy of delayed surgery for ventricular septal perforation after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The timing of surgical repair for ventricular septal perforation (VSP) is important because patients are susceptible to bleeding from fragile myocardial tissue or residual shunt during the acute phase of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study aimed to assess the results of delayed surgery for VSP performed 2 weeks after AMI.

Methods: In total, 24 consecutive postinfarction patients with VSP (mean age: 72.

Resternotomy Plus Left Thoracotomy Surgery after Previous Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair.

Background: As the results of acute type A aortic dissection repair have improved, late reoperation for residual dissection has become increasingly important. We report our experience of graft replacement via extended approaches after a previous acute type A aortic dissection repair.

Methods: From April 2003 to September 2016, 17 patients underwent reoperation via extended (repeat median sternotomy plus left thoracotomy) approaches after a previous repair of an acute type A aortic dissection at the Matsubara Tokushukai Hospital in Japan and were included in the analyses (males, 16; mean age at surgery, 60.

Acute ethanol intoxication suppresses pentraxin 3 expression in a mouse sepsis model involving cecal ligation and puncture.

Acute ethanol intoxication impairs immunological reactions and increases the risk of sepsis; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Pentraxin (PTX) 3 is a humoral pattern recognition receptor whose levels rapidly increase in response to inflammation. PTX3 production is triggered by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and is mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK).

Therapeutic approaches for treating hemophilia A using embryonic stem cells.

Hemophilia A is an X-linked rescessive bleeding disorder that results from F8 gene aberrations. Previously, we established embryonic stem (ES) cells (tet-226aa/N6-Ainv18) that secrete human factor VIII (hFVIII) by introducing the human F8 gene in mouse Ainv18 ES cells. Here, we explored the potential of cell transplantation therapy for hemophilia A using the ES cells.

Dermoid Cyst of the Lateral Neck Included Within the Submandibular Gland.

Dermoid cysts are benign lesions of congenital origin, and those in the head and neck region are usually present as a midline neck mass. They rarely appear in the lateral neck. This article describes the clinical presentation and histopathologic features of an extremely rare case of lateral dermoid cyst included within the submandibular gland in a 58-year-old man.

Juvenile polymyositis associated with anti-OJ (anti-isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase) autoantibody in a 13-year-old girl.

A 13-year-old girl was admitted for persistent thigh pain and remittent fever and was diagnosed as having juvenile polymyositis. Although the initial treatment with 2 cycles of methylprednisolone pulse therapy failed to achieve full remission, the second-line treatment with intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy was effective. Anti-OJ antibody, which is one of anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) antibodies and is rare in adult polymyositis, was detected.

Acquired hemophilia A: a frequently overlooked autoimmune hemorrhagic disorder.

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare hemorrhagic disease in which autoantibodies against coagulation factor VIII- (FVIII-) neutralizing antibodies (inhibitors) impair the intrinsic coagulation system. As the inhibitors developed in AHA are autoantibodies, the disease may have an autoimmune cause and is often associated with autoimmune disease. Although acute hemorrhage associated with AHA may be fatal and is costly to treat, AHA is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed.

Rapidly progressing osteomyelitis of the mandible.

Acute osteomyelitis exists as a refractory disease even now, which usually exhibits systemic symptoms such as fever or malaise and local redness or swelling. The present paper describes a case of acute osteomyelitis of the mandible that was rapidly progressing without typical symptoms. The patient had liver cirrhosis, which should be one of the systemic factors that affect immune surveillance and metabolism.

Mitral and tricuspid valve surgery for Coffin-Lowry syndrome.

Coffin-Lowry syndrome is a rare X-linked disorder characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities, mental retardation, short stature, and hypotonia. An 18-year-old man with morphologic features characteristic of Coffin-Lowry syndrome was referred to our institution for valve disease surgery for worsening cardiac failure. Echocardiography showed severe mitral valve regurgitation associated with tricuspid valve regurgitation.

An Advanced but Traditional Technique of Transurethral Resection of the Prostate in Order not to Overlook Stage T1 Prostate Cancer.

Introduction: A little deeper resection was done during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) to fill the disparities of reported prevalence rates between latent and incidental prostate cancer, as well as in order not to overlook clinically significant incidental cancer.

Patients And Methods: We performed TURP in 995 patients who were diagnosed to have BPH. With a routine TUR setup, first most of the transition and central zones were resected.

[Aortic dissection presenting with neurologic sign; report of a case].

A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for neurological deficit and left hemiplegia, presenting remission in the short time. Computed tomography(CT) of the brain was normal. CT of the chest showed a thoracoabdominal aortic dissection from the ascending aorta to the bilateral femoral artery, that involved all cervical arteries.