Effects of the shortened dental arch on oral function in older adults: A prospective cohort study.

Statement Of The Problem: Previous longitudinal studies have found that patients with shortened dental arches (SDA) have a higher risk of long-term tooth loss than complete dental arch (CDA). However, the difference between SDA and CDA concerning oral function has yet to be demonstrated.

Purpose: We aimed to clarify the influence of molar occlusal support on oral function in SDA and CDA participants cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Lumbar Spondylolysis After Posterior Corrective Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review.

After corrective surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), patients can return to sports activities without restrictions. While there have been many reports of long-term disc degeneration between adjacent segments after posterior corrective fusion, the effects of sports activities on adjacent segments after corrective fusion surgery are not well understood. Particularly, cases of acquired spondylolysis after long fusion surgeries for scoliosis are rare.

Successful Salvage of Four Cases of Unresectable Papillary Thyroid Cancer Following Lenvatinib Administration.

Background/aim: The role of lenvatinib as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with advanced thyroid cancer has not been firmly established. In some cases, surgery may be considered when lenvatinib treatment becomes challenging to continue.

Case Report: We present four cases of unresectable thyroid cancer diagnosed histologically as papillary carcinoma.

Comprehensive Genome Profiling-Initiated Tumor-Informed Circulating Tumor DNA Monitoring for Patients With Advanced Cancer.

In Japan, comprehensive genome profiling (CGP) as a companion diagnostic (CDx) has been covered by public insurance since June 2019, but the proportion of patients with cancer who actually received drug therapy based on CGP data is low. In the present study, we attempted to use CGP as a starting point for tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring. We retrospectively validated 219 patients with malignant tumors who underwent CGP at Iwate Medical University Hospital between October 2019 and April 2023 in terms of patient demographics, genetic analysis, drug recommendations, and drug administration rate.

Investigation of brain volume changes associated with aging: Results from the fourth research on osteoarthritis/osteoporosis against disability survey.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of aging on brain volume among community residents in Japan, focusing on trends over time and specific brain structures.

Methods: We analyzed data from the fourth survey (2015-2016) of the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis Against Disability project, encompassing 2146 community residents from Japan's mountainous and coastal regions. A total of 1755 participants (81.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Presenting with Pseudoprogression in a Patient Receiving Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Combination Therapy.

A 65-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma and lung metastasis was treated with a combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab. Subsequently, the patient developed fever and new liver lesions, which were considered to indicate a pseudoprogression. Despite this, the treatment was continued.

Cytokine dynamics and quality of life: unraveling the impact of cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy in ovarian cancer patients.

Background: The quality of life (QOL) of ovarian cancer patients is often impaired by refractory ascites. Cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) is a palliative treatment for refractory ascites, but adverse events, such as fever, are problematic. Several cytokines have been suggested to be responsible for the adverse events, but they have not been investigated in detail.

CXCL8 modulates M0 macrophage proliferation and polarization to influence tumor progression in cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CESC) presents significant clinical challenges due to its complex tumor microenvironment (TME) and varied treatment responses. This study identified undifferentiated M0 macrophages as high-risk immune cells critically involved in CESC progression. Co-culture experiments further demonstrated that M0 macrophages significantly promoted HeLa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, underscoring their pivotal role in modulating tumor cell behavior within the TME.

Proinflammatory cytokine-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is regulated by multiple intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

Objectives: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory disease that involves periarthritis of the TMJ and destruction of cartilage tissue in the mandibular condyle. However, the role of proinflammatory cytokines in the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) remains inconclusive. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of proinflammatory cytokines on the expression of MMPs.

Ultrasound-assisted middle thoracic epidural catheter placement utilizing the most dorsal sites of bilateral transverse process roots as anatomical landmarks: A cadaveric observational study and a clinical randomized controlled trial.

Study Objective: We developed an innovative method for ultrasound-assisted thoracic epidural catheter placement and assessed its potential to reduce procedural duration for trainees.

Design: A cadaveric observational study and a clinical randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Sapporo Medical University Hospital.

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without chemotherapy for unresectable non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective observational study.

Introduction: Compared to platinum-based therapies, a combination of ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) has demonstrated improved outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), albeit with higher rates of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This multicenter retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without chemotherapy (NI and NICT) in real-world clinical settings.

Methods: We enrolled 215 treatment-naïve NSCLC patients who received NI or NICT between December 2020 and May 2023 at 14 institutions in Japan.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease-like uveitis induced by nivolumab in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Nivolumab can cause various immune-related adverse events; it rarely induces Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-disease-like uveitis. Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-disease is reported to be closely associated with human leukocyte antigen-DR4.

Case Presentation: A 68-year-old man with metastatic renal cancer underwent nephrectomy.

Enteritis of the ileal conduit as an adverse event related to immune checkpoint inhibitor use.

Introduction: Gastroenterocolitis is one of the adverse events related to immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, inflammation of the intestinal lesion used for urinary diversion is not well known as an adverse event related to their use.

Case Presentation: A patient with metastatic bladder cancer was administered pembrolizumab as second-line treatment.

Oral Commissure Ulcer in an Extremely Preterm Infant: A Complication of Endotracheal Tube Fixation at Contralateral Oral Commissure During Lateral Positioning.

Lip ulcers associated with endotracheal tube fixation are a known complication in adults, but their prevalence in neonates and preterm infants remains unclear. We report a case of a right oral commissure ulcer that developed during endotracheal tube fixation at the right oral commissure and left lateral decubitus positioning in an extremely preterm infant with unilateral pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE). A male infant was born at 24 weeks and four days of gestation, weighing 696 gm.

Association Between Kyphosis and Sleep Disturbance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcome in Aizu Cohort Study.

Purpose: Worsening sagittal alignment of the spine, particularly kyphosis, may cause difficulty in assuming a supine position, restricting sleeping posture and movement and potentially leading to sleep disturbances. However, no studies have explored the relationship between sagittal spinal alignment and sleep disturbance. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between sagittal spinal alignment and sleep disturbance.

Effects of linsitinib on M22 and IGF:1-treated 3D spheroids of human orbital fibroblasts.

To elucidate the role of IGF1R inhibition in the pathogenesis of Graves' orbitopathy (GO), the effects of linsitinib (Lins) on a recombinant human TSHR antibody (M22) and IGF1 to activate TSHR and IGF1R of human orbital fibroblasts (HOFs) obtained from patients without GO (HOFs) and patients with GO (GHOFs) were studied using in vitro three-dimensional (3D) spheroid models in addition to their 2D planar cell culture. For this purpose, we evaluated 1) cellular metabolic functions by using a seahorse bioanalyzer (2D), 2) physical properties including size and stiffness of 3D spheroids, and mRNA expression of several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, their modulators (CCL2 LOX, CTGF, MMPs), ACTA2 and inflammatory cytokines (IL1β, IL6). Administration of IGF1 and M22 induced increases of cellular metabolic functions with the effect on HOFs being much more potent than the effect on GHOFs, suggesting that IGF1R and TSHR of GHOFs may already be stimulated.

Structural basis for catalysis and selectivity of phospholipid synthesis by eukaryotic choline-phosphotransferase.

Phospholipids are the most abundant component in lipid membranes and are essential for the structural and functional integrity of the cell. In eukaryotic cells, phospholipids are primarily synthesized de novo through the Kennedy pathway that involves multiple enzymatic processes. The terminal reaction is mediated by a group of cytidine-5'-diphosphate (CDP)-choline /CDP-ethanolamine-phosphotransferases (CPT/EPT) that use 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) and CDP-choline or CDP-ethanolamine to produce phosphatidylcholine (PC) or phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) that are the main phospholipids in eukaryotic cells.

[The clinical treatment difficulties and strategies for palatogingival groove].

Palatogingival groove (PGG) is a common developmental deformity, which is prone to retain plaque, leading to local periodontal inflammation. Furthermore, the infection can spread to the dental pulp tissue through the PGG, eventually resulting in combined periodontal-endodontic lesions. The treatment methods include PGG treatment, periodontal treatment, endodontic treatment, etc.

CD36-mediated uptake of oxidized LDL induces double-negative regulatory T cell ferroptosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Metabolic alterations have been shown to instigate liver inflammation in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but the underlying mechanism is not fully elucidated. During MASLD progression, intrahepatic CD3TCRαβCD4CD8 double negative T regulatory cells (DNT) decrease cell survival and immunosuppressive function, leading to aggravated liver inflammation. In this study, we aim to reveal the underlying mechanisms that cause changes in DNT during MASLD progression.

Single-Cell and Transcriptome Analysis of Periodontitis: Molecular Subtypes and Biomarkers Linked to Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Immunity.

Background: Periodontitis represents an inflammatory disease with multiple contributing factors, affecting both oral and systemic health. The mechanisms linking mitochondrial dysfunction to immune responses in periodontitis remain unclear, limiting the development of individualized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Objective:  This study aims to elucidate the roles of mitochondrial dysfunction and immune responses in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, identify distinct molecular subtypes, and discover robust diagnostic biomarkers to support precision medicine approaches.

The influencing of obesity on lung ventilation function among middle-aged and elderly people.

This study examined the effect of obesity on lung ventilation function in middle-aged and older adults using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Lung function was measured using peak expiratory flow, and obesity was assessed using waist circumference and body mass index (BMI). Logistic regression and the bivariate logit model were applied to analyze the data.