Successful granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor inhalation therapy for recurrent autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis after lung transplantation: A case report.

Sargramostim, a recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) inhalation therapy, was recently approved for pharmaceutical use in Japan and shows promise as a treatment for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (APAP). For APAP patients with severe respiratory failure due to advanced lung fibrosis, lung transplantation is also a treatment option; however, APAP may recur after the procedure. Here, we report a case of successful sargramostim inhalation therapy for post-transplant APAP relapse in a patient who underwent living lung transplantation owing to severe fibrosis.

Cough and sputum symptoms reduce physical activity in patients with NTM pulmonary disease.

Although physical activity is an important outcome in patients with chronic respiratory disease, it has not been characterised in those with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD). This study aimed to evaluate physical activity and its associated factors in patients with NTM-PD.This prospective observational study measured daily step counts using an accelerometer to assess physical activity (steps per day).

Blood DNA virome associates with autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus.

New Findings in Developmental Studies of Laryngeal Mound With a Reference to Its Attached Structures in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica).

The laryngeal mound (LM) formed the caudal part of the pharyngeal floor, which varied in position, shape, and length at different ages. This work aimed to study the morphogenesis of the LM in the embryonic and post hatching periods grossly, histologically, and by scanning electron microscopy using forty-eight Japanese quails. The LM primordia appeared on the 8th day of incubation as a raised elevation carried on a deep median symmetrical sulcus (glottis primordium).

Comparison of Short-Term Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer Surgery Performed by Male and Female Surgeons: A Japanese Multicenter Study.

Introduction: The number of female doctors is increasing worldwide, but the percentage of female general surgeons and gastrointestinal surgeons remains low, at only 6% in Japan. Furthermore, in rural areas, the number of doctors is small and training opportunities are limited, and training in surgical techniques is reportedly inadequate compared with urban areas. This study examined the current status and surgical outcomes of colorectal cancer surgery by surgeon sex using a multicenter database in a Japanese rural area.

Risk of autism spectrum disorder at 18 months of age is associated with prenatal level of polychlorinated biphenyls exposure in a Japanese birth cohort.

Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has a detrimental effect on early cognitive development. Based on these observations, some researchers suggested that prenatal exposure to PCB may be an environmental cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To investigate the potential link between prenatal exposure to PCB, we analyzed the link between the level of prenatal PCB exposure and ASD risk evaluated at 18 months of age and behavioral problems at 5 years old based on longitudinal birth cohort data collected in urban areas in Japan based on the data from 115 mother-infant pairs.

A Case of Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis Caused by Kocuria rhizophila.

A 63-year-old woman undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) presented to our hospital with abdominal pain, diarrhea, and cloudy PD effluent. An elevated white blood cell count in the PD effluent led to a diagnosis of PD-associated peritonitis. She was subsequently started on intraperitoneal cefazolin and ceftazidime, after which her condition improved rapidly.

Impact of Janus kinase inhibitors and methotrexate on interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objectives: Little is known about how various treatments impact the progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Here, we compared ILD progression in RA patients treated with Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) or biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). experiments were also performed to evaluate the potential effects of the drugs on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key event in pulmonary fibrosis.

Health Utility of Pain Response Versus Nonresponse to Palliative Radiation Therapy for Symptomatic Bone Metastases: Analyses Based on Real-World Data from 26 Centers.

Utility values of responders and nonresponders are essential inputs in cost-effectiveness studies of radiation therapy for painful bone metastases but, to our knowledge, they have not been reported separately. We sought to determine the utility values of responders and nonresponders using data from a prospective observational study on bone metastases. The original prospective observational study was conducted at 26 centers in Japan.

Comparison of robotic and laparoscopic approaches in short- and long-term outcomes of lateral pelvic lymph node dissection for advanced rectal cancer: a Japanese multicenter study.

Background: Lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPND) is a challenging surgical technique with complex anatomy and narrow pelvic manipulation. The outcomes of robotic and laparoscopic surgery for LPND are still unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 169 consecutive patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery with LPND between 2016 and 2023.

Effects of Au Addition on the Performance of Thermal Electronic Noses Based on Porous CuO-SnO Nanospheres.

The electronic nose is an increasingly useful tool in many fields and applications. Our thermal electronic nose approach, based on nanostructured metal oxide chemiresistors in a thermal gradient, has the advantage of being tiny and therefore integrable in portable and wearable devices. Obviously, a wise choice of the nanomaterial is crucial for the device's performance and should therefore be carefully considered.

Impact of Autism on the Relation Between Sleep and Life Satisfaction in Japanese Adults.

Background/objectives: Sleep disorders, such as short sleep, are common comorbidities in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sleep quality and duration are directly associated with quality of life (QOL). Clarifying the influence of ASD on the association between short sleep duration and life satisfaction is an efficient way to improve the QOL of patients with ASD.

A novel frameshift mutation in ADCK1 identified in a case of chronic fatigue syndrome successfully treated with oral 5-ALA/SFC.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a complex disorder characterized by prolonged, unexplained fatigue and challenging diagnosis. We report the case of a 35-year-old Japanese woman with CFS who had experienced chronic fatigue since the age of 11 years. Despite treatment with modafinil, methylphenidate, levocarnitine, and ubiquinone, the symptoms persisted.

Antifungal Treatment for Japanese Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

Introduction: Despite the ongoing efforts to refine treatment durations and methods for patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, the clinical use of antifungal agents remains unclear. This study aimed to describe the treatment practices, trajectories, and prognoses of newly diagnosed patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.

Methods: Data from a longitudinal database from hospitals in Japan was used.

Risk Factors for Gangrenous Cholecystitis and the Outcomes of Early Cholecystectomy: A Retrospective Study of a Single-Center City General Hospital.

Gangrenous cholecystitis (GC) is classified as moderate acute cholecystitis according to the Tokyo Guidelines from 2018 (TG18). We evaluated the risk factors for GC and the outcomes of early cholecystectomy. A total of 136 patients who underwent emergency cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis were retrospectively analyzed; 58 of these patients (42.

A Case of Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis Due to Moraxella osloensis.

A 46-year-old woman on peritoneal dialysis (PD) had cloudy peritoneal dialysis effluent that had persisted for 10 days by the time she visited our hospital. The white blood cell count in the effluent was elevated to 1500/μL, leading to a diagnosis of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis. The effluent cleared within two days with treatment using cefazolin and ceftazidime, and the white blood cell count dropped to 0/μL by day 6.

Glucocorticoid tapering pace in microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis in Japanese real-world practice: A propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study from the J-CANVAS registry.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and outcomes among regimens of glucocorticoid tapering for microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) in real-world practice.

Methods: We retrospectively examined the Japan Collaborative Registry of ANCA-associated Vasculitis (J-CANVAS) registry, and evaluated the prevalence of glucocorticoid tapering regimens in the PEXIVAS trial. In patients with newly diagnosed MPA and GPA, we compared outcomes among standard and reduced pace regimens.

The safety and feasibility of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy: A multicenter retrospective assessment of 425 patients in Japan.

Background/purpose: The Japanese public health insurance system has recently covered robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD). This study aimed to review the results of RPD during the introductory period and elucidate its safety and feasibility in Japan.

Methods: Consecutive data of 425 patients who underwent RPD were retrospectively collected from 10 high-volume centers in Japan between April 2020 and September 2022.

Causative diseases of bloody sputum and hemoptysis in respiratory clinics in Japan.

Background: No previous studies have compared respiratory clinics and respiratory specialized facilities regarding causative diseases for bloody sputum and hemoptysis in Japan.

Methods: We retrospectively compared causative diseases for bloody sputum and hemoptysis between 3 respiratory clinics (clinic group) and 7 departments of respiratory medicine at hospitals (hospital group) in Japan.

Results: We collected data from 231 patients (median age, 51 years; age range, 24-96 years; 109 men (47.

NSC-3852 synergistically enhances the cytotoxicity of olaparib in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The PARP inhibitor olaparib is an anti-cancer agent based on synthetic lethality that targets poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases. It is used as a therapeutic agent for breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers carrying BRCA1/2 mutations that cause deficiency in homologous recombination. In recent years, acquired resistance to PARP inhibitors has become a clinical problem in PARP inhibitor-treated patients.

Downregulation of IRF7-mediated type-I interferon response by LmCen parasites is necessary for protective immunity.

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease caused by Leishmania parasites and currently has no licensed vaccines. We developed a dermotropic Leishmania major centrin gene-deleted strain (LmCen) as a live attenuated vaccine. Recent studies have shown that type I interferons (IFNs) play important roles in immunity to parasitic and viral pathogens.