Efficacy of Intrathecal Isoniazid and Steroid Therapy in Refractory Tuberculous Meningitis.

Tuberculous meningitis is an infectious disease with high mortality. Literature describing intrathecal therapy for tuberculous meningitis is scarce. We herein report a case of refractory tuberculous meningitis in a 52-year-old woman with underlying neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

Propagative α-synuclein seeds as serum biomarkers for synucleinopathies.

Abnormal α-synuclein aggregation is a key pathological feature of a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy (MSA). The pathogenic β-sheet seed conformation of α-synuclein is found in various tissues, suggesting potential as a biomarker, but few studies have been able to reliably detect these seeds in serum samples. In this study, we developed a modified assay system, called immunoprecipitation-based real-time quaking-induced conversion (IP/RT-QuIC), which enables the detection of pathogenic α-synuclein seeds in the serum of individuals with synucleinopathies.

Importance of feeding status evaluation in older patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Older hospitalized patients undergoing hemodialysis are increasingly experiencing malnutrition caused by dysphagia. However, only a few studies have focused on this problem. We used the Kuchikara Taberu Balance Chart (KTBC) to evaluate the patients' feeding status and examined its association with their nutritional status and prognosis.

Stress exacerbates pancreatic cancer both directly and indirectly by creating an immunosuppressive environment.

Background/purpose: Sympathetic nerve stimulation by stress exacerbates various solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer (PCa). The relationship between cancer and immunity has been suggested; however, there is limited information about the effects of nerve stimulation on immunity and cancer. We aimed to investigate the involvement of sympathetic nerve stimulation in immune cells and its effects on PCa using a restraint stress mouse model.

Validation of the iATL-PI prognostic index in therapeutic decision-making for patients with smoldering and chronic ATL: a multicenter study.

Adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is clinically heterogeneous and is classified into four subtypes: acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering. Recently, a new prognostic index based on the value of soluble interleukin-2 receptor, denoted the "iATL-PI," has been proposed for patients with smoldering and chronic ATL. To evaluate the effectiveness of the iATL-PI, we re-analyzed our previously published data on 176 patients with smoldering or chronic ATL (76 smoldering, 100 chronic) diagnosed between 2010 and 2011, as well data from the subsequent follow-up study on prognosis between 2016 and 2017.

A targeted educational programme improves fundamental knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis in young women: The Endometriosis Awareness Promotion Project.

Research Question: Would a properly designed educational programme offered to young women improve their awareness and fundamental knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis?

Design: A multinational cross-sectional study using a pen-and-paper questionnaire among women aged 19-24 years was conducted between 2017 and 2019 to assess fundamental knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis. Improvement in knowledge was also analysed using a separate questionnaire completed before, and 1-3 months after, a group discussion, lecture on menstrual pain and endometriosis, or both.

Results: Among three groups of students (college [n = 271], medical [n = 877] and nursing [n = 763]), knowledge of menstrual pain and endometriosis was lowest among college students, modest among nursing students and fair among medical students (P < 0.

Compounds in cigarette smoke induce EGR1 expression via the AHR, resulting in apoptosis and COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality worldwide, and pulmonary epithelial cell apoptosis is regarded as one of the most important factors in its pathogenesis. Here, we examined the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis caused by cigarette smoke (CS). In the normal bronchial epithelium cell line BEAS-2B, a CS extract markedly induced apoptosis together with transient early growth response 1 (EGR1) protein expression, which is activated over time via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR).

rno-miR-203a-3p and Mex3B contribute to cell survival of iliopsoas muscle via the Socs3-Casp3 axis under severe hypothermia in rats.

Forensic diagnosis of fatal hypothermia is considered difficult because no specific findings, such as molecular markers, have been identified. Therefore, determining the molecular mechanism in hypothermia and identifying novel molecular markers to assist in diagnosing fatal hypothermia are important. This study aimed to investigate microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA expression in iliopsoas muscle, which plays a role in homeostasis in mammals, to resolve the molecular mechanism in hypothermia.

Efficacy of strain plasma (LC-Plasma) in easing symptoms in patients with mild COVID-19: protocol for an exploratory, multicentre, double-blinded, randomised controlled trial (PLATEAU study).

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major concern worldwide; however, easily accessible treatment options for patients with mild COVID-19 remain limited. Since the oral intake of strain plasma (LC-Plasma) enhances both the innate and acquired immune systems through the activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), we hypothesised that the oral intake of LC-Plasma could aid the relief or prevention of symptoms in patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19.

Methods And Analysis: This is an exploratory, multicentre, double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Re-emerging threat of Trypanosoma cruzi vector transmission in El Salvador, update from 2018 to 2020.

Background: Since the late twentieth century, Chagas disease gained global attention to suppress the vector burden as a main control strategy in endemic countries. In Central America, multi-national initiative successfully achieved significant reduction in the estimated disease prevalence as well as elimination of the region's principal vector species at the time in 2012. While the last decade has witnessed significant changes in ecosystem-such as urbanization and replacement of the main vector species-that can possibly affect the vector's habitation and residual transmission, the up-to-date vector burden in the region has not been evaluated thoroughly due to the cessation of active vector surveillance.

Molecular Pathological Characteristics of Thyroid Follicular-Patterned Tumors Showing Nodule-in-Nodule Appearance with Poorly Differentiated Component.

Thyroid follicular-patterned tumors (TFTs) showing nodule-in-nodule (NN) appearance with poorly differentiated component (PDc) but neither invasion nor metastasis are diagnosed as benign nodules. Although PDc exhibits histologically aggressive features relative to the outer nodule (Out-N), its pathological significance remains unclear. TP53 binding protein-1 (53BP1) is a DNA damage response (DDR) molecule that rapidly localizes at DNA double-strand breaks.

IDO1, FAT10, IFI6, and GILT Are Involved in the Antiretroviral Activity of γ-Interferon and IDO1 Restricts Retrovirus Infection by Autophagy Enhancement.

Gamma-interferon (γ-IFN) significantly inhibits infection by replication-defective viral vectors derived from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) or murine leukemia virus (MLV) but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Previously we reported that knockdown of γ-IFN-inducible lysosomal thiolreductase (GILT) abrogates the antiviral activity of γ-IFN in TE671 cells but not in HeLa cells, suggesting that other γ-IFN-inducible host factors are involved in its antiviral activity in HeLa cells. We identified cellular factors, the expression of which are induced by γ-IFN in HeLa cells, using a microarray, and analyzed the effects of 11 γ-IFN-induced factors on retroviral vector infection.

RNA Sequencing Data Analysis on the Maser Platform and the Tag-Count Comparison Graphical User Interface.

The RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) process that allows for comprehensive transcriptome analysis has become increasingly simple. Analysis and interpretation of RNA-seq output data are indispensable for research, but bioinformatics experts are not always available to assist. Currently, however, even a wet-lab specialist can perform the pipeline analysis of RNA-seq described in this chapter using the Maser platform and the Tag-Count Comparison Graphical User Interface (TCC-GUI).

Similarities and Differences in Bone Mineral Density between Multiple Sites in the Same Individual: An Elderly Cadaveric Study.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is known to vary based on various factors, and the degree of variation is site-specific. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between bone density at trabecular bone-rich and cortical bone-rich sites in the same individual. In this study, we attempted to measure BMD at multiple sites using whole-body computed tomography images taken immediately after death and to clarify the similarities and differences between skeletal sites.

Preoperative respiratory intervention eliminated the operation cancelations of lobectomy surgery.

In Nagasaki University Hospital, the patients undergoing surgery with abnormal respiratory function have been automatically referred to specialized clinic by Medical Support Center (MSC) since July 2016 to reduce surgery cancellations due to insufficient preoperative evaluation. Whether the MSC system decreased post-hospital surgery cancellation, variance rate, or length of hospital stays in patients received "lobectomy" were retrospectively compared between Period A (n = 264, before MSC introduction) and Period B (n = 264, after MSC introduction). Four patients' operations were cancelled after hospitalization in Period A, while 0 patients in Period B (p < 0.

Diagnosis of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension Using Quantitative Lung Perfusion Parameters Extracted From Dual-energy Computed Tomography Images.

Purpose: To evaluate quantified iodine mapping parameters in dual-energy computed tomography in normal patients versus those with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) with and without pulmonary thromboembolism.

Materials And Methods: Using automatically quantified iodine mapping in dual-energy computed tomography, we evaluated lung relative average enhancement, standard deviation (SD), and the SD/lung relative average enhancement ratio. We compared the values for these parameters in normal patients versus those with CTEPH.

Occurrence of chronic endometritis in different types of human adenomyosis.

Purpose: Human adenomyosis has an adverse effect on female fertility. Exact mechanistic basis is still unclear. We investigated the occurrence of chronic endometritis (CE) in different types of human adenomyosis.