82 results match your criteria: "Okinawa National Hospital[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • * The present study validated the score's effectiveness by comparing 116 patients with L. pneumophila CAP to 947 patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron CAP, finding that L. pneumophila scores were significantly higher (4 vs 1).
  • * Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for L. pneumophila CAP were notably high (90.5% sensitivity and 90.8% specificity) when using a cutoff score of ≥3 points, emphasizing the score's reliable diagnostic potential during
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CTG repeat length underlying cardiac events and sudden death in myotonic dystrophy type 1.

Eur Heart J Open

September 2024

Department of Clinical Laboratory and Biomedical Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • Myotonic dystrophy Type 1 (DM1) is linked to the expansion of CTG repeats in the DMPK gene and may be associated with heart issues and sudden death, but this relationship is not fully understood in Japan and Europe.
  • A study analyzed 496 DM1 patients from nine Japanese hospitals, finding that those with 1300 or more CTG repeats had a significantly higher risk of serious cardiac events and mortality compared to those with fewer repeats.
  • The results suggest that patients with 1300 or longer CTG repeats are particularly at risk for cardiac complications and increased death rates, while the rate of sudden death was not significantly different across groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in patients with severe asthma, aiming to find specific biomarkers associated with different asthma phenotypes.
  • Researchers analyzed breath samples from 245 patients and 50 healthy controls using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), identifying 243 VOCs in total.
  • While the analysis indicated potential distinctions between asthma phenotypes based on VOC profiles, further validation is needed to confirm these biomarkers and clarify their roles in asthma pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a serious autonomic complication of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). However, the association between TCM and GBS has not been investigated in detail. We investigated the characteristics of GBS patients with TCM (GBS-TCM).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. This multicenter, randomized phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of 0.3 mg/kg intravenous mogamulizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting-CC chemokine receptor 4, every 12 weeks in HAM/TSP patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study analyzed the effects of central nervous system (CNS) metastasis on performance status, treatment responses, and survival rates in lung adenocarcinoma patients with common EGFR mutations following surgical resection.
  • - Out of 4181 patients, 78 experienced CNS metastasis, which was more common in those receiving conventional adjuvant chemotherapy; however, this treatment showed no significant benefits in relapse-free survival or overall survival post-relapse.
  • - The findings suggest that CNS metastasis doesn't noticeably impact performance status or alter treatment efficacy with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, indicating a need for more studies on managing CNS metastasis in the context of adjuvant TKI therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK-TKIs), like brigatinib, are used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer but face challenges with resistance, prompting this research to assess factors affecting their effectiveness and safety in real-world settings.
  • The study involves three patient cohorts with a total of 180 participants, examining their tumor DNA and serum proteins before and during brigatinib treatment, alongside evaluating quality of life and safety.
  • Ultimately, the research aims to identify predictors of how well ALK-TKIs work and the mechanisms behind resistance, contributing valuable insights to cancer treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Infectious virus shedding from individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is used to estimate human-to-human transmission risk. Control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission requires identifying the immune correlates that protect infectious virus shedding. Mucosal immunity prevents infection by SARS-CoV-2, which replicates in the respiratory epithelium and spreads rapidly to other hosts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study analyzed data from the Pompe Registry to evaluate how higher doses of alglucosidase alfa (ALGLU) affect survival rates in infants with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD).
  • Out of 332 IOPD patients studied, those who received doses higher than the standard label dose (20 mg/kg every two weeks) showed significantly better survival outcomes and less need for invasive ventilation.
  • The findings suggest that administering a higher average dose of ALGLU could lead to improved overall survival in IOPD patients, regardless of their age at treatment onset or immune status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Survey on chest CT findings in COVID-19 patients in Okinawa, Japan: differences between the delta and omicron variants.

Sci Rep

November 2023

Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-Gun, Okinawa, 903-0215, Japan.

To investigate the frequency of pneumonia and chest computed tomography (CT) findings in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the fifth Delta variant-predominant and sixth Omicron variant-predominant waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Okinawa, Japan. A survey on chest CT examinations for patients with COVID-19 was conducted byhospitals with board-certified radiologists who provided treatment for COVID-19 pneumonia in Okinawa Prefecture. Data from 11 facilities were investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the effectiveness of ear canal electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, demonstrating that they can produce comparable and distinct event-related potentials (ERPs) when using a specific experimental method.
  • Results showed that ear canal EEG recordings detected clear auditory ERPs, particularly the N1c component, which was more pronounced at the ear canal site than at the earlobe despite similarities in consecutive signals.
  • Although the study's sample size was small and limited to male participants, it suggests that this ear canal electrode method can be useful for both basic research and practical applications in EEG measurement and behavioral feedback assessments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aetiological agents of adult community-acquired pneumonia in Japan: systematic review and meta-analysis of published data.

BMJ Open Respir Res

September 2023

Division of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.

Objective: Epidemiological information is essential in providing appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy for pneumonia. This study aimed to clarify the epidemiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by conducting a systematic review of published studies in Japan.

Design: Systematic review.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Conventional serum antibody titer, which expresses antibody level, does not provide antigen binding avidity of the variable region of the antibody, which is essential for the defense response to infection. Here, we quantified anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody binding avidity to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) by competitive binding-inhibition activity (IC50) between SARS-CoV-2 S1 antigen immobilized on the DCP microarray and various RBD doses added to serum and expressed as 1/IC50 nM. The binding avidity analyzed under equilibrium conditions of antigen-antibody binding reaction is different from the avidity index measured with the chaotropic agent, such as urea, under nonequilibrium and short-time conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a form of muscular dystrophy that causes various symptoms, including those of the central nervous system. Some studies have reported cognitive decline in patients with DM1, although the available evidence is limited.

Objective: This study aimed to describe longitudinal differences in neuropsychological function in patients with DM1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Dacomitinib shows better outcomes than gefitinib for NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations but often causes skin toxicities that can lead to treatment stopping.
  • A study involving 41 Japanese patients tested a strategy to prevent these skin issues while they were treated with dacomitinib, focusing on managing Grade ≥2 skin toxicities in the first 8 weeks.
  • While the skin toxicity prevention approach was not particularly effective, patients were mostly compliant with their medication, highlighting the need for better patient education to help with continuity in treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Aspiration pneumonia is increasingly recognised as a common condition. While antibiotics covering anaerobes are thought to be necessary based on old studies reporting anaerobes as causative organisms, recent studies suggest that it may not necessarily benefit prognosis, or even be harmful. Clinical practice should be based on current data reflecting the shift in causative bacteria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) ushered in a new era for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, they carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Recently, various studies have been conducted on the predictive factors for irAEs, but there are no reports focusing only on ICI plus platinum agents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Topoisomerase is an essential enzyme for deoxyribonucleic acid replication, and its inhibitors suppress tumor progression. Amrubicin, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, is mainly used in the second-line treatment of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). However, the impact of different types of topoisomerase inhibitors for first-line chemotherapy on the efficacy of amrubicin remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Legionella pneumophila is a major causative pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), but recently the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became the most common causative pathogen of CAP. Because L. pneumophila CAP is clinically distinct from bacterial CAPs, the Japan Society for Chemotherapy (JSC) developed a simple scoring system, the Legionella Score, using six parameters for the presumptive diagnosis of L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - A nationwide study in Japan analyzed asthma patients (n=1925) to identify different disease phenotypes and potential biomarkers for better treatment options.
  • - Researchers categorized patients into two groups based on severity (GINA 4, 5 and GINA 1-3) and performed statistical analyses to determine distinct clusters of asthma phenotypes, revealing five unique types based on factors like age of onset and blood cell counts.
  • - Key findings suggest that specific biomarkers (like IL-1RA and RANTES) can help classify severe asthma phenotypes, enhancing understanding of asthma management and treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: We hypothesised that the radiomics signature, which includes texture information of dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DAT-SPECT) images for Parkinson's disease (PD), may assist semi-quantitative indices. Herein, we constructed a radiomics signature using DAT-SPECT-derived radiomics features that effectively discriminated PD from healthy individuals and evaluated its classification performance.

Results: We analysed 413 cases of both normal control (NC, n = 101) and PD (n = 312) groups from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recessive mutations in SLC12A6 have been linked to hereditary motor sensory neuropathy with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Patients with early-onset peripheral neuropathy associated with SLC12A6 heterozygous variants were reported in 2016. Only five families and three variants have been reported to date, and the spectrum is unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Osimertinib has been reported to be effective against central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from activating EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Nevertheless, the true antitumor effects of osimertinib alone for CNS metastasis are unclear because the aforementioned studies included previously irradiated cases, in which tumor shrinkage can occur later owing to the effects of radiotherapy (RT). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of osimertinib against RT-naive CNS metastasis from sensitizing EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The patient was a woman in her 70's was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow on chest roentgenogram at an annual medical checkup. Since preoperative examinations suggested lung cancer in the right middle lobe, thoracoscopic right middle lobectomy was planned. However, pleural dissemination was detected at surgery and we changed the treatment plan to the intrapleural hyperthermic chemotherapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF