Association between hypoxemia and quality of life in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and sleep-disordered breathing.

Unlabelled: Sleep-disordered breathing is common among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and might impact their quality of life due to nighttime hypoxemia and awakenings. However, the factors contributing to deterioration in quality of life remain unclear. This study investigated the factors associated with quality of life deterioration in patients with HFpEF and sleep-disordered breathing.

Importance of rectal over colon status in ulcerative colitis remission: the role of microinflammation and mucosal barrier dysfunction in relapse.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a refractory inflammatory disease that affects the rectum and colon, with pivotal involvement of the rectal environment in relapse initiation. This study was conducted in two phases to examine the differences in gene expression between the rectum and colon and to identify relapse factors.

Methods: In ***Study 1, RNA sequencing was performed on biopsies from the colon and rectum of patients with active UC, those with remission UC, and controls.

Clinicopathological significance of sulfite oxidase expression in surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma.

Aim: The coenzyme sulfite oxidase (SUOX), located in mitochondria, plays a role in redox and metabolism. Its expression has been associated with cancer progression and prognosis. Lung cancer has a high incidence rate and poor prognosis.

Complicated case of bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis and emphysematous cystitis successfully treated with transurethral drainage and ureteral stents.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis and emphysematous cystitis are intractable diseases. Eight cases of bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis and emphysematous cystitis have been reported, but no treatment has been established. An 88-year-old female was admitted with traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, and on the fourth day of hospitalization, she developed fever and septic shock.

Gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferase, a molecule identified from the invasive front of follicular thyroid carcinoma, is useful for differential diagnosis of follicular thyroid tumors.

We aimed to establish a useful molecular marker for differentiating between follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and follicular adenoma (FA). RNA was extracted from the invasive front and paired tumor center tissues from three FTC cases using laser microdissection for cDNA microarray analysis, revealing high expression of gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT) in the invasive front. Subsequently, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of GGCT was performed with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections of FTC (n = 32), FA (n = 64), and follicular tumor of uncertain malignant potential (FT-UMP, n = 5).

The relationships between intermittent hypoxia and oxidative stress in patients with sleep apnea syndrome.

Intermittent hypoxia in sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) patients increases the oxidative stress and can cause serious cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension or atherosclerotic diseases through endothelial dysfunction. The evaluation of risk caused by oxidative stress, however, is not easy in a clinical setting. Thus, we intended to evaluate the changes in oxidative stress by SAS treatment using a simple method that can be easily used in the clinical testing.

Current use of angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease with proteinuria: a cross-sectional study based on real-world data.

Japanese guidelines recommend angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) as first-line therapy in hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and proteinuria, but calcium channel blockers in patients with stage G4-5 CKD aged ≥75 years; however, the implementation of these guidelines in clinical practice is unclear. We investigated the actual use of these agents in this patient population. We conducted a cross-sectional study using the DeSC database, which includes anonymous information from various health insurance systems in Japan.

Relevance of increased negative T waves in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with progressive myocardial damage: Insights from repeat cardiac magnetic resonance studies.

In patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), progressive electrocardiographic changes are observed during long-term follow-up. However, it is difficult to correspond these changes to the specific myocardial changes. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can elucidate myocardial changes by late gadolinium enhancement.

Impact of pharmacist-driven antimicrobial stewardship interventions in a secondary care facility in Japan: A pragmatic quasi-experimental study.

Background: Efforts to promote antimicrobial stewardship aimed at reducing antimicrobial resistance are necessary regardless of hospital scale owing to delays in new antimicrobial development. We aimed to evaluate the effects of pharmacist-driven interventions on broad-spectrum antimicrobial usage and the prognosis of patients with bacteremia in a medium-sized hospital lacking infectious disease physicians and a microbiology laboratory.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective, pragmatic, quasi-experimental study was conducted to compare pre- and post-intervention effects at Saiseikai Futsukaichi Hospital.

Association between roxadustat use and suppression of thyroid function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Based on several case reports and observational studies, there is a growing concern regarding the potential association between roxadustat, a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor, and suppression of thyroid function. In this systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO: CRD42023471516), we aimed to evaluate the relationship between roxadustat use and suppression of thyroid function.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of MEDLINE via PubMed, ClinicalTrials.

Impact of zolpidem and lemborexant on sleep and morning symptoms when used as a single dose for polysomnography.

This study evaluated the effect of zolpidem and lemborexant on sleep and morning symptoms in patients undergoing type-1 polysomnography for suspected sleep-disordered breathing based on questionnaires and polysomnography results. We enrolled 127 patients (lemborexant: = 57, zolpidem:  = 25, without hypnotics:  = 45). Rapid eye movement sleep in patients on lemborexant was higher than that in patients without hypnotics ( = 0.

Effects of ipragliflozin on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes: A sub-analysis of the PROTECT trial.

Background: We hypothesized that the beneficial effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on diastolic function might depend on baseline left ventricular (LV) systolic function.

Methods: To investigate the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on LV diastolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), we conducted a post-hoc sub-study of the PROTECT trial, stratifying the data according to LV ejection fraction (LVEF) at baseline. After excluding patients without echocardiographic data at baseline or 24 months into the PROTECT trial, 31 and 38 patients with T2DM from the full analysis dataset of the PROTECT trial who received ipragliflozin or no SGLT2 inhibitor (control), respectively, were included.

Comparison of hemostatic ability between spray coagulation and forced coagulation modes in endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with early gastric neoplasms: a study protocol for multicenter randomized controlled trial (Spray-G trial).

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the standard treatment for early gastric neoplasms (EGN). Controlling intraoperative bleeding is crucial for ensuring safe and reliable procedures. ESD using the spray coagulation mode (SCM-ESD) has been developed to control bleeding more effectively than ESD using the conventional forced coagulation mode (FCM-ESD).

Difference in the Dynamics of Antibody Titers between COVID-19 Vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers - A Case Study Based on Long-Term and Densely Repeated Measurements of Antibody Titers.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is prevalent worldwide, and effective and safe vaccines against this virus have been developed. Although trends in antibody titers after vaccination and/or SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported, long-term studies with high frequency of measurements are limited. This report describes the long-term and detailed trends in the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 S protein receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) measured repeatedly after vaccination and/or infection in 3 healthcare workers.

Growth-related changes in the influence of obesity on signs suggesting sleep-disordered breathing and sleepiness in young individuals with Down syndrome.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in individuals with Down syndrome (DS), who cease growing earlier than individuals without DS. These characteristics may be associated with increased obesity and subsequent SDB signs, such as snoring and apnoea or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Thus, we assessed the influence of growth on the association between obesity and SDB signs or EDS; we used questionnaires sent to young individuals with DS and their caregivers, in a cross-sectional study.