Re-evaluation of Phenotypic Expression in Differentiated-type Early Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach.

A total of 313 cases of differentiated-type early gastric adenocarcinomas, including 113 cases of small-sized carcinoma (5< × ≤10 mm) and 121 cases of microcarcinoma (0< × ≤5 mm), were examined immunohistochemically to clarify the phenotypic expressions. They were classified into four categories (gastric phenotype (G-type), intestinal phenotype, gastrointestinal phenotype, and null phenotype) by a two-step process: the phenotype based on an immunoprofile of mucin core proteins (MUCs) with CDX2 (w/.CDX2-assessment); and the phenotype of MUCs only (w/o.

Differences in background characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved sustained virologic response with interferon-free versus interferon-based therapy and the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma after eradication of hepatitis C virus in Japan.

We compared the background characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV), that is sustained virologic response (SVR), with interferon (IFN)-based versus IFN-free antiviral therapy in Japan. In addition, we used a previously reported risk assessment model to compare the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after SVR by treatment type. Pretreatment characteristics of 1533 patients who achieved SVR with IFN-based therapy and 1086 patients with IFN-free therapy from five institutions across Japan were compared.

Efficacy and tolerability of an IFN-free regimen with DCV/ASV for elderly patients infected with HCV genotype 1B.

Background & Aims: Anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy by interferon (IFN)-free regimen with oral direct-acting antiviral drugs are tolerable in aged patients, with fewer adverse effects than IFN-based therapies. We investigated the efficacy and tolerability of an IFN-free anti-HCV therapy in extremely aged patients, as well as the survival benefit of sustained virologic response (SVR).

Methods: Following IFN-free therapy with daclatasvir and asunaprevir, tolerability and SVR rate were compared between 115 HCV genotype 1-infected patients aged 80years or older, 151 patients in their 70s (⩾70 and <80years), and 115 patients under the age of 70.

Improved survival with double platinum therapy transcatheter arterial infusion using cisplatin and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using miriplatin for BCLC-B hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard therapy for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification intermediate stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, other transcatheter methods, such as transcatheter arterial infusion (TAI), also play an important role in the treatment of advanced HCC. Although it has been reported that TAI with a high concentration of a fine-powder formulation of cisplatin (DDP-H) reduced intrahepatic recurrence and improved survival, the combined use of TAI with DDP-H and TACE has not yet been investigated.

Evaluation of the health-related quality of life using the 36-item short form health survey in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving pegylated interferon/ribavirin/telaprevir triple treatment.

The rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) has increased in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC; genotype 1) since triple treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN), ribavirin (RBV) and telaprevir (TVR) was included in Japanese health insurance. However, side effects such as high-grade anemia and skin disorders means it is important to investigate the extent to which quality of life (QOL) is maintained during treatment. The impact on health-related (HR) QOL, as a result of TVR-based triple treatment was investigated long-term (48 weeks) in 34 patients (18 men, 16 women) following TVR-based triple treatment, using the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36).

Association between anteroposterior laxity in mid-range flexion and subjective healing of instability after total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: Flexion instability following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common indication of early revision. The association between the objective anteroposterior (AP) laxity direction in mid-range flexion and the subjective healing of instability remains unclear; thus, this study aimed to clarify this association.

Methods: In this study, 110 knees (74 females, 92 knees; 16 males, 18 knees) with medial pivot implants were examined with a median age of 79 (range 60-92) years for a median follow-up duration of 22 (range 6-125) months.

Comparison of Combined Tofogliflozin and Glargine, Tofogliflozin Added to Insulin, and Insulin Dose-Increase Therapy in Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Some patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on insulin have poor glycemic control and require add-on therapy to reach target glucose values. Increased insulin doses or the addition of an oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) may improve glycemic control, but many patients fail to achieve target values. The aim of this study was to compare the treatment efficacy and safety of three different therapies in such patients.

Muscle layer histopathology and manometry pattern of primary esophageal motility disorders including achalasia.

Background: Histopathology of muscularis externa in primary esophageal motility disorders has been characterized previously. We aimed to correlate the results of high-resolution manometry with those of histopathology.

Methods: During peroral endoscopic myotomy, peroral esophageal muscle biopsy was performed in patients with primary esophageal motility disorders.

Myelosuppression by chemotherapy in obese patients with gynecological cancers.

Purpose: The American Society of Clinical Oncology provides clinical practice guidelines for appropriate cytotoxic chemotherapy dosing for obese adult patients with cancer. The panel recommends that actual body weight should be used when selecting cytotoxic chemotherapy doses regardless of obesity status. However, there have been no reports regarding the appropriate cytotoxic chemotherapy dosing for obese Japanese patients with cancer.

Clinical efficacy of the highly sensitive hepatitis C virus RNA quantitative assay in patients with relapse following interferon-based therapy with second-generation direct-acting antivirals.

For refractory chronic hepatitis C, interferon (IFN)-based triple-agent combination therapy with second-generation direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has been established as the standard treatment method. The rate of decrease in the viral load and the negative conversion of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in the early phase following treatment initiation are considered important factors for predicting the therapeutic outcome. In the present study, the Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan (CAP/CTM) HCV v2.

Sex differences in femoral deformity determined using three-dimensional assessment for osteoarthritic knees.

Purpose: To characterize femoral deformities and determine sex differences in varus knee osteoarthritis (OA), femoral morphology and limb alignment were evaluated by using three-dimensional (3D) assessment, comparing healthy, elderly volunteers with osteoarthritic knees.

Methods: A total of 178 lower limbs of 169 subjects with knee osteoarthritis (136 women, 33 men; mean age 74.9 ± 5.

Immunohistochemical differentiation of eosinophilic esophageal myositis from eosinophilic esophagitis.

Background And Aim: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a Th2-mediated allergic disease of the esophageal epithelium, associated with antigen. We previously reported a case series for eosinophilic esophageal myositis (EoEM)-a novel eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder defined as eosinophilic infiltration localized in the esophageal muscle layer-and diagnosed it by peroral endoscopic muscle biopsy. Here, we investigated the immunopathology of EoEM to differentiate it from EoE.

Safety and efficacy of dual direct-acting antiviral therapy (daclatasvir and asunaprevir) for chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection in patients on hemodialysis.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major comorbidity in patients receiving hemodialysis. Interferon-based antiviral therapy to eradicate HCV is less effective in patients receiving hemodialysis than patients without renal dysfunction. Recently reported combination therapy with two oral direct-acting antiviral drugs, daclatasvir and asunaprevir, both of which are metabolized in the liver and excreted into the bile ducts, reportedly showed a high rate of HCV eradication.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Correlates with Conventional Helical Computed Tomography in Evaluation of Lipiodol Accumulation in HCC after Chemoembolization.

Background & Aims: The amount of drug-loaded lipiodol in an HCC tumor post-transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) correlates with the risk of local tumor recurrence. Lipiodol enhancement of a tumor on conventional CT, measured in Hounsfield units (HU), can predict tumor response. Here we investigate whether cone-beam CT (CBCT) can also be used to predict tumor response, providing the benefit of being able to optimize the patient's treatment plan intra-procedurally.

Telaprevir-based triple therapy following partial splenic arterial embolization for chronic hepatitis C with thrombocytopenia can reduce carcinogenesis and improve hepatic function reserve.

Thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic hepatitis C negatively impacts interferon (IFN)-based treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of telaprevir (TVR)-based triple therapy including IFN for patients who have undergone partial splenic arterial embolization (PSE). Ten patients with thrombocytopenia who were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b received 12 weeks of TVR in combination with 24 weeks of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)α2b and ribavirin following PSE.

Characteristics and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma detected in patients with chronic hepatitis C after the eradication of hepatitis C virus: A multicenter study from Japan.

Aim: We investigated the characteristics and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosed after sustained virological response (SVR) to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, namely, the eradication of HCV, according to surveillance status after SVR.

Methods: In this multicenter study, liver function at HCC diagnosis and progression of HCC among patients with HCC diagnosed after SVR were compared. Outcomes were also investigated.

Is there a survival benefit in interventional radiology for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with Child-Pugh C liver cirrhosis?: A multicenter study.

Aim: A lack of donors in liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a big issue. There is no consensus regarding whether interventional radiology for HCC in patients with Child-Pugh C liver cirrhosis will improve prognosis. To elucidate the effectiveness of such treatment, we evaluated the clinical features of affected patients.

Prediction of a sustained viral response in chronic hepatitis C patients who undergo induction therapy with double filtration plasmapheresis plus interferon-β/ribavirin.

The aim of the present study was to determine predictors of a sustained virological response (SVR) with a regimen of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) combined with interferon-β plus ribavirin (IFN-β/RBV) induction therapy prior to pegylated (PEG-IFN/RBV) standard of care (SOC) therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C who had experienced SOC treatment failure. Predictors of a SVR were analyzed in chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV), who had a high viral load. The patients had been unresponsive to previous IFN therapy and underwent induction therapy with IFN-β/RBV plus DFPP, which was performed five times during the same period, followed by PEG-IFN/RBV.

Discrepant diagnostic results using two genotyping methods in a chronic hepatitis C patient in serogroup 1.

We present the case of a chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patient who was originally diagnosed with genotype 2a on serogroup 1 CHC genotype testing, but who was subsequently confirmed to have genotype 1b when using the hepatitis C virus (HCV) monitor genotype assay. The genotype 2a diagnosis was attributed to the fact that the type 2a-specific primer used in Okamoto et al.'s method (HCV genotype primer kit) has relatively high homology, which caused the amplification reaction to proceed, rendering a HCV RNA genotype test result of 2a.

Nutcracker and jackhammer esophagus treatment: a three-case survey, including two novel cases of eosinophilic infiltration into the muscularis propria.

Nutcracker esophagus and jackhammer esophagus are largely unknown motility disorders, also sometimes called hypertensive and hypercontractile peristalsis, respectively. There is currently no standardized diagnostic or management plan for these diseases. Here, we report on three patients with jackhammer/nutcracker esophagus who were treated with either peroral endoscopic myotomy or a systemic steroid regimen, focusing particularly on two novel presentations of nutcracker and jackhammer esophagus involving eosinophilic infiltration into the muscularis propria, and their responses to both interventions.

Skin thickness in young infants and adolescents: Applications for intradermal vaccination.

As compared with standard intramuscular and subcutaneous vaccines, intradermal (ID) vaccines elicit a more potent immune response in both adults and children, with equivalent dosage or antigen dose sparing. Recently, various devices for ID injection have been developed; the length of needles ranges in 0.6-1.

Assessment of gastric phenotypes using magnifying narrow-band imaging for differentiation of gastric carcinomas from adenomas.

Background. Conventional white-light endoscopy and forceps biopsy are insufficient for definitive diagnosis of gastric adenoma. Immunohistochemical studies have reported an obvious phenotypic difference between adenomas and carcinomas.

Predictive factor of local recurrence after balloon-occluded TACE with miriplatin (MPT) in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Miriplatin (MPT) is a novel platinum complex used in TACE that shows promise for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, rapid washout has been reported in some cases. Therefore, various methods of administration with MPT have been attempted to increase its therapeutic efficacy.