Hydrogel coils in intracranial aneurysm treatment: a multicenter, prospective, randomized open-label trial.

Objective: Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of hydrogel-coated coils (HGCs) to achieve the composite endpoint of decreased recanalization rates and greater safety. Herein, the authors aimed to assess the true ability of second-generation HGCs to prevent recanalization.

Methods: This randomized controlled study, the HYBRID (Hydrocoil Versus Bare Platinum Coil in Recanalization Imaging Data) trial, comparing HGCs with bare platinum coils (BPCs), was conducted in 43 Japanese institutions.

Nuclear PD-L1 triggers tumour-associated inflammation upon DNA damage.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors against PD-1/PD-L1 are highly effective in immunologically hot tumours such as triple-negative breast cancer, wherein constitutive DNA damage promotes inflammation, while inducing PD-L1 expression to avoid attack by cytotoxic T cells. However, whether and how PD-L1 regulates the DNA damage response and inflammation remains unclear. Here, we show that nuclear PD-L1 activates the ATR-Chk1 pathway and induces proinflammatory chemocytokines upon genotoxic stress.

Patient-Centric Approach to Personalized Electronic Medical Records via QR Code in Japan.

Government policies in the United States and the European Union promote standardization and value creation in the use of FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) data, which can enhance trust in digital health systems and is crucial for their success. Trust is built through elements such as FAIR data access, interoperability, and improved communication, which are essential for fostering innovation in digital health technologies. This Viewpoint aims to report on exploratory research demonstrating the feasibility of testing a patient-centric data flow model facilitating semantic interoperability on precision medical information.

Management strategy and experience of vasa previa in perinatal centers: A nationwide survey in Japan.

Aim: To clarify the current situation and outcomes of vasa previa (VP) in Japan.

Methods: A questionnaire survey on VP was conducted at all 408 perinatal centers in Japan. The content of the survey included (1) the management strategy for pregnant women who were diagnosed with VP and (2) the number and outcomes of VP cases managed between January 2020 and December 2022.

Evaluating Collection Time of Intragastric Fluid During Endoscopy for Point-of-care Test-based Helicobacter pylori Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Objective To evaluate the influence of sample collection time during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) on the accuracy of a newly approved point-of-care test (POCT)-based polymerase chain reaction kit for detecting Helicobacter pylori and clarithromycin susceptibility in gastric wash fluid. Methods Intragastric fluid was collected at three time points: Collection Time 1 (start of EGD), Collection Time 2 (during EGD), and Collection Time 3 (after indigo carmine spraying). POCT-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting 23S rRNA domain V (2142/2143) was used to quantify H.

Role of layilin in regulating mitochondria-mediated apoptosis: a study on B cell lymphoma (BCL)-2 family proteins.

Background: Malignant gliomas exhibit rapid tumor progression and resistance to treatment, leading to high lethality. One of the causes is the reduced progression of apoptosis in glioma cells. Layilin is a type 1 transmembrane protein with a C-type lectin motif in its extracellular domain.

Ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) plays a critical role in DNA damage response via the phosphorylation of histone lysine demethylase KDM4B.

Background: Epigenetic dysregulation affecting oncogenic transcription and DNA damage response is a hallmark of cancer. The histone demethylase KDM4B, a factor regulating these processes, plays important roles in estrogen receptor-mediated transcription and DNA repair in breast cancer. However, how oncogenic phospho-signal transduction affects epigenetic regulation is not fully understood.

Assessment of Uterine Contraction and Atonic Bleeding during the Third Stage of Labor Using Shear Wave Elastography.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between fluctuations in uterine stiffness during the third stage of labor and blood loss upon placenta delivery using shear wave elastography.

Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled consecutive singleton pregnant women above 37 weeks of gestation who delivered infants transvaginally at a single perinatal center. Shear wave velocities (SWV) were continuously measured during the third stage of transvaginal labor using transabdominal ultrasound and these values were compared between groups with large (≥500 g) and small amounts of bleeding during this stage.

Infection route associated with invasive group A streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in maternal deaths: Nationwide analysis of maternal mortalities in Japan.

Objectives: To clarify the infection route in maternal death due to invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infection and toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on maternal deaths due to GAS-TSS in Japan between January 2010 and March 2024. The final causal diagnosis of maternal death and the infection routes of GAS were analysed using medical records, laboratory data and autopsy findings.

The Molecular Landscape of Gastric Cancers for Novel Targeted Therapies from Real-World Genomic Profiling.

Background: Panel-based comprehensive genomic profiling is used in clinical practice worldwide; however, large real-world datasets of patients with advanced gastric cancer are not well known.

Objective: We investigated what differences exist in clinically relevant alterations for molecularly defined or age-stratified subgroups.

Methods: This was a collaborative biomarker study of a real-world dataset from comprehensive genomic profiling testing (Foundation Medicine, Inc.

Axonal protection by combination of ripasudil and brimonidine with upregulation of p-AMPK in TNF-induced optic nerve degeneration.

Purpose: The ROCK inhibitor ripasudil hydrochloride hydrate was shown to have axonal protective effects in TNF-induced optic nerve degeneration. The α2-adrenoreceptor agonist brimonidine was also shown to exert axonal protection. The current study aimed to elucidate whether additive axonal protection was achieved by the simultaneous injection of ripasudil and brimonidine and examine the association with AMPK activation.

Vasa previa in singleton pregnancies: diagnosis and clinical management based on an international expert consensus.

Background: There are limited data to guide the diagnosis and management of vasa previa. Currently, what is known is largely based on case reports or series and cohort studies.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically collect and classify expert opinions and achieve consensus on the diagnosis and clinical management of vasa previa using focus group discussions and a Delphi technique.

An approach for improvement of the accuracy of cancer gene panel testing.

Background: Tissue-based comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is increasingly being employed for genotype-directed therapies in patients with advanced cancer. However, tissue availability may limit their potential applications. In Japan, the cost of cancer gene panel tests is covered by public insurance for patients diagnosed with advanced solid tumors once in their lifetime.

Impact of mixed-infection rate of clarithromycin-susceptible and clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori strains on the success rate of clarithromycin-based eradication treatment.

Background: Clarithromycin (CAM) resistance is a major contributor to the failure to eradicate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The mixed-infection ratio of CAM-susceptible and CAM-resistant H.

Effect of epidural analgesia on cervical ripening using dinoprostone vaginal inserts.

Objective: To clarify whether the duration from cervical ripening induction to labor onset is prolonged when epidural analgesia is administered following application of dinoprostone vaginal inserts vs. cervical ripening balloon.

Methods: This retrospective study included mothers with singleton deliveries at a single center between 2020-2021.

Potential role of Fbxo22 in resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer with invasive lobular carcinoma.

Background: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is distinct from invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in terms of their hormonal microenvironments that may require different therapeutic strategies. We previously reported that selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) function requires F-box protein 22 (Fbxo22). Here, we investigated the role of Fbxo22 as a potential biomarker contributing to the resistance to endocrine therapy in ILC.

Prospective analysis of patient-reported outcomes and physician-reported outcomes with gynecologic cancer chemotherapy.

Objective: Gynecologic cancer chemotherapy impacts the quality of life (QOL) of patients, with lasting adverse events that may require treatment adjustments or discontinuation. Consequently, real-time symptom monitoring before outpatient visits has resulted in improved QOL for patients and extended survival times. This study investigated whether there are differences between electronic patient-reported outcomes (e-PRO-CTCAE) and physician-assessed outcomes (NCI-CTCAE) evaluated in an outpatient setting in gynecologic cancer chemotherapy.

Molecular aspects of optic nerve autophagy in glaucoma.

The optic nerve consists of the glia, vessels, and axons including myelin and axoplasm. Since axonal degeneration precedes retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma, the preceding axonal degeneration model may be helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of optic nerve degeneration. Optic nerve samples from these models can provide information on several aspects of autophagy.