Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome as paraneoplastic syndrome of Waldenström macroglobulinemia: a case report.

Reports of glomerulonephritis associated with lymphoproliferative disorders are common, but reports of minimal change disease (MCD) accompanying non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are rare. Here, we present a case of a 45-year-old woman diagnosed with primary Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) during MCD treatment. Her kidney biopsy revealed endothelial cell injury in parts of the MCD.

Programmable Valve With Virtual off Function Is Useful for Chronic Subdural Hematoma After Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Surgery.

Over-drainage after a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt can often lead to chronic subdural hematoma; however, the treatment is unclear. Hematoma drainage is performed after physically stopping the shunt function, such as by ligating or removing the shunt system. However, shunt reconstruction is required after the subdural hematoma improves.

Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Position Statement on the Use of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in the Management of Aortic Stenosis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been established as an effective treatment modality in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and the uptake of TAVI is rapidly growing in the Asia-Pacific region. However, there exist a heterogeneity in the management of aortic stenosis and the use of TAVI among countries in the region. Reasons for these differences include anatomic variations, disparity in healthcare resources and infrastructure, and the lack of consensus on the optimal management of AS in the Asia-Pacific region.

Incidence and Prognosis of Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Evidence regarding the incidence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and long-term mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve stenosis (AS) is scarce.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the incidence and prognostic impact of PPM after TAVR for bicuspid AS compared with that for tricuspid AS.

Methods: In total, 7,393 patients who underwent TAVR were prospectively enrolled in the OCEAN-TAVI (Optimized Catheter Valvular Intervention Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) registry, an ongoing Japanese, multicenter registry.

Identification of key gene signatures for predicting chemo-immunotherapy efficacy in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer using machine learning.

Objectives: The lack of definitive biomarkers presents a significant challenge for chemo-immunotherapy in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). We aimed to identify key genes associated with chemo-immunotherapy efficacy in ES-SCLC through comprehensive gene expression analysis using machine learning (ML).

Methods: A prospective multicenter cohort of patients with ES-SCLC who received first-line chemo-immunotherapy was analyzed.

IgA vasculitis with nephritis accompanied by pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report.

A 69-year-old Japanese man developed abdominal pain, purpura, proteinuria, and hematuria while receiving treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. A skin biopsy revealed IgA-positive leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and a renal biopsy showed IgA-positive mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis with crescent formation. Based on these findings, we diagnosed IgA vasculitis with nephritis (IgAVN) and initiated treatment.

Arterial Thromboembolism in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: Secondary Analyses of the Rising-VTE/NEJ037 Study.

Background: Cancer-associated thromboembolism has been thoroughly investigated in previous studies, and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were established for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the risks of cancer-associated arterial thromboembolism (ATE) and the efficacy of DOACs remain unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk factors and the clinical activity of edoxaban (EDO) for the prevention of ATE in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Skin Rejuvenation Using Autologous Cultured Fibroblast Grafting.

Background: Recently, autologous cultured fibroblast and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapies have been attempted for skin rejuvenation. Unlike PRP, grafted fibroblasts not only produce connective tissue but also influence the surrounding environment through a paracrine effect. Fibroblast-derived cytokines interact with and are modulated by neighboring tissue-constituting cells.

Enhancing quality of care for older adults: The age-friendly health system (4Ms framework) and the role of general medicine physicians as system-based complexologists.

The aging population presents critical challenges to global healthcare systems, with Japan expected to have 35% of its population aged 65 or older by 2040. Older adults often experience multimorbidity, cognitive impairments, and physical frailties, increasing healthcare utilization and costs. Traditional medical approaches that focus on organ-specific diagnoses are insufficient for addressing these multifaceted needs.

Development of a Japanese version of the patient perceptions of deprescribing - Short form.

Background: Deprescribing is a critical component of clinical practice, especially in geriatric medicine. Nevertheless, the attributes of patients who are prepared for, interested in, and could potentially benefit from deprescribing have not been well examined. The Patient Perceptions of Deprescribing (PPoD) evaluates patients' overall readiness for deprescribing and is complemented by an 11-item validated short form (SF-PPoD).

History of Lens Care Products in Japan: Insights From Advertisements in the Journal of the Japan Contact Lens Society for 65 Years.

This review examines the history of contact lens (CL) care products, particularly focusing on hard contact lenses (HCLs) like those made from polymethyl methacrylate and rigid gas permeable (RGP) materials. Although literature on CL history is extensive, there is limited information on the history of CL care products, especially in Japan. This review uses advertisements from the Journal of the Japan Contact Lens Society from 1959 to 2023 to trace the evolution of these products.

Vaccination Education Deficits and Vaccine Hesitancy Among Healthcare Students in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/objectives: Healthcare professionals' (HCPs') accurate knowledge of and positive attitudes toward immunization greatly influence society's acceptance of it. Early and appropriate immunization education for HCP students is vital. This study aimed to understand current immunization education and vaccine hesitancy among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students in Japan.

Oocytes Quality Assessment-The Current Insight: A Systematic Review.

An overall in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome is dynamic. Good oocyte quality is important for achieving a better IVF pregnancy. Various methods have been used for OQ assessment (OQA).

Availability of, Barriers to Performing, and Educational Practices of Interventional Procedures for Refractory Pain in Cancer Patients: A Nationwide Survey of Designated Cancer Hospitals in Japan.

Background: Because of the limitations of pharmacological therapy, nonpharmacological therapies including intervention procedures are also important for quality of cancer pain management.

Objective: To clarify the availability of, number performed, barriers to performing, and educational practices of four interventional procedures (celiac plexus neurolysis/splanchnic nerve neurolysis, phenol saddle block, epidural analgesia, and intrathecal analgesia) in designated cancer hospitals.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Cystoid macular oedema after flanged intraocular lens scleral fixation using the Yamane technique: a multicentre cohort study.

This retrospective observational multicentre cohort study compared the rate of postoperative cystoid macular oedema (CME) between two intraocular lens (IOL) scleral fixation (SFIOL) techniques: a flanged IOL fixation technique (Yamane technique) and a suture IOL transscleral fixation technique (conventional technique). The study included 207 eyes with postoperative CME that had undergone SFIOL and were observed for > 12 weeks between January 2019 and January 2021. The primary endpoint was a comparison of the rate of postoperative CME at 3 months between groups.

A Prospective Phase II Trial of First-Line Osimertinib for Patients With EGFR Mutation-Positive NSCLC and Poor Performance Status (OPEN/TORG2040).

Introduction: Osimertinib is the first-line treatment for patients with NSCLC who have EGFR mutations and favorable performance status (PS). Despite the increasing clinical data on osimertinib, evidence for its use in patients with impaired PS remains limited. Therefore, a multicenter phase II trial (OPEN/TORG2040) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line osimertinib treatment in patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC and a poor PS.

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.

Microbial alpha diversity in the intestine negatively correlated with disease duration in patients with Meniere's disease.

Ménière's disease (MD) is characterized by loss of balance and hearing disorders. Although there is known to be endolymphatic hydrops involved in the pathological process, the pathogenesis of the disease is still largely unclear. Approximately half of patients with MD suffer from depressive symptoms and high levels of several stress hormones were observed in MD and depression, simultaneously.