Associations of Homocysteine with B Vitamins and Zinc in Serum Levels of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The association of homocysteine metabolism-related nutrients along with renal function to homocysteine levels is not well known in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We investigated the relevance of kidney function, albuminuria, and nutritional factors to serum homocysteine in T2DM patients. This cross-sectional study enrolled 149 T2DM patients (96 men and 53 postmenopausal women), and patient characteristics and laboratory data including kidney-related data [glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary albumin excretion (UACR), uric acid] and metabolism parameters (hemoglobin A1c and lipids) were collected from the medical record and serum levels of vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, homocysteine and UACR were also acquired.

Prevalence of common aneuploidy in twin pregnancies.

The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in twin pregnancies is not well-studied. In this retrospective study, we investigated the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in twin pregnancies and compared the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in dichorionic diamniotic (DD) and monochorionic diamniotic (MD) twins. We used data from 57 clinical facilities across Japan.

Clinical Significance of Intermediate-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Determination as a Predictor for Coronary Heart Disease Risk in Middle-Aged Men.

Not only low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol but also non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol (VLDL-C), and intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) cholesterol (IDL-C) are reported to be significant risk markers for coronary heart disease (CHD). We reported the relevance of IDL-C to Framingham risk score (F-score), but the present study addressed the relevance of IDL-C to Suita score (S-score), a risk score for coronary heart disease (CHD) developed for the Japanese individuals in addition to F-score. The cholesterol levels of lipoproteins, including triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins (IDL and VLDL), were measured by an anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (AEX-HPLC).

The antiplatelet effect of mirtazapine is mediated by co-blocking 5-HT and α-adrenergic receptors on platelets: An in vitro human plasma-based study.

Mirtazapine (MTZ) is a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant that has been associated with an increased risk of bleeding. However, there is insufficient evidence confirming this association. We hypothesised that 5-HT and α receptor-mediated inhibitory effects of MTZ on platelets suppress platelet aggregation and increase the risk of bleeding.

Pancreatic tuberculosis in an immunocompetent young female mimicking a malignant tumor: A case report and diagnostic radiological investigation.

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of infectious disease related death worldwide with extrapulmonary tuberculosis being particularly difficult to diagnose. Here, we report a case of pancreatic tuberculosis (PTB) in an immunocompetent young female, which mimicked a malignant tumor diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and biopsy (EUS-FNAB). A 19-year-old Japanese female with no prior medical history presented with abdominal epigastralgia and appetite loss lasting 2 months.

Risk Factors for Perioperative Hemodynamic Instability in Pheochromocytoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors of perioperative hemodynamic instability in pheochromocytoma, we conducted a systematic search of the literature using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis.

Methods: In April 2021, we systematically searched PubMed, the Cochrane library, and Scopus for relevant studies on the risk factors of perioperative hemodynamic instability of adrenalectomy in patients with pheochromocytoma, and we subjected the findings from those studies to formal meta-analysis.

Results: Our systematic review identified 14 studies involving 1725 patients, of which nine studies with 967 patients were eligible for meta-analysis.

Treatment Strategy for Multiple Myeloma to Improve Immunological Environment and Maintain MRD Negativity.

Improving the immunological environment and eradicating minimal residual disease (MRD) are the two main treatment goals for long-term survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), monoclonal antibody drugs (MoAbs), and autologous grafts for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can improve the immunological microenvironment. ASCT, MoAbs, and proteasome inhibitors (PIs) may be important for the achievement of MRD negativity.

Intraoperative nerve monitoring during esophagectomy reduces the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.

Background: Despite the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy during esophagectomy, no established method of monitoring RLN injury is currently available.

Methods: This study included 187 patients who underwent esophagectomy between 2011 and 2018. Among these, intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) was done in 142 patients (IONM group), while the remaining 45 patients underwent conventional surgery without IONM (control group).

Characteristics of Ischemic Versus Hemorrhagic Stroke in Patients Receiving Oral Anticoagulants: Results of the PASTA Study.

Objective Limited data exist regarding the comparative detailed clinical characteristics of patients with ischemic stroke (IS)/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) receiving oral anticoagulants (OACs). Methods The prospective analysis of stroke patients taking oral anticoagulants (PASTA) registry, a multicenter registry of 1,043 stroke patients receiving OACs [vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOACs)] across 25 medical institutions throughout Japan, was used. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to analyze differences in clinical characteristics between IS/TIA and ICH patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who were registered in the PASTA registry.

Nivolumab Versus Gemcitabine or Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin for Patients With Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: Open-Label, Randomized Trial in Japan (NINJA).

Purpose: This phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label study investigated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab versus chemotherapy (gemcitabine [GEM] or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin [PLD]) in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients had platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer, received ≤ 1 regimen after diagnosis of resistance, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of ≤ 1. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to nivolumab (240 mg once every 2 weeks [as one cycle]) or chemotherapy (GEM 1000 mg/m for 30 minutes [once on days 1, 8, and 15] followed by a week's rest [as one cycle], or PLD 50 mg/m once every 4 weeks [as one cycle]).

Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Upper Extremity in Acquired Hemophilia A: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Case: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) with acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is rare and has no established treatment strategy. A 64-year-old woman presented with a giant hematoma in the rectus abdominis. Laboratory findings included decreased hemoglobin and increased activated partial thromboplastin time.

Clinical significance of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in multiple myeloma patients with negative minimal residual disease: a single-center retrospective analysis.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a surrogate marker for survival in multiple myeloma (MM), while the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) is a prognostic factor associated with the patients' immunological status. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical impact of MRD negativity and LMR. MRD was analyzed by multicolor flowcytometry (threshold, 1 × 10-5).

Long-term outcomes of antibiotic combination therapy for ulcerative colitis.

Aims: An antibiotic combination of amoxicillin, tetracycline and metronidazole (ATM) is effective for ulcerative colitis (UC), but this regimen is discontinued in some cases due to adverse events. This study aimed to assess a revised combination, namely, amoxicillin, fosfomycin and metronidazole (AFM), in UC patients with the goal of reducing side effects while maintaining therapeutic efficacy.

Methods: A prospective open-label trial was undertaken in 104 adult UC patients.

Cerebral Microbleeds Load and Long-Term Outcomes in Minor Ischemic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: The association between the cerebral microbleed (CMB) count and outcomes in ischemic stroke has not been fully clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the CMBs count and functional outcomes in patients with a minor ischemic stroke treated with antiplatelet therapy METHODS: Non-cardiogenic minor ischemic stroke (NIHSS score < 4 on admission) patients who were treated with antiplatelet therapy were enrolled. The patients were divided into four groups based on the number of CMBs (absent, 1, 2-4, and > 4), and their clinical outcomes were compared.

A rare case of heterotopic pregnancy after a single embryo transfer: A case report and literature review.

Heterotopic pregnancy (HP) is a rare but life-threatening disease. We report a rare case of HP that occurred after single embryo transfer (SET) with spontaneous natural pregnancy possibly due to sexual intercourse (SI) during assisted reproductive technology treatment and reviewed previous reports. A 39-year-old woman at 7 weeks 5 days' gestation with anti-sperm antibody who underwent a single frozen-thawed embryo transfer in her natural cycle presented with lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding.

Comparison of the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry reference method and CDC method for HDL and LDL cholesterol measurements using fresh sera.

Objectives: In 2009, the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry (JSCC) recommended a reference method for the measurement of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. This automated method uses cholesterol esterase-cholesterol dehydrogenase to measure cholesterol levels in fractions obtained after ultracentrifugation and dextran sulfate/magnesium chloride precipitation. In the present study, using fresh samples, we compared the LDL-C and HDL-C levels measured using this method with those measured using the traditional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-beta-quantification (BQ) method.

Propensity-score matched analysis of the efficacy of maintenance/continuous therapy in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma: a multicenter retrospective collaborative study of the Japanese Society of Myeloma.

Background: Maintenance ± consolidation or continuous therapy is considered a standard of care for both transplant-eligible and -ineligible patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, long-term benefits of such therapy have not yet been clarified in the context of clinical practice.

Purpose: To clarify the efficacy of maintenance/continuous approach, we retrospectively analyzed the cohort data of newly diagnosed MM patients by propensity-score matching based on age, gender, revised International Staging System (R-ISS) stage, and implementation of transplantation to reduce the bias due to confounding variables.

Clinicopathologic Features of Oculopharyngodistal Myopathy With LRP12 CGG Repeat Expansions Compared With Other Oculopharyngodistal Myopathy Subtypes.

Importance: Repeat expansion of CGG in LRP12 has been identified as the causative variation of oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM). However, to our knowledge, the clinicopathologic features of OPDM with CGG repeat expansion in LRP12 (hereafter referred to as OPDM_LRP12) remain unknown.

Objective: To identify and characterize the clinicopathologic features of patients with OPDM_LRP12.