Evaluation of Serum Leucine-Rich Alpha-2 Glycoprotein as a New Inflammatory Biomarker of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Studies on serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are scarce; the methods for estimating disease activity are less established, particularly for CD. This study is aimed at evaluating the utility of serum LRG as a potential inflammatory marker for IBD and to investigate the LRG gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as a possible source of serum LRG. Overall, 98 patients with UC and 96 patients with CD were prospectively enrolled and clinically evaluated; 92 age-matched individuals served as the healthy controls.

Survival Benefit of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy over Sorafenib in the Treatment of Locally Progressed Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Backround: Not all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) benefit from treatment with molecular targeted agents such as sorafenib. We investigated whether New-FP (fine-powder cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil), a hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy regimen, is more favorable than sorafenib as an initial treatment for locally progressed HCC.

Methods: To avoid selection bias, we corrected the data from different facilities that did or did not perform New-FP therapy.

[Small Bore Chest Tube Management for Traumatic Hemothorax Patients More than 24 Hours after Injury].

Thoracic drainage with a 28 Fr or 32 Fr chest tube is recommended as an initial treatment for traumatic hemothorax, however the recommended drainage tube size is unknown when thoracic drainage becomes necessary more than 24 hours after injury. In this report, the experience with the application of a small bore tube (16 Fr or less) for 18 cases of hemothorax requiring thoracic drainage more than 24 hours after injury is presented. The complications observed in 2 of 8 patients with 8 Fr size and none of 10 patients with 16 Fr size.

Predicting a rapid response to adalimumab treatment and favorable short-term outcomes through the high platelet count in patients with ulcerative colitis: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

This study aimed to investigate the short-term effectiveness of adalimumab therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), especially its rapid response.This retrospective, multicenter, cohort study involved 7 institutes in Japan, compiling data from patients with UC who had received at least 1 induction dose of 160 mg of adalimumab between June 2013 and May 2017. Patients should have a Lichtiger clinical activity index score of ≥5 at the initial adalimumab administration.

Altered serum profile of the interleukin-22 system in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background And Aim: Interleukin-22 (IL-22), plays a vital role in the mucosal repair of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Serum levels of IL-22 and IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP), a soluble inhibitory IL-22 receptor, were measured in patients with IBD to investigate the profile of IL-22 in the systemic circulation.

Methods: Blood samples from 92 healthy subjects, 98 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 105 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) were analyzed for serum levels of IL-22, IL-22BP, human β-defensin 2 (hBD-2), and serum inflammatory parameters.

Pediatric nasopharyngeal cancer with repeated oligometastases involving the bone, liver and distant lymph nodes who achieved cure after radiotherapy.

Systemic chemotherapy is a standard treatment for Stage IVc nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Stage IVc NPC patients with oligometastases have a better prognosis, and local therapy has an important role in further development of the disease. However, the efficacy of local therapy to the metastases in patients with multiple-site and/or multiple-organ metastases is limited due to the aggressive behavior of the tumor.

[A Case of Subphrenic Lymph Node Metastasis from Gastric Cancer in Which FDG-PET/CT Was Useful for Diagnosis].

A 70-year-old man was admitted for lymph node metastasis detected by FDG-PET/CT showing a mass 10mm in diameter. He had a history of a distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer and was administered postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of 2 courses of TS-1 with CDDP and TS-1 only for 1 year. Lymph node recurrence was diagnosed and resected 4 years after the initial surgery.

A Diagnostic Approach to Myelopathy Based on Prognostic Factors in Patients With Lower Extremity Symptoms.

Study Design: Case-control study.

Objective: We aimed to identify predictors for latent myelopathy and to develop a diagnostic protocol based on these factors.

Summary Of Background Data: There is no diagnostic protocol for latent myelopathy to avoid misdiagnosis in patients complaining only of lower extremity symptoms.

A nationwide, multi-center, retrospective study of symptomatic small bowel stricture in patients with Crohn's disease.

Background: Small bowel stricture is one of the most common complications in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) is a minimally invasive treatment intended to avoid surgery; however, whether EBD prevents subsequent surgery remains unclear. We aimed to reveal the factors contributing to surgery in patients with small bowel stricture and the factors associated with subsequent surgery after initial EBD.

[Liver injury caused by exposure to silica and 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123):a case report].

This case report presents two males with drug-induced liver injury acquired from working at a glass factory dealing with silica and 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123). Within one month of work, both patients presented with fever, icterus with liver dysfunction, and eosinophilia. Case 1 had experienced recurrence of symptoms twice while working and showed positive results for the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST).

Laparoscopic fundoplication for a case of esophageal hiatal hernia after gastroschisis repair.

Background: Esophageal hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux have been recognized as inevitable complications after the definitive gastroschisis operation. Patients with refractory gastroesophageal reflux require anti-reflux surgery; however, the surgical adhesions may complicate subsequent surgical therapy, especially in the cases treated by staged repair.

Case Presentation: A male infant who showed a severe gastroesophageal reflux due to hiatal hernia after staged abdominal fascial closure of gastroschisis.

A Simple Assessment of the Eating and Swallowing Functions in Elderly Patients with Pneumonia.

It is important to assess the eating and swallowing functions of elderly people because they often develop aspiration pneumonia due to dysphagia. The most reliable modalities for assessing the eating and swallowing functions are videofluoroscopic examinations and videoendoscopic evaluations; however, these diagnostic modalities often cannot be performed in elderly people. Therefore, we established the Assessment of Swallowing Ability for Pneumonia (ASAP), which is an assessment of eating and swallowing functions in elderly patients with pneumonia that can be conducted by all health care professionals, and examined the usefulness thereof.

Risk Factors for Mortality in Pneumonia in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: pneumonia (PJP) is highly fatal once infection is established. In this study, we investigated the risk of PJP mortality in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of case data from IBD patients who developed PJP, compiled from 17 collaborating institutions.

Novel surgical approach without bowel resection for multiple gastrointestinal lipomatosis: A case report.

Introduction: Asymptomatic lipoma only requires observation, whereas symptomatic lipoma requires treatment such as endoscopic or surgical resection. However, in case of multiple lipomas, with evident diffusion and malignancy, resection procedure and range cannot be determined. We experienced GI lipomatosis (multiple lipomas) diffusely existing from the duodenum to the small intestine and involved recurrent intussusception.

Learning Effect of Diagnosing Depth of Invasion Using Non-Extension Sign in Early Gastric Cancer.

Background: Determining the depth of invasion is important when considering therapeutic strategies for early gastric cancer (EGC). We determined the effects of learning the non-extension sign, that is, an index of T1b2 in EGC, on identifying its depth of invasion.

Methods: Endoscopic images of 40 EGC cases (20 showing positive non-extension sign on endoscopy as T1b2 and 20 showing negative non-extension sign on endoscopy as T1a-T1b1) were randomly displayed on PowerPoint.

Utility of the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment in Japanese patients with nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia.

Aim: To clarify the utility of sepsis evaluation using the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) tool in addition to the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI); age, dehydration, respiration, orientation and blood pressure (A-DROP) index; and immunodeficiency, respiration, orientation, age and dehydration (I-ROAD) scoring systems, and risk factor evaluation of potentially drug-resistant (PDR) pathogens are suggested in the 2017 guidelines for pneumonia of the Japanese Respiratory Society in nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia patients.

Methods: We included 289 hospitalized nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia patients between April 2016 and March 2017, and investigated the ability of PSI, A-DROP, I-ROAD and qSOFA to predict pneumonia-related mortality. We also evaluated the associations among the risk factors for PDR pathogens, the detection ratio of PDR pathogens and pneumonia-related mortality.

Seven days triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori does not alter the disease activity of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background/aims: The influences of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy on the disease course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are still unclear. We therefore conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study to evaluate the safety of H. pylori eradication therapy for IBD patients.

[Treatment of Mandibular Fracture-Associated Infectious Pseudarthrosis Accompanied by Osteomyelitis in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient].

Peritoneal dialysis can be performed at home, and the transfer of solutes in the blood and other body fluids is slow compared to hemodialysis, reducing the load on the circulatory organs and lessening the frequency of hospital visits. We encountered a male patient in his 70s on peritoneal dialysis for end-stage renal failure who developed obsolete mandibular fracture-associated pseudarthrosis accompanied by osteomyelitis, which was treated with noninvasive reduction and fixation using circumferential wiring after the resolution of inflammation. The inflammation was resolved by an intravenous drip infusion of ampicillin and lavage of the local region through the fistulated region during hospitalization, and sequestrum was removed under local anesthesia.

Using oral health assessment to predict aspiration pneumonia in older adults.

Objective: To investigate the significance of comprehensive assessment of oral health using the revised oral assessment guide (ROAG) in older adults with pneumonia.

Background: Oral health plays a major role in the eating-swallowing process. The role of comprehensive assessment of oral health in older adults with aspiration pneumonia has not been evaluated in detail.

Impact of the number of aspiration risk factors on mortality and recurrence in community-onset pneumonia.

Introduction: The clinical significance of the number of aspiration risk factors in patients with pneumonia is unknown as yet. In the present study, we clarify the significance of the number of aspiration risk factors for mortality and recurrence in pneumonia patients.

Methods: This study included 322 patients hospitalized with pneumonia between December 2014 and June 2016.