Significant response to tocilizumab in a case of immune deposits-related membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis complicated by multicentric Castleman's disease.

A 47-year-old woman with a 12-year history of anemia and high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels was admitted to our hospital with worsening fatigue and night sweats. She had high levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG; 4182 mg/dL), IgA (630.6 mg/dL), and CRP (7.

Lupus nephritis and related renal disease: review from case series.

Renal lesions due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are defined as lupus nephritis (LN), a renal disease characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulin (Ig)G-based immune complexes in the kidney and the appearance of double-stranded DNA and Smith antibodies. In particular, deposition of IgG3, which has strong complement binding properties, under the endothelium or in the mesangium activates the classical complement pathway of C1q, C4, and C3, leading to renal damage. This step is followed by migration of inflammatory cells, including neutrophils and monocytes, which induce inflammation in the glomerular capillaries and cause mesangiolysis and endothelial cell damage, resulting in endocapillary proliferative nephritis.

A Case of Acute Eosinophilic Granulomatous Tubulointerstitial Nephritis in a Patient Receiving Combination Treatment with Three Drugs.

We herein report a 69-year-old man with acute kidney injury who required dialysis after receiving a combination of three drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test-positive drugs. A kidney biopsy showed tubulointerstitial nephritis with severe eosinophilic infiltration and numerous granuloma formations. Acute eosinophilic granulomatous tubulointerstitial nephritis was diagnosed.

The impact of core curriculum revisions on Japanese medical schools: Navigating curriculum evolution.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of the 2010 and 2016 Model Core Curriculum (MCC) revisions on medical education across all 82 medical schools in Japan.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021, focusing on the response to the MCC revisions, curriculum changes, and factors influencing these changes. The survey included questions on approaches to implementing the MCC revisions, timing of curriculum updates, factors triggering these revisions, changes in student performance and career paths, and the introduction of new subjects.

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Bacteremia Associated With Probiotic Use in a Child With Hypoganglionosis: Case Report and Literature Review.

Probiotics are generally considered safe and used to improve intestinal function. Here, we report a Lacticaseibacillus paracasei bacteremia case in an 8-month-old girl administered probiotics containing L. paracasei after jejunostomy for hypoganglionosis.

The Urine Output Response to Low-Dose Diuretic Challenge Predicts Tolerance to Negative Fluid Balance in Mechanically Ventilated, Critically Ill Patients.

Background and objective Although early diuretic use and negative fluid balance (NFB) have been associated with lower mortality in mechanically ventilated patients, some patients are not tolerant to NFB. Little is known about whether urine output response after the diuretic administration predicts NFB tolerance in mechanically ventilated patients. Hence, we conducted this study to look into this.

Relationship between MRI findings and renal histopathology in IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis.

Background: MRI is expected to be a valuable tool for evaluating disease activity in immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related tubulointerstitial nephritis (IgG4-TIN). However, the correlation between MRI findings and renal histopathological findings remains to be elucidated.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the correlation between MRI findings and renal histopathological findings in IgG4-TIN.

A case report of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor-related kidney disease combined with renal cancer.

A kidney biopsy was performed in a 64-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus and less than 1 g of proteinuria who rapidly progressed to end-stage renal failure after approximately 2 years of treatment with two dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The biopsy revealed not only a coincidental diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma, which was not evident on pre-biopsy computed tomography, but also severe thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA)-like glomerular endothelial cell damage in the noncancerous areas. These results suggest that DPP4 inhibitors may have been involved in two kidney diseases.

High serum gamma-glutamyltransferase level after hepatitis C virus elimination is a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is known as an oxidative stress marker, induced by alcohol consumption and metabolic disorders, and is reported as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development after hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination. However, it is not clear whether GGT serves simply as a surrogate marker for overlapping metabolic diseases or reflects HCV-specific carcinogenicity. We investigated the association between GGT and hepatocarcinogenesis after achieving a sustained viral response (SVR), accounting for drinking habits or diabetes, and examined predisposing factors associated with GGT levels after SVR.

Renal and cardiac biopsy findings in an adolescent patient with the 3243A>G mitochondrial DNA mutation: Favorable renal prognosis post renal transplantation from the mother.

We investigated the pathogenesis of a perihilar variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis detected by kidney biopsy in a 16-year-old male. The disease was refractory to steroid therapy, and at the second kidney biopsy, abnormal mitochondrial proliferation was newly observed in the podocytes. The patient also developed late-onset hearing loss and had a family history of diabetes, and genetic testing confirmed the mitochondrial DNA mutation 3243A>G (48%).

A case of renal limited myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive vasculitis treated with maintenance avacopan monotherapy.

A 76-year-old woman was admitted with progressive renal function decline. A kidney biopsy was performed because of myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA; 333 IU/mL), proteinuria (1.21 g/d), and urinary erythrocyte sediment (10-19/high-power field).

Basal Coronary Microvascular Resistance Predicting Death and Heart Failure in Patients Without Functional Coronary Stenosis.

Background: Abnormal coronary microcirculation is linked to poor patient prognosis, so the aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic relevance of basal microvascular resistance (b-IMR) in patients without functional coronary stenosis.

Methods And Results: Analyses of 226 patients who underwent intracoronary physiological assessment of the left anterior descending artery included primary endpoints of all-cause death and heart failure, as well as secondary endpoints of cardiovascular death and atherosclerotic vascular events. During a median follow-up of 2 years, there were 12 (5.

Identification of as the current world's deepest trematode.

The deepest recorded depth for trematodes currently stands at approximately 6200 m. This depth record was achieved solely through sequence datasets of sp. obtained from a gastropod.

Impact of immune-related adverse events in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.

Background And Aim: Immune checkpoint inhibitors pose the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Recent data suggest that irAEs may be associated with a favorable prognosis. This study aimed to investigate and analyze the association between these adverse events and the clinical benefits in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Is Podocytopathy Associated with Gross Hematuria after COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy?

We experienced three cases of a fever and subsequent severe, prolonged gross hematuria after COVID-19 vaccination. A kidney biopsy revealed immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, and electron microscopy showed two types of podocytopathy (podocyte damage): loss of foot processes from the glomerular basement membrane and foot process effacement. Mesangial interposition was also present in cases 1 and 3 but not in case 2.

Expert consensus document on automated diagnosis of the electrocardiogram: The task force on automated diagnosis of the electrocardiogram in Japan part 3: Inappropriate internal processing in the automatic diagnosis of electrocardiograms and its problems.

Computer diagnosis of electrocardiograms is widely used to provide useful information in clinical practice and medical checkups. However, it is common for users to be confused by the inappropriate diagnosis. We illustrate some examples of inappropriate automatic diagnoses and discuss the actual situation of inappropriate automatic processing and its problems.

Reactivation of previously controlled Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease more than 46 years following COVID-19 vaccination: a case study.

We report a case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease that recurred 46 years after initial treatment. A 59-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of bilateral vision blurring. She had received her third dose of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination 4 months before the onset of blurring.

Possible association between vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and recurrence of macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: a case report.

We herein describe a patient who developed recurrence of macular edema (ME) due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) 3 days after administration of the BNT162b2 vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A man in his early 50s visited our hospital because of vision loss in his right eye. His logarithmic best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was -0.

Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation With Total Cavopulmonary Connection for Arrested Heart.

Lymphocytic fulminant myocarditis results in severe myocardial damage that is irreversible in some patients. In these patients, mechanical circulatory support, as the main treatment, is difficult. We describe a patient with a myocarditis-associated arrested heart who underwent successful left ventricular assist device implantation and extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection (EC-TCPC).

Glomerular Microangiopathy-like Nephropathy Caused by Hyperthyroidism.

A 49-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital with weight loss of 15 kg, nephrotic-range proteinuria (4.5 g/g.Cre), and hematuria over a 6-month period.