Assisted reproductive technology in Japan: A summary report for 2022 by the Ethics Committee of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Purpose: This descriptive analysis evaluated the 2022 assisted reproductive technology (ART) data collected by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology registry.

Methods And Results: In 2022 (cutoff date 30 November 2023), 634 of 635 registered ART facilities participated; 602 implemented ART treatment, with 543 630 registered cycles and 77 206 neonates (9.1% and 10.

Impact of problem-based learning on stigma toward epilepsy among medical students: An intervention verification study.

Introduction: Stigma toward epilepsy is widespread not only among the general population but also among healthcare professionals. Therefore, the necessity of providing educational opportunities for epilepsy from an early stage in student education has been emphasized. Recently, problem-based learning (PBL) has gained importance in higher education, with reports indicating that it not only enhances knowledge but also reduces stigma.

Pemafibrate for treating MASLD complicated by hypertriglyceridaemia: a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial study protocol.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a phenotype of the metabolic syndrome in the liver and is clearly associated with metabolic abnormalities such as hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia. Although the prevalence of MASLD is increasing worldwide, there is currently no consensus on the efficacy and safety of the drugs used to treat MASLD/metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Pemafibrate, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha modulator, was designed to have higher peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alfa (PPARα) agonist activity and selectivity than existing PPARα agonists, and in development trials, without increasing creatinine levels, lipid parameters and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were significantly improved.

Association Between Coagulation Fibrinolysis Markers and Severity in Patients with COVID-19.

Introduction: Thrombosis is a major complication of COVID-19. D-dimer (DD) is an important coagulation fibrinolysis marker in COVID-19 and has been extensively studied. However, very little is known about the role of other fibrinolysis markers, plasmin-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC), and fibrin monomer complex (FMC) in COVID-19.

Efficacy and safety of estetrol (15 mg)/drospirenone (3 mg) combination in a cyclic regimen for the treatment of primary and secondary dysmenorrhea: a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the estetrol (E4) (15 mg)/drospirenone (DRSP) (3 mg) combination in a cyclic regimen in Japanese women with primary and secondary dysmenorrhea.

Design: A 16-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, followed by a 36-week, open-label, extension study.

Setting: Double-blined study.

Percutaneous laryngeal elevation technique to achieve excellent hypopharyngeal exposure in transoral surgery.

Endoscopic laryngopharyngeal surgery (ELPS) is a transoral surgery performed for the treatment of early-stage pharyngeal and supralaryngeal cancer. In Japan, ELPS is often chosen for transoral resection of hypopharyngeal cancer. However, in cases of trismus, exposing the hypopharynx even with ELPS using a curved laryngoscope may not be possible.

SR-16234, a Unique Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, Suppressed Proliferation and Pain-Related Factor Expression by Inhibition of the Nuclear Factor-kappa B Pathway in Endometriotic Stromal Cells.

Problem: What is the effect of SR-16234 (SR), a selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator, on human endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs)?

Method Of Study: Endometriotic tissues were obtained from 21 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for ovarian endometriomas (OEs). Normal eutopic endometrium during the luteal phase was obtained from 18 patients without endometriosis. ESCs isolated from OEs and normal eutopic endometrial stromal cells (NESCs) were cultured with SR and subsequently exposed to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α.

Therapeutic Host Anticancer Immune Response through Photoimmunotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer May Overcome Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Introduction: Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a recently developed hybrid cancer therapy that directly kills cancer cells while producing a therapeutic host anticancer immune response. The activation of host immunity using NIR-PIT can enhance the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in animal experimental models; however, there have been no reports of this phenomenon in humans. Furthermore, by activating host immunity using NIR-PIT in patients who have become resistant to ICIs, the effects of ICIs can be restored.

Predictor of Steroid Replacement Duration after Removal of Cortisol-producing Adenoma.

Objective Cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) is a major subtype of functional adrenal tumors. CPAs are generally treated with adrenalectomy; however, it is difficult to predict the ideal duration of glucocorticoid replacement after resection. This study explored pre-operative factors predictive of glucocorticoid replacement therapy duration after CPA resection.

Impact of Estetrol Combined with Drospirenone on Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis in Patients with Endometriosis: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Active-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study.

Venous thromboembolism is a serious safety concern in women using combined oral contraceptives; ethinyl estradiol (EE) is widely used as an estrogen. Estetrol (E4) is a native estrogen with selective tissue activity and exclusively produced by the fetal liver. This study used a multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, parallel-group design to evaluate the effects of E4 combined with drospirenone (DRSP) on coagulation and fibrinolysis in Japanese patients with endometriosis.

External validation of hemoglobin and neutrophil levels as predictors of the effectiveness of ipilimumab plus nivolumab for treating renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Pretreatment hemoglobin and neutrophil levels were previously reported to be important indicators for predicting the effectiveness of ipilimumab plus nivolumab (IPI + NIVO) therapy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Therefore, we aimed to validate this in a large external cohort.

Methods: In total, 172 patients with RCC who underwent IPI + NIVO treatment at a multicenter setting were divided into three groups according to their pretreatment hemoglobin and neutrophil levels (group 1: non-anemia; group 2: anemia and low-neutrophil; and group 3: anemia and high-neutrophil).

Development of an AI-Assisted Embryo Selection System Using Iberian Ribbed Newts for Embryo-Fetal Development Toxicity Testing.

Background: The 3Rs (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement) principle is driving the need for alternative methods in animal testing. Despite advancements in in vitro testing, complex systemic toxicity tests still necessitate in vivo approaches. The aim of this study was to develop a developmental toxicity test protocol using the Iberian ribbed newt () as a model organism, integrating AI image analysis for embryo selection to improve test accuracy and reproducibility.

Effect of optogenetic excitation of non-orexinergic neurons in the hypothalamic perifornical area on motor behaviors and cardiovascular parameters in rats.

Central command, a motor volition originating in the rostral part of the brain, plays a pivotal role in the precise regulation of autonomic nervous and cardiovascular systems. Central neuronal substrates responsible for transmitting central command signals remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of optogenetic excitation of non-orexinergic (NOrx) neurons in the hypothalamic perifornical area (PeFA), where orexinergic neurons are densely distributed, on motor behaviors and cardiovascular parameters in rats.

The Genome-wide DNA methylation changes in gastrointestinal surgery patients with and without postoperative delirium: Evidence of immune process in its pathophysiology.

Aim: The pathophysiological mechanisms of postoperative delirium (POD) are still unclear, and there is no reliable biomarker to distinguish between those with and without POD. Our aim was to discover DNAm markers associated with POD in blood collected from patients before and after gastrointestinal surgery.

Method: We collected blood samples from 16 patients including 7 POD patients at three timepoints; before surgery (pre), the first and third postoperative days (day1 and day3).