One of the complications in patients on long-term hemodialysis is spondyloarthropathy resulting from amyloidosis due to abnormal accumulation of β2-microglobulin. With deposition of β2-microglobulin in soft tissues, such as ligaments and joints, destruction of bones and cartilages begins at the site of ligament attachment and proceeds with the accompanying inflammatory reaction, fibrosis and ligament thickening. The soft tissue proliferative lesion and destruction of bones and cartilages produce spinal canal stenosis and, ultimately, compression of the spinal cord and cauda equina, to give rise to various clinical symptoms.
We tried acupuncture treatment on two patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis due to hemodialysis-related spondyloarthropathy who presented with neurogenic intermittent claudication, and evaluated its effects. Acupuncture treatment involved placement of acupuncture needles chiefly in the stenotic region, once weekly, for about three months. Marked improvement was obtained regarding claudication distance and JOA score in patient number one, who had radicular type intermittent claudication. Slight improvement of claudication distance and improvement of JOA score (particularly relief of pain) were obtained in patient number two, who had mixed type intermittent claudication. These results suggest that acupuncture treatment might be effective for dialysis patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis associated with hemodialysis-induced spondyloarthropathy.

Objective: To reduce the length of hospital stay for patients undergoing pacemaker surgery. Patient and Methods: We prevented the leads from dislodging by anchoring a screw-in type pacing lead in the right atrium/ventricle through a cephalic vein that was cut down. We retrospectively compared the cost and duration of the hospital stay for the subpectoral technique (35 cases; January 2005-March 2006) and conventional technique (subcutaneous pocket and subclavian vein puncture) (18 cases; October 2003-December 2004) groups. Results: The mean (± SD) duration of hospital stay was 5.1 ± 2.1 days for the subpectoral technique group and 22.2 ± 15.2 days for the conventional technique group (P < 0.001), and the cost was 2,167,883 ± 147,549 yen in the subpectoral technique group and 2,528,053 ± 217,810 yen in the conventional technique group (P < 0.001). We noted no major complications such as bleeding, lead dislodgement, or wound infection. Conclusion: Our novel subpectoral technique helped reduce the length and cost of the hospital stay associated with pacemaker surgery.
Hospitals ; Length ; Artificial cardiac pacemaker ; Cost aspects ; Conferences

Objective To retrospectively evaluate the MR and CT features of delayed complications of hepatic rupture and clinical management.Methods Delayed complications developed in 8 of 20 patients with hepatic rupture 1～3 weeks after surgery.7 patients were managed with PTD and one with laparotomy.MRI and CT were followed-up before and after treatment.Results Delayed complications included 3 bilomas,3 recurrent bleedings and 2 abscess,which appeared characteristic bi-directional changes of the signal intensity on T 1-weighted image and were non-specific on T 2-weighted image(hyperintense)and CT (low-density).Conclusion T 1-weighted images appeared to be more effective than T 2-weighted images and CT in the differentiation of delayed complications from subacute intrahepatic hematoma.Followed-up MRI and CT are needed in patients with deeptype hepatic rupture in the first month after injury.PTD and laparotomy are helpful in management of biloma and abscess and nonuseful in patient with inactive recurrent bleeding.

A 62-year-old woman with the tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) diagnosed at 24 years of age, was admitted with fever and dyspnea. She also had cyanosis and heart failure and was categorized as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV. Echocardiography showed TOF with a-grade III tricuspid valve regurgitation. Cardiac catheterization revealed major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) for the left upper pulmonary circulation. After coil embolization of MAPCAs to reduce abnormal intracardiac return as well as postoperative left ventricular volume overload, the patient underwent total surgical correction (i.e., right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction using Medtronic FreeStyle Valve and transannular patch, ventricular septal defect closure, and tricuspid annuloplasty). Postoperatively, the patient had a satisfactory course during the 10-year follow-up period with a grade-I NYHA classification. In conclusion, intracardiac repair of TOF in case over 60 years of age can be performed safely by preoperative MAPCAs embolization and subsequent TOF repair with a strategy to abolish pulmonary and tricuspid valve regurgitation.

In Palliative care, we meet patients with easy-bleeding superficial malignant tumors, such as head and neck cancer, skin metastasis of all kinds of cancer and unresectable breast cancer. But it is not easy to control bleeding even though we use various means, and many doctors have difficulties in stopping bleeding. We report a case with a recurrent tumor of pharyngeal cancer that showed easy-bleeding and discharged massive exudates. Although she received several alcohol local injections because of bleeding of the tumor, she needed a dressing change over 5 times in a day. It made her QOL worse. In this case, we used Mohs paste and after using it, the surface had been fixed and dried up, resulting in a decrease in bleeding, exudate, frequency of dressing change and bad odor. Mohs paste was made of distilled water, zinc chloride, zinc starch and Glycerol. Zinc chloride changes to zinc ion by water in the wound and makes protein cohere and thereafter tissues, vessels and cell membrane of bacteria are fixed chemically. We could stop bleeding for 15 days with only 20 minutes contact with Mohs paste, and massive exudates and bad odor decreased. Mohs paste, which is made in your hospital pharmacy with cheap materials, can be used for bleeding or massive exudates repeatedly if there is not a thick blood vessel anatomically under the tumor. It was effective to improve her QOL. Palliat Care Res 2009; 4(2): 346-350

The frontal nerve is characterized by its great content of sympathetic nerve fibers in contrast to cutaneous branches of the maxillary and mandibular nerves. However, we needed to add information about composite fibers of cutaneous branches of the nasociliary nerve. Using cadaveric specimens from 20 donated cadavers (mean age, 85), we performed immunohistochemistry of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). The nasocilliary nerve contained abundant nNOS-positive fibers in contrast to few TH- and VIP-positive fibers. The short ciliary nerves also contained nNOS-positive fibers, but TH-positive fibers were more numerous than nNOS-positive ones. Parasympathetic innervation to the sweat gland is well known, but the original nerve course seemed not to be demonstrated yet. The present study may be the first report on a skin nerve containing abundant nNOS-positive fibers. The unique parasympathetic contents in the nasocilliary nerve seemed to supply the forehead sweat glands as well as glands in the eyelid and nasal epithelium.
Cadaver ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mandibular Nerve ; Nasal Mucosa ; Nerve Fibers ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; Skin ; Sweat Glands ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

OBJECTIVE: In order to verify whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to computed tomography (CT) in the detection and characterization of intrahepatic hematoma in its acute stage, the MRI and CT features of acute traumatic hepatic rupture (ATHR) were retrospectively studied and compared. METHODS: In the 10 cases of ATHR admitted to our institute, 3 were examined with CT, 1 with MRI and 6 with both CT and MRI in the first 24 hours post injury and 9 cases out of the 10 were checked up with MRI in the first week after injury of surgery. The shape of the traumatic lesions, the damages of the intrahepatic vessels and the severity of hepatic rupture displayed with CT and MRI were compared. RESULTS: It was found that in the first 24 hours post injury, 66.6% of hepatic injuries were shown as hypointensity on T1-weighted images and low or high density on noncontrast CT. 100% of the lesions were identified as well-marked hyperintensity on T2-weighted images. Damages of the hepatic and/or portal veins were observed in 7, 4 and 3 cases on T2- and T1-weighted images and noncontrast CT figures respectively. The severity of hepatic injuries were graded in 100%, 66.7% and 44.4%of cases with these 3 procedures respectively. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our findings, it is concluded that T2-weighted MRI is a more sensitive and reliable imaging modality in the detection and differentiation of the type and severity of acute hepatic rupture than T1-weighted imaging and noncontrast CT.

Androgens play a central role in prostate cancer pathogenesis, and hence most of the patients respond to androgen deprivation therapies. However, patients tend to relapse with aggressive prostate cancer, which has been termed as hormone refractory. To identify the proteins that mediate progression to the hormone-refractory state, we used protein-chip technology for mass profiling of patients' sera. This study included 16 patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer who were initially treated with androgen deprivation therapy. Serum samples were collected from each patient at five time points: point A, pre-treatment; point B, at the nadir of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level; point C, PSA failure; point D, the early hormone-refractory phase; and point E, the late hormone-refractory phase. Using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we performed protein mass profiling of the patients' sera and identified a 6 640-Da peak that increased with disease progression. Target proteins were partially purified, and by amino acid sequencing the peak was identified as a fragment of apolipoprotein C-I (ApoC-I). Serum ApoC-I protein levels increased with disease progression. On immunohistochemical analysis, the ApoC-I protein was found localized to the cytoplasm of the hormone-refractory cancer cells. In this study, we showed an increase in serum ApoC-I protein levels in prostate cancer patients during their progression to the hormone-refractory state, which suggests that ApoC-I protein is related to progression of prostate cancer. However, as the exact role of ApoC-I in prostate cancer pathogenesis is unclear, further research is required.
Aged ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal ; therapeutic use ; Apolipoprotein C-I ; analysis ; blood ; isolation & purification ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Disease Progression ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Protein Array Analysis ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

BACKGROUND: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms as well as suicide-related ideation among Japanese university students during the stay-home order necessitated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan, and offer evidence in support of future intervention to depression and suicide prevention strategies among college and university students. METHODS: The data for this cross-sectional study were derived from the Student Mental Health Survey conducted from May 20 to June 16, 2020 at a national university in Akita prefecture. Among the 5111 students recruited, 2712 participated in this study (response rate, 53%; mean age ± standard deviation, 20.5 ±3.5 years; men, 53.8%). Depressive symptoms were identified by using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate depressive symptoms based on a PHQ-9 score ≥10 and suicide-related ideation based on question 9 of PHQ-9 ≥1, which encompasses thoughts of both suicide and self-harm, was 11.7% and 6.7%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that risk factors for depression included being a woman, smoking, alcohol consumption, and social network communication using either video or voice. For suicide-related ideation, alcohol consumption was the only risk factor. Exercise and having someone to consult about worries were associated with decreased risk of both depressive symptoms and suicide-related ideation. CONCLUSIONS Negative lifestyles of smoking and drinking, and being a woman, may be important risk factors for depressive symptoms, whereas exercise and having someone to consult about worries may be protective factors.
Adolescent ; Alcohol Drinking ; COVID-19/psychology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pandemics ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Students/psychology* ; Suicidal Ideation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult