The efficacy of Landiolol hydrochloride (Onoact^®) for the treatment of arrhythmia was studied in 10 adult patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. Onoact was continuously infused at a mean rate of 0.018 mg/kg/min initially and followed by 0.01 mg/kg/min. After the initiation of Onoact infusion, supra-ventricular tachycardia was eliminated in 5 out of 6 patients, and ventricular tachycardia disappeared in all 4 patients. The decrease in systemic blood pressure was not significant. Low-dose continuous infusion of Onoact was safe and effective even in patients just after cardiovascular surgery.

The efficacy of Landiolol hydrochloride (Onoact^®) for the treatment of arrhythmia was studied in 10 adult patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. Onoact was continuously infused at a mean rate of 0.018 mg/kg/min initially and followed by 0.01 mg/kg/min. After the initiation of Onoact infusion, supra-ventricular tachycardia was eliminated in 5 out of 6 patients, and ventricular tachycardia disappeared in all 4 patients. The decrease in systemic blood pressure was not significant. Low-dose continuous infusion of Onoact was safe and effective even in patients just after cardiovascular surgery.

A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to cerebellum infarction. He had undergone replacement of the aortic valve and ascending aorta because of aortitis syndrome 2 years ago. Electrocardiogram showed complete atrioventricular block. Echocardiography showed aortic annular abscess and vegetation on the prosthetic aortic valve. A pulmonary autograft was transplanted of the aortic root (Ross operation) after complete resection of the infected sites. The postoperative course was uneventful. The ross operation was considered to be a treatment of choice for prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis.

This retrospective case series enrolled 13 patients who underwent posterior fixation with both transdiscal screws for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (TSDs) and pedicle screws (PSs) to treat spinal injury accompanied by diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).

This retrospective case series enrolled 13 patients who underwent posterior fixation with both transdiscal screws for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (TSDs) and pedicle screws (PSs) to treat spinal injury accompanied by diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) in patients with ovarian cancer who receive adjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy in clinical practice and to assess whether the frequency of CSF use differs among hospitals in Japan. METHODS: CSF use in patients with ovarian cancer who received first-line paclitaxel and carboplatin was analyzed retrospectively using data from the Japanese hospitalization payment system. RESULTS: A total of 1,050 patients at 104 hospitals were identified. The median age was 60 years (range, 22 to 88 years). Of these, 163 patients (15.5%) were diagnosed with neutropenia and 134 patients (12.8%) received CSFs. Among the patients who received CSFs, 125 (93%) received them for the treatment of neutropenia without fever and 1 received them for febrile neutropenia. In total, CSFs were administered for 272 cycles of chemotherapy. Among them, CSFs were used as treatment for neutropenia without fever in 259 cycles (95%), as prophylaxis (primary or secondary) in 12 cycles (4%), and as treatment for febrile neutropenia in 1 cycle. Among hospitals, a median of 4.0% of patients received CSFs with an interquartile range of 25% (Q1, 0%; Q3, 25%). A logistic random effects model showed that the variation in the proportion of patients receiving CSFs among the 104 hospitals was 2.0 (p<0.001), suggesting that the use of CSFs varied across hospitals. CONCLUSION: Most patients received CSFs for neutropenia without fever. Standardized and evidence-based use of CSFs is critically required among hospitals in Japan.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carboplatin* ; Colony-Stimulating Factors* ; Drug Therapy ; Febrile Neutropenia ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Japan* ; Neutropenia ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Paclitaxel* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We recently identified recessive mutations in the solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 2A1 gene (SLCO2A1) as causative variants of chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 (CEAS). The aim of this study was to evaluate SLCO2A1 protein expression in the intestinal tissues of patients with CEAS, intestinal Behçet's disease (BD), simple ulcer (SU), and Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining using a polyclonal anti-SLCO2A1 antibody was performed on the resected intestinal specimens from 13 cases of CD, 9 cases of intestinal BD/SU, and 3 cases of CEAS. The extent of SLCO2A1 expression was determined by counting positively-staining vascular endothelial cells and scored as 0 (no cells), 1 (1%–30% cells), 2 (31%–60%), or 3 (>60%). The intensity of SLCO2A1 expression was scored either as 0 (negative), 1 (intermediate), or 2 (strong). The extent score and intensity score were summed for the final score of 0, 2, 3, 4, or 5. RESULTS: SLCO2A1 protein expression was observed in 1 of 3 cases of CEAS (33%), all 13 cases of CD (100%), and all 9 cases of BD/SU (100%). The mean final expression scores of CEAS, CD, and BD/SU were 1.6 (range, 0–5), 4.8 (range, 4–5), and 4.3 (range, 4–5), respectively. The final expression score in CEAS was significantly lower than in CD (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical staining of the SLCO2A1 protein is considered useful to distinguish CEAS from other inflammatory bowel diseases.
Behcet Syndrome ; Crohn Disease ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Ulcer

Background/Aims: Magnifying endoscopic classification systems, such as the Japan narrow-band imaging (NBI) Expert Team (JNET) classification, have been widely used for predicting the histologic diagnosis and invasion depth of colorectal epithelial tumors. However, disagreement exists among observers regarding magnifying endoscopic diagnosis, because these classification systems are subjective. We herein investigated the utility of endoscopic microvascular density (eMVD) calculated from magnifying NBI endoscopic images in colorectal tumors. Methods: We reviewed magnifying NBI endoscopic images from 169 colorectal epithelial tumors (97 adenomas, 72 carcinomas/high-grade dysplasias) resected endoscopically or surgically. The eMVD on magnifying NBI endoscopic images was evaluated using image-editing software, and relationships between eMVD and clinical, endoscopic, and pathological findings were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The eMVD in carcinomas (0.152 ± 0.079) was significantly higher than that in adenomas (0.119 ± 0.059, P< 0.05). The best cutoff value for distinguishing carcinoma from adenoma was 0.133. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 56.9%, 67.0%, and 62.7%, respectively. In addition, JNET type 2B tumors showed significantly higher eMVD (0.162 ± 0.079) compared to type 2A tumors (0.111 ± 0.050, P< 0.05). Conclusions The eMVD as determined by magnifying NBI endoscopy is considered to be a possible objective indicator for differentiating colorectal carcinomas from adenomas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We recently identified recessive mutations in the solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 2A1 gene (SLCO2A1) as causative variants of chronic nonspecific multiple ulcers of the small intestine (chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1, CEAS). The aim of this study was to investigate the gastroduodenal expression of the SLCO2A1 protein in patients with CEAS and Crohn’s disease (CD). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for SLCO2A1 was performed with a polyclonal antibody, HPA013742, on gastroduodenal tissues obtained by endoscopic biopsy from four patients with CEAS and 29 patients with CD. RESULTS: The expression of SLCO2A1 was observed in one of four patients (25%) with CEAS and in all 29 patients (100%) with CD (p < 0.001). The three patients with CEAS without SLCO2A1 expression had a homozygous splice-site mutation in SLCO2A1, c.1461+1G>C (exon 7) or c.940+1G>A (exon 10). The remaining one CEAS patient with positive expression of SLCO2A1 had compound heterozygous c.664G>A and c.1807C>T mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical staining for SLCO2A1 in gastroduodenal tissues obtained by endoscopic biopsy is considered useful for the distinction of CEAS from CD.
Biopsy ; Crohn Disease* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestine, Small ; Ulcer