Objective：The movement of an elderly person involving stepping over a bathtub makes them prone to falls and requires caution. Gait analysis suggested that the risk of falling increases with time spent in supporting both legs. A similar relationship was expected for side-straddling motion. This study aims to analyze differences in the side-straddling movements between THA patients who did not fully recover their functional balance, mobility, or walking ability from the viewpoint of the ratio of time spent supporting both legs.Methods：Eleven patients with hip osteoarthritis underwent initial unilateral THA via a posterior approach. Using a portable three-dimensional motion analyzer, we calculated the percentages of time spent supporting both legs while entering the bathtub, and exiting the bathtub with a handrail and examined the factors associated with percent of the time spent supporting both legs.Results：The percentage of time spent supporting both legs when exiting the bathtub was significantly lesser when exiting using the nonoperative than the operated side. A negative correlation was found between the percentages of time spent supporting both legs. while exiting the bathtub, and the percentage of handrail load values.Conclusion：The risk of falling may be reduced by using the nonoperative leg as the leading leg when exiting a bathtub. Use of handrails contributes to a reduction in fall risk.

Background/Aims: Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori-naïve gastric cancer (HPNGC) is becoming increasingly important. This study aimed to explore the quality indicators for HPNGC detection. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, nationwide, web-based survey of gastrointestinal endoscopists in Japan. In addition to questions about the number of HPNGC cases detected in a year and basic information, the questionnaire also consisted of 28 questions: (1) 18 about HPNGC awareness, (2) six about diagnostic proactiveness, and (3) four about interest in HPNGC. Results: Valid responses were obtained from 712 endoscopists. The Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society-certified endoscopists had a significantly higher HPNGC detection rate than the nonspecialists (0.42% vs. 0.32%, respectively; p=0.008). The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society certification and high awareness and interest scores were independent predictors of the HPNGC detection rate (p=0.012, p<0.001, p=0.024, respectively). Principal component analysis showed that the endoscopists who attended conferences for collecting information on HPNGC had a higher level of awareness. Conclusions To improve the detection of HPNGC, it is necessary to increase the awareness of the disease. It is hoped that relevant societies will play an important role in endoscopists’ education.

Objective: To clarify the frequency of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) in Japanese ovarian cancer patients, we examined microsatellite instability (MSI) status and immunohistochemistry (IHC) subtypes, including endometrioid carcinoma (EMC), clear cell carcinoma (CCC), or a mixture of both (Mix). Methods: We registered 390 patients who were diagnosed with EMC/CCC/Mix between 2006 and 2015 and treated at seven participating facilities. For 339 patients confirmed eligible by the Central Pathological Review Board, MSI, IHC, and MutL homolog 1 methylation analyses were conducted. The tissues of patients with Lynch syndrome (LS)-related cancer histories, such as colorectal and endometrial cancer, were also investigated. Results: MSI-high (MSI-H) status was observed in 2/217 CCC (0.9%), 10/115 EMC (8.7%), and 1/4 Mix (25%). Additionally, loss of MMR protein expression (LoE-MMR) was observed in 5/219 (2.3%), 16/115 (14.0%), and 1/4 (25%) patients with CCC, EMC, and Mix, respectively. Both MSI-H and LoE-MMR were found significantly more often in EMC (p<0.001). The median (range) ages of patients with MMR expression and LoE-MMR were 54 (30–90) and 46 (22–76) (p=0.002), respectively. In the multivariate analysis, advanced stage and histological type were identified as prognostic factors. Conclusion The dMMR rate for EMC/CCC was similar to that reported in Western countries. In Japan, it is assumed that the dMMR frequency is higher because of the increased proportion of CCC.

Background/Aims: Gastric acid secretion is suspected to be a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia. The present study investigates the potential association of the gastric acid secretion estimated by measuring serum pepsinogen with therapeutic responsiveness to the prokinetic drug acotiamide. Methods: Dyspeptic patients consulting participating clinics from October 2017 to March 2019 were prospectively enrolled in the study. The dyspeptic symptoms were classified into postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS). Gastric acid secretion levels were estimated by the Helicobacter pylori infection status and serum pepsinogen using established criteria and classified into hypo-, normo-, and hyper-secretion. Each patient was then administered 100 mg acotiamide thrice daily for 4 weeks, and the response rate to the treatment was evaluated using the overall treatment efficacy scale. Results: Of the 86 enrolled patients, 56 (65.1%) and 26 (30.2%) were classified into PDS and EPS, respectively. The estimated gastric acid secretion was not significantly different between PDS and EPS. The response rates were 66.0% for PDS and 73.1% for EPS, showing no significant difference. While the response rates were stable, ranging from 61.0% to 75.0% regardless of the estimated gastric acid secretion level among subjects with PDF, the rates were significantly lower in hyper-secretors than in non-hyper-secretors among subjects with EPS (42.0% vs 83.0%, P = 0.046). Conclusion Although acotiamide is effective for treating EPS as well as PDS overall, the efficacy is somewhat limited in EPS with gastric acid hypersecretion, with gastric acid suppressants, such as proton pump inhibitors, being more suitable.

The usage of Kampo medicine has been expanding in hospitals and pharmacies, and the systematic education on Kampo medicines and their components is urgently needed. Although the efficacies of Kampo formulations are approved at the national level, those of the composing crude drugs are not approved individually except for some cases. Consequently, the efficacy description of individual crude drug in textbooks differs much depending on the authors. To clarify this situation, we suggested the standardized description of the efficacy of crude drugs used in ethical Kampo formulation using terms of modern Western medicine in the previous study. In this study, we reviewed the descriptions of efficacies using the terms of Kampo medicine in the books published in Japan from the 17 century to the present to explore the possibility of standardizing the crude drug efficacies using the terms of Kampo medicine. The proposal for standardized description of the efficacy of crude drugs was based on the high frequency of appearance of the terms in successive books.

Purpose: In this multicenter retrospective observational study, we examined the early effects of romosozumab in patients with severe osteoporosis in terms of time-course changes in bone metabolism marker, improvement in bone density, and adverse effects. Materials and Methods: Patients with severe osteoporosis were included. We investigated the progress of TRACP 5b and P1NP before and 1–2 months after the administration of romosozumab. We also investigated the bone density of lumbar spine, femoral neck, and the entire femur, measured by the DXA method, before and 5–7 months after the administration of romosozumab. Results: A total of 70 patients (7 males and 63 females, age 75.0±3.6 years) participated in this study. Significant improvements in TRACP 5b and P1NP levels were observed before and 1–2 months after romosozumab administration. The average bone density of lumbar spine, femoral neck, and the entire femur were measured before and 5–7 months after romosozumab administration;and a significant increase only observed in the lumbar spine. Conclusion Consistent with the findings of previous clinical studies, romosozumab has both bone formation-enhancing and bone resorption effects (dual effect). In addition, romosozumab also demonstrated improvement in bone density from the early phase after the administration, though the result was only seen in the lumbar spine.

Purpose: In this multicenter retrospective observational study, we examined the early effects of romosozumab in patients with severe osteoporosis in terms of time-course changes in bone metabolism marker, improvement in bone density, and adverse effects. Materials and Methods: Patients with severe osteoporosis were included. We investigated the progress of TRACP 5b and P1NP before and 1–2 months after the administration of romosozumab. We also investigated the bone density of lumbar spine, femoral neck, and the entire femur, measured by the DXA method, before and 5–7 months after the administration of romosozumab. Results: A total of 70 patients (7 males and 63 females, age 75.0±3.6 years) participated in this study. Significant improvements in TRACP 5b and P1NP levels were observed before and 1–2 months after romosozumab administration. The average bone density of lumbar spine, femoral neck, and the entire femur were measured before and 5–7 months after romosozumab administration;and a significant increase only observed in the lumbar spine. Conclusion Consistent with the findings of previous clinical studies, romosozumab has both bone formation-enhancing and bone resorption effects (dual effect). In addition, romosozumab also demonstrated improvement in bone density from the early phase after the administration, though the result was only seen in the lumbar spine.

Objective：To investigate the effects of being instructed to use a squat method on posture and the joints involved in the pelvic position.Methods：The subjects were 15 healthy men (mean age, 23.8 ± 1.0 years)．We set free and squat conditions as the measurement tasks and instructed the subjects to lift an object from the floor. Differences in joint angles between the two conditions at the time the object left the floor were examined using a corresponding t test. To assess the joints that affect the pelvic anterior tilt angle, lumbar and limb joint angles and the correlation coefficient between them were calculated.Results：In the squat condition, the extension angles of the thoracic vertebrae, upper and lower thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae, and upper lumbar vertebrae；the pelvic posterior tilt angle；flexion angles of the hip and knee joints；and dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint increased. The pelvic anterior tilt angle was related to the knee and ankle joint angles in both conditions.Conclusion：Instructions to use a squat method increased the trunk extension and leg flexion angles. In both conditions, the knee and ankle joints affect the pelvic anterior tilt angle.