We investigated the relationship between renal function assessment based on cystatin C (CsyC) and serum creatinine levels and the status of chemotherapy use in patients with gynecological cancer undergoing paclitaxel and carboplatin therapy. A significant positive correlation was found between estimated glomerular filtration rate from creatinine (eGFRcre) and eGFR from CsyC (eGFRcys) in the 98 patients included in the study. When eGFRcre and eGFRcys values were grouped according to GFR categories in the CKD severity classification, severe cases (eGFRcys < eGFRcre) were of more advanced age (P < 0.05) and had lower albumin levels (P < 0.01) than matched cases. Although no clear relationship was found between renal function assessment and chemotherapy status, the CysC and eGFRcys values tended to be higher and lower, respectively, in patients whose chemotherapy was deferred (P < 0.01 for CysC, P = 0.07 for eGFRcys). These results suggest that eGFRcre-based renal function assessment is overestimated compared with eGFRcys-based assessment in patients with gynecological cancer and may lead to carboplatin overdose or treatment deferral in elderly patients and patients with hypoalbuminemia.

Background/Aims: The necessity for pharyngeal anesthesia during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is controversial. This study aimed to compare the observation ability with and without pharyngeal anesthesia under midazolam sedation. Methods: This prospective, single-blinded, randomized study included 500 patients who underwent transoral upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under intravenous midazolam sedation. Patients were randomly allocated to pharyngeal anesthesia: PA+ or PA– groups (250 patients/group). The endoscopists obtained 10 images of the oropharynx and hypopharynx. The primary outcome was the non-inferiority of the PA– group in terms of the pharyngeal observation success rate. Results: The pharyngeal observation success rates in the pharyngeal anesthesia with and without (PA+ and PA–) groups were 84.0% and 72.0%, respectively. The PA– group was inferior (p=0.707, non-inferiority) to the PA+ group in terms of observable parts (8.33 vs. 8.86, p=0.006), time (67.2 vs. 58.2 seconds, p=0.001), and pain (1.21±2.37 vs. 0.68±1.78, p=0.004, 0–10 point visual analog scale). Suitable quality images of the posterior wall of the oropharynx, vocal fold, and pyriform sinus were inferior in the PA– group. Subgroup analysis showed a higher sedation level (Ramsay score ≥5) with almost no differences in the pharyngeal observation success rate between the groups. Conclusions Non-pharyngeal anesthesia showed no non-inferiority in pharyngeal observation ability. Pharyngeal anesthesia may improve pharyngeal observation ability in the hypopharynx and reduce pain. However, deeper anesthesia may reduce this difference.

Objective: Management of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) is important for patients with type 2 diabetes merger hyperlipidemia. Pemafibrate (PF) has different characteristics from conventional fibrates. In this study, we retrospectively compared the efficacy and safety of PF and bezafibrate (BF) in patients with type 2 diabetes merger hypertriglyceridemia.Methods: Patients who were administered PF (0.2 mg/day) or BF (400 mg/day) for 24 weeks or longer were included. Twenty patients in each group were extracted using propensity score matching (PS). PS was calculated using the patient background (before the start of administration) of PF or BF. We investigated lipid-related parameters (TG, high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], and LDL-C) and other laboratory test parameters pre administration and 24 weeks post administration.Results: TG decreased significantly in both groups (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the TG treatment target (<150 mg/dL) achievement rate (p =1.00), TG change rate (p=0.84), and TG change amount (p=0.77). In addition, there were no significant changes in HDL-C and LDL-C in both groups. In the PF group, alanine transaminase (ALT) (p< 0.05), alkaline phosphatase (p<0.05) decreased. In the BF group, ALT (p<0.05) and γ-GTP (p<0.05) decreased. Both groups showed improvement in liver function after 24 weeks. eGFR (p<0.05) significantly decreased only BF group. There were no significant changes in renal function, creatine kinase (CK), or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in either group.Conclusion: Our study suggests that there is no difference in the TG lowering effect and safety of PF and BF in type 2 diabetic patients.

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.

We present herein a case of disc fracture of a Björk-Shiley valve prosthesis in the mitral position. A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a sudden onset of dyspnea followed by deep shock. An echocardiography showed a severe degree of mitral regurgitation and moderate degree of tricuspid regurgitation. Forty-three years previously she had undergone a mitral valve replacement (MVR) for stenosis with the original version of a Björk-Shiley valve prosthesis in another institute. Emergency redo MVR was performed with a bioprosthesis and tricuspid annuloplasty with a semirigid ring. The disc of the extracted Björk-Shiley valve was found to have escaped from the metal housing with two intact struts. Although Björk-Shiley valve dysfunction due to Delrin disk abration has been rarely reported, complete disk fracuture is extremely rare. The important role of regular echocardiographic follow-up should be emphasized to prevent fatal valve fracture.

To determine the relationships among silent brain infarction (SBI), bone mineral density and milk consumption in elderly women, we studied 26 senile female outpatients with SBI in comparison with 18 age-matched controls.
There was a significant difference between the two groups in diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05), and a significantly larger number of individuals in the SBI group had a history of hypertension than in the control group (p<0.005). Bone mineral density at the ultradistal end of the radius tended to be lower in the SBI group than in the control group (0.05These finding indicated a close correlation between SBI and milk consumption habits in elderly women.

The relationship between the willingness to attend school and serum lipid levels was examined in high-school students. A total of 83 students were divided into two groups: the school group (n=48, 13 boys, 35 girls) consisting of students motivated to go to school, and the refuser group (n=35, 18 boys, 17 girls) of those who did not want to attend school. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to body mass index, total cholesterol level, triglycerides level, LDL-cholesterol level and atherogenic index, but the refuser group and lower HDL-cholesterol levels than the school group (p=0.0401). In addition, the refuser group had significantly lower scores on the shortened Zung's self-rating depression scale than the school group (p=0.0077). Furthermore, the students in the refuser group utilized the first-aid health room more often than those in the school group (p=0.0192).
These results suggest that there is a close relationship between the willingness to attend school and HDL-cholesterol level in high school students.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between age and changes in serum lipid levels during a period of 4 years in a Japanese fishing village.
Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured in inhabitants (53 males and 130 females) of the Chibu Village on Oki Island, Shimane in 1988 and again in 1992. The subjects were divided into four age groups of respectively, 40-49 years (n=30), 50-59 years (n=35), 60-90 years (n=65), and 70 years or over (n=53).
TC and TG levels did not change in any age group over the 4-year interval. However, the HDL-C level increased significantly in men aged 40-49 years, women aged 50-59 years, and women aged 60-69 years.
There are no differences of TC in men and women in 1988 and 1992. TG in men aged over 70 years was significantly lower than that in women aged over 70 years in 1988, but TG in men aged 40-49 years was significantly higher than that in women aged 40-49 years in 1992.HDL-C in men aged 40-49 years in 1988 and 50-59 years in 1992 was significantly lower than that in women aged 40-49 years in 1988 and 50-59 years in 1992.
The body mass index (BMI) was significantly positively correlated with TC in 1988, and positively correlated with TG and negatively correlated with HDL-C in both 1988 and 1992.
In this small Japanese fishing village, we found TC and TG did not increase with age, but HDL-C increased with age. Our results suggest that high TG and low HDL-C are important factors in causing obesity.

We investigated the relationship between obesity and lipids in elderly women in a rural area with primary hyperlipidemia after one year of follow-up. Thirty women aged 61 to 89 (mean age, 72.5 years) with primary hyperlipidemia were enrolled in this study. They were all given lipid-lowering dietary by a dietitian (s) and general physicians at the time of entry.
Total serum cholesterol (TCHO), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) did not change significantly over the past one year however, triglyceride level (TG) significantly decreased during the period. BMI at the time of enrollment was not significantly correlated with the reduction rate of TCHO or HDL-C, but was significantly correlated with the reduction rate of TG.
Thus, BMI may be useful as a predictor of TG change when only dietary therapy is given to eldery suburban women.

Psychosomatic health conditions and the cost of care were examined in 22 families tendering the sick and provided with visiting nurse services. To evaluate the state of psychosomatic health and the cost of care, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Cost of Care Index (CCI, Kosberg et al.) were used. The results of the GHQ showed that factors relating to somatic symptoms, anxiety and sleep disturbance, and social dysfunction are significantly correlated with calculated CCIs. However, activitis of daily living scores of the patients were not correlated with GHQ findings or CCIs. Also, there was no relationship between GHQ results and CCIs and duration of care or the types of care that givers. The GHQ results also revealed elements of social dysfunction in families of a single care giver are marked significantly higher than in those of two or more care givers. There was no correlation between subjects who were given welfare services and those who were not.
These data suggested that we should give more attention to the aspect of health and the cost of care in care givers.