Kobe Journal of Medical Sciences

Initially, endothelin (ET)-2 was described as an endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor. However, accumulating evidence suggests the involvement of ET-2 in non-cardiovascular physiology and disease pathophysiology. The deficiency of ET-2 in mice can be lethal, and such mice exhibit a distinct developmental abnormality in the lungs. Nonetheless, the definite role of ET-2 in the lungs remains unclear. The ET-2 isoform, ET-1, promotes pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Although endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) show improvements in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mouse models, clinical trials examining ERAs for pulmonary fibrosis treatment have been unsuccessful, even showing harmful effects in patients...

COVID-19 patients reveal various clinical manifestations; however, the specific mechanisms and factors contributing to rapid recovery remain unclear. We performed serum cytokine profiling using a bead-based immunoassay in six COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms who experienced rapid recovery. All patients had fever that resolved within 4 days. During the study, the interferon gamma-related protein 10 (IP-10) level rapidly increased initially, and then rapidly decreased in all six patients. Similarly, the interferon (IFN)-λ 2/3 levels rapidly increased initially, and then decreased in five of the six patients...

An experimental animal model that causes mild structural disorders of skeletal muscles is essential to understand general exercise-induced muscle damage. Thermal stimulations such as icing and heating are commonly used as treatments for muscle injuries in sports. We established a downhill running (DR) protocol that leads to structural muscle disorders without sarcolemmal disruption and directly compared the structural changes produced by icing and heating after DR. Male ddY mice were divided into the DR, DR plus icing (Ice), and DR plus heating (Heat) groups...

We previously reported that hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A (1b, Con1) protein accepts covalent ISG15 conjugation at specific lysine (Lys) residues (K44, K68, K166, K215 and K308), exhibiting proviral effects on HCV RNA replication. Here we investigated a role of NS5A-ISGylation via Lys residues in HCV propagation using HCV infectious clone. The alignment of amino acid sequences revealed that 5 Lys residues (K20, K26, K44, K139, and K166) of the 13 Lys residues within NS5A (genotype 2a, JFH1 strain) were conserved compared to those of HCV (genotype 1b, Con1 strain)...

Urinary β2 microglobulin (β2-MG) is a low-molecular-weight protein that is filtered by the glomerular basement membrane and absorbed by the proximal tubule epithelial cells. In perinatal management, urinary β2-MG levels are used to assess intrauterine inflammation in newborns, since urinary excretion increases during inflammation. Furthermore, β2-MG levels in fetal blood and urine are also used for predicting fetal renal function because β2-MG is not transferred to the placenta. Herein, we reported a patient with persistent high urinary β2-MG levels since neonatal period, who was later diagnosed with bilateral renal hypoplasia...

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant cancer stromal cells and are directed by the tumor microenvironment to acquire trophic functions facilitating angiogenesis, matrix breakdown and cancer cell motility. TAMs have anti-inflammatory or alternatively activated (M2) phenotypes expressing CD204 and/or CD163. We previously reported that infiltration of a large number of CD204-positive TAMs are associated with angiogenesis, progression and poor disease-free survival of human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs)...

The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presenting with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT) is extremely poor. The aim of this study was to reveal the postoperative course and to identify patients who have survived surgical hepatectomy among HCC patients with IVCTT. Between January 2006 and December 2018, 643 patients underwent surgical hepatectomy for HCC at Kobe University Hospital. Among them, 20 patients were categorized as Vv3 according to the Japanese staging system. We retrospectively collected detailed data on these patients...

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy. Some studies have reported that FPIES was associated with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). However, the number of reports on the relationship between FPIES and procalcitonin (PCT) is limited. This case report highlights the fact that PCT levels can be markedly elevated in patients with acute FPIES. An 11-month-old girl previously diagnosed with FPIES underwent an oral food challenge test (OFC). Her serum PCT levels were measured after she developed severe symptoms including fever and shock following administration of 100mL of formula milk...

We investigated the effect of lactic acid bacteria-containing beverage intake on the level of resilience against stress in male university students. Forty male university students were recruited into the study and randomly assigned into two groups. They were instructed to consume lactic acid bacteria-containing beverage or water twice a day for 28 days. The level of stress resilience, stress reaction, and anxiety were evaluated by a series of questionnaires conducted at three time points (T1: day 0, T2: day 14, and T3: day 28)...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of adding Waters' projection to panoramic imaging compared with panoramic imaging or Waters' projection alone. Maxillary sinusitis in 106 patients (206 sinuses) was retrospectively assessed with panoramic imaging, Waters' projection, and computed tomography imaging by two oral radiologists. The diagnostic performance was assessed with computed tomography imaging as the gold standard. Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve values were obtained...

BACKGROUND: The number of newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients in Japan appears to be decreasing. However, whether these new infections cease to occur in the future in Japan, similar to abroad, is unclear. To evaluate the feasibility of this achievement, we conducted a time series analysis using Bayesian local linear trend model to evaluate the possibility of zero new infection of HIV/AIDS in Japan. METHODS: We used quarterly data on HIV/AIDS from the first quarter, 2001 to the second quarter, 2020...

It has already been reported that HbA1c levels measured by immunoassay (IA) (IA-HbA1c) during off-site health checkups present falsely lower results. We also reported that HbA1c levels measured by enzymatic assay (EA) (EA-HbA1c) during off-site health checkups are lower. In the present study, we compared IA-HbA1c levels or EA-HbA1c levels during off-site health checkups with on-site high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-HbA1c levels using the same samples. Subjects were 88 non-diabetic individuals who had health checkups in Nishinomiya Municipal Central Hospital...

OBJECTIVE: Acute pulmonary edema associated with ritodrine hydrochloride is a rare, life-threatening complication, and dose and duration of ritodrine use are closely associated with this pathology. We report a case of acute pulmonary edema associated with short-duration infusion of ritodrine hydrochloride in a patient with pectus excavatum as an underlying factor. CASE REPORT: A 30-year-old healthy pregnant woman was treated with oral ritodrine for tocolysis between 31 and 35 weeks of pregnancy...

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by recurrent attacks of fever, serositis and articular pain. Mutations in the MEFV gene causes inflammation that may trigger cognitive impairment in FMF patients. The objectives were to identify the effect of anti-inflammatory diet containing curcumin, flaxseed and vitamin D supplementation on the clinical presentation and cognitive functions of FMF patients. The study included 73 FMF patients, that followed in addition to their regular colchicine doses an anti-inflammatory diet (rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, low in saturated and unsaturated fats and carbohydrates, low in food additives, sugar, fast foods and processed foods)...

Triiodothyronine (T3)-predominant Graves' disease is characterized by increased serum free T3 (FT3) levels after free thyroxine (FT4) levels become normal or even low during antithyroid drug treatment. We encountered a 34-year-old pregnant woman, gravida 5 para 4, who was complicated by T3-predominant Graves' disease. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease at 20 years old, and had received methimazole. Methimazole was changed to potassium iodide to reduce the risk of congenital anomalies during the first trimester...

We treated an 85-year-old man with an abscess perforating into the retroperitoneal space from the sigmoid colon, with retroperitoneal drainage combined with antibiotics. CT showed no abscess formation in the intraperitoneal space. The patient consulted a doctor with a chief complaint of left-side low back pain and fever. He was first diagnosed with bacteremia due to Escherichia coli and close examination by CT revealed a retroperitoneal abscess. On referral to our hospital, we determined by CT that the cause of abscess formation was perforation of the intestine into the retroperitoneal space and spreading into the psoas muscle compartment...

Daikenchuto (TU-100) is herbal medicine which predominantly contains ginger, Japanese pepper, and ginseng. We investigated whether TU-100 can affect the composition of gut flora and intestinal tumor development using ApcMin/+ mice, a murine model of intestinal tumor. Bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis were performed on faecal samples. Tumor number and size were analysed. Any change in gene expression of the tumor tissues was assessed by real-time PCR. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the faecal microbiota cluster of TU-100-fed mice was different from the microbiota of control mice...

Eicosanoid modulation by butyrate has been reported in various cells and conditions. Recently, comprehensive analyses of lipid mediators using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry has been reported. We hypothesized that tributyrin, a prodrug of butyrate, may attenuate LPS-induced liver injury in rats by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators and/or by inducing anti-inflammatory specialized proresolving mediators. To test this, groups of Wistar rats were orally administered tributyrin (1 g/kg body weight) or vehicle 1 h before intraperitoneal injection of LPS...

AIM: Effective intervention is necessary for improving the social functioning of patients with severe mental illness (SMI). We examined the effects of home-visit occupational therapy (OT) using a Management Tool for Daily Life Performance (MTDLP) that was designed to support patients in completing their desired daily life activities. The control group were treated by home-visit OT without using MTDLP. METHOD: In this multicenter randomized controlled trial, 60 participants included adults aged 18-65 with an ICD-10 diagnosis of F2 (i...

Few studies have focused on the inhalation instruction in pharmacies which have the crucial role on the inhalation instruction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge and the degree of interest for asthma inhalation instruction methods among pharmacists receiving prescription from clinics. We conducted questionnaire surveys to chief pharmacists of 39 consecutive pharmacies belonging to HANSHIN Dispensing Pharmacy in Hyogo, Japan at July 2011. We obtained valid responses from 35 pharmacies...