The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2020
Case ReportsVeno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in an Immunocompromised Patient without HIV Infection.
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) occurs in immunocompromised hosts and is classified as PJP with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (HIV-PJP) and PJP without HIV infection (non-HIV PJP). Non-HIV PJP rapidly progresses to respiratory failure compared with HIV-PJP possibly due to the difference in immune conditions; namely, the prognosis of non-HIV PJP is worse than that of HIV PJP. However, the diagnosis of non-HIV PJP at the early stage is difficult. ⋯ The abnormal chest CT findings and hypoxia were gradually improved. The V-V ECMO support was successfully discontinued on day 14 and mechanical ventilation was discontinued on day 15. V-V ECMO could be a useful choice for respiratory assistance in severe cases of PJP among patients without HIV infection.
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The present study provides an overview of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak which has rapidly extended globally within a short period. COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2). SARS-CoV-2 is different from usual coronaviruses responsible for mild sickness such as common cold among human beings. ⋯ Among the worldwide infected cases, 113,802 patients have been recovered and discharged from different hospitals. Effective prevention and control measures should be taken to control the disease. The presented Chinese model (protocol) of disease prevention and control could be utilized in order to curb the pandemic situation.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2020
Membrane Location of Syntaxin-Binding Protein 1 Is Correlated with Poor Prognosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, and adenocarcinoma is the most common histological type of lung cancer. Syntaxin-binding protein 1 (STXBP1) is essential for exocytosis of secretory vesicles. Since exocytosis is the basic cellular process of cells, we investigated STXBP1 expression and clinical significance in lung adenocarcinoma. ⋯ Consequently, the whole STXBP1 expression or membranal STXBP1 expression were correlated with poor prognosis and were independent prognostic factors of lung adenocarcinoma. The whole and membranal STXBP1 expression are independent prognostic factors of lung adenocarcinoma. STXBP1 detection is capable to help screen patients who may have poor prognosis and strengthen the adjuvant therapy more precisely.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2020
Greater Muscle Stiffness during Contraction at Menstruation as Measured by Shear-Wave Elastography.
It is important to measure mechanical properties of muscle, since muscle stiffness is an important component of stabilizing or controlling joint stability. The levels of sex hormones especially estrogen vary over the phase of the menstrual cycle and impact the mechanical properties of soft tissue such as muscle, tendon, and ligaments due to the presence of 17-β estradiol receptor in human connective tissues. Recently, shear-wave elastography (SWE), based on ultrasound imaging, has been used as an accurate technique for visualizing and assessing tissue stiffness. ⋯ All muscles showed significantly greater stiffness during the menstruation than ovulation when muscles were actively contracted (P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences in muscle stiffness at rest were noted across phase of the menstrual cycle. These significant findings suggest that muscular factors are changed with estradiol fluctuations; muscles are less stiff during ovulation where the levels of estradiol peak when muscles in a contraction condition. As muscle stiffness is an important part of joint stability, these differences should be recognized to prevent the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2020
Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin for Predicting Intensive Care Unit Admission and Mortality in Patients with Pneumonia.
Pneumonia is one of the most common causes of hospital admissions and mortality, and it is responsible for significant socioeconomic burden worldwide. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a 25-kDa protein, which is involved in iron trafficking and has chemostatic and bacteriostatic effects. NGAL is also known as an early marker of many inflammatory diseases. ⋯ PSI, P = 0.008). Multivariable analysis revealed that log NGAL was significantly associated with ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio = 10.76, P < 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 5.04, P = 0.004). These results suggest that plasma NGAL level is a useful biomarker for predicting ICU admission and mortality in hospitalized patients with pneumonia.