The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2024
Polo-Like Kinase 4 Correlates with Aggressive Tumor Characteristics, Shortened Disease-Free Survival and Overall Survival in Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma who Undergo Surgical Resection.
Polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) involves in tumor progression via regulating centriole duplication. This study aimed to investigate correlations of PLK4 with tumor characteristics and survival in cutaneous melanoma patients undergoing surgical resection. Tumor specimens of 43 patients were retrieved for PLK4 determination by immunohistochemistry (IHC). ⋯ According to forward-step multivariate analysis, neither the score > 0 nor > 3 independently related to worse DFS and OS (all P > 0.050). Further validation via THE HUMAN PROTEIN ATLAS database showed high PLK4 RNA expression associated with shortened OS in melanoma patients (P = 0.001). PLK4 correlates with lymph node metastasis, increased TNM stage, and poor DFS in cutaneous melanoma patients undergoing surgical resection.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Mar 2024
Diagnostic and Predictive Significance of Serum MiR-141-3p in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is the major complication and death-related factor of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This study evaluated the significance of miR-141-3p in ARDS and its complication of PF aiming to identify a potential biomarker for screening ARDS and predicting the occurrence of PF. A total of 137 ARDS patients and 69 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study and the serum samples were collected from all participants. ⋯ Additionally, miR-141-3p could discriminate ARDS patients with PF and without PF, and was closely associated with the decreased total lung capacity, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, and forced vital capacity of ARDS patients with PF. Downregulated miR-141-3p served as a biomarker for ARDS screening disease onset and indicating the severity. Reduced miR-141-3p was also identified as a risk factor for PF in ARDS patients and was associated with the severe progression of PF.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Apr 2024
Case ReportsTreatment of ZC4H2 Variant-Associated Spastic Paraplegia with Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy and Intensive Postoperative Rehabilitation: A Case Report.
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) has been used to treat children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP), and its beneficial effect on quality of life and ambulation has been confirmed in long-term follow-up studies. However, the role of SDR in the treatment of spasticity in patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and related disorders is not well-established. Here, we report the first patient with the ZC4H2 variant who underwent SDR to treat spastic paraplegia. ⋯ The patient underwent inpatient postoperative rehabilitation for 4 months and continued outpatient physiotherapy after discharge. The Gross Motor Function Measure-88 score and maximum walking speed decreased transiently 1 month postoperatively, but gradually recovered, and continuously improved 6 months postoperatively. SDR and postoperative intensive rehabilitation were effective in improving motor and walking functions up to 6 months after surgery, although long-term follow-up is needed to draw conclusions.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Mar 2024
Gender Differences in the Association between Psychological Distress and Sociability among Older Adult Survivors: Cross-Sectional Survey Four Years after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake in Japan.
Mental health deterioration after a disaster is a concern. Individuals' sociability is expected to relate to the risk of this deterioration; however, research focusing on older adults is lacking. We aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological distress and sociability in older adults who survived the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. ⋯ Moreover, having a family member or friend to consult with was associated with a lower risk of psychological distress, regardless of gender. Gender differences were related to different conditions of social participation and types of social relationships. Enhancing community participation and family relationships among women and social contact with friends among men is essential.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Jan 2024
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Incident Reporting and Elucidating the Characteristics of Incident Reports for COVID-19 Patients at the Critical Care Center of a Tertiary-Care Teaching Hospital in Japan.
The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the establishment of new medical care systems worldwide. Medical staff treating COVID-19 patients perform their care duties in highly challenging and psychologically demanding situations, raising concerns about their impact on patient safety. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and characterize incident reports related to COVID-19 patients to clarify the impact of COVID-19 on patient safety. ⋯ In conclusion, COVID-19 patients are more susceptible to adverse incidents and may face a higher risk of patient safety issues. The characteristic topics in incident reports involving COVID-19 patients primarily revolved around ventilator-related issues. In the future, the methodology used in the current study may be utilized to identify incident characteristics and implement appropriate countermeasures in the event of unknown patient safety issues.