The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 2024
Differences in Clinical Practice and Disease Course between Elderly-Onset and Long-Standing Elderly Ulcerative Colitis: A Single-Center Study in Japan.
The optimal immunosuppressive therapy for elderly patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate clinical practice and prognosis in elderly patients with UC through comparing between those with elderly-onset UC (EOUC) and those with long-standing elderly UC (LEUC). In this retrospective single-center cohort study, we evaluated elderly patients with UC aged ≥ 60 in August 2022 through collecting medical record data from the time of diagnosis of UC until August 2022. ⋯ Cumulative colectomy rates did not differ significantly between the two groups. Patients with EOUC were initiated on systemic steroids and MTDs sooner following disease onset than patients with LEUC. Our findings suggest rapid progression and refractoriness in patients with EOUC.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 2024
Expression Levels of miR-181 Family Members in Oral Biofluids as Biomarkers for Periodontitis Severity.
This study aimed to assess the diagnostic potential of microRNA-181 (miR-181) family members in oral biofluids, namely saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), as biomarkers for periodontitis severity. A cohort of 150 patients with periodontitis, including 82 with mild to moderate and 68 with advanced periodontitis, along with 90 healthy controls, were recruited. Analysis of miR-181 family expression using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed differential expression levels in oral biofluids among the study groups. ⋯ Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated a significant negative correlation between miR-181 family expression in GCF and inflammatory biomarker levels, indicating their potential role in modulating periodontal inflammation. Overall, these findings suggest that miR-181 family members in oral biofluids, particularly saliva, hold promise as diagnostic biomarkers for periodontitis severity. Additionally, their negative correlation with inflammatory biomarkers highlights their potential as modulators of periodontal inflammation, providing valuable insights into the pathogenesis of periodontitis.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 2024
Case ReportsPulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis-Like Pathological Changes Mimicking Lung Adenocarcinoma in Situ.
An enlarging ground-glass nodule (GGN) in the lungs closely resembles the characteristic appearance of a well differentiated lung adenocarcinoma or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS). Herein, we present an unusual case characterized by clinical features suggestive of AIS but pathologically confirmed as exhibiting pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP)-like changes. Patients with enlarging pure GGNs warrant consideration for diagnostic and curative surgery. While a considerable proportion of such cases receives a pathological diagnosis of lung malignancy, it is imperative to consider alternative benign conditions in the differential diagnosis, such as PAP-like changes.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Dec 2024
Expression of Vascular and Tissue Repair Factors in Laryngeal Granulomas.
Voice abuse, chronic cough, laryngeal surgery, and tracheal intubation may lead to injury and subsequent repair/remodeling in the vocal fold mucosa. Periostin is known to be involved in airway remodeling and is also associated with various otolaryngological diseases. D-β-aspartic acid is the major isomer of D-aspartic acid found in tissues of elderly individuals. ⋯ The expression of periostin and D-β-aspartic acid was also observed in the specimens. CD31-positive cells (endothelial cells) and CD34-positive cells (progenitors of endothelial cells) were observed in the specimens. Our results indicate that the overexpression of CD31, CD34, D-β-aspartic acid, and periostin may play a role in the pathogenesis of laryngeal granulation tissue, and we speculate that D-β-aspartic acid and periostin could serve as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for laryngeal granulation tissue.