Internal medicine
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Objective Oryeongsan (Goreisan), a formula composed of five herbal medicines, has long been used to treat impairments of the regulation of body fluid homeostasis. Goreisan has been revealed to have anti-inflammatory actions and inhibit a water channel, the aquaporin (AQP). We herein report the therapeutic effect of Goreisan on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE in, an animal model of inflammatory demyelinating diseases. ⋯ Furthermore, Goreisan decreased the mRNA level of AQP4 in the spinal cord during EAE. Conclusion Goreisan prevented the disease activity of EAE by inhibiting the migration of pathogenic cells into the CNS by suppressing the AQP4 expression in the CNS. Goreisan may have a therapeutic effect on inflammatory demyelinating diseases.
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Objective Lipoprotein (a), or Lp (a), has been shown to be associated with the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in populations of various ethnicities. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum Lp (a) and CKD in Japanese patients. Methods A total of 6,130 subjects who underwent a serum Lp (a) level assessment for any reason (e.g. any type of surgery requiring prolonged bed rest or risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as hypertension or diabetes) were retrospectively investigated at Kanazawa University Hospital from April 2004 to March 2014. ⋯ A multiple regression analysis showed that Lp (a) was significantly associated with CKD [odds ratio (OR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.17; p = 1.3×10-7, per 10 mg/dL], independent of other classical risk factors, including age, gender, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Under these conditions, Lp (a) was significantly associated with CAD (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06-1.16; p = 1.7×10-6, per 10 mg/dL), independent of other risk factors. Conclusion Serum Lp (a) was associated with CKD, independent of other classical risk factors in a Japanese population.
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Objective There is a paucity of information on whether the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine, derived from HBV genotype C, can prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV genotype D. The aim of this study was to clarify this issue. Methods The subjects consisted of 25 children (8.5±4.1 years old, 7 males, 18 females), born to 17 mothers who were chronically infected with HBV genotype D. ⋯ Anti-HBs were positive in 13 children and negative in 12. Conclusion All children born to mothers infected with genotype D, including 20 who were inoculated with the genotype C-derived vaccine, were negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBc. These results suggest that the genotype C-derived HB vaccine is effective in preventing mother-to-child transmission from mothers infected with HBV genotype D.
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Objective Home care is important in patients with heart failure (HF) in order to maintain their quality of life. A biomarker that can be measured noninvasively is needed to optimize the home care of patients with HF. Urinary angiotensinogen (uAGT) is an indicator of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system activity, which may be augmented in HF. ⋯ The generalized least squares model revealed that the time course changes in uAGT/uCr also correlated with those in NT-proBNP levels between admission and readmission in five patients readmitted for HF. Conclusion The results indicated that the time course changes in uAGT/uCr correlated with those in the NT-proBNP levels in patients with HF who showed a clinical improvement. Further investigation and development of a kit for the rapid measurement of uAGT are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of uAGT as a biomarker in HF.
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Mucormycosis has emerged as the third-most common fungal mycosis and is one of the most fatal molds. We herein report a case study of a 30-year-old woman who was a veterinarian, specializing in livestock, who developed disseminated mucormycosis during induction therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. ⋯ Reports of successful treatments are extremely rare, and our case has had the longest documented remission from disseminated disease. We speculate that our case's occupational environment may represent a risk factor for development of mucormycosis.