Internal medicine
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Objective Human microRNA-185 (miR-185) has been reported to act as a regulator of fibrosis and angiogenesis in cancer. However, miR-185 has not been investigated in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We hypothesized that the changes in miR-185 levels in STEMI patients are related to the processes of myocardial healing and remodeling. ⋯ There was a positive correlation between the transforming growth factor-β and miR-185 levels at discharge (ρ=0.242, p=0.026). A high wall motion score index and a low ejection fraction, as measured by echocardiography, and high B-type natriuretic peptide level at one month after STEMI were related to high miR-185 levels. Conclusion Our results showed that elevated miR-185 levels at the late stage of STEMI were related to a large amount of myocardial injury and adverse remodeling.
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Case Reports
Plasma Exchange did not Reduce Viral Load in a Recovered Case of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). There is no specific treatment for SFTS, although several reports have indicated that plasma exchange (PE) can be an effective therapy for severe SFTS. ⋯ While the patient recovered, there was no significant difference in the SFTSV viral load after PE. Our results confirmed that PE itself does not reduce the SFTSV viral load.
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A 94-year-old man was diagnosed with immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV), and losartan was initiated. His renal function rapidly deteriorated over a month; therefore, methylprednisolone was administered intravenously for three days followed by oral prednisolone. ⋯ In this case, we monitored the patient carefully and started glucocorticoids as soon as the patient's renal function deteriorated. We were thus able to treat the patient with a relatively small dose of glucocorticoids in a short treatment period without any adverse events due to glucocorticoids.
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Case Reports
Pneumocystis Pneumonia in a Patient with Ovarian Cancer Receiving Olaparib Therapy: A Case Report.
We herein report a case of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in a 77-year-old woman with ovarian cancer who was receiving olaparib therapy. After the patient's second relapse of ovarian cancer, she was administered olaparib as maintenance therapy following successful completion of docetaxel and carboplatin therapy. ⋯ After treatment with corticosteroids and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole followed by atovaquone, the patient's general condition improved. The lymphocytopenia observed after olaparib administration may have been associated with the development of PCP.
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Patients with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization should be managed in an isolation room with contact precautions. We herein report a patient whose colorectal carriage of VRE was successfully decolonized using concomitant bowel irrigation with polyethylene glycol, probiotics, and oral antimicrobials, linezolid and orally-administered daptomycin, for release from isolation and contact precautions. We therefore would like to suggest a potential strategy for managing patients with VRE colonization.