Internal medicine
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Phase 3 clinical trials have validated the clinical efficacy of some anti-amyloid β (Aβ) antibody therapies, such as lecanemab and donanemab. To date, several clinical trials of anti-Aβ drugs have been conducted. However, most of these methods have been unsuccessful. ⋯ Solanezumab and bapinezumab target Aβ aggregates of monomers alone or from monomers to low molecular weight oligomers. Anti-Aβ antibody therapies with clinical cognitive efficacy are thus characterized by targeting large-molecular-weight Aβ aggregates, such as protofibrils and plaques. In addition, a positive association was observed between the reduction in amyloid deposition and the inhibition of cognitive decline.
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Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the anal canal is a rare, highly malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Despite the standard first-line treatment with etoposide or irinotecan combined with cisplatin, effective second-line therapies are lacking. ⋯ Post-standard therapy, CGP suggested pemigatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor; however, the patient died before receiving it. This case highlights the potential of personalized medicine to improve outcomes in such cases.
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A 47-year-old man who presented with scalp hair loss was transferred to our dialysis facility 3 months after hemodialysis initiation. He noticed systemic hair loss one month after the initiation of dialysis. ⋯ His hair loss was completely ameliorated for the next five months. We speculated that κ-opioid receptor activation by nalfurafine caused blood capillary regression around the hair follicles, leading to cessation of hair growth and subsequent hair fallout.
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A 75-year-old woman visited to our hospital with liver dysfunction. The patient's liver function was normal. She had been treated with tocilizumab for rheumatoid arthritis for two years. ⋯ The cessation of tocilizumab and phlebotomy improved the liver function. We believe that tocilizumab induced iron accumulation. We should be aware of the possibility that tocilizumab induces iron overload in susceptible patients and monitor iron status in patients treated with tocilizumab.
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A 48-year-old woman with a history of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis presented with cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation and was resuscitated by defibrillation. Coronary angiography revealed coronary vasospasm. ⋯ The patient received mepolizumab for bronchial asthma with eosinophilia, which normalized the eosinophil count. Since then, the patient has remained free from coronary vasospasm, suggesting that mepolizumab may be a viable option for treating refractory coronary angina associated with bronchial asthma and eosinophilia.