The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
-
Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · May 2020
COVID-19 Waves: Importance of Accumulative Mortality per Million Inhabitants.
The reported number of new cases underestimates the real spread of COVID-19 pandemic because of non-tested asymptomatic people and limited global access to reliable diagnostic tests. In this context, COVID-19 mortality with confirmed diagnosis becomes an attractive source of information to be included in the analysis of perspectives and proposals. Objective data are required to calculate the capacity of resources provided by health systems. ⋯ The health services struggle to keep the plateau in a steady-state below 100 deaths per million inhabitants. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the alternatives and supplies based on the current and near-future expected demands imposed by the number of deaths by COVID-19. Estimating COVID-19 mortality in various scenarios with the gradual release of social constraints will help predict the magnitude of those arriving waves.
-
Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · May 2020
Association between Adult Height and Risk of Lung Cancer Incidence among Japanese Men: The Miyagi Cohort Study.
It is already known that adult height is a factor associated with an increased risk of colon cancer and postmenopausal breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, premenopausal breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. However, the association between adult height and lung cancer incidence remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between adult height and the risk of lung cancer incidence in the Japanese population. ⋯ Furthermore, the association between adult height and the incidence of lung cancer was found the significant increased risk among ever smokers in men, but not never smokers. We also observed that adult height tend to be associated with an increased risk of small cell lung cancer and squamous cell carcinoma. This prospective cohort study has demonstrated a positive association between adult height and the risk of lung cancer incidence among men, especially those who have ever smoked.
-
Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · May 2020
Case ReportsCholesterol Emboli Co-Existing with Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis in a 76-Year-Old Woman.
Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis injures small vessels and causes severe systemic organ injury. Main target antigens of ANCA are myeloperoxidase and proteinase 3. ANCA strongly associates with the development and progression of the vasculitis. ⋯ Thereafter, the renal function and other symptoms improved and stabilized. The representative symptoms of ANCA-associated vasculitis and cholesterol emboli are closely similar, and it is difficult to distinguish between these diseases when they coexist. Because the background characteristics of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and risk factors of cholesterol emboli overlap, at the time of diagnosing ANCA-associated vasculitis, clinicians should consider the possibility of cholesterol emboli coexistence.
-
Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · May 2020
Observational StudySubcutaneous Tocilizumab Is Effective for Treatment of Elderly-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by systemic articular and bone manifestations and its pathogenesis is driven by a complex network of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor and interleukin (IL)-6. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been standardized by the introduction of a treat-to-target approach. Subcutaneous tocilizumab (TCZ-SC) is a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, and is widely used for refractory RA patients in the clinical settings. ⋯ The cessation cases of adverse events were two in each group. In conclusion, TCZ-SC showed good clinical effectiveness and safety in EORA patients. TCZ-SC is a useful agent for patients with EORA.
-
Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · May 2020
Higher Incidence of Syphilis among Patients with HIV Infection: Population Study using Surveillance Data of Tokyo, Japan.
In Japan, the reported cases of syphilis have been increasing since 2011 especially in large cities such as Tokyo. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of HIV infection for syphilis co-infection on the population of Tokyo, Japan. We analyzed data of syphilis cases obtained from additional surveillance by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2018, including those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as well as data of HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases during 1985-2017. ⋯ The relative risk of HIV infection for syphilis was estimated as 423.29 if asymptomatic syphilis cases were included, and 372.37 if they were excluded. These results showed an extremely high risk of HIV infection. Since many syphilis cases have unknown or unreported HIV infection status, reduction of these cases might contribute to more reliable estimation of HIV infection risk.