Influence of an educational videotape on attitudes toward participating in cohort studies--results of a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine whether an educational videotape might change peoples' attitudes toward participating in future cohort studies by a prospective randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The participants were recruited from the residents of Kamogawa-city (139 at a health promotion festival, 54 from a nursery care study class, 53 from an elderly class, and 9 individuals who had not attended a health checkup for more than 10 years). All participants were randomized into a control group and an intervention group, and were asked to fill out a questionnaire designed to evaluate attitudes toward participating in future cohort studies. Those in the intervention group, however, were also asked to watch a videotape, produced by the authors to explain the objectives, significance, and security policies of a cohort study planned to be conducted in the same city, before completing the questionnaire. RESULTS: In the intervention group, 44% (54/123) showed a positive attitude to future participation, while the figure was only 25% (31/122) in the control group (Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel chi2: P=0.0025). CONCLUSION: The videotape proved to be a useful tool for informing the general public about the nature of cohort studies and to increasing probable participation.     

Camostat, an oral trypsin inhibitor, reduces pancreatic fibrosis induced by repeated administration of a superoxide dismutase inhibitor in rats

BACKGROUND AND AIM: An oral trypsin inhibitor, camostat (CM), has a beneficial effect on chronic pancreatitis, but its mechanism is not yet fully understood. Recently, pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) have been reported to play an essential role in pancreatic fibrosis. An experimental model of pancreatic fibrosis induced by a superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitor (diethyldithiocarbamate [DDC]) was developed in rats. Thus, the effect of an oral trypsin inhibitor on pancreatic fibrosis and PSC was investigated. METHODS: Pancreatic fibrosis was induced in rats using DDC (DDC rats). DDC + CM rats were administered DDC, and subsequently were fed a diet containing CM. Immunohistochemistry of the pancreas was performed with monoclonal anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) antibody and anti-desmin antibody. RESULTS: The DDC rats showed a significant increase in alpha-SMA-positive cells or desmin-positive cells compared with control rats. These significant increases in the fibrotic area improved after treatment with CM. The level of prolyl hydroxylase in the pancreas, which significantly increased as a result of DDC, decreased after treatment with CM. CONCLUSION: Camostat has a beneficial effect on pancreatic fibrosis induced by the administration of a SOD inhibitor, which inhibits the proliferation and activation of PSC.     

Outpatient chemotherapy and clinical pathway for non-small cell lung cancer]

We investigated the usefulness of outpatient chemotherapy in 54 cases of non-small cell lung cancer in which outpatient chemotherapy was performed between August 1999 and October 2001. This chemotherapy accounted for 67% of all chemotherapy. Assessment of therapeutic effect revealed a PR in 14 of the 54 cases, and the efficacy rate was 26%. Therapeutic effect according to chemotherapy regimen revealed the highest efficacy rate, 50%, for paclitaxel + CBDCA. The median survival time was 14.7 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 61.1%. On the basis of the above results, a 16-day inpatient clinical pathway using weekly paclitaxel + CBDCA was devised for non-small cell lung cancer. The aim was to shorten the number of inpatient days, standardize treatment, and introduce outpatient chemotherapy. The clinical pathway was introduced in 8 patients with recurrent non-small cell lung cancer between August and October 2002. Variance was found only in one patient whose hospital discharge had to be postponed by two days because of a Grade 3 side effect. Introduction of a clinical pathway with weekly paclitaxel + CBDCA successfully reduced the inpatient days to an average of 16.3 days.     

Clarithromycin suppresses IL-13-induced goblet cell metaplasia via the TMEM16A-dependent pathway in guinea pig airway epithelial cells

Background

Transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) is associated with mucus secretion and ion transport in asthma. Clarithromycin (CAM) is reported to inhibit IL-13-induced goblet cell metaplasia. However, the effect of CAM on TMEM16A function and expression remains unclear.

Cone-beam computed tomography-derived adaptive radiotherapy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-derived adaptive radiotherapy. We evaluate planning computed tomography (pCT) and CBCT in 50 patients who had undergone image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with CBCT. Irradiated sites included head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis; there were 10 patients in each group. Treatment plans including 153 beam data were recalculated based on CBCT. To compare between pCT and CBCT, we estimated CT values of normal tissues, body contour, effective depth, and monitor units (MU) calculation. The maximum difference in CT values was observed in lung estimation. The 5 mm or more differences in depth were observed in 2 beams of 2 pelvic cases, but CBCT also demonstrated a shift of abdominal wall due to intestinal motility. There were downward trends for the effective depth and MU based on CBCT, especially in lung cases. However, the differences in prescribed dose due to MU calculation were less than 5% because all patients were treated with a multifield irradiation plan. CBCT provides not only precise daily setup but also accurate anatomical information on body contour. In addition, CBCT may be considered as a useful tool for dose calculation.     

Analysis of human cytomegalovirus infection of an autopsy case of dermatomyositis with rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia: the possible correlation between the viral genome and its related protein on the pathogenesis]

We describe a case of a 61-year-old woman with amyopathic dermatomyositis (ADM), who developed rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia and died of respiratory failure. An autopsy revealed interstitial pneumonia with diffuse alveolar damage, associated with infiltration of T cells, mostly positive for CD 8. The alveolar lining epithelial cells manifested the remarkable expression of immediate early/early antigen of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Moreover, the extract of the lung was transmittable of HCMV infection to cultured human embryo-fibroblasts in vitro. On the other hand, in the semi-quantitative analysis of HCMV genome, using laser-assisted microdissection, followed by PCR method, the genomic DNA in the alveolar lining epithelial cells was little detected in this case, although it was remarkable in the case of immunodeficiency with cytomegalovirus pneumonia. This case may be important to know the role of the immune response of host to HCMV infection on the development of rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia.     

Systemic Abscopal Effect of Low-dose Radiotherapy (2 Gy ×2) against Palatine Tonsil Follicular Lymphoma

A 52-year-old man presented with palatine tonsillar swelling caused by follicular lymphoma. His tumor burden was low, but exacerbation of snoring and dysphagia was observed. Considering the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, he received palliative 4-Gy irradiation to the tonsils in 2 fractions, which induced partial regression of tonsillar swellings and eradication of the circulating lymphoma cells. We suggest that low-dose radiotherapy triggered an abscopal effect of lymphoma, which allowed the patient time to receive COVID-19 vaccination before starting immunosuppressive chemo-immunotherapy.     

Anisakiasis Annual Incidence and Causative Species,Japan, 2018–2019

Using data from 2018–2019 health insurance claims, we estimated the average annual incidence of anisakiasis in Japan to be 19,737 cases. Molecular identification of larvae revealed that most (88.4%) patients were infected with the species Anisakis simplex sensu stricto. Further insights into the pathogenesis of various anisakiasis forms are needed.