What is the clinical significance of low serum amylase? Systematic review of the conditions associated with low serum amylase.

Objective: Most studies have assessed the impact of elevated serum amylase levels in clinical practice, but only a few have investigated the significance of low serum amylase. We therefore, aimed to review the literature to understand the conditions associated with low serum amylase and its clinical relevance. Method: This systematic review was performed in accordance with the criteria established in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The search was conducted on Medline and Embase databases until November 2022. After identifying relevant titles, abstracts were read and data of eligible articles retrieved. The conditions associated with low serum amylase were evaluated. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Score. Results: Our search strategy identified 19 studies including a total of 15 097 patients for systematic review. All the studies were observational including two studies which used secretin-induced test. The main conditions associated with low serum amylase were diabetes mellitus (n=9), metabolic syndrome (n=3), chronic pancreatitis (CP) (n=3), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n=2) and obesity (n=1). Low serum amylase showed a high specificity (94%) with low sensitivity (38.7%-59%) in diagnosing chronic pancreatitis. Conclusion: This systematic review revealed a unique insight into the relevance of low serum amylase in clinical practice. Low serum amylase can be a useful adjunct test in the assessment of patients with CP, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

Inducible deletion of microRNA activity in kidney mesenchymal cells exacerbates renal fibrosis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are sequence-specific inhibitors of post-transcriptional gene expression. However, the physiological functions of these non-coding RNAs in renal interstitial mesenchymal cells remain unclear. To conclusively evaluate the role of miRNAs, we generated conditional knockout (cKO) mice with platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß (PDGFR-ß)-specific inactivation of the key miRNA pathway gene Dicer. The cKO mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral ligation, and renal interstitial fibrosis was quantitatively evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining. Compared with control mice, cKO mice had exacerbated interstitial fibrosis exhibited by immunofluorescence staining and mRNA expression of PDGFR-ß. A microarray analysis showed decreased expressions of miR-9-5p, miR-344g-3p, and miR-7074-3p in cKO mice compared with those in control mice, suggesting an association with the increased expression of PDGFR-ß. An analysis of the signaling pathways showed that the major transcriptional changes in cKO mice were related to smooth muscle cell differentiation, regulation of DNA metabolic processes and the actin cytoskeleton, positive regulation of fibroblast proliferation and Ras protein signal transduction, and focal adhesion-PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. Depletion of Dicer in mesenchymal cells may downregulate the signaling pathway related to miR-9-5p, miR-344g-3p, and miR-7074-3p, which can lead to the progression of chronic kidney disease. These findings highlight the possibility for future diagnostic or therapeutic developments for renal fibrosis using miR-9-5p, miR-344g-3p, and miR-7074-3p.

Real-world status of treatment for lymphoid neoplasms developed during the course of myeloproliferative neoplasms in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are at higher risk of developing secondary malignancies. In this study, we focused on patients with MPNs that complicated lymphoid neoplasms. To analyze the real-world status of lymphoid neoplasm treatment in patients with pre-existing MPNs in Japan, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to collect the data on patients who were first diagnosed with either polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia or myelofibrosis and who later were complicated with lymphoid neoplasms defined as malignant lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small cell lymphoma. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with MPNs complicated by lymphoid neoplasms were enrolled (polycythemia vera, n = 8; essential thrombocythemia, n = 14; and primary myelofibrosis, n = 2). Among these, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most frequently observed (n = 13, 54.1%). Twelve (92.3%) of the patients with DLBCL received conventional chemotherapy. Among these 12 patients, regarding cytoreductive therapy for MPNs, 8 patients stopped treatment, one continued treatment, and two received a reduced dose. Consequently, most patients were able to receive conventional chemotherapy for DLBCL with a slightly higher dose of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support than usual without worse outcomes. All 3 patients with multiple myeloma received a standard dose of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that if aggressive lymphoid neoplasms develop during the course of treatment in patients with MPNs, it is acceptable to prioritize chemotherapy for lymphoma.

Moderate-to-Heavy Alcohol Consumption May Cause a Significant Decrease in Serum High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Middle-Aged Women: A Cohort Study of the National Database Study in the Kanto 7 Prefectures-4.

Aims Little is known about the association between habitual alcohol consumption and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in women. We aimed to investigate this association in middle-aged Japanese women in a community-based cohort study using conventional statistical analyses and explainable artificial intelligence (AI) analysis. Methods We retrospectively investigated the association between alcohol consumption and HDL-C after 10 years in 90,053 women aged 40-64 years whose drinking habits were generally consistent for 10 years. Results After 10 years, 11.3% and 17.9% of subjects had serum HDL-C decreased by ≥10 mg/dL and ≥10%, respectively. In unadjusted analysis, moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption may both increase and decrease serum HDL-C levels after 10 years. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, moderate (23-45 g/day) and heavy (≥46 g/day) alcohol consumption were each significantly associated with decreases in HDL-C (OR (95% CI): 1.18 and 1.36 (1.11-1.26 and 1.21-1.53) for ≥10 mg/dL, 1.11 and 1.29 (1.05-1.17 and 1.17-1.43) for ≥10%), but not associated with an increase in HDL-C (0.96 and 0.98 (0.91-1.01 and 0.89-1.08) for ≥10 mg/dL, 0.97 and 0.96 (0.93-1.01 and 0.88-1.05) for ≥10%). Further analysis after adjustment for baseline serum HDL-C showed the same results. AI analysis showed that alcohol consumption was the 8th positive contributor to the decrease in HDL-C, following baseline high HDL-C (≥77 mg/dL), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (≥133 mg/dL), high body mass index (≥23.1 kg/m2), pharmacotherapy for dyslipidemia, high triglycerides (≥70 mg/dL), age 44-64 years, and smoking. Heavy alcohol consumption was a more positive contributor to decreased HDL-C than were other alcohol consumption levels. Conclusions Habitual moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption may cause a significant decrease in serum HDL-C in middle-aged women, which may be modified by concomitant factors.

Clinicopathological evaluation of oral leukoplakia: a single-center study of 676 cases in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical and histopathological characteristics of oral leukoplakia (OL) in the Japanese population and investigate the prevalence and risk factors for epithelial dysplasia (ED) and carcinoma within lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Data, including age, sex, lesion site, and histopathological features, of 676 cases diagnosed with OL over the previous 10 years were analyzed. Dysplasia and carcinoma prevalence were determined. RESULTS: In male patients, the most affected site was the gingiva (42.7%), whereas in females, it was the tongue (47.6%). Moreover, ED was more prevalent in males (41.9%), whereas epithelial hyperplasia was more common in females (44.7%). A significant difference was observed between affected sites with regard to the presence of dysplasia. The ED rates by site were 64.6% and 33.7% for the tongue and gingiva, respectively (P < 0.05). The squamous cell carcinoma rates by site were 23.4%, 5.4%, and 3.4% for the tongue, buccal mucosa, and gingiva, respectively (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed a higher prevalence of dysplasia in males than it did in females and that the risk for both dysplasia and carcinoma was highest in the tongue. CONCLUSIONS: Dysplasia is common in OL cases, often showing carcinoma. Early biopsy and interventions are key in OL management.

Dentigerous cysts suspected the other odontogenic lesions on panoramic radiography and CT.

Dentigerous cysts are known as the second most common type of cyst in the jaws. The cyst is one of the lesions occurred frequently in the posterior body of the mandible and is often related to the unerupted third molar and forms around the crown of the unerupted tooth attaching at the cementoenamel junction. Such characteristic appearances are the diagnostic points differentiating from ameloblastoma or odontogenic keratocyst. However, it would be hard for us to diagnose it as a dentigerous cyst if the lesion does not show its typical appearance. We experienced two cases of dentigerous cysts which did not form around the crown of the unerupted tooth on radiologically. Both cysts were relatively large and resorbed adjacent teeth roots. Therefore, an ameloblastoma or an odontogenic keratocyst was suspected rather than a dentigerous cyst as the imaging diagnosis. The biopsy revealed that the lesion was a "dentigerous cyst" in one of the cases and "developmental cyst with inflammation" in another case. After the excision, the histopathological diagnosis was a dentigerous cyst with inflammation in both cases. This report shows the two cases of dentigerous cysts focusing on panoramic radiography and CT images. Also, we discuss the differential diagnosis by reconsidering those diagnostic points.

Deep learning-based vessel automatic recognition for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy.

BACKGROUND: In laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (RHC) for right-sided colon cancer, accurate recognition of the vascular anatomy is required for appropriate lymph node harvesting and safe operative procedures. We aimed to develop a deep learning model that enables the automatic recognition and visualization of major blood vessels in laparoscopic RHC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-institution retrospective feasibility study. Semantic segmentation of three vessel areas, including the superior mesenteric vein (SMV), ileocolic artery (ICA), and ileocolic vein (ICV), was performed using the developed deep learning model. The Dice coefficient, recall, and precision were utilized as evaluation metrics to quantify the model performance after fivefold cross-validation. The model was further qualitatively appraised by 13 surgeons, based on a grading rubric to assess its potential for clinical application. RESULTS: In total, 2624 images were extracted from 104 laparoscopic colectomy for right-sided colon cancer videos, and the pixels corresponding to the SMV, ICA, and ICV were manually annotated and utilized as training data. SMV recognition was the most accurate, with all three evaluation metrics having values above 0.75, whereas the recognition accuracy of ICA and ICV ranged from 0.53 to 0.57 for the three evaluation metrics. Additionally, all 13 surgeons gave acceptable ratings for the possibility of clinical application in rubric-based quantitative evaluations. CONCLUSION: We developed a DL-based vessel segmentation model capable of achieving feasible identification and visualization of major blood vessels in association with RHC. This model may be used by surgeons to accomplish reliable navigation of vessel visualization.

Agreement in All-in-One Dataset between Diagnosis and Prescribed Medication for Common Cardiometabolic Diseases in the NDB-K7Ps.

The Japanese National Database (NDB), a useful data source for epidemiological studies, contains information on health checkups, disease diagnoses, and medications, which can be used when investigating common cardiometabolic diseases. However, before the initiation of an integrated analysis, we need to combine several pieces of information prepared separately into an all-in-one dataset (AIOD) and confirm the validation of the dataset for the study. In this study, we aimed to confirm the degree of agreement in data entries between diagnoses and prescribed medications and self-reported pharmacotherapy for common cardiometabolic diseases in newly assembled AIODs. The present study included 10,183,619 people who underwent health checkups from April 2018 to March 2019. Over 95% of patients prescribed antihypertensive and antidiabetic medications were diagnosed with each disease. For dyslipidemia, over 95% of patients prescribed medications were diagnosed with at least one of the following: dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, or hyperlipidemia. Similarly, over 95% of patients prescribed medications for hyperuricemia were diagnosed with either hyperuricemia or gout. Additionally, over 90% of patients with self-reported medications for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were diagnosed with each disease, although the proportions differed among age groups. Our study demonstrated high levels of agreement between diagnoses and prescribed medications for common cardiometabolic diseases and self-reported pharmacotherapy in our AIOD.

The chaperone protein GRP78 released from MPN cells increases the expression of lysyl oxidase in a human stromal cell line.

Impaired function of the endoplasmic stress (ER) response causes numerous pathological conditions, including tissue fibrosis. In the present study, we aimed to determine the pathological role of ER stress response systems in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). We found increased expression of the chaperone protein glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78, a central regulator of ER stress, in megakaryocytes from primary myelofibrosis or postessential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis patients. GRP78 was overexpressed in JAK2V617F-harboring cell lines; however, inhibitors of ER stress did not affect the expression levels of GRP78. In contrast, ruxolitinib, a well-known inhibitor of JAK2V617F, clearly blocked GRP78 expression in these cells through downregulation of transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Interestingly, GRP78 was secreted from HEL and SET-2 cells into culture media. Coculture of these cells with HS-5 cells, a human bone marrow stroma-derived cell line, induced enhanced expression of lysyl oxidase (LOX), which mediates cross-linking of collagen fibers and induces tissue fibrosis, in HS-5 cells. An anti-GRP78 neutralizing antibody abrogated LOX elevation; in contrast, recombinant GRP78 protein induced LOX protein expression in HS-5 cells. Our observations suggest that the oncogenic protein JAK2V617F induces overexpression and release of GRP78, which may induce a fibrotic phenotype in surrounding bone marrow stromal cells.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab/cilgavimab for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the Omicron BA.5 wave at a single institution in Japan.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab/cilgavimab was considered a useful strategy to protect immunocompromised patients from COVID-19 based on the phase 3 PROVENT trial conducted between November 2020 and March 2021. However, after late 2021, the dominant substrains of COVID-19 changed to Omicron substrains, which showed resistance to tixagevimab/cilgavimab. Therefore, it is important to re-evaluate the real-world efficacy of tixagevimab/cilgavimab for the prevention of COVID-19 in the Omicron era. To this end, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of tixagevimab/cilgavimab prophylaxis for COVID-19 during the Omicron BA.5 wave in Japan. A total of 240 consecutive patients with hematologic malignancies received tixagevimab/cilgavimab at our institution from October 18, 2022, to January 31, 2023. Among them, the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 at 90 days was 6.4%. A total of 10/14 (71.4%) had mild infection, and 4/14 (28.5%) had severe infection. No patient died due to COVID-19. Adverse events consisted of deep vein thrombosis in 2 patients. Our analysis indicated that pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab/cilgavimab might have clinical effectiveness in reducing the severity of COVID-19 in Japanese HM patients, even in the Omicron BA.5 surge. It also suggested that tixagevimab/cilgavimab may be associated with cardiovascular complications.

NG2-positive pericytes regulate homeostatic maintenance of slow-type skeletal muscle with rapid myonuclear turnover.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle comprises almost 40% of the human body and is essential for movement, structural support and metabolic homeostasis. Size of multinuclear skeletal muscle is stably maintained under steady conditions with the sporadic fusion of newly produced myocytes to compensate for the muscular turnover caused by daily wear and tear. It is becoming clear that microvascular pericytes (PCs) exhibit myogenic activity. However, whether PCs act as myogenic stem cells for the homeostatic maintenance of skeletal muscles during adulthood remains uncertain. METHODS: We utilized PC-fused myofibers using PC-specific lineage tracing mouse (NG2-CreERT/Rosa-tdTomato) to observe whether muscle resident PCs have myogenic potential during daily life. Genetic PC deletion mouse model (NG2-CreERT/DTA) was used to test whether PC differentiates to myofibers for maintenance of muscle structure and function under homeostatic condition. RESULTS: Under steady breeding conditions, tdTomato-expressing PCs were infused into myofibers, and subsequently, PC-derived nuclei were incorporated into myofibers. Especially in type-I slow-type myofibers such as the soleus, tdTomato+ myofibers were already observed 3 days after PC labeling; their ratio reached a peak (approximately 80%) within 1 month and was maintained for more than 1 year. Consistently, the NG2+ PC-specific deletion induced muscular atrophy in a slow-type myofiber-specific manner under steady breeding conditions. The number of myonucleus per volume of each myofiber was constant during observation period. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that the turnover of myonuclei in slow-type myofibers is relatively fast, with PCs acting as myogenic stem cells-the suppliers of new myonuclei under steady conditions-and play a vital role in the homeostatic maintenance of slow-type muscles.

Automatic Surgical Skill Assessment System Based on Concordance of Standardized Surgical Field Development Using Artificial Intelligence.

Importance: Automatic surgical skill assessment with artificial intelligence (AI) is more objective than manual video review-based skill assessment and can reduce human burden. Standardization of surgical field development is an important aspect of this skill assessment. Objective: To develop a deep learning model that can recognize the standardized surgical fields in laparoscopic sigmoid colon resection and to evaluate the feasibility of automatic surgical skill assessment based on the concordance of the standardized surgical field development using the proposed deep learning model. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective diagnostic study used intraoperative videos of laparoscopic colorectal surgery submitted to the Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery between August 2016 and November 2017. Data were analyzed from April 2020 to September 2022. Interventions: Videos of surgery performed by expert surgeons with Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (ESSQS) scores higher than 75 were used to construct a deep learning model able to recognize a standardized surgical field and output its similarity to standardized surgical field development as an AI confidence score (AICS). Other videos were extracted as the validation set. Main Outcomes and Measures: Videos with scores less than or greater than 2 SDs from the mean were defined as the low- and high-score groups, respectively. The correlation between AICS and ESSQS score and the screening performance using AICS for low- and high-score groups were analyzed. Results: The sample included 650 intraoperative videos, 60 of which were used for model construction and 60 for validation. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the AICS and ESSQS score was 0.81. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the screening of the low- and high-score groups were plotted, and the areas under the ROC curve for the low- and high-score group screening were 0.93 and 0.94, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: The AICS from the developed model strongly correlated with the ESSQS score, demonstrating the model's feasibility for use as a method of automatic surgical skill assessment. The findings also suggest the feasibility of the proposed model for creating an automated screening system for surgical skills and its potential application to other types of endoscopic procedures.

Relationship between the thickness of erector spinae muscles and mortality in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle mass is a known predictor of mortality in older patients. However, its relationship with tuberculosis is unclear. Skeletal muscle mass is determined by the cross-sectional area of erector spinae muscle (ESMCSA). Additionally, the erector spinae muscle thickness (ESMT) is an easier measurement than ESMCSA. This study investigated the relationship of ESMT and ESMCSA with mortality in tuberculosis patients. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of 267 older patients (age ≥65 years) who were hospitalized due to tuberculosis at the Fukujuji Hospital from January 2019 to July 2021. This included 40 patients with 60-day mortality (the death group) and 227 patients with 60-day survival (the alive group). Here, we assessed the correlations between ESMCSA and ESMT, and the data were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: ESMT had a strong proportional relationship with ESMCSA (r = 0.991, p < 0.001). ESMCSA (median 670.2 mm2 [interquartile range (IQR): 585.1-760.9] vs. 914.3 mm2 [717.6-1141.6], p < 0.001) and ESMT (median 16.7 mm [15.4-18.6] vs. 21.1 mm [18.0-25.5], p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the patients in the death group than those of patients in the alive group. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model for 60-day mortality showed significantly independent differences in ESMT (hazard ratio [HR] 0.870 [95% confidence interval (Cl): 0.795-0.952], p = 0.003) and ESMCSA (HR 0.998 [95% Cl: 0.996-0.999], p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a strong correlation between ESMCSA and ESMT, which were risk factors for mortality in patients with tuberculosis. Therefore, using ESMT is easier to predict mortality than ESMCSA.

The Effects of Tricalcium-Silicate-Nanoparticle-Containing Cement: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

A tricalcium-silicate-nanoparticle-containing cement (Biodentine) was developed to overcome the disadvantages of existing mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) dental materials. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of Biodentine on the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs) in vitro and the healing of furcal perforations created experimentally in rat molars in vivo, in comparison to MTA. The in vitro studies performed the following assays: pH measurement using a pH meter, the release of calcium ions using a calcium assay kit, cell attachment and morphology using SEM, cell proliferation using a coulter counter, marker expression using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and cell mineralized deposit formation using Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining. In the in vivo studies, MTA and Biodentine were used to fill the rat molar perforations. Rat molars were processed at 7, 14 and 28 days for analysis of inflammatory processes using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemical staining of Runx2 and tartrate-resistant acid phosphate (TRAP) staining. The results demonstrate that the nanoparticle size distribution of Biodentine is critical for osteogenic potential at an earlier stage compared to MTA. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism of action of Biodentine in osteogenic differentiation.

A Case of Vascular Malformation in the Buccal Fat Pad.

Vascular anomalies are categorized as vascular tumors or vascular malformations (VMs) based on the system of classification (updated in 2018) established by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies. In the orofacial region, such anomalies are most likely to occur in the lips or tongue, and only rarely in the buccal fat pad. This report describes a case of a VM in the buccal fat pad. A 47-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a mass lesion in her left cheek. On palpation, an elastic, hard, painless, and mobile mass was found anterior to the left masseter muscle. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography revealed a mass in the left buccal fat pad. The lesion was identified as a benign tumor and surgical excision performed under general anesthesia. Histopathological examination revealed that the lesion was composed of a large number of vascular structures of various sizes covered with endothelial cells. Based on the clinical and histopathological findings, a diagnosis of a venous VM was made. One year has passed since the operation and no recurrence has been observed. Long-term follow-up is planned.

Surgical and Oncological Outcomes of Wedge Resection Versus Segment 4b + 5 Resection for T2 and T3 Gallbladder Cancer: a Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Liver resection is the standard operative procedure for patients with T2 and T3 gallbladder cancers (GBC). However, the optimal extent of hepatectomy remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search and meta-analysis to assess the safety and long-term outcomes of wedge resection (WR) vs. segment 4b + 5 resection (SR) in patients with T2 and T3 GBC. We reviewed surgical outcomes (i.e., postoperative complications and bile leak) and oncological outcomes (i.e., liver metastasis, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS)). RESULTS: The initial search yielded 1178 records. Seven studies reported assessments of the above-mentioned outcomes in 1795 patients. WR had significantly fewer postoperative complications than SR, with an odds ratio of 0.40 (95% confidence interval, 0.26 - 0.60; p < 0.001), although there were no significant differences in bile leak between WR and SR. There were no significant differences in oncological outcomes such as liver metastases, 5-year DFS, and OS. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with both T2 and T3 GBC, WR was superior to SR in terms of surgical outcome and comparable to SR in terms of oncological outcomes. WR that achieves margin-negative resection may be a suitable procedure for patients with both T2 and T3 GBC.

Intraoral Minor Salivary Gland Tumors: A Retrospective, Clinicopathologic, Single-Center Study of 432 Cases in Japan and a Comparison with Epidemiological Data.

BACKGROUND: Intraoral minor salivary gland tumors are relatively rare lesions with histological subtypes not commonly found in major salivary glands. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the clinicopathologic features of intraoral minor salivary gland tumors from the Tokyo Dental College Hospital, Japan, and compare them with findings from other epidemiological studies. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective clinicopathologic evaluation of 432 cases of intraoral minor salivary gland tumors [161 male (37.3%) and 271 female (62.7%) patients; mean age: 52.5 and 48.6 years for males and females, respectively; age at diagnosis: 7-87 (mean: 50.1) years] from the Tokyo Dental College Hospital between 1975 and 2022, including 283 benign tumors (65.5%) and 149 malignant tumors (34.5%). RESULTS: The most common benign tumor was pleomorphic adenoma (n = 239), whereas mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most common malignant tumor (n = 74). The mean age of patients with benign and malignant tumors was 48.4 and 53.2 years, respectively, with patients with malignant tumors being significantly older (P = 0.0042). The mean age of patients with malignant tumors was significantly higher in males (56.7 years) than in females (50.9 years) (P = 0.0376), although the mean age of patients with benign tumors did not differ by sex. Tumors were commonly located in the palate [250 cases (57.9%)]. Benign tumors were more frequent in the palate, upper lip, and buccal mucosa, whereas malignant tumors were more frequent in the palate, floor of the mouth, buccal mucosa, and retromolar area. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the features of intraoral minor salivary gland tumors is useful for diagnosis. Our study provides important epidemiological data (patient differences in age at occurrence, sex, and site of origin) that will inform clinicians and researchers.

Clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis.

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T) is a rare disease, which presents with features of myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts and essential thrombocythemia, as well as anemia and marked thrombocytosis. SF3B1 and JAK2 mutations are often found in patients, and are associated with their specific clinical features. This study was a retrospective analysis of 34 Japanese patients with MDS/MPN-RS-T. Median age at diagnosis was 77 (range, 51-88) years, and patients had anemia (median hemoglobin: 9.0 g/dL) and thrombocytosis (median platelet count: 642 × 109/L). Median overall survival was 70 (95% confidence interval: 68-not applicable) months during the median follow-up period of 26 (range: 0-91) months. A JAK2V617F mutation was detected in 46.2% (n = 12) of analyzed patients (n = 26), while an SF3B1 mutation was detected in 87.5% (n = 7) of analyzed patients (n = 8). Like those with myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative neoplasms, patients often received erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and aspirin to improve anemia and prevent thrombosis. This study, which was the largest to describe the real-world characteristics of Japanese patients with MDS/MPN-RS-T, showed that the patients had similar characteristics to those in western countries.

[Hypokalemia and potassium replacement therapy in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Hypokalemia is common in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) patients and is associated with non-relapse mortality (NRM). Therefore, it is extremely important to replace potassium adequately. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of potassium replacement therapy by retrospectively analyzing the incidence and severity of hypokalemia in 75 patients who received allo-HCT at our institution. 75% of patients developed hypokalemia during the allo-HSCT, and 44% of patients had grade 3-4 levels of hypokalemia. NRM was significantly higher in patients with grade 3-4 hypokalemia than in patients without severe hypokalemia (one-year NRM: 30% vs 7%, p=0.008). Although 75% of the patients required potassium replacement that exceeded the range of potassium chloride solutions package inserts in Japan, we did not experience any adverse events associated with hyperkalemia. Our current observations suggested that the Japanese package insert for potassium solution injection should be revised for potassium needs.