Correction: Electronic Health Record-Nested Reminders for Serum Lithium Level Monitoring in Patients With Mood Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/40595.].

Differences between subclinical attention-deficit/hyperactivity and autistic traits in default mode, salience, and frontoparietal network connectivities in young adult Japanese.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are associated with attentional impairments, with both commonalities and differences in the nature of their attention deficits. This study aimed to investigate the neural correlates of ADHD and ASD traits in healthy individuals, focusing on the functional connectivity (FC) of attention-related large-scale brain networks (LSBNs). The participants were 61 healthy individuals (30 men; age, 21.9 ± 1.9 years). The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) were administered as indicators of ADHD and ASD traits, respectively. Performance in the continuous performance test (CPT) was used as a behavioural measure of sustained attentional function. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed during the resting state (Rest) and auditory oddball task (Odd). Considering the critical role in attention processing, we focused our analyses on the default mode (DMN), frontoparietal (FPN), and salience (SN) networks. Region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analyses (false discovery rate < 0.05) were performed to determine relationships between psychological measures with within-network FC (DMN, FPN, and SN) as well as with between-network FC (DMN-FPN, DMN-SN, and FPN-SN). ASRS scores, but not AQ scores, were correlated with less frequent commission errors and shorter reaction times in the CPT. During Odd, significant positive correlations with ASRS were demonstrated in multiple FCs within DMN, while significant positive correlations with AQ were demonstrated in multiple FCs within FPN. AQs were negatively correlated with FPN-SN FCs. During Rest, AQs were negatively and positively correlated with one FC within the SN and multiple FCs between the DMN and SN, respectively. These findings of the ROI-to-ROI analysis were only partially replicated in a split-half replication analysis, a replication analysis with open-access data sets, and a replication analysis with a structure-based atlas. The better CPT performance by individuals with subclinical ADHD traits suggests positive effects of these traits on sustained attention. Differential associations between LSBN FCs and ASD/ADHD traits corroborate the notion of differences in sustained and selective attention between clinical ADHD and ASD.

Efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety of subcutaneous C1-esterase inhibitor as prophylaxis in Japanese patients with hereditary angioedema: Results of a Phase 3 study.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare and potentially life-threatening genetic disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of angioedema. HAE types I and II result from deficient or dysfunctional C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH). This Phase 3 study assessed the efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), and safety of subcutaneous (SC) C1-INH in Japanese patients with HAE. METHODS: The prospective, open-label, multicenter, single-arm Phase 3 study recruited patients with HAE types I or II to an initial run-in period, followed by a 16-week treatment period where patients received 60 IU/kg C1-INH (SC) twice weekly. The two primary endpoints were the time-normalized number of HAE attacks per month and C1-INH functional activity at Week 16. RESULTS: Nine patients entered the treatment period and completed the study. Treatment with C1-INH (SC) significantly reduced the mean monthly attack rate from 3.7 during the run-in period to 0.3 during treatment (exploratory p value of within-patient comparison = 0.004). After the last dose of C1-INH (SC) at Week 16, the mean trough concentration of C1-INH was 59.8%, and the mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve to the end of the dosing period and to the last sample were 5317.1 and 13,091.5 h•%, respectively. During the study, there were no deaths, serious adverse events, or adverse events leading to study discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: C1-INH (SC) (60 IU/kg twice weekly) was efficacious and well tolerated as a prophylaxis against HAE attacks in Japanese patients with HAE types I or II, which was supported by the increased and maintained C1-INH functional activity. EudraCT Number 2019-003921-99; JapicCTI-205273.

Electronic Health Record-Nested Reminders for Serum Lithium Level Monitoring in Patients With Mood Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines recommend regular serum lithium monitoring every 3 to 6 months. However, in the real world, only a minority of patients receive adequate monitoring. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine whether the use of the electronic health record (EHR)-nested reminder system for serum lithium monitoring can help achieve serum lithium concentrations within the therapeutic range for patients on lithium maintenance therapy. METHODS: We conducted an unblinded, single-center, EHR-nested, parallel-group, superiority randomized controlled trial comparing EHR-nested reminders with usual care in adult patients receiving lithium maintenance therapy for mood disorders. The primary outcome was the achievement of therapeutically appropriate serum lithium levels between 0.4 and 1.0 mEq/L at 18 months after enrollment. The key secondary outcomes are included as follows: the number of serum lithium level monitoring except for the first and final monitoring; exacerbation of the mood disorder during the study period, defined by hospitalization, increase in lithium dose, addition of antipsychotic drugs or mood stabilizers, or addition or increase of antidepressants; adherence defined by the proportion of days covered by lithium carbonate prescription during the study period. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients were enrolled in this study. A total of 56 patients were assigned to the reminder group, and 55 patients were assigned to the usual care group. At the follow-up, 38 (69.1%) patients in the reminder group and 33 (60.0%) patients in the usual care group achieved the primary outcome (odds ratio 2.14, 95% CI 0.82-5.58, P=.12). The median number of serum lithium monitoring was 2 in the reminder group and 0 in the usual care group (rate ratio 3.62; 95% CI 2.47-5.29, P<.001). The exacerbation of mood disorders occurred in 17 (31.5%) patients in the reminder group and in 16 (34.8%) patients in the usual care group (odds ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.42-2.28, P=.95). CONCLUSIONS: We found insufficient evidence for an EHR-nested reminder to increase the achievement of therapeutic serum lithium concentrations. However, the number of monitoring increased with relatively simple and inexpensive intervention. The EHR-based reminders may be useful to improve quality of care for patients on lithium maintenance therapy, and they have potentials to be applied to other problems. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000033633; https://tinyurl.com/5n7wtyav.

A protective role of HTLV-1 gp46-specific neutralizing and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity-inducing antibodies in progression to adult T-cell leukemia (ATL).

Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) establishes a long-term persistent infection in humans and causes malignant T-cell leukemia, adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). HTLV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been suggested to play a major role in the immunosurveillance of HTLV-1-infected T cells. However, it remains unclear whether HTLV-1-specific functional antibodies are also involved in the host defense. To explore the role of antibodies in the course of HTLV-1 infection, we quantitated HTLV-1-specific neutralizing and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)-inducing antibody levels in plasma from asymptomatic carriers (ACs) and ATL patients. The levels of neutralizing antibodies, as determined by a syncytium inhibition assay, were significantly lower in acute and chronic ATL patients than in ACs. The levels of ADCC-inducing activity were tested using an autologous pair of HTLV-1-producing cells and cultured natural killer (NK) cells, which showed that the ADCC-inducing activity of IgG at a concentration of 100 µg/ml was comparable between ACs and acute ATL patients. The anti-gp46 antibody IgG levels, determined by ELISA, correlated with those of the neutralizing and ADCC-inducing antibodies. In contrast, the proviral loads did not correlate with any of these antibody levels. NK cells and a monoclonal anti-gp46 antibody reduced the number of HTLV-1 Tax-expressing cells in cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with aggressive ATL. These results suggest a protective role for HTLV-1 neutralizing and ADCC-inducing antibodies during the course of HTLV-1 infection.

Oral histone deacetylase inhibitor tucidinostat (HBI-8000) in patients with relapsed or refractory adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: Phase IIb results.

This multicenter, prospective phase IIb trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of tucidinostat (HBI-8000) in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) was undertaken in Japan. Eligible patients had R/R ATLL and had failed standard of care treatment with chemotherapy and with mogamulizumab. Twenty-three patients received tucidinostat 40 mg orally twice per week and were included in efficacy and safety analyses. The primary end-point was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by an independent committee. The ORR was 30.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.2, 52.9]. Median progression-free survival was 1.7 months (95% CI, 0.8, 7.4), median duration of response was 9.2 months (95% CI, 2.6, not reached), and median overall survival was 7.9 months (95% CI, 2.3, 18.0). All patients experienced adverse events (AEs), which were predominantly hematologic and gastrointestinal. Incidence of grade 3 or higher AEs was 78.3%; most were laboratory abnormalities (decreases in platelets, neutrophils, white blood cells, and hemoglobin). Tucidinostat was well tolerated with AEs that could be mostly managed with supportive care and dose modifications. Tucidinostat is a meaningful treatment option for R/R ATLL patients; further investigation is warranted.

Elevation of the Plasma Levels of TNF Receptor 2 in Association with Those of CD25, OX40, and IL-10 and HTLV-1 Proviral Load in Acute Adult T-Cell Leukemia.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) cells express TNF receptor type-2 (TNFR2) on their surface and shed its soluble form (sTNFR2). We previously reported that sTNFR2 levels were highly elevated in the plasma of patients with acute ATL. To investigate whether its quantitation would be helpful for the diagnosis or prediction of the onset of acute ATL, we examined the plasma levels of sTNFR2 in a large number of specimens obtained from a cohort of ATL patients and asymptomatic human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carriers (ACs) and compared them to those of other candidate ATL biomarkers (sCD25, sOX40, and IL-10) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and HTLV-1 proviral loads. We observed that sTNFR2 levels were significantly elevated in acute ATL patients compared to ACs and patients with other types of ATL (chronic, smoldering, and lymphoma). Importantly, sTNFR2 levels were significantly correlated with those of sCD25, sOX40, and IL-10, as well as proviral loads. Thus, the present study confirmed that an increase in plasma sTNFR2 levels is a biomarker for the diagnosis of acute ATL. Examination of plasma sTNFR2 alone or in combination with other ATL biomarkers may be helpful for the diagnosis of acute ATL.

Development of a classifier for gambling disorder based on functional connections between brain regions.

AIM: Recently, a machine-learning (ML) technique has been used to create generalizable classifiers for psychiatric disorders based on information of functional connections (FCs) between brain regions at resting state. These classifiers predict diagnostic labels by a weighted linear sum (WLS) of the correlation values of a small number of selected FCs. We aimed to develop a generalizable classifier for gambling disorder (GD) from the information of FCs using the ML technique and examine relationships between WLS and clinical data. METHODS: As a training dataset for ML, data from 71 GD patients and 90 healthy controls (HCs) were obtained from two magnetic resonance imaging sites. We used an ML algorithm consisting of a cascade of an L1-regularized sparse canonical correlation analysis and a sparse logistic regression to create the classifier. The generalizability of the classifier was verified using an external dataset. This external dataset consisted of six GD patients and 14 HCs, and was collected at a different site from the sites of the training dataset. Correlations between WLS and South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and duration of illness were examined. RESULTS: The classifier distinguished between the GD patients and HCs with high accuracy in leave-one-out cross-validation (area under curve (AUC = 0.89)). This performance was confirmed in the external dataset (AUC = 0.81). There was no correlation between WLS, and SOGS and duration of illness in the GD patients. CONCLUSION: We developed a generalizable classifier for GD based on information of functional connections between brain regions at resting state.

Life Habits and Mental Health: Behavioural Addiction, Health Benefits of Daily Habits, and the Reward System.

In this review, the underlying mechanisms of health benefits and the risk of habitual behaviours such as internet use and media multitasking were explored, considering their associations with the reward/motivation system. The review highlights that several routines that are beneficial when undertaken normally may evolve into excessive behaviour and have a negative impact, as represented by "the inverted U-curve model". This is especially critical in the current era, where technology like the internet has become mainstream despite the enormous addictive risk. The understanding of underlying mechanisms of behavioural addiction and optimal level of habitual behaviours for mental health benefits are deepened by shedding light on some findings of neuroimaging studies to have hints to facilitate better management and prevention strategies of addictive problems. With the evolution of the world, and the inevitable use of some technologies that carry the risk of addiction, more effective strategies for preventing and managing addiction are in more demand than before, and the insights of this study are also valuable foundations for future research.

Clinicopathological features of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma with HTLV-1-infected Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg-like cells.

Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells, a hallmark of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL), are occasionally detected in non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a lymphoid neoplasm caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). HRS-like cells associated with ATLL have been described to be of B-cell lineage and infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), not HTLV-1. We herein describe clinicopathological findings in 8 cases (4 males and 4 females; median age, 73 years [range, 55-81 years]) of ATLL with HTLV-1-infected HRS-like cells identified by ultrasensitive RNA in situ hybridization for HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper factor (HBZ-ISH), a specific viral transcript of HTLV-1. All patients showed nodal or mediastinal lesions, and 5 of the 8 patients were at an advanced disease stage. HRS-like cells were positive for CD30, CD15, MUM1, CD25, and HBZ-ISH and negative for B-cell markers, including PAX5, pan-T-cell antigens, and EBV in all cases. Five cases were positive for CD4, and 6 cases were positive for fascin. HBZ was identified in both HRS-like cells and surrounding lymphoid cells in 1 case with an aggressive clinical course and only HRS-like cells in 7 cases, most of whom showed a clinical response regardless of the chemotherapeutic regimen. Even though the definitive lineage typing of the HTLV-1-infected HRS cells is one of the limitations of this study in the absence of single-cell microdissection for polymerase chain reaction analysis, the combination of diffuse HBZ-ISH positivity and negativity for PAX5 and EBV deemed these cases distinct from CHL arising in HTLV-1 carriers.

Genetic profile of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in Okinawa: Association with prognosis, ethnicity, and HTLV-1 strains.

Genetic alterations in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), a T-cell malignancy associated with HTLV-1, and their clinical impacts, especially from the perspective of viral strains, are not fully elucidated. We employed targeted next-generation sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism array for 89 patients with ATLL in Okinawa, the southernmost islands in Japan, where the frequency of HTLV-1 tax subgroup-A (HTLV-1-taxA) is notably higher than that in mainland Japan, where most ATLL cases have HTLV-1-taxB, and compared the results with previously reported genomic landscapes of ATLL in mainland Japan and the USA. Okinawan patients exhibited similar mutation profiles to mainland Japanese patients, with frequent alterations in TCR/NF-ĸB (eg, PRKCB, PLCG1, and CARD11) and T-cell trafficking pathways (CCR4 and CCR7), in contrast with North American patients who exhibited a predominance of epigenome-associated gene mutations. Some mutations, especially GATA3 and RHOA, were detected more frequently in Okinawan patients than in mainland Japanese patients. Compared to HTLV-1-taxB, HTLV-1-taxA was significantly dominant in Okinawan patients with these mutations (GATA3, 34.1% vs 14.6%, P = .044; RHOA, 24.4% vs 6.3%, P = .032), suggesting the contribution of viral strains to these mutation frequencies. From a clinical viewpoint, we identified a significant negative impact of biallelic inactivation of PRDM1 (P = .027) in addition to the previously reported PRKCB mutations, indicating the importance of integrated genetic analysis. This study suggests that heterogeneous genetic abnormalities in ATLL depend on the viral strain as well as on the ethnic background. This warrants the need to develop therapeutic interventions considering regional characteristics.

A new diagnostic algorithm using biopsy specimens in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: combination of RNA in situ hybridization and quantitative PCR for HTLV-1.

Histopathological distinction between adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and other T-cell neoplasms is often challenging. The current gold standard for the accurate diagnosis of ATLL is the Southern blot hybridization (SBH) assay, which detects clonal integration of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) provirus. However, SBH cannot be performed with small biopsy or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples because this assay requires a large amount of DNA without degradation. Here we developed a new diagnostic algorithm for the accurate diagnosis of ATLL using FFPE samples. This method combines two HTLV-1 detection assays, namely, ultrasensitive RNA in situ hybridization using RNAscope for HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ-RNAscope), and quantitative PCR targeting the tax gene (tax-qPCR). We analyzed 119 FFPE tissue specimens (62 ATLL, and 57 non-ATLL, including 41 HTLV-1 carriers) and compared them with the SBH results using the corresponding fresh-frozen samples. As a result, tax-qPCR had a higher ATLL identification rate than HBZ-RNAscope (88% [52/59], and 63% [39/62], respectively). However, HBZ-RNAscope clearly visualized the localization of HTLV-1-infected tumor cells and its identification rate increased to 94% (17/18) when the analysis was limited to samples up to 2 years old, indicating its usefulness in the daily diagnosis. The diagnostic algorithm combining these two assays successfully evaluated 94% (112/119) of samples and distinguished ATLL from non-ATLL cases including HTLV-1 carriers with 100% sensitivity and specificity. This method is expected to replace SBH and increase the accuracy of the diagnosis of ATLL.

Autistic traits are associated with the functional connectivity of between-but not within-attention systems in the general population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit dysfunction in the three attention systems (i.e., alerting, orienting, and executive control) as well as atypical relationships among these systems. Additionally, other studies have reported that individuals with subclinical but high levels of autistic traits show similar attentional tendencies to those observed in ASD. Based on these findings, it was hypothesized that autistic traits would affect the functions and relationships of the three attention systems in a general population. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in 119 healthy adults to investigate relationships between autistic traits and within- and between-system functional connectivity (FC) among the three attention systems. Twenty-six regions of interest that were defined as components of the three attention systems by a previous task-based fMRI study were examined in terms of within- and between-system FC. We assessed autistic traits using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. RESULTS: Correlational analyses revealed that autistic traits were significantly correlated with between-system FC, but not with within-system FC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply that a high autistic trait level, even when subclinical, is associated with the way the three attention systems interact.

Relationship between media multitasking and functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network.

With the development of digital technology, media multitasking behaviour, which is using two or more media simultaneously, has become more commonplace. There are two opposing hypotheses of media multitasking with regard to its impact on attention. One hypothesis claims that media multitasking can strengthen attention control, and the other claims heavy media multitaskers are less able to focus on relevant tasks in the presence of distractors. A total of 103 healthy subjects took part in this study. We measured the Media Multitasking Index (MMI) and subjects performed the continuous performance test. Resting state and oddball task functional MRI were conducted to analyse functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network, and the degree centrality (DC) was calculated using graph theory analysis. We found that the DCs in the dorsal attention network were higher during resting state than during the oddball task. Furthermore, the DCs during the task were positively correlated with the MMI. These results indicated that the DC reduction from resting state to the oddball task in high media multitaskers was attenuated compared with low media multitaskers. This study not only reveals more about the neurophysiology of media multitasking, but could also indicate brain biomarkers of media multitasking behaviour.

Psychological resilience is correlated with dynamic changes in functional connectivity within the default mode network during a cognitive task.

Resilience is a dynamic process that enables organisms to cope with demanding environments. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) studies have demonstrated a negative correlation between resilience and functional connectivities (FCs) within the default mode network (DMN). Considering the on-demand recruitment process of resilience, dynamic changes in FCs during cognitive load increases may reflect essential aspects of resilience. We compared DMN FC changes in resting and task states and their association with resilience. Eighty-nine healthy volunteers completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and an fMRI with an auditory oddball task. The fMRI time series was divided into resting and task periods. We focused on FC changes between the latter half of the resting period and the former half of the task phase (switching), and between the former and latter half of the task phase (sustaining). FCs within the ventral DMN significantly increased during "switching" and decreased during "sustaining". For FCs between the retrosplenial/posterior cingulate and the parahippocampal cortex, increased FC during switching was negatively correlated with CD-RISC scores. In individuals with higher resilience, ventral DMN connectivities were more stable and homeostatic in the face of cognitive demand. The dynamic profile of DMN FCs may represent a novel biomarker of resilience.

[EFFICACY, PHARMACOKINETICS, PHARMACODYNAMICS, AND SAFETY OF INTRAVENOUS C1 INHIBITOR FOR LONG-TERM PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT OF BREAKTHROUGH ATTACKS IN JAPANESE SUBJECTS WITH HEREDITARY ANGIOEDEMA: A PHASE 3 OPEN-LABEL STUDY].

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is associated with recurrent, painful, and potentially lifethreatening attacks characterized by swelling of subcutaneous or submucosal tissues. PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of repeat-use C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) replacement therapy for long-term prophylaxis and treatment of breakthrough attacks in the management of Japanese patients with HAE type I or II. METHODS: An open-label, single-arm, Phase 3 study was conducted in Japanese patients with HAE (NCT02865720). For patients 6 years of age or older, 1000U were administered biweekly (by a healthcare professional or self-administered) via intravenous infusion. RESULTS: In 8 enrolled patients, the mean number of attacks normalized per month was lower during C1-INH treatment than during the 3 months prior (1.826 vs. 3.375). Clinically meaningful mean change from baseline in the angioedema-quality of life (AE-QoL) total score was shown during treatment with C1-INH. Pharmacokinetic data showed markedly higher and enduring post-baseline plasma levels of C1-INH functional activity and C1-INH antigen concentration, starting from 0.5h after first dose of C1-INH and lasting up to 72 hours. C1-INH was well tolerated with no new safety signals identified in this population of Japanese patients with HAE. CONCLUSION: C1-INH was effective for long-term prophylaxis and treatment of breakthrough attacks with favourable safety profile in Japanese patients with HAE.

Proteomic profiling of HTLV-1 carriers and ATL patients reveals sTNFR2 as a novel diagnostic biomarker for acute ATL.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated T-cell malignancy with generally poor prognosis. Although only ∼5% of HTLV-1 carriers progress to ATL, early diagnosis is challenging because of the lack of ATL biomarkers. In this study, we analyzed blood plasma profiles of asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (ACs); untreated ATL patients, including acute, lymphoma, smoldering, and chronic types; and ATL patients in remission. Through SOMAscan, expression levels of 1305 plasma proteins were analyzed in 85 samples (AC, n = 40; ATL, n = 40; remission, n = 5). Using gene set enrichment analysis and gene ontology, overrepresented pathways in ATL vs AC included angiogenesis, inflammation by cytokines and chemokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6)/JAK/STAT3, and notch signaling. In selecting candidate biomarkers, we focused on soluble tumor necrosis factor 2 (sTNFR2) because of its active role in enriched pathways, extreme significance (Welch's t test P < .00001), high discrimination capacity (area under the curve >0.90), and novelty in ATL research. Quantification of sTNFR2 in 102 plasma samples (AC, n = 30; ATL, n = 68; remission, n = 4) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed remarkable elevations in acute ATL, at least 10 times those of AC samples, and return of sTNFR2 to AC state levels after achieving remission. Flow cytometry and immunostaining validated the expression of TNFR2 in ATL cells. No correlation between sIL-2 and sTNFR2 levels in acute ATL was found, suggesting the possibility of sTNFR2 as an independent biomarker. Our findings represent the first extensive blood-based proteomic analysis of ATL, suggesting the potential clinical utility of sTNFR2 in diagnosing acute ATL.

Transplant-related complications are impediments to the success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for adult T cell leukemia patients in non-complete remission.

Outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) are not satisfactory, particularly in patients in non-complete remission at transplantation (Pt-non-CR). We conducted a regional retrospective study in the ATL endemic area of Okinawa, Japan. Of 62 ATL patients, 21 received allo-HSCT in CR and 41 in non-CR. The 3-year overall survival (3yOS) rate and median survival time for the whole cohort was 25.6% and 7.7 months, respectively. The 3yOS of Pt-non-CR was significantly lower than that of patients in CR (Pt-CR) (16.8% vs. 43.6%, P = 0.005). Transplant-related mortality (TRM) was significantly higher in Pt-non-CR than in Pt-CR (46.3% vs. 15.7%, P = 0.025), while there was no significant difference in disease-associated mortality (DAM) between Pt-non-CR and Pt-CR. Multivariable analysis for Pt-non-CR revealed that poor performance status (poor-PS) and higher sIL-2R level (high sIL-2R) adversely affected OS. Poor-PS was associated with higher TRM, but not with higher DAM in Pt-non-CR. High sIL-2R did not affect TRM or DAM in Pt-non-CR. Overall, high TRM rates rather than DAM contribute to the poor outcomes of Pt-non-CR, suggesting that not only disease control but also management of transplant-related complications is required for allo-HSCT in ATL patients.

Martial Arts "Kendo" and the Motivation Network During Attention Processing: An fMRI Study.

Japanese martial arts, Budo, have been reported to improve cognitive function, especially attention. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of the effect of Budo on attention processing has not yet been investigated. Kendo, a type of fencing using bamboo swords, is one of the most popular forms of Budo worldwide. We investigated the difference in functional connectivity (FC) between Kendo players (KPs) and non-KPs (NKPs) during an attention-related auditory oddball paradigm and during rest. The analyses focused on the brain network related to "motivation." Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and task-based fMRI using the oddball paradigm were performed in healthy male volunteers (14 KPs and 11 NKPs). Group differences in FC were tested using CONN-software within the motivation network, which consisted of 22 brain regions defined by a previous response-conflict task-based fMRI study with a reward cue. Daily general physical activities were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). We also investigated the impact of major confounders, namely, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, IPAQ score, body mass index (BMI), and reaction time (RT) in the oddball paradigm. Resting-state fMRI revealed that KPs had a significantly lower FC than NKPs between the right nucleus accumbens and right frontal eye field (FEF) within the motivation network. Conversely, KPs exhibited a significantly higher FC than NKPs between the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the left precentral gyrus (PCG) within the network during the auditory oddball paradigm [statistical thresholds, False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05]. These results remained significant after controlling for major covariates. Our results suggest that attenuated motivation network integrity at rest together with enhanced motivation network integrity during attentional demands might underlie the instantaneous concentration abilities of KPs.

VCAP-AMP-VECP as a preferable induction chemotherapy in transplant-eligible patients with aggressive adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma: a propensity score analysis.

A dose-intensified multi-agent chemotherapy regimen called VCAP-AMP-VECP was investigated in Japan as front-line therapy for patients with adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL). Although a prospective randomized controlled study showed that VCAP-AMP-VECP was superior to CHOP, the trial was rather small and no subsequent studies confirmed the benefit of VCAP-AMP-VECP over CHOP. We conducted a retrospective analysis of transplant-eligible patients with ATL who received only VCAP-AMP-VECP or CHOP, incorporating inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using propensity scoring. Overall, 947 and 513 patients were treated with VCAP-AMP-VECP and CHOP, respectively. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 1006 days. The crude probabilities of 2-year overall survival (OS) for patients in the VCAP-AMP-VECP and CHOP groups were 31.2% and 24.6%, respectively (P < 0.001). Stratified by risk group according to the modified ATL-prognostic index score at diagnosis, the crude probabilities of 2-year OS in the VCAP-AMP-VECP and CHOP groups were 39.8 and 45.0% in the low-risk group (P = 0.69), 32.2 and 21.6% in the intermediate-risk group (P < 0.001), and 17.2 and 6.2% in the high-risk group (P = 0.005). Our current analysis suggests that VCAP-AMP-VECP regimen is a preferable front-line therapy in patients with aggressive ATL in intermediate- and high-risk groups.