Patterns and Incidence of Pneumonitis and Initial Treatment Outcomes with Durvalumab Consolidation Therapy after Radical Chemoradiotherapy for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Durvalumab consolidation after chemoradiotherapy for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become the standard of care. Single-center results were examined for treatment outcomes and patterns of pneumonitis in clinical practice. Patients with stage III NSCLC who underwent chemoradiotherapy at our institution (n = 150) were included. The patients were treated with chemoradiotherapy and durvalumab consolidation (Group D, n = 69) or chemoradiotherapy alone (Group N, n = 81). The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and the incidence of and risk factors for 12-month pneumonitis grade ≥ 2 (G2) were investigated. Two-year OS rates were 71.6% in Group D and 52.7% in Group N (p = 0.052). Two-year PFS rates were 43.0% in Group D and 26.5% in Group N (p = 0.010), although a propensity score matched analysis showed no significant difference. The incidence of 12-month pneumonitis ≥ G2 tended to be higher in Group D than in Group N (41.9% vs. 26.3%, p = 0.080). However, there was no difference in pneumonitis ≥ G3 rates (10.5% vs. 12.6%, p = 0.657). A multivariate analysis showed that the lung volume spared from 5 Gy (VS5) < 1800 cm3 was a risk factor for pneumonitis ≥ G2 in Group D. Durvalumab consolidation showed the potential to prolong PFS without increasing the severity of pneumonitis.

Neuroprotective effects of Si-based hydrogen-producing agent on 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in juvenile mouse model.

Neurotoxins have been extensively investigated, particularly in the field of neuroscience. They induce toxic damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation on neurons, triggering neuronal dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we demonstrate the neuroprotective effect of a silicon (Si)-based hydrogen-producing agent (Si-based agent) in a juvenile neurotoxic mouse model induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The Si-based agent produces hydrogen in bowels and functions as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. However, the effects of the Si-based agent on neural degeneration in areas other than the lesion and behavioral alterations caused by it are largely unknown. Moreover, the neuroprotective effects of Si-based agent in the context of lactation and use during infancy have not been explored in prior studies. In this study, we show the neuroprotective effect of the Si-based agent on 6-OHDA during lactation period and infancy using the mouse model. The Si-based agent safeguards against the degradation and neuronal cell death of dopaminergic neurons and loss of dopaminergic fibers in the striatum (STR) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) caused by 6-OHDA. Furthermore, the Si-based agent exhibits a neuroprotective effect on the length of axon initial segment (AIS) in the layer 2/3 (L2/3) neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). As a result, the Si-based agent mitigates hyperactive behavior in a juvenile neurotoxic mouse model induced by 6-OHDA. These results suggest that the Si-based agent serves as an effective neuroprotectant and antioxidant against neurotoxic effects in the brain, offering the possibility of the Si-based agent as a neuroprotectant for nervous system diseases.

Multiple lung abscesses and cold agglutinin syndrome following coronavirus disease 2019: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Cold agglutination syndrome is a subtype of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The condition is referred to as "cold" because the antibodies become active and induce hemolysis at cold temperatures, typically 3-4 °C, which is not always the case in other kinds of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Whereas primary cold agglutination syndrome may occur in the absence of underlying conditions, secondary cold agglutination syndrome is associated with the presence of underlying infections, including coronavirus disease 2019. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 69-year-old Japanese woman with periodontitis who was referred to our hospital with complaints of brown-colored urine and chest pain. Her hemoglobin level was 6.1 g/dL. Computed tomography revealed multiple lung abscesses. Her direct antibody test results were positive (2+) for anti-complement direct antiglobulin and negative for immunoglobulin G, and her cold agglutinin titer was elevated at 1:4096. Workup for anemia revealed a positive result for cold agglutination syndrome. The patient had received the fourth dose of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination. Nasopharyngeal swab test for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 using a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction gave a cycle threshold value of 42.3, and the level of virus-specific immunoglobulin G was elevated at 7.71 S/C (normal range -1.4 S/C). CONCLUSION: A decrease in hemoglobin in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 may be associated with secondary cold agglutination syndrome. The patient was hypothesized to have developed multiple lung abscesses with secondary cold agglutination syndrome following coronavirus disease 2019. Thus, following coronavirus disease 2019, patients can develop secondary cold agglutination syndrome, which could worsen owing to associated bloodstream bacterial infections.