Sustained exercise load by young adult females while wearing surgical mask raises core body temperature measured with zero-heat-flux thermometer.

When a pandemic such as that caused by the novel coronavirus disease termed COVID-19 emerges, it is recommended to wear a mask when in public situations, with information regarding the impact on thermoregulation essential, especially during exercise or hard physical labor. The present study investigated changes in core body temperature (CBT) while wearing a surgical mask (SM) during exercise (TCBT) using a non-invasive zero-heat-flux (ZHF) thermometer. Nine young adult females performed ergometer exercise for 30 min at 60 W with (mask group) and without (control) a SM under a non-hot condition, shown by wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) findings. TCBT, mean skin temperature (TMST), heart rate (HR), and humidity in the perioral region of the face (%RH) were determined. Each of those markers showed increased values during exercise, with the increases in TCBT, HR, and %RH, but not TMST, during exercise found to be significantly greater in the mask group. HR reserve (%HRR), derived as load intensity during exercise, was also significantly higher in the mask group. Each subject completed all of the experimental protocols without noting pain or discomfort. These results suggest that wearing a SM while performing mild exercise contributes to increased TCBT associated with increased exercise intensity, expressed as %HRR in a non-heated condition. Furthermore, the ZHF thermometer was shown to be safe and is considered useful for conducting such studies. Additional examinations will be necessary to examine gender and age group differences, as well as the use of different exercise methods and intensity and ambient conditions.

Clinical significance of the highly sensitive fucosylated fraction of α-fetoprotein in patients with chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of the highly sensitive fucosylated fraction of α-fetoprotein (hs-AFP-L3) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and low serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration. METHODS: A total of 241 patients being treated at our institute with CLD and low serum AFP concentration (3-10 ng/mL) were investigated retrospectively. We measured total AFP and the percentage of AFP-L3 using a µTAS Wako i30 device. The possible presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was thoroughly investigated by various examinations carried out from 1 month before to 1 month after measurements. In addition, hs-AFP-L3 elevated and non-elevated groups, divided by the cut-off value based on a receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve, were followed for possible future development of HCC. RESULTS: hs-AFP-L3 was above the detectable range in 60 patients (24.9%). Among those AFP-L3 positive cases, 20 (33.3%) were found to be HCC prevalent, whereas HCC was found in just 16 patients (8.8%) with undetectable hs-AFP-L3 levels. We determined the cut-off value of hs-AFP-L3%, which shows the proportion of AFP L3 in total AFP, to be 5.75%. During the follow-up period, HCC was newly detected in six patients (22.2%) in the hs-AFP-L3% elevated group and in 10 (5.6%) in the non-elevated group. Analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method showed the HCC-free rate of the hs-AFP-L3% elevated group was significantly lower than that of the non-elevated group (P=0.0038). Independent predicting variants were female sex (P=0.0024) and hs-AFP-L3% elevation (P=0.0036). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest hs-AFP-L3 level is a useful tumor marker for HCC in patients with CLD and low serum AFP concentration.

A sub-centimeter HCC with bright loop appearance diagnosed by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

Detection of a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the early stage is critical, as clinical stage influences treatment selection and patient prognosis. Carcinogenetic development of an HCC is a multi-step process, and a differential diagnosis between a dysplastic nodule and a well-differentiated HCC is often difficult. A bright loop appearance is a significant finding that indicates disappearance of fatty deposition in the central area of the nodule during the progression toward HCC, however such a finding is rare in cases of sub-centimeter-sized HCCs. We encountered a case of HCC that developed a bright loop appearance on ultrasound (US) without enlargement approximately 2 years after diagnosis as a dysplastic nodule. Moreover, the hypoechoic area in the center of the nodule showed an HCC pattern in contrast enhanced US with Sonazoid™. Vascularity in the nodule could not be observed on dynamic contrast-enhanced CT or Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. When a change in the intranodular echo pattern is observed in sub-centimeter-sized nodules, examination of intranodular vascularity by contrast-enhanced US is important to evaluate borderline lesions.

Retinol supplements antiviral action of interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C: a prospective pilot study.

Sustained virologic response with peg-interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for 48 weeks is still inadequate. Our study examined whether short-term administration of retinol clinically influences the anti-viral activity of interferon early during interferon and ribavirin combination therapy. The control group received 6 MIU of interferon alpha-2b every day for two weeks and then 3 times a week for 22 weeks intramuscularly plus 600 mg or 800 mg per day of ribavirin orally for 24 weeks. The retinol group, in addition to above treatment, received retinol 30,000 units per day orally for 3 weeks from one week before the start of interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin combination therapy. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negativity rate at 1 week after the end of interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin combination therapy was 46.7% (28/60) for the retinol group and 31.7% (19/60) for the control group, which was significantly higher for the retinol group. The level of serum HCV RNA in the retinol group was significantly lower at 1 week after beginning treatment as compared to the control group (p<0.01). Furthermore, serum 2,5'AS protein at 1 week after beginning treatment was significantly higher in the retinol group (p = 0.0002). The results suggest that retinol supplement increases the antiviral effect of interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin only during the administration of IFN alpha-2b, ribavirin and retinol in patients with chronic hepatitis C.