Remission Factors for Ustekinumab Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of Real-World Data in Japan.

Ustekinumab (UST) is an anti-IL-12/23p40 monoclonal antibody used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of this retrospective, multicenter study was to investigate the effectiveness of UST administration in achieving remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and to determine patient characteristics that influence its effectiveness. Of 88 UC patients who received UST from March 2020 to August 2023, 47 with traceable data and for whom 56 weeks had elapsed since the start of treatment received UST to induce remission. The remission rates at 8 weeks were 66% overall, 73.7% for Bio Naïve (never used biologics/JAK inhibitors), and 60.7% for Bio Failure (used biologics/JAK inhibitors) groups. Remission rates at 56 weeks were 70.2% overall, 73.7% for Bio Naïve, and 67.9% for Bio Failure groups. Ustekinumab showed good mid-to-long-term results in the induction of remission of UC in both Bio Naïve and Bio Failure groups. The group showing remission at 8 weeks had a significantly higher non-relapse or continuation rate (proportion of patients with no worsened symptoms necessitating surgery/drug change) at 56 weeks. Predictive factors for achieving remission after UST in UC were female gender, low body mass index, and low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. Thus, UST is effective for moderate-to-severe UC.

Can a Solitary Juvenile Polyp Be Regarded as a Nonmalignant Polyp?

Juvenile polyps (JPs) are common, developing mostly as solitary, hamartomatous lesions in the colorectum, and principally affect pediatric patients. Solitary JPs are recognized as benign, with a negligible malignant transformation rate. Primary signet ring cell carcinoma is a rare type of colorectal cancer (0.1%-2.6%) that presents mostly at an advanced stage in younger patients and affects the right-sided colon, with extensive lymphatic invasion and peritoneal dissemination, resulting in a poorer prognosis compared with conventional colorectal cancer. We report a rare case of signet ring cell carcinoma in a solitary JP treated with endoscopic mucosal resection.

Solitary schwannoma of the sural nerve: An unusual clinical presentation.

Schwannomas may arise from any peripheral nerve containing Schwann cells. However, sural nerve schwannoma is extremely rare. In this study, a case of solitary schwannoma originating from the sural nerve in a 42-year-old male is presented. Physical examination revealed a 3-cm, elastic-hard, mobile, non-tender mass, while neurovascular examinations, including Tinel's sign, were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an oval-shaped subcutaneous mass with iso-signal intensity relative to skeletal muscle on T1-weighted sequences. T2-weighted spectral presaturation with inversion recovery sequences showed higher signal intensity peripherally and lower signal intensity centrally, representing a target sign. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences demonstrated a marked central enhancement of the mass. The tumor was completely enucleated using an intracapsular technique. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a schwannoma, consisting mainly of Antoni A tissue. The patient had no evidence of local recurrence and no neurological deficit at the final follow-up. Although rare, schwannoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a well-defined, oval, subcutaneous mass in the posterior aspect of the lower leg.

Collagenous fibroma (desmoplastic fibroblastoma) with trisomy 8 as the sole cytogenetic abnormality.

Collagenous fibroma (desmoplastic fibroblastoma) is a benign fibrous soft tissue tumor that usually occurs in the subcutaneous tissue or skeletal muscle of adults. Recent cytogenetic studies have revealed clonal rearrangements of the chromosomal band 11q12. We present a unique case of collagenous fibroma arising in the right shoulder of a 63-year-old female. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a solid soft tissue mass deeply relative to the deltoid muscle, with low-to-intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted sequences and low-to-slightly high signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences. Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted sequences demonstrated heterogenous internal enhancement with rim enhancement. Following an open biopsy, marginal excision of the tumor was performed. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of collagenous fibroma. Cytogenetic analysis displayed a simple karyotypic change with trisomy 8. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient is doing well without local recurrence two months after the surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of collagenous fibroma with trisomy 8 as the sole cytogenetic abnormality.

[Estimation of glomerular filtration rate by inulin clearance: comparison with creatinine clearance].

Inulin clearance (Cin) is widely believed to be the gold standard of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). However, in Japan, Cin has not been officially recognized by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan for clinical use. Creatinine clearance (Ccr) has been used to estimate the renal function of patients, but there have been many studies in which Ccr estimates were GFR falsely high because the metabolism and tubular excretion of creatinine widely varied according to the pathophysiological state of the patient. In the present study, we determined Cin and Ccr simultaneously in 116 adult patients with renal diseases and diabetic mellitus. The clearance study was performed by the modified Wesson's method. The inulin preparation was FFI-1010 (Fuji Yakuhin Co. Ltd.). Inulin in serum and urine was determined by the newly devised enzymatic assay (Toyobo Co. Ltd.), which is specific for inulin. The mean Cin was 35.0 +/- 14.4 ml/min/1.73 m2. The mean Ccr(the enzyme assay) was 63.6 +/- 24.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 and that of the kinetic Jaffe assay was 55.3 +/- 19.3 ml/min/1.73 m2. Mean Ccr/Cin was 1.93 +/- 0.73, 1.69 +/- 0.62, respectively. This ratio was significantly different(p < 0.05) in the degree of reduction of Cin, with values of 2.07 +/- 0.82 (Cin < 40 ml/min/1.73 m2) and 1.64 +/- 0.32(40 < Cin < 80 ml/min/1.73 m2), respectively. Only 8 patients were classified into the same degree of reduced renal function (the Guideline of Japanese Society of Nephrology). The findings of this study suggest that the GFR determined by Ccr could misjudge the renal function of patient and delay the administration of proper treatment of the patient. Introduction of Cin into the clinical field is necessary to avoid this delay.