A retrospective study on the efficacy of Ninjin'yoeito on fatigue in patients with interstitial pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Fatigue, caused by dyspnea associated with progression of interstitial pneumonia (IP), can negatively affect patients' quality of life (QOL). Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), a Chinese herbal medicine, is prescribed for general symptoms of fatigue and for fatigue associated with various respiratory diseases. However, there is a lack of integrated research on the effects of NYT in patients with IP. Therefore, we retrospectively investigated the efficacy of NYT in patients with IP and fatigue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the IP patients who had taken NYT, 19 who met the following inclusion criteria were included: (1) age of ≥20 years, (2) fatigue, and (3) history of NYT administration. The primary endpoint was fatigue, which was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS). The secondary endpoints were loss of appetite and dyspnea, which were evaluated using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scores, respectively. All items were measured before and after 12 weeks of NYT administration. RESULTS: In the enrolled 19 patients (male, 12; female, 7; mean age, 65.8 ± 12.7 years), the underlying diseases were idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (n = 8), idiopathic pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (n = 5), connective tissue disease-related interstitial pneumonia (n = 2), chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (n = 3), and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (n = 1). The CFS score decreased from 17.1 ± 6.8 before administration to 13.4 ± 5.7 after administration of NYT (p = 0.0389). The SNAQ score did not change markedly. The median mMRC score decreased from 3 to 2, however, the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Many subtypes of IP are progressive, and a cure cannot be expected in cases of irreversible lung fibrosis. Therefore, a multifaceted approach to improve and maintain the QOL is needed in addition to the standard of care. This study showed that NYT can improve fatigue and help maintain the QOL in IP patients.

Usefulness of the Monti-Malone procedure as a reconstruction of the antegrade continence enema procedure: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The antegrade continence enema (ACE) procedure is effective for severe constipation in patients with spina bifida and can improve quality of life (QOL). The Monti-Malone procedure (MM), which is a method of creating an enema tract from the colon, has been reported as an alternative to the ACE procedure when the appendix cannot be used. We report the usefulness of MM as a reconstruction of the antegrade continence enema procedure. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient was a 22-year-old man with congenital spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery was performed immediately after birth, and preventative appendectomy was carried out during VP shunt repair when 4 months old. At 5 years of age, the ACE procedure using a balloon-button gastrostomy tube was performed for intractable chronic constipation. Simple management was expected, but after 17 years of age, he experienced increased stool leakage around the gastrostomy tube and his QOL declined due to difficulty in managing the ACE. Therefore, reconstruction of the ACE procedure by MM was performed. After reconstruction, the ACE performed well without any complications. The patient is currently satisfied because management of the ACE is easier than before, and his QOL has markedly improved without stool leakage and dermatitis. CONCLUSIONS: MM is less likely to cause complications and is useful as a reconstruction of the ACE procedure.

A rare case of neonatal colonic obstruction caused by a solitary intestinal tumor.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal obstruction caused by a tumor is very rare in newborns, and the preoperative diagnosis is difficult. We herein report a rare case of neonatal colonic obstruction due to solitary intestinal myofibroma with characteristic findings on gastrografin enema and the surgical strategy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 4-day-old female infant presented to our neonatal intensive-care unit with abdominal distention and bilious vomiting after feeding. A gastrografin enema showed that the transverse colon near the hepatic flexure was not delineated at the oral side. When pressure was applied, a small amount of contrast material moved into the mouth in the form of threads. Microcolon was not observed, and stenosis of the transverse colon was found 9 cm from the Bauhin valve. Partial resection and end-to-end anastomosis were performed. A pathological examination of the resected specimen suggested gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). After obtaining a second opinion, the histology and immunohistological markers were deemed characteristic of infantile myofibroma. CONCLUSION: If string sign and a napkin ring appearance are found in a case of neonatal intestinal obstruction, surgery should be performed with a tumor in mind. In cases of neonatal intestinal obstruction caused by a tumor, the lesion should be resected with a sufficient surgical margin before the pathological examination.

Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator Is a Therapeutic Target for Overcoming Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatoma Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor approved as a first-line therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. This study examined the sorafenib resistance mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatoma HepG2 cells were exposed to sorafenib, and the biological activity of the conditioned media was analyzed using cell proliferation/apoptosis assays, multiplex immunoassays, ELISA, and western blot analyses. The effect of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) inhibitors or siRNA-mediated gene silencing was examined in culture experiments and a mouse xenograft tumor model. RESULTS: Sorafenib increased uPA secretion, which was abrogated by an Akt inhibitor. The growth-inhibitory effect of sorafenib was significantly enhanced by the uPA inhibitors UK122 and amiloride. Sorafenib-induced apoptosis was increased 2.4-fold in uPA siRNA-transduced cells (p<0.05). Combined therapy with sorafenib and amiloride significantly decreased tumor volumes [mean volume: 759 mm3 (sorafenib) vs. 283 mm3 (sorafenib plus amiloride), p<0.05]. CONCLUSION: uPA may play a critical role in sorafenib resistance.

Fecoflowmetric profiles in postoperative patients with Hirschsprung's disease.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the anorectal function from the viewpoint of fecoflowmetry in postoperative patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HD). METHODS: This study evaluated 23 long-term follow-up patients who had undergone a radical operation for HD. Their mean age was 11 years. The types of HD included rectosigmoid colon type, 18 cases, and entire colon type, 5 cases. An anorectal manometric study was performed before fecoflowmetry. After normal saline solution was administrated as an imitation stool into the rectal cavity under pressure monitoring, the patients defecated on a fecoflowmeter. After discussing the maximum defecation flow (Flow-max), fecoflow pattern (FFP), tolerance rate (TR), anal canal pressure (AP), and Kelly's clinical scores (Kelly-Scores), the significant parameters were identified to elucidate the anorectal activity. RESULTS: (1) A close relationship was observed between the FFP and Kelly-Scores (P = .0027). (2) Flow-max, TR, and AP in patients with good Kelly-Scores were significantly higher than those in patients with fair Kelly-Scores (P < .05). (3) The Flow-max accurately reflected the TR, Kelly-Scores, and AP. Flow-max >45 mL per second, TR >70%, or AP >30 mm Hg was statistically regarded as a borderline level of fecal continence (P < .002). CONCLUSIONS: The Flow-max and FFP are considered to be useful parameters for postoperative patients with HD.

Effects of the herbal medicine Inchinko-to on liver function in postoperative patients with biliary atresia--a pilot study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: A continuation of liver fibrosis after undergoing successful Kasai operation has become the important clinical issue in the long-term follow-up of patients with biliary atresia (BA). The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the herbal medicine Inchinko-to (TJ-135) on the treatment of liver fibrosis in patients with BA without jaundice, especially from the viewpoint of the long-term effects of TJ-135. METHODS: Six postoperative patients with BA ranging between 3 and 13 years of age with normal serum total bilirubin levels (total bilirubin < 1.0 mg/dL [17 micromol/L]) received TJ-135 from 2 to 4 years. The liver enzyme (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [GOT], glutamic pyruvic transaminase [GPT], gamma glutamyl transpeptidase[gamma-GTP]transpeptidase[gamma-GTP] levels and hyaluronic acid (HA) levels were compared before and after the administration of TJ-135. The monthly collected data were averaged on a 1-year basis. The record of one postoperative patient with BA and a normal serum total bilirubin level was incorporated as a control. This patient showed portal hypertension and did not receive TJ-135. RESULTS: Five of the six patients who showed abnormal values for liver enzymes, exhibited a significant decrease in serum GOT, gamma-GTP, or GPT levels after a 1 to 3-year administration of TJ-135, and the improvement in these parameters persisted thereafter. Furthermore, one patient who had an abnormally high value of HA also showed a significant decrease in the serum level of HA. In the remaining patient with normal liver enzyme values, no significant change was observed during the administration of TJ-135. The control patient exhibited a chronological decrease in the serum GOT and GPT levels by 5 years of age, but the serum gamma-GTP and HA levels remained stable throughout the postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term effectiveness of TJ-135 was only found in those patients with abnormal liver enzyme levels and HA, thereby suggesting that TJ-135 has a protective and antifibrotic effect on the liver.