Suppression of Type I Interferon Signaling in Myeloid Cells by Autoantibodies in Severe COVID-19 Patients.

PURPOSE: Auto-antibodies (auto-abs) to type I interferons (IFNs) have been identified in patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), suggesting that the presence of auto-abs may be a risk factor for disease severity. We therefore investigated the mechanism underlying COVID-19 exacerbation induced by auto-abs to type I IFNs. METHODS: We evaluated plasma from 123 patients with COVID-19 to measure auto-abs to type I IFNs. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the patients with auto-abs and conducted epitope mapping of the auto-abs. RESULTS: Three of 19 severe and 4 of 42 critical COVID-19 patients had neutralizing auto-abs to type I IFNs. Patients with auto-abs to type I IFNs showed no characteristic clinical features. scRNA-seq from 38 patients with COVID-19 revealed that IFN signaling in conventional dendritic cells and canonical monocytes was attenuated, and SARS-CoV-2-specific BCR repertoires were decreased in patients with auto-abs. Furthermore, auto-abs to IFN-α2 from COVID-19 patients with auto-abs recognized characteristic epitopes of IFN-α2, which binds to the receptor. CONCLUSION: Auto-abs to type I IFN found in COVID-19 patients inhibited IFN signaling in dendritic cells and monocytes by blocking the binding of type I IFN to its receptor. The failure to properly induce production of an antibody to SARS-CoV-2 may be a causative factor of COVID-19 severity.

Effectiveness of self-sampling human papillomavirus test on precancer detection and screening uptake in Japan: The ACCESS randomized controlled trial.

Japan is lagging in cervical cancer prevention. The effectiveness of a self-sampling human papillomavirus (HPV) test, a possible measure to overcome this situation, has not yet been evaluated. A randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-sampling HPV test on detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) and screening uptake. Women between 30 and 58 years old who did not participate in the cervical cancer screening program for ≥3 years were eligible and assigned to the intervention group (cytology or self-sampling HPV test) or control group (cytology). Participants assigned to the intervention group were sent a self-sampling kit according to their ordering (opt-in strategy). A total of 7337 and 7772 women were assigned to the intervention and control groups, respectively. Screening uptake in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group (20.0% vs. 6.4%; risk ratio: 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.82, 3.42). The compliance rate with cytology triage for HPV-positive women was 46.8% (95% CI: 35.5%, 58.4%). CIN2+ was detected in five and four participants in the intervention and control groups, respectively; there was no difference for intention-to-screen analysis (risk ratio: 1.32; 95% CI: 0.36, 4.93). Self-sampling of HPV test increased screening uptake; however, no difference was observed in the detection of CIN2+, probably due to the low compliance rate for cytology triage in HPV-positive women. Efforts to increase cytology triage are essential to maximize precancer detections.

Different Development Strategies Affecting Japan's Drug lag between Japan-Based and Foreign-Based Companies.

We examined the development strategies of new molecular entities approved during a 10-year period (fiscal years of 2012-2021) in Japan to determine the differences in drug lag between Japan and foreign companies. The results demonstrated a clear difference in development strategies. For example, products were usually developed through a "only-Japan" strategy by Japan companies (51.1% of products), compared to a "MRCT (multi-regional clinical trials)" strategy by foreign companies (54.9% of products). Regarding types of licenses, for Japan companies, the percentage of original products was higher in the category of less drug lag, such as "no approval in the US and EU" (59.1%), whereas the percentage of "license-in" products was markedly higher in the "drug lag ≥ 5 years" category (52.5%). Such differences were not observed for products developed by foreign companies. Of 64 license-in products developed by Japan companies with a drug lag > 5 years, 51 (79.7%) had already been approved in the US or EU at initiation of clinical development in Japan. The origin of approximately half (34) of the products was from the emerging companies (non-member foreign companies of the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacture Association). These results suggest that more global cooperation of Japan companies, particularly with emerging foreign companies, is necessary in terms of the earlier timing of license-in and development strategies of products to promote drug development without drug lag or drug loss in Japan.

Efficacy and safety of a novel pain management device, AT-04, for endometriosis-related pain: study protocol for a phase III randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis-related pain encompassing dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain, reduces the quality of life in premenopausal women. Although treatment options for endometriosis alleviate this pain, approximately one-third of women still experience pain even after receiving treatment, indicating the need for novel approaches to pain relief in those women. The Angel Touch device (AT-04) is a portable magnetic fields irradiation device that incorporates a combination of mixed alternative magnetic fields at 2 kHz and 83.3 MHz. A phase III trial confirmed the efficacy and safety of AT-02, a prototype of AT-04, for pain relief in patients with fibromyalgia. METHODS: This is a phase III, multicenter, prospective, randomized, sham device-controlled, double-blind, parallel study. The participants will be premenopausal women aged > 18 years who have endometriosis-related pain with at least moderate severity. Considering dropouts, 50 participants have been deemed appropriate. Eligible women will be centrally registered, and the data center will randomly allocate them in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention and control groups. Women in the intervention group will receive electromagnetic wave irradiation generated by AT-04 and those who in the control group will wear a sham device for 16 weeks, and both groups will wear AT-04 for another 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure is the change in the Numeric Rating Scale score at 16 weeks compared with the baseline. Secondary outcome measures are efficacy for pelvic pain including dysmenorrhea and non-menstrual pain, and chronic pelvic pain not related to menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia, and improvement of quality of life during the study period. Safety will be evaluated by device defects and the frequency of adverse events. The study protocol has been approved by the Clinical Study Review Board of Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan, and will be conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the Japanese Clinical Trials Act and relevant notifications. DISCUSSION: This study aims to develop a novel method of managing endometriosis-related pain. The AT-04 is an ultralow-invasive device that can be used without inhibiting ovulation, suggesting potential benefits to women of reproductive-age. Trial registration number Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs032230278).

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that negatively impacts reproductive health via endometriosis-related pain, infertility, and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer. Although current therapeutic options for endometriosis are effective for the endometriosis-related pain, approximately one-third of women still experience pain even after receiving treatment, indicating the need for novel approaches to pain relief in those women. This is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of a novel portable pain management device, AT-04, that incorporates a combination of mixed alternating magnetic fields, for endometriosis-related pain. This is a multicenter, prospective, sham device-controlled, double-blind, parallel study. Enrolled women will have undergone standard hormonal treatment for endometriosis at baseline, and this allows for assessing whether the device remains effective when used in conjunction with existing treatment methods. The study also will explore the impact of AT-04 on reducing the size of ovarian endometriotic cysts that reflect the activity of endometriosis. The study reflects the strong desire by physicians to liberate women from the unbearable pain associated with endometriosis. The sole efficacy of AT-04 in treating endometriosis-related pain is difficult to evaluate as there is a possibility that menstrual cycles may influence the assessment of pain and quality of life. However, the study findings regarding the effectiveness of AT-04 for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain may benefit women with endometriosis who have pain that is not effectively relieved by other treatments. Consequently, it may contribute to the improvement of reproductive health within society.

Reduced-dose versus high-dose glucocorticoids added to rituximab on remission induction in ANCA-associated vasculitis: predefined 2-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: The LoVAS trial reported non-inferiority in remission induction rates between the reduced-dose and conventional high-dose glucocorticoid regimens plus rituximab for antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis at 6 months; however, maintenance glucocorticoid requirements and long-term outcomes are unknown. METHODS: A total of 140 patients with new-onset ANCA-associated vasculitis without severe glomerulonephritis or alveolar haemorrhage were randomised to receive reduced-dose prednisolone (0.5 mg/kg/day) plus rituximab (375 mg/m2/week×4) or high-dose prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) plus rituximab. After achieving remission, patients received the rituximab maintenance therapy (1 g/6 months). RESULTS: A total of 134 patients were analysed. Among patients who achieved remission with the protocolised treatments, the majority of patients in the reduced-dose group (89.7%) and 15.5% in the high-dose group discontinued prednisolone (median time to withdrawal, 150 and 375 days, respectively). During 24-month trial period, two patients in the reduced-dose group (2.8%) died, while five patients in the high-dose group (7.6%) died (p=0.225). Relapse occurred in nine patients in the reduced-dose group (13.0%) (two major and seven minor) and five in the high-dose group (7.6%) (two major and three minor) (p=0.311). Serious adverse events (SAEs) were less frequent in the reduced-dose group (36 events in 19 patients, 27.5%) than in the high-dose group (54 events in 30 patients, 46.2%) (p=0.025). CONCLUSION: At 24 months, frequencies of relapse did not differ between the groups, and SAEs were less frequent in the reduced-dose group due to the lower event rate in the 6-month induction phase. The bias to myeloperoxidase-ANCA positivity (85.8%) in the trial population should be noted. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02198248.

Efficacy and safety of transdermal electrical stimulation in patients with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: No effective treatment for NAION with strong evidence has been established till date. The aim of this investigator-led, prospective, non-randomized, open-label, uncontrolled multi-center exploratory clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transdermal electrical stimulation (TdES) using skin electrodes in patients with NAION. METHODS: Five patients with monocular NAION underwent TdES (10-ms biphasic pulses, 1.0 mA, 20 Hz, 30 min) of the affected eye six times at 2-week intervals. The primary endpoint was the logarithm of the mini-mum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity at 12 weeks compared with 0 weeks. The secondary endpoints were changes in the best-corrected logMAR visual acuity, Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity, and mean deviation (MD) of the Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) 10-2 and HFA Esterman test scores. Additionally, the safety of TdES was evaluated. RESULTS: LogMAR visual acuity improved by ≥ 0.1 in two eyes, and ETDRS visual acu-ity improved by ≥ 5 characters in one eye. The mean change in logMAR visual acuity from week 0 showed an increasing trend. The mean MD of HFA 10-2 showed no obvious change, while HFA Esterman score improved in four eyes. All patients completed the study according to the protocol, and no treatment-related adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: TdES treatment may have improved visual acuity and visual field in some patients. Further sham-controlled study in larger cohort is needed on its effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN, UMIN000036220. Registered 15 March, 2019, https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000041261 .

Randomised controlled trial on the effect of video-conference cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with schizophrenia: a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing positive symptoms, improving depression, enhancing coping skills and increasing awareness of illness. However, compared with cognitive behavioural therapy for depression and anxiety, the spread of CBTp in clinical practice is minimal. The present study designed a randomised controlled trial (RCT) research protocol to evaluate whether real-time remote video-conference CBTp (vCBTp) could facilitate access to psychosocial interventions and effectively improve symptoms compared with usual care (UC) for patients with schizophrenia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This exploratory RCT will consist of two parallel groups (vCBTp+UC and UC alone) of 12 participants (n=24) diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or paranoid disorder, who remain symptomatic following pharmacotherapy. Seven 50-min weekly vCBTp interventions will be administered to test efficacy. The primary outcome will be the positive and negative syndrome scale score at week 8. The secondary outcome will be the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale to assess insight, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess depression, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 to assess anxiety, the 5-level EuroQol 5-dimensional questionnaire to assess quality of life and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised to assess subjective distress about a specific stressful life event. We will take all measurements at 0 weeks (baseline) and at 8 weeks (post-intervention), and apply intention-to-treat analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: We will conduct this study in the outpatient department of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center at Chiba University Hospital. Further, all participants will be informed of the study and will be asked to sign consent forms. We will report according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000043396.

A Phase Ib Study of Durvalumab (MEDI4736) in Combination with Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy and Weekly Cisplatin for Patients with Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer (DECISION Study): The Early Safety and Efficacy Results.

We conducted a phase Ib study to examine the safety of a combination of carbon-ion RT (CIRT) with durvalumab (MEDI4736; AstraZeneca) in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. This was an open-label, single-arm study with a modified 3 + 3 design. Patients with newly diagnosed histologically proven locally advanced cervical cancer were enrolled. All patients received 74.4 Gy of CIRT in 20 fractions and concurrent weekly cisplatin (chemo-CIRT) at a dose of 40 mg/m2. Durvalumab was administered (1500 mg/body) at weeks two and six. The primary endpoint was the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs), including dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). All three enrolled patients completed the treatment without interruption. One patient developed hypothyroidism after treatment and was determined to be an SAE. No other SAEs were observed. The patient recovered after levothyroxine sodium hydrate treatment. None of the AEs, including hypothyroidism, were associated with DLT in the present study. All three patients achieved complete responses within the CIRT region concerning treatment efficacy. This phase 1b trial demonstrates the safety of combining chemo-CIRT and durvalumab for locally advanced cervical cancer in the early phase. Further research is required as only three patients were included in this study.

Acceptability of self-sampling human papillomavirus test for cervical cancer screening in Japan: A questionnaire survey in the ACCESS trial.

PURPOSE: In terms of medical policy for cervical cancer prevention, Japan lags far behind other industrialized countries. We initiated a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the self-sampling human papillomavirus (HPV) test as a tool to raise screening uptake and detection of pre-cancer. This study was conducted to explore the acceptability and preference of self-sampling using a subset of the data from this trial. METHODS: A pre-invitation letter was sent to eligible women, aged 30-59 years who had not undergone cervical cancer screening for three or more years. After excluding those who declined to participate in this trial, the remaining women were assigned to the self-sampling and control groups. A second invitation letter was sent to the former group, and those wanting to undergo the self-sampling test ordered the kit. A self-sampling HPV kit, consent form, and a self-administered questionnaire were sent to participants who ordered the test. RESULTS: Of the 7,340 participants in the self-sampling group, 1,196 (16.3%) administered the test, and 1,192 (99.7%) answered the questionnaire. Acceptability of the test was favorable; 75.3-81.3% of participants agreed with positive impressions (easy, convenient, and clarity of instruction), and 65.1-77.8% disagreed with negative impressions (painful, uncomfortable, and embarrassing). However, only 21.2% were confident in their sampling procedure. Willingness to undergo screening with a self-collected sample was significantly higher than that with a doctor-collected sample (89.3% vs. 49.1%; p<0.001). Willingness to undergo screening with a doctor-collected sample was inversely associated with age and duration without screening (both p<0.001), but that with a self-collected sample was not associated. CONCLUSIONS: Among women who used the self-sampling HPV test, high acceptability was confirmed, while concerns about self-sampling procedures remained. Screening with a self-collected sample was preferred over a doctor-collected sample and the former might alleviate disparities in screening rates.

A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial To Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Nelfinavir in Patients with Mild COVID-19.

Nelfinavir, an orally administered inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus protease, inhibits the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of nelfinavir in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We included unvaccinated asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic adult patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection within 3 days before enrollment. The patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral nelfinavir (750 mg; thrice daily for 14 days) combined with standard-of-care or standard-of-care alone. The primary endpoint was the time to viral clearance, confirmed using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR by assessors blinded to the assigned treatment. A total of 123 patients (63 in the nelfinavir group and 60 in the control group) were included. The median time to viral clearance was 8.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.0 to 12.0) days in the nelfinavir group and 8.0 (95% CI, 7.0 to 10.0) days in the control group, with no significant difference between the treatment groups (hazard ratio, 0.815; 95% CI, 0.563 to 1.182; P = 0.1870). Adverse events were reported in 47 (74.6%) and 20 (33.3%) patients in the nelfinavir and control groups, respectively. The most common adverse event in the nelfinavir group was diarrhea (49.2%). Nelfinavir did not reduce the time to viral clearance in this setting. Our findings indicate that nelfinavir should not be recommended in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The study is registered with the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT2071200023). IMPORTANCE The anti-HIV drug nelfinavir suppresses the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro. However, its efficacy in patients with COVID-19 has not been studied. We conducted a multicenter, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orally administered nelfinavir in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19. Compared to standard-of-care alone, nelfinavir (750 mg, thrice daily) did not reduce the time to viral clearance, viral load, or the time to resolution of symptoms. More patients had adverse events in the nelfinavir group than in the control group (74.6% [47/63 patients] versus 33.3% [20/60 patients]). Our clinical study provides evidence that nelfinavir, despite its antiviral effects on SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, should not be recommended for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 having no or mild symptoms.

Exploratory clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transdermal electrical stimulation in patients with central retinal artery occlusion.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transdermal electrical stimulation (TdES) using skin electrodes in patients with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). METHODS: Five eyes of five patients with CRAO underwent TdES (10-ms biphasic pulses, 20 Hz, 30 min) six times at 2-week intervals. Only the affected eye was stimulated with 1.0-mA pulses in all patients. The primary endpoint was the best-corrected logMAR visual acuity. The secondary endpoints were changes in the best-corrected logMAR visual acuity, Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity, mean deviation of the Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) 10-2, and HFA Esterman test score. We also evaluated its safety. RESULTS: The logMAR visual acuity at 12 weeks was improved by 0.1 or more in two patients and was maintained in two patients compared to the baseline. No obvious changes in the mean logMAR visual acuity, ETDRS visual acuity, mean deviation, and HFA Esterman score were observed at 12 weeks compared to the baseline. All five enrolled patients completed the study according to the protocol. No treatment-related adverse events were observed during this study. CONCLUSION: In this study, logMAR visual acuity was slightly improved in two patients, confirming the safety of TdES. Since CRAO has no established treatment method, further research into the effects of TdES treatment in CRAO patients may be beneficial.

Incidence of opportunistic infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with different molecular-targeted drugs: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We compared the incidences of four opportunistic infections (OIs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with molecular-targeted drugs from big claims data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 205,906 patients with RA who were prescribed molecular-targeted drugs in 2010-17 from the National Database of Japan and calculated the incidence of four OIs (Pneumocystis pneumonia, tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacterial infection, and herpes zoster). RESULTS: The total number of Pneumocystis pneumonia, tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacterial infection, and herpes zoster patients with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or tofacitinib treatment history in RA was 765, 1158, 834, and 18,336, respectively. The incidence rates of each OI for all biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs were 0.14, 0.14, 0.09, and 2.40 per 100 person-years, respectively, while for tofacitinib they were 0.22, 0.22, 0.07, and 7.00 per 100 person-years. No big difference was observed among biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. All OIs showed higher incidence in those >65 years, but Pneumocystis pneumonia, nontuberculous mycobacterial infection, and herpes zoster showed no difference between those 65-74 years old and those >75 years old. The median of occurrence was the third, seventh, ninth, and thirteenth month after treatment, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We counted real incidence rates of OIs for the whole nation from big claims data.

Seasonal exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis detected by big claims data analysis: A retrospective population study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to determine the seasonal changes in the initiation of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and methotrexate (MTX) using big claims data. METHODS: We counted the monthly number of initial administrations of each bDMARD and MTX in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) between April 2010 and March 2017. Data were collected from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan. This database covers more than 95% of Japanese citizens. Seasonal changes in the number of initiations were determined. Patient claims were also classified according to drugs, districts, gender, and ages. RESULTS: The initiation of bDMARDs and MTX administration varied according to the season in a sine curve shape, with the highest numbers in May to July and the lowest numbers in November to January. The same changing pattern was observed among each bDMARD, district, gender, and age groups particularly when the number was on the higher side. CONCLUSION: We noted an apparent seasonal change in the number of bDMARDs initiated, with a peak during spring, suggesting an exacerbation of RA in the spring in Japan. These changes are overlooked in daily practice and are only visible using big data.

Risk factors for coronary artery abnormalities and resistance to immunoglobulin plus ciclosporin A therapy in severe Kawasaki disease: subanalysis of the KAICA trial, randomized trial for cicrosporin A as the first-line treatment.

Background: To investigate risk factors for coronary arterial abnormalities (CAAs) and resistance to treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus ciclosporin A (CsA) as the first-line treatment, we performed a subanalysis of baseline data of participants in the KAICA trial, a phase 3, randomized study (JMA-ILA00174). Methods: All data of the patients enrolled in the KAICA trial, who had a Gunma score ≥5 at diagnosis and had been randomly assigned to either IVIG (2 g/kg/24 h) plus CsA (5 mg/kg/day for 5 days) (n = 86) or IVIG alone (n = 87), were subjected to this study. CAA was defined by a Z score ≥2.5 observed within 4 weeks after treatment initiation. Baseline data including genotypes of KD susceptibility genes were compared between subgroups of patients for CAA or treatment response for each treatment group. Backword-forward stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Pre-Z-max, defined as the maximum among Z scores on four coronary artery branches before treatment, was higher in patients with CAA in both treatment groups and was associated with CAA in IVIG plus CsA treatment group [odds ratio (OR) = 17.0]. High serum total bilirubin level was relevant to treatment resistance only in the IVIG plus CsA group (OR = 2.34). Conclusions: Coronary artery enlargement before treatment is a major determinant of CAA even in KD patients treated with initial IVIG treatment intensified by addition of CsA. Baseline serum total bilirubin level was a risk factor associated with resistance to IVIG plus CsA.

First-in-human autologous implantation of genetically modified adipocytes expressing LCAT for the treatment of familial LCAT deficiency.

Background: Familial lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency (FLD) is a severe inherited disease without effective treatment. Patients with FLD develop severe low HDL, corneal opacity, hemolytic anemia, and renal injury. Objective: We developed genetically modified adipocytes (GMAC) secreting LCAT (LCAT-GMAC) for ex vivo gene therapy. GMACs were prepared from the patient's adipocytes to express LCAT by retroviral gene transduction to secrete functional enzymes. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LCAT-GMAC implantation in an FLD patient. Methods: Proliferative preadipocytes were obtained from a patient using a ceiling culture and retrovirally transduced with LCAT. After obtaining enough cells by expansion culture of the transduced cells, the resulting LCAT-GMACs were implanted into a patient with FLD. To evaluate the safety and efficacy, we analyzed the outcome of the autologous implantation for 24 weeks of observation and subsequent 240 weeks of the follow-up periods. Results: This first-in-human autologous implantation of LCAT-GMACs was shown to be safe by evaluating adverse events. The LCAT-GMAC implantation increased serum LCAT activity by approximately 50% of the baseline and sustained over three years. Consistent with increased LCAT activity, intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) and free cholesterol levels of the small and very small HDL fractions decreased. We found the hemoglobin/haptoglobin complex in the hemolyzed pre-implantation sera of the patient. After one week of the implantation, the hemoglobin/haptoglobin complex almost disappeared. Immediately after the implantation, the patient's proteinuria decreased temporarily to mild levels and gradually increased to the baseline. At 48 weeks after implantation, the patient's proteinuria deteriorated with the development of mild hypertension. By the treatment with antihypertensives, the patient's blood pressure normalized. With the normalization of blood pressure, the proteinuria rapidly decreased to mild proteinuria levels. Conclusions: LCAT-GMAC implantation in a patient with FLD is shown to be safe and appears to be effective, in part, for treating anemia and proteinuria in FLD.

Detecting time-evolving phenotypic components of adverse reactions against BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine via non-negative tensor factorization.

Symptoms of adverse reactions to vaccines evolve over time, but traditional studies have focused only on the frequency and intensity of symptoms. Here, we attempt to extract the dynamic changes in vaccine adverse reaction symptoms as a small number of interpretable components by using non-negative tensor factorization. We recruited healthcare workers who received two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at Chiba University Hospital and collected information on adverse reactions using a smartphone/web-based platform. We analyzed the adverse-reaction data after each dose obtained for 1,516 participants who received two doses of vaccine. The non-negative tensor factorization revealed four time-evolving components that represent typical temporal patterns of adverse reactions for both doses. These components were differently associated with background factors and post-vaccine antibody titers. These results demonstrate that complex adverse reactions against vaccines can be explained by a limited number of time-evolving components identified by tensor factorization.

Implementation of a self-sampling HPV test for non-responders to cervical cancer screening in Japan: secondary analysis of the ACCESS trial.

A self-sampling human papillomavirus (HPV) test could improve the morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer in Japan. However, its effectiveness and feasibility have not been demonstrated sufficiently. Hence, we launched a randomized controlled trial, which is ongoing, and report the results of a secondary analysis. To ensure autonomous participation with a minimum selection bias, opt-out consent was obtained from women who met the inclusion criteria, and written consent was obtained from those who underwent a self-sampling test. The number of women who met the inclusion criteria was 20,555; 4283 and 1138 opted out before and after the assignment, respectively. Of the 7340 women in the self-sampling arm, 1372 (18.7%) ordered and 1196 (16.3%) underwent the test. Younger women in their 30 s and 40 s tended to undertake the test more frequently than older women in their 50 s (P for trend < 0.001). Invalid HPV test results were rare (1.3%), and neither adverse events nor serious complaints were reported. Despite adopting the opt-out procedure, more women than expected declined to participate, suggesting the need for a waiver of consent or assignment before consent to reduce selection bias. A self-sampling HPV test can be implemented in Japan and would be more accessible to young women, the predominant group affected by cervical cancer.

Elevated Myl9 reflects the Myl9-containing microthrombi in SARS-CoV-2-induced lung exudative vasculitis and predicts COVID-19 severity.

The mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is strongly correlated with pulmonary vascular pathology accompanied by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-triggered immune dysregulation and aberrant activation of platelets. We combined histological analyses using field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses of the lungs from autopsy samples and single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to investigate the pathogenesis of vasculitis and immunothrombosis in COVID-19. We found that SARS-CoV-2 accumulated in the pulmonary vessels, causing exudative vasculitis accompanied by the emergence of thrombospondin-1-expressing noncanonical monocytes and the formation of myosin light chain 9 (Myl9)-containing microthrombi in the lung of COVID-19 patients with fatal disease. The amount of plasma Myl9 in COVID-19 was correlated with the clinical severity, and measuring plasma Myl9 together with other markers allowed us to predict the severity of the disease more accurately. This study provides detailed insight into the pathogenesis of vasculitis and immunothrombosis, which may lead to optimal medical treatment for COVID-19.

LCAT-trial-24 weeks: Protocol for a clinical study to evaluate the safety of regenerative medicine and gene therapy by the autologous transplantation of human lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase gene-transduced human pre-adipocytes.

Backgrounds: Despite the absolute need for life-long treatment of inherited and genetic diseases, there has been little effort to develop such treatments for most of these conditions due to their rarity. Familial lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency is recognized as one such orphan disease. We have been developing an adipocyte-based ex vivo gene therapy/regenerative medicine, a novel methodology that differs from the adeno-associated virus-mediated in vivo gene therapy or ex vivo gene-transduced hematopoietic cell therapy, to treat familial LCAT deficiency. Recently, a first-in-human (FIH) clinical study was conducted under the Act on Securement of Safety of Regenerative Medicine, wherein a patient with familial LCAT deficiency was treated. To obtain approval to put this treatment into practical use, a clinical trial has been designed with reference to the FIH clinical study. Methods: An interventional, open-label, unblinded dose-escalation trial was planned, referring to previous FIH clinical study. The trial aims to evaluate the safety of the investigational product in relation to the characteristics of the investigational product (ex vivo gene/cell therapy product by retroviral vector-mediated LCAT gene transduction) using two doses, and the efficacy of the treatment will be evaluated exploratively. A total of three patients will be enrolled sequentially and followed for 24 weeks after administration. This study is designed as a multicenter trial, with Chiba University Hospital administering and evaluating the safety/efficacy of the investigational products at the prescribed visit. Conclusion: This clinical trial is expected to facilitate the provision of lifelong treatment to many patients with LCAT deficiency. Trial registration number: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT2033200096).