Relative increase in production ratio of small dense low-density lipoprotein in acute coronary syndrome with high coronary plaque burden: an ex-vivo analysis.

The absolute value of small dense low-density lipoprotein (sd-LDL) including small LDL (s-LDL) and very small LDL (vs-LDL) has been shown to be associated with increased incidence of atherosclerosis. However, the impact of short-timeframe increases in sd-LDL on arteriosclerosis has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the clinical roles of ex-vivo induced sd-LDL in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using a novel method. This is a prospective, single-blind, and observational study that screened patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) for the treatment of ACS or investigation of heart-failure etiology between June 2020 and April 2022 (n = 247). After excluding patients with known diabetes mellitus and advanced renal disease, the patients were further divided into the ACS (n = 34) and control (non-obstructive coronary artery, n = 34) groups. The proportion of sd-LDL (s-LDL + vs-LDL) in total lipoproteins was observed before and after 2-h incubation at 37 ℃ (to approximate physiologic conditions) using 3% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The coronary plaque burden was quantified upon CAG in the ACS group. There were no significant differences between the ACS and control groups in terms of clinical coronary risk factors. The baseline of large, medium, small, and very small LDL were comparable between the two groups. Following a 2-h incubation period, significant increases were observed in the ratios of s-LDL and vs-LDL in both the ACS and control groups (ACS, p = 0.01*; control, p = 0.01*). Notably, the magnitude of increase in sd-LDL was more pronounced in the ACS group compared to the control group, with s-LDL showing a significant difference (p = 0.03*) and vs-LDL showing a tread toward significance (p = 0.08). In addition, in both groups, there was a decrease in IDL and L-LDL, while M-LDL remained unchanged. The plaque burden index and rate of short-timeframe changes in both s-LDL (p = 0.01*) and vs-LDL (p = 0.04*) before and after incubation were significantly correlated in the ACS group. The enhanced production rate of sd-LDL induced under short-term physiologic culture in an ex-vivo model was greater in patients with ACS than in the control group. The increase in sd-LDL is positively correlated with coronary plaque burden. Short-timeframe changes in sd-LDL may serve as markers for the severity of coronary artery disease.

Pharmacogenomic study of gemcitabine efficacy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer: A multicenter, prospective, observational cohort study (GENESECT study).

BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphisms of molecules are known to cause individual differences in the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. However, to date, germline mutations (but not somatic mutations) for anticancer drugs have not been adequately studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between germline polymorphisms of gemcitabine metabolic and transporter genes with carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) response (decrease ≥50% from the pretreatment level at 8 weeks) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who receive gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, observational study enrolled patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who were receiving gemcitabine monotherapy or gemcitabine plus nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel combination chemotherapy. Thirteen polymorphisms that may be involved in gemcitabine responsiveness were genotyped, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association of these genotypes with CA 19-9 response and OS. The significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: In total, 180 patients from 11 hospitals in Japan were registered, and 159 patients whose CA 19-9 response could be assessed were included in the final analysis. Patients who had a CA 19-9 response had significantly longer OS (372 vs. 241 days; p = .007). RRM1 2464A>G and RRM2 175T>G polymorphisms suggested a weak association with CA 19-9 response and OS, but it was not statistically significant. COX-2 -765G>C polymorphism did not significantly correlate with CA 19-9 response but was significantly associated with OS (hazard ratio, 2.031; p = .019). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic polymorphisms from the pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine did not indicate a significant association with efficacy, but COX-2 polymorphisms involved in tumor cell proliferation might affect OS.

Progression of coronary artery calcification after radiation therapy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Advances in cancer treatment have resulted in increased attention toward potential cardiac complications, especially following treatment for esophageal cancer, which is associated with a risk of coronary artery disease. As the heart is directly irradiated during radiotherapy, coronary artery calcification (CAC) may progress in the short term. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients with esophageal cancer that predispose them to coronary artery disease, CAC progression on PET-computed tomography and the associated factors, and the impact of CAC progression on clinical outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively screened 517 consecutive patients who received radiation therapy for esophageal cancer from our institutional cancer treatment database between May 2007 and August 2019. CAC scores were analyzed clinically for 187 patients who remained by exclusion criteria. RESULTS: A significant increase in the Agatston score was observed in all patients (1 year: P  = 0.001*, 2 years: P  < 0.001*). Specifically for patients receiving middle-lower chest irradiation (1 year: P  = 0.001*, 2 years: P  < 0.001*) and those with CAC at baseline (1 year: P  = 0.001*, 2 years: P  < 0.001*), a significant increase in the Agatston score was observed. There was a trend for a difference in all-cause mortality between patients who had irradiation of the middle-lower chest ( P  = 0.053) and those who did not. CONCLUSION: CAC can progress within 2 years after the initiation of radiotherapy to the middle or lower chest for esophageal cancer, particularly in patients with detectable CAC before radiotherapy initiation.

Risk factors indicating immune-related adverse events with combination chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors and platinum agents in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) ushered in a new era for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, they carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Recently, various studies have been conducted on the predictive factors for irAEs, but there are no reports focusing only on ICI plus platinum agents. The present study aimed to identify the risk factors for irAEs due to ICI combined with platinum-based induction immunochemotherapy in NSCLC patients, focusing only on the period of combined therapy and excluding the period of ICI maintenance therapy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 315 NSCLC patients who started ICI combined with platinum-based chemotherapy treatment at 14 hospitals between December 2018 and March 2021. A logistic regression analysis was used to explore the predictive factors. RESULTS: Fifty patients (15.9%) experienced irAEs. A multivariate analysis revealed that squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.021; odds ratio [OR]: 2.30; 95% confidence interval [Cl]: 1.14-4.65), anti-programmed death 1 antibody (anti-PD-1) plus anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 antibody (anti-CTLA-4) regimens (P < 0.01; OR: 22.10; 95% Cl: 5.60-87.20), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte rate (NLR) < 3 (P < 0.01; OR: 2.91; 95% Cl: 1.35-6.27) were independent predictive factors for irAEs occurrence. CONCLUSION: Squamous cell carcinoma, anti-PD-1 plus anti-CTLA-4 regimens, and NLR < 3 may be predictive factors for the occurrence of irAEs due to induction immunochemotherapy in patients with NSCLC. By focusing on the potential risk of irAEs in patients with these factors, irAEs can be appropriately managed from an early stage.

Multi-modal and multi-postural assessment of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome triggered by stroke: A case report.

Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is a rare condition where patients suffer from dyspnea and reduced oxygenation while in the sitting position. A 69-year-old man initially experienced dyspnea and hypoxemia in the sitting position after developing hemiplegia and postural instability secondary to a cerebral hemorrhage, but the symptoms improved in the supine position. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a patent foramen ovale (PFO). In the sitting or semi-Fowler position, increased right-left shunt was observed using Swan-Ganz catheterization and pulmonary perfusion scintigraphy. The PFO closure was performed, which obliterated dyspnea and hypoxemia in the sitting position. In POS associated with PFO, comprehensive pre-operative evaluation using multi-modality tests in different postural settings critically delineates the etiology that guides appropriate treatment strategy. .

An Autopsy Case of Late-onset Fulminant Myocarditis Induced by Nivolumab in Gastric Cancer.

Nivolumab is an immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) that can induce unique treatment-related toxicities, such as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Myocarditis is a serious irAE with an incidence between 0.06% and 1.14%. Although the peak onset of irAE is generally within three months from the start of treatment, we experienced an autopsy case of late-onset fulminant myocarditis caused by nivolumab in Epstein Barr virus-associated gastric cancer. Pathological complete remission of the primary lesion was confirmed by the autopsy. We should consider possible complications of cardiac irAEs, especially fulminant myocarditis, even beyond three months after starting ICI therapy.

Revisiting the Role of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Patients with Heart Failure and Severe Functional Mitral Regurgitation.

Patients with heart failure often have mitral regurgitation, which can generate a vicious cycle. Medical therapy remains the cornerstone of their treatment in this setting. This review revisits the role of medical therapy and its optimization for severe functional mitral regurgitation in the contemporary era.

Helicobacter suis infection is associated with nodular gastritis-like appearance of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Most patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma are infected with Helicobacter pylori, and eradication therapy is the first-line treatment for localized disease with H pylori infection. However, there were several reports showing effectiveness of eradication therapy in even H pylori negative cases. Gastric MALT lymphomas are endoscopically classified into three common types: superficial, ulcerative, and elevated types. For the past 20 years, we have encountered 200 cases of localized gastric MALT lymphoma. Among them, only 4 cases (2%) showed similar macroscopic findings to those of nodular gastritis (gastric MALT lymphoma with nodular gastritis-like appearance; M-NGA). Here, we compared clinicopathological characteristics and prevalence of non-H pylori Helicobacter (NHPH) infection between M-NGA and other common types of gastric MALT lymphoma. To examine the prevalence of NHPH infection, DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy tissues from four cases of M-NGA, 20 cases of common endoscopic types of gastric MALT lymphoma, and 10 cases of nodular gastritis. We used a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction assay to detect the presence of five species of NHPH (Helicobacter suis, H felis, H bizzozeronii, H salomonis, and H heilmannii). H suis infection was detected in 4, 2, and 0 of the 4, 20, and 10 cases of M-NGA, other types of gastric MALT lymphoma, and nodular gastritis, respectively. Other NHPH species were not detected in any cases. Complete response rate by eradication therapy was 4/4 in M-NGA cases. Therefore, nodular gastritis-like MALT lymphoma, which shows a very rare phenotype, is closely associated with NHPH infection, and eradication therapy may be the first-choice treatment.

Acute thrombotic vascular events complicating influenza-associated pneumonia.

A 58-year-old man with previous myocardial infarction presented to our hospital with fever, cough, and dyspnea. PCR testing with nasopharyngeal swabs confirmed influenza virus infection, and enhanced computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiography revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities and consolidation, deep venous thrombosis, acute pulmonary artery embolism, and acute arterial embolism that appeared to originate from thrombus in the left ventricle. Combination of a neuraminidase inhibitor, antibiotics, an anticoagulant, and anti-platelet agent improved these complications; however, amputation of the patient's right foot was required. Because influenza can cause vascular events, physicians should pay attention to this complication in patients with influenza-associated pneumonia.

Nivolumab-induced Myocarditis Successfully Treated with Corticosteroid Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

A 62-year-old man presented to our hospital for the further evaluation and treatment of his back pain, general fatigue, and dyspnea, which had developed 4 days after the 29th administration of nivolumab to treat his lung cancer. Based on his clinical history, elevated serum cardiac enzyme values, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and myocardial biopsy findings, he was diagnosed with myocarditis induced by nivolumab. Corticosteroid therapy improved his condition, and CMR performed on hospital day 11 also showed remarkable improvement. Although nivolumab-induced myocarditis is rare, cardiologists should consider it when encountering patients treated with such a drug for malignant disease.

Stress fracture of the navicular bone in a patient with cerebral palsy: a case report.

A 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia) underwent examination due to a chief complaint of right foot pain, and was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the central one third of the navicular bone. The fracture was considered to have developed due to repeated loading on the navicular bone as a result of an equinus gait.Therefore, she underwent osteosynthesis and Achilles tendon lengthening to correct the equinus deformity. Following our review of the current literature, we did not identify any reports of stress fracture of the navicular bone in cerebral palsy. We believe that in cases where cerebral palsy patients with paralytic equinus complain of foot pain, the possibility of stress fracture of the navicular bone should be considered.

Risk factors for the occurrence of spina bifida (a case-control study) and the prevalence rate of spina bifida in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese government recommended in 2000 that women planning pregnancy should take 400 µg of folic acid daily to decrease the risk of having an infant with spina bifida. We aimed to identify risk factors for the occurrence of spina bifida and to evaluate how the prevalence rate has altered over the past 3 decades. METHODS: Subjects comprised 360 women who gave birth to spina bifida-affected offspring and 2333 women who gave birth to offspring without spina bifida between 2001 and 2012. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data, which were analyzed by multiple logistic regression models. The prevalence rate of spina bifida was obtained through data provided by international and domestic organizations. RESULTS: Four variables were significantly associated with the increased risk of having newborns afflicted with spina bifida: not taking folic acid supplements (odds ratios [OR], 2.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-3.64), presence of spina bifida patients within third-degree relatives (OR, 4.26; 95% CI, 1.12-16.19), taking anti-epileptic drugs without folic acid (OR, 20·20; 95% CI, 2.06-198.17), and low birth weight in the newborns ≤ 2500 g (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 3.18-5.59). The prevalence rate of spina bifida has remained 5 to 6 per 10,000 total births and has not shown any decreasing trend over the past 11 years. CONCLUSION: Four risk factors were identified among Japanese women. Because recommendations and information have not decreased the occurrence of spina bifida, the Japanese government should implement mandatory food fortification.

Induction of endoplasmic reticulum-endosome fusion for antigen cross-presentation induced by poly (γ-glutamic acid) nanoparticles.

We previously reported that poly (γ-glutamic acid)-based nanoparticles (γ-PGA NPs) are excellent vaccine carriers for inducing efficient cross-presentation in dendritic cells, thereby producing strong antitumor immunity in vivo. Analyzing the mechanism of cross-presentation induced by γ-PGA NPs will be useful toward designing novel vaccine carriers. In this study, we show an intracellular mechanism of efficient cross-presentation induced by OVA-loaded γ-PGA NPs. Cross-presentation induced by γ-PGA NPs depended on cytoplasmic proteasomes and TAP, similar to the classical MHC class I presentation pathway for endogenous Ags. Intracellular behavior analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that encapsulated OVA and γ-PGA accumulated in both the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and endosome compartments within 2 h. At the same time, electron microscopy analysis clearly showed that intracellular γ-PGA NPs and encapsulated Au NPs were enveloped in endosome-like vesicles, not in the ER. These findings strongly suggest that γ-PGA NPs enhance ER-endosome fusion for cross-presentation. Moreover, inhibition of ER translocon sec61 significantly decreased the γ-PGA NP/OVA-mediated cross-presentation efficiency, indicating that sec61 is important for transporting Ags from the fused ER-endosome to the cytoplasm. These findings imply that the ER-endosome complex is key for the efficient cross-presentation of Ags encapsulated in γ-PGA NPs.

Intranasal immunization with poly(γ-glutamic acid) nanoparticles entrapping antigenic proteins can induce potent tumor immunity.

We previously reported strong induction of ovalbumin (OVA)-specific tumor immunity in mice injected subcutaneously with OVA-entrapping nanoparticles comprising amphiphilic poly(γ-glutamic acid) (OVA/γ-PGA NPs). In the present study we investigated antitumor efficacy and associated immune responses in mice vaccinated with OVA/γ-PGA NPs via the nasal cavity. Mice vaccinated intranasally with OVA/γ-PGA NPs resisted challenge by E.G7-OVA tumor cells, and lung metastasis of B16-OVA cells were significantly suppressed by three intranasal doses of OVA/γ-PGA NPs. Although the total serum anti-OVA IgG titer was equivalent between the OVA/γ-PGA NP- and OVA solution-immunized groups, intranasal vaccination with OVA/γ-PGA NPs efficiently induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and interferon-γ-secreting cells specific for OVA in the spleen and lymph nodes. The antitumor activity induced by intranasal vaccination of OVA/γ-PGA NPs mainly required CD8(+) CTLs, and the development of long-term specific immunity was confirmed in rechallenge experiments. OVA/γ-PGA NPs administered via the nasal cavity were rapidly taken up by nasopharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissue and delivered to the cervical lymph nodes. Thus, nasal vaccination with antigen-entrapping γ-PGA NPs evokes tumor immunity by eliciting antigen-specific CTLs. γ-PGA NPs are a promising antigen delivery carrier for the development of non-invasive cancer vaccines.

The utility of poly(γ-glutamic acid) nanoparticles as antigen delivery carriers in dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) specific for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) act in the immune surveillance system as major effector cells to eliminate malignant cells. Immunization with TAA-loaded dendritic cells (DCs) has great potential for treating cancer, because DCs are potent antigen-presenting cells capable of inducing antigen-specific CTLs by the primary activation of naive T-lymphocytes. The establishment of a non-cytotoxic and efficient antigen delivery method is required to improve the efficacy of DC-based cancer immunotherapy. We developed biodegradable poly(γ-glutamic acid) nanoparticles (γ-PGA NPs) that can efficiently entrap various proteins as antigen delivery carriers. γ-PGA NPs efficiently delivered entrapped antigenic proteins into DCs without cytotoxicity and presented antigens to DCs via major histocompatibility complex class I and II molecules. Immunization with TAA-loaded DCs using γ-PGA NPs inhibited tumor growth by inducing TAA-specific CTLs. These findings indicate that γ-PGA NPs can function as useful antigen delivery carriers in DC-based cancer immunotherapy.

Sex difference in the influence of smoking status on the responsiveness to gefitinib monotherapy in adenocarcinoma of the lung: Okayama Lung Cancer Study Group experience.

BACKGROUND: Gefitinib is effective in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Smoking status also affects the responsiveness to gefitinib, but it has not been fully evaluated whether a sex difference exists in the influence of smoking on the efficacy of gefitinib in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of 260 Japanese patients with lung adenocarcinoma who received gefitinib therapy (250 mg/day), and whose smoking status was known. Tumour response and survival were evaluated and stratified by smoking status and gender. RESULTS: Among the 260 patients, 157 were male (60%). Median pack-years was 40 (range 8-160) and 23 (range 1-74) in male and female smokers, respectively. Objective response was observed in 62 (23.8%) of the 260 patients, and 1-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 45.1 and 24.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that smoking status (pack-years) was an independent predictive factor for response to gefitinib [odds ratio (OR) = 0.971, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.947-0.995; P = 0.0159] in male patients, but not in female patients (OR = 0.999, 95%CI = 0.957-1.042). Additionally, pack-years significantly influenced the overall survival in males (hazard ratio = 1.010; 95%CI = 1.002-1018, P = 0.0169), while differential survival of females was not significantly predicted by this factor (P = 0.7639). CONCLUSIONS: In male patients with lung adenocarcinoma, cumulative smoking significantly affected response and survival following gefitinib treatment, while in female patients, responsiveness to gefitinib was independent of smoking status. These results suggest that the influence of smoking habit on responsiveness to gefitinib is gender specific.

A transcutaneous vaccination system using a hydrogel patch for viral and bacterial infection.

One of the most important anthropic missions is preventing the global spread of infectious diseases. Vaccination is the only available preventive treatment for infectious diseases, but the availability of vaccines in developing countries is not adequate. We report a simple, easy-to-use, noninvasive hydrogel patch transcutaneous vaccination system. Antigen (Ag)-specific IgG production was induced by applying an Ag-immersed patch to non-pretreated mouse auricle or hairless rat back skin. Immunofluorescence histochemical analysis revealed that Langerhans cells resident in the epidermal layer captured the antigenic proteins delivered by the hydrogel patch, which promoted the penetration of antigenic proteins through the stratum corneum, and that Ag-capturing Langerhans cells migrated into draining lymph nodes. Humoral immunity elicited by our transcutaneous vaccination system demonstrated neutralizing activity in both adenoviral infection and passive-challenge tetanus toxin experiments. The use of this hydrogel patch transcutaneous vaccination system will facilitate the global distribution of effective and convenient vaccines.

Nanoparticles built by self-assembly of amphiphilic gamma-PGA can deliver antigens to antigen-presenting cells with high efficiency: a new tumor-vaccine carrier for eliciting effector T cells.

Nanotechnology is a fundamental technology for designing and generating innovative carriers for biomacromolecular drugs. Biodegradable poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-based nanoparticles (gamma-PGA NPs) are excellent vaccine carriers capable of delivering antigenic proteins to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and eliciting potent immune responses based on antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In mice, subcutaneous immunization with gamma-PGA NPs entrapping ovalbumin (OVA) more effectively inhibited the growth of OVA-transfected tumors than immunization with OVA emulsified using Freund's complete adjuvant. In addition, gamma-PGA NPs did not induce histopathologic changes after subcutaneous injection or acute toxicity through intravenous injection. Importantly, gamma-PGA NPs efficiently delivered entrapped antigenic proteins into APCs, and these antigen-capturing APCs migrated to regional lymph nodes. Our results demonstrate that a gamma-PGA NP system for antigen delivery will advance the clinical utility of vaccines against cancer.

Development of amphiphilic gamma-PGA-nanoparticle based tumor vaccine: potential of the nanoparticulate cytosolic protein delivery carrier.

Nanoscopic therapeutic systems that incorporate biomacromolecules, such as protein and peptides, are emerging as the next generation of nanomedicine aimed at improving the therapeutic efficacy of biomacromolecular drugs. In this study, we report that poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-based nanoparticles (gamma-PGA NPs) are excellent protein delivery carriers for tumor vaccines that delivered antigenic proteins to antigen-presenting cells and elicited potent immune responses. Importantly, gamma-PGA NPs efficiently delivered entrapped antigenic proteins through cytosolic translocation from the endosomes, which is a key process of gamma-PGA NP-mediated anti-tumor immune responses. Our findings suggest that the gamma-PGA NP system is suitable for the intracellular delivery of protein-based drugs as well as tumor vaccines.

Efficient generation of antigen-specific cellular immunity by vaccination with poly(gamma-glutamic acid) nanoparticles entrapping endoplasmic reticulum-targeted peptides.

Because antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) are major effector cells in tumor immunity, more efficient delivery of tumor-associated antigens to the major histocompatibility complex class I-presentation pathway in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) will substantially contribute to establish more effective cancer immunotherapy. Herein, we demonstrated that a combinational approach based on the antigen-delivery system using poly(gamma-glutamic acid) nanoparticles (gamma-PGA NPs) and an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-transport system containing an ER-insertion signal sequence (Eriss) significantly enhanced the ability of a peptide vaccine to induce cellular immune responses, including CTL activity. Immunization with gamma-PGA NPs entrapping Eriss-conjugated antigenic peptides markedly amplified and activated CTLs and interferon-gamma-secreting cells specific for the antigen, whereas no cellular immune responses were detected following vaccination with only one of the systems alone. Our data provide evidence that efficient delivery of antigenic peptides into APCs, as well as active ER-translocation of antigenic peptides in APCs should be considered in the development of peptide-based cancer immunotherapy.