[Evaluation of Pharmacy Students' Understanding of Clinical Trials and Research through Questionnaires Before and After the Hospital Practical Training].

A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate practical training and improve education on clinical trial and research. This survey was based on the results of questionnaire before and after the practical training undertaken by 240 pharmaceutical students (Kanto region; 1 university, Tokai region; 2 university, Kinki region; 9 university) at Mie University Hospital between 2011 and 2022. In the questionnaire before practical training, lectures in university (n=219, 91%) were the main source of information on clinical trials and research. Fifty-two students (22%) correctly answered the contents of phase 1-4 trials. As an occupation that can perform clinical research coordinator (CRC)'s work, only 7 students (3%) answered that "all medical and non-medical professionals" can perform the CRC's duties. Regarding the understanding of terms related to clinical trials and research, more than 90% of the students understood the meaning of "subjects," "informed consent," and "placebo" even before practical training. Otherwise, even after practical training, students' understanding of "reimbursement," "follow-up period," "audit," or "direct access" was less than 80%. Practical training improved the understanding of terms such as clinical trial (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p<0.001), clinical research phase 1-4 trials (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p<0.001), interest in clinical trials and research (McNemar-Bowker test, p<0.001), and understanding of CRC's work (McNemar-Bowker test, p<0.001). We will improve the content of practical training and bequeath the knowledge and importance of drug discovery and development to the next generation.

Sturge-Weber syndrome with cemento-ossifying fibroma in the maxilla and giant odontoma in the mandible: A case report.

Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a neurocutaneous syndrome with vascular lesions of the cerebral meninges, port wine spots on the face, and glaucoma of the eyes; it is a congenital, non-genetic disease whose etiology and mechanisms are unknown. In this report, we describe a rare case of SWS with unilateral large odontogenic tumors in the maxilla and mandible. The histopathological diagnosis of the maxillary bone lesion on biopsy was juvenile psammomatoid ossifying fibroma, which is considered a type of ossifying fibroma of craniofacial bone origin. However, the final pathological diagnosis of the excision was cemento-ossifying fibroma derived from periodontal ligament cells, and we discuss the histopathology in detail. In addition, the mandibular lesion was one of the largest odontomas reported to date. Furthermore, in this case, we suggest the possibility that the maxillary and mandibular bone lesions are not separate lesions, but a series of lesions related to SWS.

Heterogenous Genetic, Clinical, and Imaging Features in Patients with Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease Carrying NOTCH2NLC Repeat Expansion.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the abnormal expansion of non-coding trinucleotide GGC repeats in NOTCH2NLC. NIID is clinically characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. To date, the relationship between expanded repeat lengths and clinical phenotype in patients with NIID remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to clarify the genetic and clinical spectrum and their association in patients with NIID. For this purpose, we genetically analyzed Japanese patients with adult-onset NIID with characteristic clinical and neuroimaging findings. Trinucleotide repeat expansions of NOTCH2NLC were examined by repeat-primed and amplicon-length PCR. In addition, long-read sequencing was performed to determine repeat size and sequence. The expanded GGC repeats ranging from 94 to 361 in NOTCH2NLC were found in all 15 patients. Two patients carried biallelic repeat expansions. There were marked heterogenous clinical and imaging features in NIID patients. Patients presenting with cerebellar ataxia or urinary dysfunction had a significantly larger GGC repeat size than those without. This significant association disappeared when these parameters were compared with the total trinucleotide repeat number. ARWMC score was significantly higher in patients who had a non-glycine-type trinucleotide interruption within expanded poly-glycine motifs than in those with a pure poly-glycine expansion. These results suggested that the repeat length and sequence in NOTCH2NLC may partly modify some clinical and imaging features of NIID.

Clinical and prognostic features of Langerhans cell histiocytosis in adults.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease characterized by clonal expansion of CD1a+ CD207+ myeloid dendritic cells. The features of LCH are mainly described in children and remain poorly defined in adults; therefore, we conducted a nationwide survey to collect clinical data from 148 adult patients with LCH. The median age at diagnosis was 46.5 (range: 20-87) years with male predominance (60.8%). Among the 86 patients with detailed treatment information, 40 (46.5%) had single system LCH, whereas 46 (53.5%) had multisystem LCH. Moreover, 19 patients (22.1%) had an additional malignancy. BRAF V600E in plasma cell-free DNA was associated with a low overall survival (OS) rate and the risk of the pituitary gland and central nervous system involvement. At a median follow-up of 55 months from diagnosis, six patients (7.0%) had died, and the four patients with LCH-related death did not respond to initial chemotherapy. The OS probability at 5 years post-diagnosis was 90.6% (95% confidence interval: 79.8-95.8). Multivariate analysis showed that patients aged ≥60 years at diagnosis had a relatively poor prognosis. The probability of event-free survival at 5 years was 52.1% (95% confidence interval: 36.6-65.5), with 57 patients requiring chemotherapy. In this study, we first revealed the high rate of relapse after chemotherapy and mortality of poor responders in adults as well as children. Therefore, prospective therapeutic studies of adults with LCH using targeted therapies are needed to improve outcomes in adults with LCH.

Progressive conus medullaris lesions are suggestive of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spinal cord lesions are observed in 40% of all central nervous system lesions in intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). However, because IVLBCL is a very rare disease, its clinical features are not well defined, which may delay appropriate diagnosis and treatment, whilst the acute to subacute course of brain lesions in patients with IVLBCL is well established. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the clinical features of spinal cord lesions in patients with IVLBCL. METHODS: The medical records of patients with IVLBCL admitted to our hospital between 2010 and 2020 were searched. The inclusion criteria were preceding neurological symptoms without non-neurological symptoms and pathologically confirmed IVLBCL in various organs. Clinical features of spinal cord involvement in patients with IVLBCL were assessed and distinguished from those of brain involvement. RESULTS: Sixteen consecutive patients with IVLBCL were divided into two groups: six patients with spinal involvement (spinal cord type) and 10 patients with brain involvement (brain type). In the spinal cord type, four patients had chronic progression and two had subacute progression. Acute progression (0% vs. 80.0%) and sudden onset (0% vs. 50.0%) occurred significantly less frequently in the spinal cord than in the brain. All spinal cord lesions involved the conus medullaris. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord involvement in IVLBCL has a predominantly chronic progressive course that is exclusive to brain involvement. Conus medullaris lesions are suggestive of IVLBCL and are useful for early and accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Heterozygous frameshift variants in HNRNPA2B1 cause early-onset oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.

Missense variants in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) underlie a spectrum of disease phenotypes, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and inclusion body myopathy. Here, we present ten independent families with a severe, progressive muscular dystrophy, reminiscent of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) but of much earlier onset, caused by heterozygous frameshift variants in the RBP hnRNPA2/B1. All disease-causing frameshift mutations abolish the native stop codon and extend the reading frame, creating novel transcripts that escape nonsense-mediated decay and are translated to produce hnRNPA2/B1 protein with the same neomorphic C-terminal sequence. In contrast to previously reported disease-causing missense variants in HNRNPA2B1, these frameshift variants do not increase the propensity of hnRNPA2 protein to fibrillize. Rather, the frameshift variants have reduced affinity for the nuclear import receptor karyopherin ß2, resulting in cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPA2 protein in cells and in animal models that recapitulate the human pathology. Thus, we expand the phenotypes associated with HNRNPA2B1 to include an early-onset form of OPMD caused by frameshift variants that alter its nucleocytoplasmic transport dynamics.

Acute psychiatric symptoms in a young woman with anti-N-methyl D-aspartate receptor encephalitis: A case of successful early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.

This clinical image presents a report on the diagnosis and treatment of anti-NMDAR encephalitis, a rare disease. This report emphasizes the importance of a differential diagnosis for acute psychiatric symptoms. Accurate and timely diagnosis is critical for the selection and implementation of treatment and for optimal patient outcomes.

Thiamine Deficiency and Neurological Symptoms in Patients with Hematological Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objectives Patients with hematological cancer receiving chemotherapy have a high risk of thiamine deficiency due to accelerated thiamine usage by tumor cells. Mild or severe thiamine deficiency can lead to varying degrees of neurological symptoms. We evaluated the relationship between thiamine deficiency and neurological symptoms, including mild or nonspecific symptoms, and the influence of chemotherapy on thiamine serum levels in patients with hematological cancer receiving chemotherapy. Materials and Methods We retrospectively identified 42 patients diagnosed with hematological cancer at our hospital, using electronic medical records collected from March 2019 to March 2020. We evaluated the risk factors associated with neurological symptoms (mild-to-severe cognitive impairment, attention impairment, and mood or emotional disorder), the relationship between the presence of neurological symptoms and thiamine serum levels, and changes in thiamine serum levels after chemotherapy. Results Thiamine deficiency was significantly associated with neurological symptoms. The thiamine serum levels in the group with neurological symptoms were significantly lower than those in the group without neurological symptoms. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test showed that thiamine serum levels after chemotherapy were significantly lower than those before administration of chemotherapy. Conclusion Thiamine serum levels in patients with hematological cancer may be used as a reference to maintain neurological status during chemotherapy.

A rare case of nivolumab-related myasthenia gravis and myocarditis in a patient with metastatic gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although rare, several immune-related adverse effects can be life-threatening. Here, we describe a metastatic gastric cancer patient presenting with nivolumab-related myasthenia gravis and myocarditis, a previously unreported adverse effect of gastric cancer treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old man with metastatic gastric cancer visited the emergency department because of dizziness after the first dose of nivolumab. Diagnoses of nivolumab-related myasthenia gravis and myocarditis were established. Myocardial biopsy results and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody positivity confirmed the diagnoses. Despite plasma exchange and intravenous methylprednisolone and immunoglobulin administration, the patient's general condition gradually worsened, and he died. CONCLUSIONS: Strict monitoring for cardiac and neuromuscular symptoms after nivolumab administration is necessary to rapidly treat these adverse effects.

Association between thiamine decrease and neuropsychiatric symptoms in gastrointestinal and hematological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Clinical evidence of thiamine-related neuropsychiatric symptoms, including the initial stage, is limited because serum thiamine levels tend to be evaluated only for patients who develop severe neuropsychiatric symptoms suspected to be related to severe thiamine deficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between thiamine decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including initial symptoms, and the effect of chemotherapy on serum thiamine levels in gastrointestinal and hematological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: We retrospectively identified 87 patients who were diagnosed with gastrointestinal and hematological cancers at our hospital. We evaluated the risk factors associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms, including initial symptoms (neuropsychiatric symptoms), the relationship between the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and serum thiamine levels, and changes in serum thiamine levels after chemotherapy. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis identified thiamine decline as a significant factor associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (p < 0.001, odds ratio = 0.040, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.010-0.163). The Mann-Whitney U test showed that patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms had significantly lower serum thiamine levels (19.5 ± 5.4 ng/mL, n = 39) than patients without neuropsychiatric symptoms (31.9 ± 14.2 ng/mL, n = 48) (p = 0.001). In hematological cancer patients, serum thiamine levels gradually declined after chemotherapy, with the lowest levels at 5-8 weeks (23.5 ± 7.6 ng/mL, P = 0.035 vs. 0 weeks, Wilcoxon rank sum test). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that a decrease in serum thiamine levels can be a risk factor for neuropsychiatric symptoms, and chemotherapy can lead to a decrease in serum thiamine levels.

[Autoimmune Encephalitis/Meningitis].

Less than half of the cases of autoimmune encephalitis have brain MRI abnormalities; however, some patterns of MRI findings help diagnosis. Usually, DWI and FLAIR images reveal hyperintensity lesions in the cortical or subcortical regions or the cerebellum and/or the brainstem. Hyperintensity lesions in the limbic cortex on DWI suggest NMDAR encephalitis. RA or polychondritis-related meningitis show bright dot or linear signals on the convexities on DWI. Area postrema syndrome is a typical form of neuromyelitis optica. These conditions need to be diagnosed promptly for effective treatment.

[Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease].

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease(sCJD)is a prion disease presenting with subacute or rapidly progressive dementia with a poor prognosis. Asymmetrical cortical lesions with thalamic involvement are found in sCJD cases, which is similar distribution to status epileptics, but the lesions are not observed in the limbic systems, and they rarely occur in the precentral gyrus. Characteristically, hyperintense abnormal findings are more prominent on DWI than on FLAIR and T2WI. 19.9% of CJD is genetic CJD(gCJD), and CJD with a mutation of codon 180 from valine to isoleucine(V180I)accounts for 40% of gCJD in Japan. Patients with this type of gCJD rarely have a family history because of the low penetration rate. The age of onset is usually later, and its clinical symptoms deteriorate more slowly than sCJD. DWI shows abnormal cortical hyperintense signals(cortical ribboning).

[Mild Encephalopathy with Reversible Splenial Lesion(MERS)].

Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion(MERS)is a clinically and radiologically benign condition that has been described within the past two decades. MRI findings include isolated symmetrical ovoid lesions of the splenium with a high-intensity signal on DWI and decreased apparent diffusion coefficient. These findings have been associated with viral infections, epilepsy, antiepileptic drug usage, and metabolic disturbances, among others. These conditions may present with severe clinical features, such as consciousness disturbance or cytokine storm; however, patients usually recover completely with optimal treatment. Some pathological conditions with splenic lesions, such as Marchiafava-Bignami disease, may be irreversible. Therefore, diseases with splenic lesions require careful attention.

[Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease(NIID)].

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease(NIID)is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions in neuronal and other somatic cells. Since 2011, when skin biopsy was proven to be a diagnostic tool, the incidence of NIID has been increasing. Its symptoms include dementia, muscle weakness, and sensory or autonomic disturbance. MRI shows hyperintense lesions of the subcortical white matter, especially on the U-fiber. These findings persist and continue to worsen for years.

Development of Pretreatment Protocols for Determination of Soybean ß-Conglycinin in Processed Soybean Foods Using Commercial ELISA Kits.

ß-Conglycinin is the major storage protein in soybeans. Pre-clinical animal models and human clinical studies have demonstrated the triglyceride-lowering effect of this protein, suggesting that it could be put into practical use as a functional food material. To date, however, there are no accurate and simple assays for quantification of ß-conglycinin. In this study, samples were pretreated by mixing them with rice flour powder prior to extraction of proteins. Then, we used commercially available ELISA kits for detection of allergens that could be present in any contaminating soybean residue. This enabled accurate and highly reproducible quantitation of ß-conglycinin content in several processed soybean foods.

HTRA1-Related Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Review of the Literature.

Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) is clinically characterized by early-onset dementia, stroke, spondylosis deformans, and alopecia. In CARASIL cases, brain magnetic resonance imaging reveals severe white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), lacunar infarctions, and microbleeds. CARASIL is caused by a homozygous mutation in high-temperature requirement A serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1). Recently, it was reported that several heterozygous mutations in HTRA1 also cause cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Although patients with heterozygous HTRA1-related CSVD (symptomatic carriers) are reported to have a milder form of CARASIL, little is known about the clinical and genetic differences between the two diseases. Given this gap in the literature, we collected clinical information on HTRA1-related CSVD from a review of the literature to help clarify the differences between symptomatic carriers and CARASIL and the features of both diseases. Forty-six symptomatic carriers and 28 patients with CARASIL were investigated. Twenty-eight mutations in symptomatic carriers and 22 mutations in CARASIL were identified. Missense mutations in symptomatic carriers are more frequently identified in the linker or loop 3 (L3)/loop D (LD) domains, which are critical sites in activating protease activity. The ages at onset of neurological symptoms/signs were significantly higher in symptomatic carriers than in CARASIL, and the frequency of characteristic extraneurological findings and confluent WMHs were significantly higher in CARASIL than in symptomatic carriers. As previously reported, heterozygous HTRA1-related CSVD has a milder clinical presentation of CARASIL. It seems that haploinsufficiency can cause CSVD among symptomatic carriers according to the several patients with heterozygous nonsense/frameshift mutations. However, the differing locations of mutations found in the two diseases indicate that distinct molecular mechanisms influence the development of CSVD in patients with HTRA1-related CSVD. These findings further support continued careful examination of the pathogenicity of mutations located outside the linker or LD/L3 domain in symptomatic carriers.

Pasteurella multocida-induced endophthalmitis after a cat scratch.

PURPOSE: To report the case of a Japanese girl with a perforating ocular injury caused by a cat scratch, resulting in Pasteurella multocida-induced endophthalmitis. OBSERVATIONS: A 10-year-old girl presented with a red eye, eye pain, and blurred vision in her right eye immediately after receiving a cat scratch. We performed lensectomy and vitrectomy for endophthalmitis 4 hours after her arrival. After culturing a sample of the vitreous humor, Pasteurella multocida was identified, and the antibiotic was changed to ampicillin. The best-corrected visual acuity of her right eye improved to 20/20 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: We present a rare case of Pasteurella multocida-induced endophthalmitis after a cat scratch. Our findings suggest the great importance of identifying the responsible bacterium and using matched antibiotics as soon as possible in such cases to prevent vision loss.

[Pharmacological Effects of CDK4 & 6 Selective Inhibitor Abemaciclib in Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer].

Abemaciclib, a selective cyclin dependent kinases 4 and 6(CDK4 & 6)inhibitor, is under development for the treatment of hormone receptor(HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. CDK4 & 6 inhibitors attenuate Rb phosphorylation resulting in a G1 arrest and tumor growth inhibition. Abemaciclib potently inhibits both CDK4 and CDK6, with 14-fold higher potency for CDK4-cyclin D1 complexes than CDK6-cyclin D3 in enzymatic assays. Low frequency of severe neutropenia requiring drug holiday in clinical trials of abemaciclib in breast cancer patients enables continuous daily dosing. Abemaciclib's preclinical difference in selectivity for CDK4 vs CDK6 could help explain its safety profile and ability to be dosed on a continuous schedule. Continuous inhibition of CDK4 & 6 by abemaciclib results in irreversible growth inhibition through induction of senescence and apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines. Abemaciclib shows its growth inhibitory effect particularly in estrogen receptor(ER)- positive breast cancer, and sensitivity to abemaciclib is associated with high ER levels and Rb positivity. In animals bearing ERpositive breast cancer, significant tumor growth inhibition was shown by single-agent and combination with anti-estrogen agents. Abemaciclib penetrates the blood-brain barrier and showed antitumor activity in glioma models. As described above, there are some characteristics demonstrate differences of abemaciclib and other CDK4 & 6 inhibitors. In clinical studies, abemaciclib has demonstrated efficacy and generally tolerable safety profile in HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer patients.

Coronary plaque characteristics in computed tomography and 2-year outcomes: The PREDICT study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) not only provides information regarding luminal stenoses but also allows for visualization of mural atheromatous changes (coronary plaques). OBJECTIVE: We sought to elucidate whether plaques seen on CCTA enable prediction of 2-year outcomes in patients with suspected and known coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Of 3015 patients who underwent CCTA, the images and 2-year clinical courses of 2802 patients were independently analyzed. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause death and acute coronary syndrome. RESULTS: During the 2-year observation period, 49 (1.7%) patients developed the primary outcome. The 2-year rates of the primary outcome in the normal (n = 515, no mural lesions), calcium (n = 654, calcified lesion alone), and plaque groups (n = 1633, presence of noncalcified or partially calcified plaques) were 0.2%, 2.0%, and 2.1%, respectively (P = 0.0028). Adverse plaque features such as low attenuation, positive remodeling, spotty calcification, and the napkin-ring sign (low-attenuation core with a higher-attenuation rim) were assessed by an independent core laboratory. Stepwise multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that a plaque with two or more characteristics (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-3.60; P = 0.0254), age of ≥67 years (mean), statin treatment after CCTA, and obstructive stenosis remained independent predictors of the primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Plaque imaging in CCTA has predictive value for the 2-year outcome and is a useful identifier for high-risk patients among those with known and suspected CAD.