Potential role of mobile rapid on-site evaluation® in thyroid fine-needle aspiration cytology to reduce delayed repeated aspiration.

Rapid on-site evaluation of fine-needle aspiration cytology is time-consuming and requires specialized cytopathology staff. Mobile Rose® is a newly developed device for rapid on-site evaluation of fine-needle aspiration cytology. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of Mobile Rose® in reducing delayed repeated aspiration of the thyroid. A total of 120 cytological samples were collected and observed using Mobile Rose® after fine-needle aspiration cytology between September and October 2020, with immediate assessment of minimal or no cell clusters after conventional smear preparation. After qualifying and scoring, needle washout materials were prepared using the BD CytoRichTM method and correlated with cytology results. The average turn-around time of Mobile Rose® was found to be 1.5 minutes. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 94.4%, 100%, 100%, and 57.1%, respectively. False-negative results were attributed to small aggregates of cells that were difficult to distinguish from the background and artifacts. Mobile Rose® may represent an important innovation for rapid on-site evaluation that is fast, has high diagnostic performance, does not require the presence of specialized cytology staff, and can reduce delayed repeated aspiration of the thyroid gland. However, further minor improvements and confirmation are required.

Improved cardiometabolic risk factors in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes treated with ipragliflozin: a pooled analysis of six randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

To examine differential improvements among cardiovascular risk factors in response to treatment with ipragliflozin in Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, we conducted a pooled analysis of six randomized, double-blind trials of Japanese T2DM patients who received ipragliflozin 50 mg/day or placebo and had patient-level data for cardiometabolic risk parameters. Risk factors included glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance and beta-cell function (HOMA-R and HOMA-beta, respectively), systolic blood pressure, fasting serum insulin concentrations, and the concentration of uric acid, lipids, and liver enzymes from baseline to end of treatment (EOT; 12-24 weeks). The primary endpoint of each trial was the change in HbA1c from baseline to EOT. Changes in risk factors from baseline to EOT were compared between ipragliflozin-treated and placebo groups, and between two subgroups (high- and low-risk groups for each parameter). All parameters, except low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non HDL-C), improved significantly in the ipragliflozin group. Subgroup analysis revealed a significantly greater improvement in the high-risk group versus low-risk group in HbA1c, HOMA-R, HOMA-beta, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase, but not in any of the lipid parameters or blood pressure. Liver function improvement in the ipragliflozin group was significantly correlated with changes in body weight, HbA1c, HOMA-beta, and HOMA-R. This analysis demonstrated that, in Japanese T2DM patients, ipragliflozin 50 mg/day was associated with improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors, except for LDL-C and non HDL-C.

Pure psychiatric presentation of the Lewy body disease is depression--an analysis of 60 cases verified with myocardial meta-iodobenzylguanidine study.

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) were collectively termed Lewy body disease (LBD). Pure psychiatric presentation (PPP) of the LBD may be the fourth subtype in which psychiatric symptoms without definite parkinsonism and cognitive disturbance lasted for many years. The aim of this study is to localize the presence of the PPP in subjects with low uptake of myocardial meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG). METHODS: Sixty MIBG-verified patients (28 women and 32 men) were classified into three psychiatric pictures; depression (Group D: 27 patients), isolated visual hallucinations (Group V: 16 patients) and psychosis (Group P: 17 patients). Fifty six cases were examined with single photon emission tomography (SPECT) study of the brains in which hypoperfusion lobes were identified in 37 cases and 19 cases showed no abnormality. After that, we determined final diagnoses; PD, PDD, DLB and PPP with an aid of the DSM-IV, the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) and Mini-mental state examination (MMSE). RESULTS: Of Group D patients 40% remained depressive without parkinsonism and about 50% had or developed typical parkinsonism. Most Group P patients developed clinical pictures of PDD or DLB. Statistics provided four combinations: Group V-DLB-occipital lobe hypoperfusion, Group D-PD without SPECT abnormality, Group P-PDD with temporal lobe hypoperfusion and Group D-PPP without SPECT abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: PPP featured major depressive disorder and can be preparative of incidental LBD and prodromal depression of PD. Psychosis and dementia were of the same quality that characterizes the PDD.

Inclusion body hepatitis caused by fowl adenovirus in broiler chickens in Japan, 2009-2010.

From January 2009 to June 2010, many broiler chicks suddenly died without clinical signs. The mortality rates were from 1.2% to 17.0% in affected flocks. Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) was detected in 13 prefectures (northern, eastern, western, and southern areas) in Japan. The livers were enlarged and pale. The bursa of Fabricius and thymus had not atrophied. Multifocal necroses of hepatocytes with basophilic intranuclear inclusions were seen in the liver. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in hepatocytes were rare. Focal necrosis of acinar cells with basophilic intranuclear inclusions was found in the pancreas. Basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were detected in intact surface epithelial cells of gizzard and epithelial cells of the small intestine. The intranuclear inclusions of liver, pancreas, gizzard, and small intestine were stained positively for immunohistochemistry of fowl adenovirus (FAV) antigen. Ultrastructurally, basophilic intranuclear inclusions consisted of viral particles approximately 70 nm in diameter and arranged in a crystalline array. FAV was isolated from the liver of chickens affected with IBH. The serotype of most isolates was 2. This study suggests that IBH produced by FAV is epidemic in broiler chicks in Japan and that the present cases occurred as the primary disease without the association of infectious bursal disease virus or chicken anemia virus.

Detection of Lewy body disease in patients with late-onset depression, anxiety and psychotic disorder with myocardial meta-iodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy.

PURPOSE: Lewy body disease (LBD) is comprised of a spectrum of diseases that includes Parkinson's disease (PD), PD dementia (PDD) and dementia with LBD (DLBD), an array of dementia, and motor symptoms. Low uptake of myocardial meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) validates diagnosis of LBD. Psychiatric symptoms sometimes precede atypical Parkinsonian syndromes in LBD. Of 34 patients with low MIBG uptake, late-onset depressive, anxiety, or psychotic symptoms were analyzed in term of clinical profiles. METHOD: Thirty-four patients were classed into three groups according to three main symptoms, 11 patients with visual hallucination (VH), 13 with depression-anxiety (DA), and 10 with psychosis with cognitive disturbance (PCD). Cutoff values of heart-to-mediastinum (HM) ratio of MIBG were set at 1.78 in early phase or 1.68 in late phase. RESULTS: Group VH patients showed a trend toward higher age at onset and occipital lobe hypoperfusion. Group DA patients lacked central and core features of DLBD and five of them showed frontal lobe hypoperfusion. Group PCD patients had the highest frequencies of suggestive symptoms and UPDRS scores and showed temporal lobe hypoperfusion. HM ratio was not associated with clinical profiles of three groups. Cognitive function was more severely disturbed in atypical Parkinsonian syndrome cases at an initial visit. CONCLUSION: Group VH was considered to DLBD, and Group PCD was regarded as PDD or DLBD with early psychotic presentation. Group DA has a possibility of early depression or anxiety disorder of LBD although it lacked DLBD criteria. Atypical Parkinsonian syndromes are associated with cognitive disturbance irrespective of psychiatric profiles.

Inhibition of tetrandrine on epidermal growth factor-induced cell transformation and its signal transduction.

BACKGROUND: The mouse epidermal JB6 cell system is a model for studying tumor promotion. We used the JB6 Cl 41 cell line to examine the mechanism of the anti-tumor-promoting effect of tetrandrine, an alkaloid isolated from Stephania tetrandra S Moore. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-tumor-promoting effect of tetrandrine was evaluated by assay of inhibition of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced transformation of JB6 Cl 41 cells in soft agar. The activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1), a transcription factor, was analyzed using the AP-1-dependent reporter assay. Phosphorylation of extracellular-signal regulated kinases (ERKs) and Akt, a pivotal effector of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P13K), was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Tetrandrine significantly blocked EGF-induced cell transformation, attenuated EGF-induced AP-1 activation, and inhibited phosphorylation of ERKs, which regulates AP-1 activation. It also tended to suppress EGF-induced Akt phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that tetrandrine inhibits EGF-induced transformation of JB6 cells by blocking the activation of ERKs, AP-1 and Akt.

Effects of ipragliflozin, a selective sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, on blood pressure in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a pooled analysis of six randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Our aim was to examine the effects of ipragliflozin, a selective sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, on blood pressure in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We conducted a pooled analysis of double-blind trials of Japanese T2DM patients, randomized to 50 mg ipragliflozin or placebo, with patient-level data for the change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from baseline to end of treatment (12-24 weeks). Data from six trials were analyzed: ipragliflozin was administered as monotherapy in two; in combination with metformin, pioglitazone, or sulfonylurea in one each; and in combination with prior therapy in patients with renal impairment in one. Overall, 628 and 368 patients were treated with ipragliflozin and placebo, respectively. The placebo-adjusted mean changes (95 % confidence interval) in SBP and DBP (mmHg) were -2.8 (-4.4, -1.3, P < 0.001) and -1.6 (-2.7, -0.6, P < 0.002), respectively, in all patients. The reductions in SBP and DBP were significantly greater in patients with baseline SBP ≥140 mmHg [-5.5 (-9.1, -1.8) and -2.9 (-5.3, -0.5), respectively] than in patients with SBP <140 mmHg [-2.1 (-3.8, -0.4) and -1.3 (-2.5, -0.1), respectively]. The reductions in SBP and DBP were also significantly greater in the ipragliflozin group than in the placebo group in patients treated with [-2.8 (-5.1, -0.4) and -2.4 (-4.0, -0.8), respectively] or without [-3.0 (-5.0, -1.0) and -1.0 (-2.4, 0.4), respectively] concomitant antihypertensive therapy. In conclusion, this pooled analysis showed that ipragliflozin was associated with significant reductions in SBP and DBP compared with placebo.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of ipragliflozin in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

AIMS: Ipragliflozin is a novel and highly selective sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that reduces plasma glucose levels by enhancing urinary glucose excretion in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We examined the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of two oral doses of ipragliflozin in Japanese patients with T2DM. METHODS: In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, patients were treated with placebo, 50mg or 100mg ipragliflozin once daily for 14 days. Plasma and urine pharmacodynamic parameters were measured on Days -1 and 14, and pharmacokinetic parameters on Day 14. Pharmacodynamic characteristics included area under the curve (AUC) for plasma glucose and insulin for 0-3h (AUC0-3h) and 0-24h (AUC0-24h). Pharmacokinetic characteristics included AUC0-24h, maximum ipragliflozin concentration (Cmax), and time to maximum plasma ipragliflozin concentration (tmax). RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled; 28 were included in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analyses and 30 in safety analyses. Administration of 50 and 100mg ipragliflozin significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, as well as the AUC0-3h and AUC0-24h for plasma glucose relative to placebo. Both doses of ipragliflozin also reduced AUC0-24h for insulin, body weight, and glycoalbumin, while urinary glucose excretion increased remarkably. Cmax and AUC0-24h were 1.7- and 1.9-fold higher, respectively, in the 100-mg group than in the 50-mg group. CONCLUSIONS: Ipragliflozin increased urinary glucose excretion and improved fasting and postprandial glucose, confirming its pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties in Japanese patients with T2DM.

A novel pex2 mutant: catalase-deficient but temperature-sensitive PTS1 and PTS2 import.

We searched for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutants defective in peroxisome biogenesis by using peroxisome targeting sequence (PTS) of Pex3p (amino acid residues 1-40)-fused enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). From mutagenized wild-type CHO-K1 cells stably expressing rat Pex2p and Pex3p(1-40)-EGFP, cell colonies resistant to the 9-(1(')-pyrene)nonanol/ultraviolet treatment were examined for intracellular location of peroxisomal proteins, including EGFP chimera, catalase, and matrix proteins with PTS types 1 and 2. One clone, ZPEG309, showed a distinct phenotype: import defect of catalase, but normal transport of PTS1 and PTS2 proteins at 37 degrees C. PTS1 and PTS2 import was abrogated when ZPEG309 was cultured at 39 degrees C. Genetic defect of ZPEG309 was a nonsense point mutation in a codon for Arg50 in CHO PEX2 and a mutation resulting in a C-terminal truncation of the introduced rat Pex2p. Therefore, ZPEG309 is a novel pex2, catalase-deficient mutant with temperature-sensitive PTS1 and PTS2 import.