Melanin pigments in the melanocytic nevus regress spontaneously after inactivation by high hydrostatic pressure

We report a novel treatment for giant congenital melanocytic nevi (GCMN) that involves the reuse of resected nevus tissue after high hydrostatic pressurization (HHP). However, the remaining melanin pigments in the inactivated nevus tissue pose a problem; therefore, we performed a long-term observation of the color change of inactivated nevus tissue after HHP. Pressurized nevus specimens (200 MPa group, n = 9) and non-pressurized nevus tissues (control group, n = 9) were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice (BALB/c-nu) and then harvested 3, 6, and 12 months later. Color changes of the nevus specimens were evaluated. In the 200 MPa group, the specimen color gradually regressed and turned white, and brightness values were significantly higher in the 200 MPa group than in the control group after 6 months. This indicated that melanin pigments in the pressurized nevus tissue had spontaneously degraded and regressed. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove melanin pigments in HHP-treated nevus tissue

Automated Assessment of Aortic and Main Pulmonary Arterial Diameters using Model-Based Blood Vessel Segmentation for Predicting Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension in Low-Dose CT Lung Screening

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is characterized by obstruction of the pulmonary vasculature by residual organized thrombi. A morphological abnormality inside mediastinum of CTEPH patient is enlargement of pulmonary artery. This paper presents an automated assessment of aortic and main pulmonary arterial diameters for predicting CTEPH in low-dose CT lung screening. The distinctive feature of our method is to segment aorta and main pulmonary artery using both of prior probability and vascular direction which were estimated from mediastinal vascular region using principal curvatures of four-dimensional hyper surface. The method was applied to two datasets, 64 low-dose CT scans of lung cancer screening and 19 normal-dose CT scans of CTEPH patients through the training phase with 121 low-dose CT scans. This paper demonstrates effectiveness of our method for predicting CTEPH in low-dose CT screening

脳性麻痺患者における整形外科的手術後の身体機能変化の満足度に関連する要因

[Background] The recognition of required treatments for cerebral palsy (CP) patients, including orthopedic surgery, differs according to region. This study was performed to identify factors associated with satisfactory changes in physical function after orthopedic surgery. [Methods] 358 patients were selected for the questionnaire survey. The following information was collected: gender, primary disease, age of initial surgery, total procedural count, operated sites, satisfaction of postoperative rehabilitation frequency, ideal amount of postoperative rehabilitation sessions per week, frequency of voluntary home training per week, satisfaction of the timing of surgery and the current satisfaction with the changes in physical function after the orthopedic surgery. We classified the patients into the satisfied and dissatisfied group according to satisfactory changes in physical function after the surgery. We performed unpaired t-tests and chi-square tests to determine the variables that differed significantly between the groups. Variables with a p value of <0.2 were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. [Results] The logistic model was revised and summed up to two potential predictors of postsurgical satisfaction with physical function: satisfaction with the frequency of postoperative rehabilitation sessions and the orthopedic surgery of the hip (distinction hit ratio, 75.4%). [Conclusions] This study demonstrated that the frequency of postoperative rehabilitation and history of hip surgery seemed to be related to the satisfaction with the changes in physical function after orthopedic surgery.首都大学東京学位論文 副論

Cultured epithelial autografts for the treatment of large-to-giant congenital melanocytic nevus in 31 patients

Introduction: Giant congenital melanocytic nevus (GCMN) is a large melanocytic nevus, and its full-thickness removal is usually difficult due to the lack of skin available for reconstruction. Curettage is an alternative approach in cases of GCMN to remove the superficial dermis above the cleavage plane with a curette in the neonatal period, and its major complications include repigmentation, retarded epithelization, and hypertrophic scar formation. In Japan, the JACE® cultured epidermal autograft (CEA) was approved and covered by public healthcare insurance for the treatment of congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) that is difficult to treat with conventional methods in 2016. We have used CEA for wounds after curettage in the neonatal period or following ablation after the neonatal period in combination with laser therapies to reduce the above-mentioned complications. Methods: In this study, we summarized all consecutive CMN patients treated using CEA from December 2016 to April 2019 and evaluated the duration required for epithelialization, incidence of hypertrophic scar, and color change in the target nevus by comparing the L∗ values one year later between the Curettage group, the non-Curettage group with initial treatment or the subsequent group. Results: No significant differences were seen in the epithelization period or incidence of hypertrophic scars among the groups, but the color of the target nevus was improved significantly in the Curettage group (p < 0.01) and non-Curettage group with initial treatment (p < 0.01). Conclusions: In conclusion, CEA seems to accelerate epithelization after curettage or ablation of CMN, and this treatment could improve the color of CMN when applied initially

Ex vivo Induction of Apoptotic Mesenchymal Stem Cell by High Hydrostatic Pressure

Among promising solutions for tissue repair and wound healing, mesenchymal stem (or stromal) cells (MSCs) have been a focus of attention and have become the most clinically studied experimental cell therapy. Recent studies reported the importance of apoptosis in MSC-mediated immunomodulation, in which apoptotic MSCs (apoMSCs) were shown to be superior to living MSCs. Nowadays, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), a physical technique that uses only fluid pressure, has been developed and applied in various bioscience fields, including biotechnology, biomaterials, and regenerative medicine, as its safe and simply operation. In the current study, we investigated the impact of HHP treatment on human bone marrow-MSC survival and proliferation. Based on the detection of executioner caspase activation, phosphatidylserine exposure, DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) and irrefutable ultrastructural morphological changes on transmission electron microscopy (TEM), our data revealed that HHP treatment induced complete apoptosis in MSCs. Notably, this technique might provide manipulated products for use in cell-based therapies as manufacturing capability expands. We hope that our findings will contribute to the improvement of MSCs or EVs in translational research development. Graphical Abstract