Current status of the treatment of microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis in Japan

This study aimed to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) in Japan. We used the database of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) from 2006 to 2008, and analyzed data from 938 patients (MPA = 697, GPA = 241) who fulfilled the MHLW diagnostic criteria and had registered within a year after onset. The mean ages of the MPA and GPA patients were 69.4 +/- A 0.4 and 58.4 +/- A 1.1 years, respectively. Renal (86.9 %), chest (73.7 %), and nervous system (45.2 %) symptoms were common in MPA patients. Ear, nose, and throat (86.7 %), chest (78.0 %), and renal (60.6 %) symptoms were frequently observed in GPA patients. The concomitant use of cyclophosphamide (CY) with corticosteroids was observed in 22.2 % of the MPA patients and 58.5 % of the GPA patients. In multivariate analysis, the concomitant use of CY was associated with a younger age and pulmonary hemorrhage in MPA patients, and the avoidance of CY was associated with nervous system symptoms and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in GPA patients. Plasma exchanges were inducted in 5.2 % of the MPA patients and 4.1 % of the GPA patients. The addition of plasma exchange was associated with elevation of the serum creatinine level in patients with both MPA and GPA. A dominance of MPA and a reduced frequency of renal involvement in GPA patients may be significant features of the Japanese population. Clinical practice relating to MPA and GPA in Japan can be characterized as follows: CY is used less commonly, and plasma exchange is employed for patients with deteriorated renal function

精神科看護の魅力

本研究の目的は，長期入院の精神障害者の退院支援のための精神科看護の魅力について文献検討により明らかにすることである．日本においては長期入院の精神障害者に対する積極的な退院支援が行われている．しかし，退院後の継続的な支援環境が整わないために，退院できない状況もあり，看護師は仕事への無力感を感じる場合も多い．それでもなお，精神障害者の退院支援に魅力を抱いている看護師がいる．したがって看護師らが退院支援に対して抱く魅力は何かを明らかにすることが長期入院の解決に対して重要である．文献検討の結果，長期入院の精神障害者の退院支援の魅力として（１）患者との相互作用のなかでの自己洞察と自らの人間的成長，（２）患者と看護師の関係発展過程から得られる患者の本質的な理解，（３）看護師が主体性を持って患者と関わることができるという特徴が示唆された．The purpose of this literature study is to clarify the fascination of positive programmed discharge support （PPDS）and psychiatric nursing for long-term inpatient with mental disorders. Long-term psychiatric hospitalization remains as a major problem in Japan. PPDS is performed to such inpatient with social hospitalization. Despite nurses’ efforts with the best intentions, some nurse feel powerless to work because patient cannot discharge from a hospital by reason that living environment after patient leaves hospital was not ready. Therefore, it is important to clarify nurses’ fascination for PPDS and their achievement motive to work to solve prolonged hospitalization. The result of literature review, it was suggested that fascination of psychiatric nursing have the following features : （１）nurse’s self-insight and personal growth in the interaction between patient and nurse, （２）intrinsically understanding of patient obtain from developmental process in the interaction between patient and nurse, and （３）psychiatric nurse is able to intervene to the patient independently

アルコール依存症と感情障害への支援

アルコール依存症と感情障害の関係性は以前から指摘されている．アルコール依存症とうつ病は，自殺企図者の精神障害の内訳の半数を占め，それらが合併した場合には自殺の危険性を一層高める．また，アルコール依存症治療において，患者がうつ症状を呈している場合，再飲酒のリスクが高くなり治療の継続を妨げる原因となりうる．そのため，うつ病の治療にも注意を払うことが求められる．さらに，家族からの支援はアルコール依存症患者の断酒を継続するなどの治療において重要な役割を果たしている．しかし，患者の断酒の継続に注意を払いすぎるあまり，それがストレスとなり患者の問題飲酒を助長することになったり，家族自身がさまざまな悩みを抱え苦しんだりすることが考えられ，家族への支援もとても重要となる．加えて，親がアルコール依存症である場合，子どもも将来アルコール依存症となる危険性が高くなるなど，子どもに与える影響も大きい．そこで医師，看護師，ソーシャルワーカーが支援に関わることや自助グループを活用することが重要となる．本総説ではアルコール依存症と感情障害の関係と治療方法，アルコール依存症と感情障害を抱える患者とその家族への支援に焦点を当て，包括的な支援のありかたを検討した．The relationship between alcohol dependency and affective disorder has been noted. Alcohol dependence and depression account for approximately half of psychiatric disorders which suicidal persons have, and in case of the combination of them, the risk for suicide would be much higher. Also, in case of patient suffering from alcohol dependence and depression as a complicated disease, it becomes an obstructive factor to provide appropriate alcoholism treatment. Therefore, it is desired to pay attentions to care of depression. In addition, the support from self-help group and patient’s family plays a great role in the alcoholism and depression treatment. However, too much attention of patient’s family to continuation of abstinence becomes a cause of stress for patient. That stress fosters problem drinking. Furthermore, it is conceivable that family has many worries and is plagued with anxiety, so family support is also very important. In this review, we focus on comprehensive support for people with both alcohol dependency and affective disorder, and their families

PPARγ Ligand as a Promising Candidate for Colorectal Cancer Chemoprevention: A Pilot Study

Activating synthetic ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), such as pioglitazone, are commonly used to treat persons with diabetes mellitus with improvement of insulin resistance. Several reports have clearly demonstrated that PPARγ ligands could inhibit colorectal cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis. Meanwhile, aberrant crypt foci (ACF) have come to be established as a biomarker of the risk of CRC in azoxymethane-treated mice and rats. In humans, ACF can be detected using magnifying colonoscopy. Previously, CRC and adenoma were used as a target for chemopreventive agents, but it needs a long time to evaluate, however, ACF can be a surrogate marker of CRC even for a brief period. In this clinical study, we investigated the chemopreventive effect of pioglitazone on the development of human ACF as a surrogate marker of CRC. Twenty-nine patients were divided into two groups, 20 were in the endoscopically normal control group and 9 were in the pioglitazone (15 mg/day) group, and ACF and adenoma were examined before and after 1-month treatment. The number of ACF was significantly decreased (5.8 ± 1.1 to 3.3 ± 2.3) after 1 month of pioglitazone treatment, however, there was no significant change in the number of crypts/ACF or in the number and size of adenomas. Pioglitazone may have a clinical application as a cancer-preventive drug. This investigation is just a pilot study, therefore, further clinical studies are needed to show that the PPARγ ligand may be a promising candidate as a chemopreventive agent for colorectal carcinogenesis

EGUIDE project and treatment guidelines

Background Clinical practice guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder have been published. However, these have not had sufficient penetration in clinical settings. We developed the Effectiveness of Guidelines for Dissemination and Education in Psychiatric Treatment (EGUIDE) project as a dissemination and education programme for psychiatrists. Aims The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the EGUIDE project on the subjective clinical behaviour of psychiatrists in accordance with clinical practice guidelines before and 1 and 2 years after participation in the programmes. Method A total of 607 psychiatrists participated in this study during October 2016 and March 2019. They attended both 1-day educational programmes based on the clinical practice guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder, and answered web questionnaires about their clinical behaviours before and 1 and 2 years after attending the programmes. We evaluated the changes in clinical behaviours in accordance with the clinical practice guidelines between before and 2 years after the programme. Results All of the scores for clinical behaviours in accordance with clinical practice guidelines were significantly improved after 1 and 2 years compared with before attending the programmes. There were no significant changes in any of the scores between 1 and 2 years after attending. Conclusions All clinical behaviours in accordance with clinical practice guidelines improved after attending the EGUIDE programme, and were maintained for at least 2 years. The EGUIDE project could contribute to improved guideline-based clinical behaviour among psychiatrists

Impaired Prefrontal Hemodynamic Maturation in Autism and Unaffected Siblings

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctions of the prefrontal cortex have been previously reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous studies reported that first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD show atypical brain activity during tasks associated with social function. However, developmental changes in prefrontal dysfunction in ASD and genetic influences on the phenomena remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the change in hemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex as measured with near-infrared spectroscopy, in children and adults with ASD during the letter fluency test. Moreover, to clarify the genetic influences on developmental changes in the prefrontal dysfunction in ASD, unaffected siblings of the ASD participants were also assessed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Study participants included 27 individuals with high-functioning ASD, age- and IQ-matched 24 healthy non-affected siblings, and 27 unrelated healthy controls aged 5 to 39 years. The relative concentration of hemoglobin ([Hb]) in the prefrontal cortex was measured during the letter fluency task. For children, neither the [oxy-Hb] change during the task nor task performances differed significantly among three groups. For adults, the [oxy-Hb] increases during the task were significantly smaller in the bilateral prefrontal cortex in ASD than those in control subjects, although task performances were similar. In the adult siblings the [oxy-Hb] change was intermediate between those in controls and ASDs. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Although indirectly due to a cross-sectional design, the results of this study indicate altered age-related change of prefrontal activity during executive processing in ASD. This is a first near-infrared spectroscopy study that implies alteration in the age-related changes of prefrontal activity in ASD and genetic influences on the phenomena