Immunological Changes in Mesothelioma Patients and Their Experimental Detection

It is common knowledge that asbestos exposure causes asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma (MM) not only in people who have handled asbestos in the work environment, but also in residents living near factories that handle asbestos. These facts have been an enormous medical and social problem in Japan since the summer of 2005. We focused on the immunological effects of asbestos and silica on the human immune system. In this brief review, we present immunological changes in patients with MM and outline their experimental detection. For example, there is over-expression of bcl-2 in CD4+ peripheral T-cells, high plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß, and multiple over-representation of T cell receptor (TcR)-Vß in peripheral CD3+ T-cells found in MM patients. We also detail an experimental long-term exposure T-cell model. Analysis of the immunological effects of asbestos may help our understanding of the biological effects of asbestos

青年が日記を書く意味-日記の公開・非公開が及ぼす自己開示の違いと意義-

Recently, a growing number of people are opening their diaries to the public, by using weblogs and other methods. The authors investigated self-disclosure and its significance, based on whether diary writers publicized their online diaries. In Study I, we examined the modality of disclosing the self in diaries and its relationship with self-consciousness. A questionnaire survey was conducted with university student participants(N=255), which indicated that approximately 60% of participants have kept some sort of a diary. Results indicated that those with diaries that were either public,or closed, had a high private selfconsciousness, the degree to turn attention to the inside of the self. It was also suggested that the content of disclosures differed according to whether the diary was publicized, or not. In Study 2, we asked university students(N=20) to keep a "private"diary for three weeks and examined the meaning of keeping the diary. In the process of keeping the diary, participants showed resistance towards disclosing the self in their diaries. Moreover,keeping the diary increased their introspection

A novel frameshift GRN mutation results in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with a distinct clinical phenotype in two siblings: case report and literature review

BackgroundProgranulin gene (GRN) mutations are major causes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. To date, 68 pathogenic GRN mutations have been identified. However, very few of these mutations have been reported in Asians. Moreover, some GRN mutations manifest with familial phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we present a novel GRN mutation resulting in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with a distinct clinical phenotype, and we review reports of GRN mutations associated with familial phenotypic heterogeneity.Case presentationWe describe the case of a 74-year-old woman with left frontotemporal lobe atrophy who presented with progressive anarthria and non-fluent aphasia. Her brother had been diagnosed with corticobasal syndrome (CBS) with right-hand limb-kinetic apraxia, aphasia, and a similar pattern of brain atrophy. Laboratory blood examinations did not reveal abnormalities that could have caused cognitive dysfunction. In the cerebrospinal fluid, cell counts and protein concentrations were within normal ranges, and concentrations of tau protein and phosphorylated tau protein were also normal. Since similar familial cases due to mutation of GRN and microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) were reported, we performed genetic analysis. No pathological mutations of MAPT were identified, but we identified a novel GRN frameshift mutation (c.1118_1119delCCinsG: p.Pro373ArgX37) that resulted in progranulin haploinsufficiency.ConclusionThis is the first report of a GRN mutation associated with familial phenotypic heterogeneity in Japan. Literature review of GRN mutations associated with familial phenotypic heterogeneity revealed no tendency of mutation sites. The role of progranulin has been reported in this and other neurodegenerative diseases, and the analysis of GRN mutations may lead to the discovery of a new therapeutic target

近畿圏内薬学部の2015, 2016年度における薬剤師国家試験合否状況に関する検討

A four-year course of pharmaceutical education that emphasized the importance of basic sciences was implemented in Japan through 2005; in 2006, the curriculum was reorganized and transformed into a six-year course to improve education in applied pharmaceutics and clinical practice. Information on the numbers of incoming students, promoted fifth-year students, straightly graduated students and students who straightly passed for the national examination for pharmacists in each 6-year course of university for pharmacists is now available from Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MEXT) and each university\u27s individual website. This study collected data on 12 universities in the Kinki region. Based on these date, two indexes were calculated: the "postponed graduation index" and the "retention and dropout index". Statistical analysis of the two indexes, along with straight pass rate from the numbers of straightly graduated and incoming students, revealed that the retention and dropout index is inversely related to deviation value at university admission examinations and positivery correlated with straight pass rate, suggesting that students unfit for pharmaceutical education were admitted to universities with low deviation value at university admission examinations. Cluster analysis based on four factors (pass rate of new graduates, straight pass rate, retention and dropout index, and postponed graduation index) suggests five clusters, strongly dependent on deviation value at university admission examinations. These results indicate the significance of high marks at university admission

社会的要因を含む生活習慣病リスク要因の解明を目指した国民代表集団の大規模コホート研究：ＮＩＰＰＯＮ ＤＡＴＡ８０／９０／２０１０

厚生労働科学研究費補助金研究成果報告書研究区分: 厚生労働科学研究費補助金 疾病・障害対策研究分野 循環器疾患・糖尿病等生活習慣病対策総合研究課題番号: H25-循環器等（生習）-指定-022研究年度: 2013報告書区分: 総括文献番号: 201315063

Association between the examination rate of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and the clozapine prescription rate in a nationwide dissemination and implementation study

Background: The decision to initiate clozapine treatment should be made on an individual basis and may be closely related to the early detection of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), although there is evidence that the early use of clozapine results in a better response to treatment. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the examination rate of TRS and the prescription rate of clozapine. Methods: After attending a 1-day educational program on schizophrenia based on the "Guidelines for the Pharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenia," we asked the participating facilities to submit records of whether or not TRS was evaluated for each patient. We calculated the clozapine prescription rate from the schizophrenic patients prescribed clozapine and all of the schizophrenic patients. Forty-nine facilities in 2017 were included in the study. Results: There were dichotomous distributions in the examination rate of TRS and a non-normal distribution in the prescription rate of clozapine. There was a significant correlation between the prescription rate of clozapine and the examination rate of TRS (r s = 0.531, P = 1.032 × 10−4). A significant difference was found in the prescription rate of clozapine between the three groups of facilities according to the examination rate of TRS. Conclusion: As a preliminary problem for the use of clozapine, in Japan, the examination rate of TRS varies, and there are many facilities that typically do not consider the possibility of TRS; this trend leads to a low rate of clozapine use. Clearly, further clinician training is needed for the early detection and appropriate management of TRS that includes an explanation of TRS and how to introduce clozapine therapy to patients and their families

社会的要因を含む生活習慣病リスク要因の解明を目指した国民代表集団の大規模コホート研究：ＮＩＰＰＯＮ ＤＡＴＡ８０/９０/２０１０

厚生労働科学研究費研究成果報告書研究区分: 厚生労働科学研究費補助金 疾病・障害対策研究分野 【補助金】 循環器疾患・糖尿病等生活習慣病対策総合研究課題番号: H25-循環器等(生習)-指定-022研究年度: 2014報告書区分: 総括文献番号: 201412057A研究代表者: 三浦 克之（滋賀医科大学・医学部・教授）研究分担者: 上島 弘嗣（滋賀医科大学・アジア疫学研究センター・特任教授）研究分担者: 門田 文（滋賀医科大学・アジア疫学研究センター・特任准教授）研究分担者: 藤吉 朗（滋賀医科大学・医学部・准教授）研究分担者: 宮松 直美（滋賀医科大学・医学部・教授

Improvements in the degree of understanding the treatment guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder in a nationwide dissemination and implementation study

Background: To implement clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), it is necessary for psychiatrists to deepen their understanding of the CPGs. The Effectiveness of Guidelines for Dissemination and Education in Psychiatric Treatment (EGUIDE) project is a nationwide dissemination and implementation study of two sets of CPGs for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: A total of 413 psychiatrists (n = 212 in 2016; n = 201 in 2017) learned the two CPGs in the education program of the EGUIDE project, and clinical knowledge of these CPGs was evaluated at baseline and after the programs. To improve the correct answer rate for clinical knowledge after the programs, we revised the lecture materials associated with items that had a low correct answer rate in 2016 and used the revised lecture materials with the CPGs in 2017. The rates of correct answers after the programs between the 2016 and 2017 groups were compared. Results: The correct answer rate of one item on the schizophrenia CPG and one item on the MDD CPG tended to be improved (S-D5 and D-C6) and that of one on the MDD CPG was significantly improved (D-D3, P = 0.0008) in the 2017 group compared to those in the 2016 group. Conclusions: We reported improvements in clinical knowledge of CPGs after the EGUIDE program in the 2017 group following revision of the lecture materials based on results from the 2016 group. These attempts to improve the degree of understanding of CPGs may facilitate the successful dissemination and implementation of psychiatric guidelines in everyday practice