Pseudogagrella amamiana (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae) from Kanto District, Japan, as the first probable cases of domestically introduced species in Japanese harvestmen

A population of Pseudogagrella amamiana (Nakatsudi 1942) (Arachnida: Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae) was found from a town park in the suburbs of Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshu, Japan, in 2017. Furthermore, another population of the species was found from Unomisaki Point, Ishihama Beach, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, in 2019. This species has been known from the Ryukyu Islands (in and north of Kumejima Island), and sporadically from Kyushu and westernmost part of Honshu (Yamaguchi Prefecture). It is highly probable that these populations in Yokohama and Unomisaki Point have originated from a few males and females or a gravid female or soil litter containing eggs somehow introduced from the native ranges of the species, because the present localities are more than 700 km apart from the nearest known locality of the species in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The chromosome number of these populations showed 2n = 18, hence it seems that the population came from the native ranges of the species other than Okinawa and Kumejima Islands where it is 2n = 20

Preliminary Experience of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with Gallbladder Bed Dissection for Suspected Gallbladder Cancer

Selecting the appropriate operation for gallbladder cancer depends on the depth of cancer invasion, which remains difficult to determine preoperatively, especially with respect to the subserosal layer (pT2). We devised a laparoscopic cholecystectomy with gallbladder bed dissection (LC with GBD) as a new total biopsy method for suspected gallbladder cancer. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 19 patients who underwent LC with GBD to assess the usefulness of this procedure and the pathological findings. No severe morbidity or recurrence was encountered. LC with GBD could be performed easily and safely, and the patients’ postoperative course was almost equal to that of patients treated by conventional LC. Histologically, gallbladder cancer was diagnosed in five cases (pT1a, 3; pT2, 2). We believe that LC with GBD could play an important role in the potential treatment strategy for pT2 gallbladder cancer

Alu-mediated large deletion of the CDSN gene as a cause of peeling skin disease

Peeling skin disease (PSD) is an autosomal recessive skin disorder caused by mutations in CDSN and is characterized by superficial peeling of the upper epidermis. Corneodesmosin (CDSN) is a major component of corneodesmosomes that plays an important role in maintaining epidermis integrity. Herein, we report a patient with PSD caused by a novel homozygous large deletion in the 6p21.3 region encompassing the CDSN gene, which abrogates CDSN expression. Several genes including C6orf15, PSORS1C1, PSORS1C2, CCHCR1, and TCF19 were also deleted, however, the patient showed only clinical features typical of PSD. The deletion size was 59.1kb. Analysis of the sequence surrounding the breakpoint showed that both telomeric and centromeric breakpoints existed within Alu-S sequences that were oriented in opposite directions. These results suggest an Alu-mediated recombination event as the mechanism underlying the deletion in our patient. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.In Press / 発行後1年より最終

Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Japan : JSH Consensus Statements and Recommendations 2021 Update

The Clinical Practice Manual for Hepatocellular Carcinoma was published based on evidence confirmed by the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma along with consensus opinion among a Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH) expert panel on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since the JSH Clinical Practice Guidelines are based on original articles with extremely high levels of evidence, expert opinions on HCC management in clinical practice or consensus on newly developed treatments are not included. However, the practice manual incorporates the literature based on clinical data, expert opinion, and real-world clinical practice currently conducted in Japan to facilitate its use by clinicians. Alongside each revision of the JSH Guidelines, we issued an update to the manual, with the first edition of the manual published in 2007, the second edition in 2010, the third edition in 2015, and the fourth edition in 2020, which includes the 2017 edition of the JSH Guideline. This article is an excerpt from the fourth edition of the HCC Clinical Practice Manual focusing on pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of HCC. It is designed as a practical manual different from the latest version of the JSH Clinical Practice Guidelines. This practice manual was written by an expert panel from the JSH, with emphasis on the consensus statements and recommendations for the management of HCC proposed by the JSH expert panel. In this article, we included newly developed clinical practices that are relatively common among Japanese experts in this field, although all of their statements are not associated with a high level of evidence, but these practices are likely to be incorporated into guidelines in the future. To write this article, coauthors from different institutions drafted the content and then critically reviewed each other’s work. The revised content was then critically reviewed by the Board of Directors and the Planning and Public Relations Committee of JSH before publication to confirm the consensus statements and recommendations. The consensus statements and recommendations presented in this report represent measures actually being conducted at the highest-level HCC treatment centers in Japan. We hope this article provides insight into the actual situation of HCC practice in Japan, thereby affecting the global practice pattern in the management of HCC

Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus and Helicobacter pylori in Primary Malignant Gastric Lymphomas

We studied five patients diagnosed with primary gastric lymphoma between 1985 and 1995 in Omura Munisipa Hospital to investigate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori, Epstein-Barr virus and primary malignant gastric lymphoma. H. pylori was detected by hematoxylin-eosin stain, Giemsa stain, immunohistochemistry while EBV was detected by in situ hybridization in the lymphoma and background mucosa. H. pylori but not EBV, was detected in all cases. Furthermore, malignant lymphomas were mainly located in the area of the fundic gland where H. pylori was frequently identified and caused inflammation. In contrast, malignant lymphomas were not detected in areas with intestinal metaplasia. Our results suggest that malignant lymphoma may develop in a region where the immune system has been activated by H. pylori. In contrast, EBV is unlikely to play an important role in the development of gastric lymphoma, compared to H. pylori

Nivolumab Versus Gemcitabine or Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin for Patients With Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: Open-Label, Randomized Trial in Japan (NINJA)

PURPOSE: This phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label study investigated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab versus chemotherapy (gemcitabine [GEM] or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin [PLD]) in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer, received ≤ 1 regimen after diagnosis of resistance, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of ≤ 1. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to nivolumab (240 mg once every 2 weeks [as one cycle]) or chemotherapy (GEM 1000 mg/m2 for 30 minutes [once on days 1, 8, and 15] followed by a week's rest [as one cycle], or PLD 50 mg/m2 once every 4 weeks [as one cycle]). The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate, duration of response, and safety. RESULTS: Patients (n = 316) were randomly assigned to nivolumab (n = 157) or GEM or PLD (n = 159) between October 2015 and December 2017. Median OS was 10.1 (95% CI, 8.3 to 14.1) and 12.1 (95% CI, 9.3 to 15.3) months with nivolumab and GEM or PLD, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.3; P = .808). Median PFS was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.9 to 2.2) and 3.8 (95% CI, 3.6 to 4.2) months with nivolumab and GEM or PLD, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.9; P = .002). There was no statistical difference in overall response rate between groups (7.6% v 13.2%; odds ratio, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.2 to 1.3; P = .191). Median duration of response was numerically longer with nivolumab than GEM or PLD (18.7 v 7.4 months). Fewer treatment-related adverse events were observed with nivolumab versus GEM or PLD (61.5% v 98.1%), with no additional or new safety risks. CONCLUSION: Although well-tolerated, nivolumab did not improve OS and showed worse PFS compared with GEM or PLD in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Japan: JSH Consensus Statements and Recommendations 2021 Update

The Clinical Practice Manual for Hepatocellular Carcinoma was published based on evidence confirmed by the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma along with consensus opinion among a Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH) expert panel on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since the JSH Clinical Practice Guidelines are based on original articles with extremely high levels of evidence, expert opinions on HCC management in clinical practice or consensus on newly developed treatments are not included. However, the practice manual incorporates the literature based on clinical data, expert opinion, and real-world clinical practice currently conducted in Japan to facilitate its use by clinicians. Alongside each revision of the JSH Guidelines, we issued an update to the manual, with the first edition of the manual published in 2007, the second edition in 2010, the third edition in 2015, and the fourth edition in 2020, which includes the 2017 edition of the JSH Guideline. This article is an excerpt from the fourth edition of the HCC Clinical Practice Manual focusing on pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of HCC. It is designed as a practical manual different from the latest version of the JSH Clinical Practice Guidelines. This practice manual was written by an expert panel from the JSH, with emphasis on the consensus statements and recommendations for the management of HCC proposed by the JSH expert panel. In this article, we included newly developed clinical practices that are relatively common among Japanese experts in this field, although all of their statements are not associated with a high level of evidence, but these practices are likely to be incorporated into guidelines in the future. To write this article, coauthors from different institutions drafted the content and then critically reviewed each other’s work. The revised content was then critically reviewed by the Board of Directors and the Planning and Public Relations Committee of JSH before publication to confirm the consensus statements and recommendations. The consensus statements and recommendations presented in this report represent measures actually being conducted at the highest-level HCC treatment centers in Japan. We hope this article provides insight into the actual situation of HCC practice in Japan, thereby affecting the global practice pattern in the management of HCC