Objective Oxidative stress is associated with the progression of chronic liver disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is also an oxidative stress-related disease. However, the oxidative/anti-oxidative balance has not been fully characterized in NAFLD. The objective of the present study was to investigate the balance between oxidative stress and the anti-oxidative activity in NAFLD, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients We recruited 69 patients with histologically proven NAFLD without HCC (NAFLD; n=58), and with NASH-related HCC (NASH-HCC; n=11). The 58 NAFLD patients included patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL; n=14) and NASH (n=44).

Methods The serum levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and anti-oxidative markers (OXY) were determined and then used to calculate the oxidative index. The correlations among such factors as ROM, OXY, oxidative index, and clinical characteristics were investigated.

Results In NAFLD, ROM positively correlated with the body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the histological grade or inflammatory scores, while only high HbA1c and CRP levels were significant factors that correlated with a higher ROM according to a multivariate analysis. OXY positively correlated with the platelet counts, albumin, and creatinine levels, while negatively correlating with age. However, it improved after treatment intervention. The oxidative index positively correlated with BMI, CRP, and HbA1c. The NASH-HCC patients exhibited a lower OXY than the NASH patients, probably due to the effects of aging.

Conclusion Oxidative stress correlated with the levels of NASH activity markers, while the anti-oxidative function was preserved in younger patients as well as in patients with a well-preserved liver function. The NASH-HCC patients tended to be older and exhibited a diminished anti-oxidative function.

Objective Measuring the fractional flow reserve (FFR) requires the induction of coronary hyperemia, usually with adenosine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), or papaverine. However, adenosine can induce rhythmic complications, and intracoronary boluses of papaverine that prolong the QT interval can cause ventricular tachycardia. Injection of contrast media, which is routinely performed to validate the FFR guidewire placement, also induces hyperemia and may be an alternative method of measuring the FFR. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the FFR after contrast hyperemia (FFRcont) compared to FFR evaluated after intracoronary papaverine (FFRpp).

Methods This study included 109 lesions in 93 patients (mean age 70.4±8.7 years) with stable coronary disease. The FFR was measured as follows: 1) baseline pressure value; 2) FFRcont after intracoronary contrast injection (iopamidol, 8 mL for left coronary artery [LCA] or 6 mL for right coronary artery [RCA]); 3) FFRpp after intracoronary injection of papaverine (12 mg for LCA or 8 mg for RCA).

Results FFRcont values were strongly correlated with FFRpp (R=0.940, p<0.0001; FFRpp = FFRcont ×1.007-0.032). The best cut-off point in the receiver operator curve analysis for predicting a FFRpp <0.80 was 0.82 (area under the curve =0.980; sensitivity 95.1%, specificity 91.2%, positive predictive value 86.7%, negative predictive value 96.9%).

Conclusion FFRcont is highly accurate for predicting FFRpp. An FFRcont threshold value of 0.82 provides excellent sensitivity and a negative predictive value. FFRcont is an alternative method of inducing hyperemia.

Objective The underlying mechanisms of stent thrombosis are not completely understood.

Methods We experienced 12 definite stent thrombosis cases (1 early, 1 late, and 10 very late) at our hospital from July 2011 to April 2016 and evaluated the possible causes of stent thrombosis by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

Results Five different potential morphological causes of stent thrombosis (neoatherosclerosis, stent malapposition, stent fracture, edge dissection, and stent underexpansion) were detected by IVUS in 10 cases (83.3%); in 1 of the remaining 2 cases, the discontinuation of antithrombotic drugs resulted in early stent thrombosis without abnormal IVUS findings. Of the 12 stent thrombosis cases, 4 occurred at a bare-metal stent (average time from stent implantation, 106 months); in all 12, significant neointimal hyperplasia was observed on IVUS, and 2 had plaque ruptures at an in-stent or proximal reference. Malapposed stent struts were observed in three very-late stent thromboses, and all of these underwent sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. Stent thrombosis due to mechanical (stent fracture) or procedure-related complications (edge dissection and stent underexpansion) was observed in three cases.

Conclusion In patients with stent thrombosis, heterogeneous findings were observed in IVUS. This IVUS case series illustrates the possible mechanisms of stent thrombosis.

Objective Previous studies have shown that serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is involved in diabetes-related bone fragility. Although lower serum levels of IGF-I are reported to be associated with a higher risk of vertebral fractures in patients with type 2 diabetes, it is unknown whether or not the serum level of IGF-I is associated with the incidence of non-vertebral fractures.

Methods We investigated the relationships between the serum levels of IGF-I and the incidence of non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures in 188 men and 168 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.

Results A multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, duration of diabetes, observation period, body mass index, HbA1c, serum creatinine, and the bone mineral density at the lumbar spine showed that the serum IGF-I level was significantly and inversely associated with the incidence of non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women (odds ratio =0.48, 95% confidential interval [CI] 0.23-0.99 per SD increase; p=0.047), but not in men. Moreover, the inverse association between the serum IGF-I level and the incidence of non-vertebral fractures remained significant after additional adjustment for insulin use, and the serum calcium and phosphate levels (odds ratio =0.48, 95% CI 0.23-0.99 per SD increase; p=0.046).

Conclusion This is the first study to show that decreased serum IGF-I levels are associated with a higher risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Serum IGF-I could be a useful marker for assessing the incidence of osteoporotic fractures.

Objective To evaluate the incidence, risk, or protective factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients after cardiac surgery based on the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria.

Methods A retrospective analysis of 2,575 patients undergoing their first documented cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was conducted. Perioperative variables were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used for determining the association between the development of AKI and risk factors. Multiple Cox-proportional hazards modeling was performed to evaluate the impact of AKI on the mortality in the intensive care unit and hospital length of stay.

Results Of 2,575 patients, 931 (36%) developed AKI. A total of 30 (1.2%) patients required renal replacement therapy. In the multivariate analysis, mechanical ventilation duration (OR1.446, 95% CI 1.195-1.749, p<0.001), CPB duration of ≥110 min (OR 1.314, 95% CI 1.072-1.611, p=0.009), erythrocytes transfusion (OR 1.078, 95% CI 1.050-1.106, p<0.001), and postoperative body temperature greater than 38°C within 3 days (OR 1.234, 95% CI 1.018-1.496, p=0.032) were independent risk factors for CSA-AKI, while ulinastatin use was associated with a reduced incidence of CSA-AKI (OR 0.694, 95% CI 0.557-0.881, p=0.006). CSA-AKI was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted HR: 2.218, 95% CI 1.161-4.238, p=0.016), especially in patients needing renal replacement therapy (adjusted HR: 18.683, 95% CI 8.579-40.684, p<0.001).

Conclusion Mechanical ventilation duration, erythrocytes transfusion, and postoperative body temperature above 38°C within 3 days were considered independent risk factors for CSA-AKI. The use of ulinastatin was associated with a reduced incidence of CSA-AKI.

Diffuse nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the gastrointestinal tract is a rare disease characterized by numerous small polypoid nodules in the small intestine, large intestine, or both. It is associated with immunodeficiency and infection, such as Giardia lamblia and Helicobacter pylori. Although diffuse nodular lymphoid hyperplasia associated with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and giardiasis is already known, a few studies have reported a regression of the lymphoid nodules after the eradication of infection. We herein describe a case of diffuse nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the intestine associated with CVID and refractory giardiasis that markedly improved after successfully treating giardiasis.

Rectal neuroendocrine tumor (NET) is a relatively rare tumor. NET is classified as G1, G2, or G3 according to the degree of mitosis or Ki-67 proliferation index, which reflect the malignant potential of the tumor, such as metastasis. Advanced cases with metastasis are indicated for chemotherapy treatment. However, the efficacy of chemotherapy is limited. Therefore, resection is considered, even in metastatic cases, if complete resection is possible. We herein report a case of small rectal NET discovered with hepatic metastasis classified as G1. The patient showed good progress with no recurrence after undergoing hepatectomy and endoscopic resection of rectal NET.

A young woman with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) was referred to our hospital. On examination, multiple flat neoplasms were detected in addition to semi-pedunculated polyps. Restorative proctocolectomy was performed; one submucosal invasive cancer, two mucosal cancers, and several adenomas with high-grade dysplasia were detected. On immunohistochemical staining with p53, every part of all neoplasms, even the small adenomas, showed strong positive staining. Multiple flat neoplasms may be characteristic of patients with LFS and may have a much higher risk of rapid progression to invasive carcinomas than sporadic neoplasms. Thus, careful and frequent colonoscopy surveillance may be needed for patients with LFS.

Pancreatic metastasis from colorectal cancer is rare, and there have been only a few reports of its preoperative diagnosis by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) with immunohistochemical staining. We herein describe the case of a 77-year-old woman in whom a solitary mass in the pancreatic tail was detected 11 years after rectal cancer resection. The patient also had a history of pulmonary tumor resection. We performed EUS-FNA and a histopathological examination showed adenocarcinoma with CD20+, CD7-, and CDX2+ (similar to her rectal cancer). EUS-FNA enabled a histopathological examination, including immunohistochemical staining, which helped to confirm the diagnosis of pancreatic and pulmonary metastasis from rectal cancer.

We herein report the first case of a pancreatic fistula extending into the thigh caused by the rupture of an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas. An 80-year-old man was suspected to have necrotizing fasciitis because of right femoral pain. Computed tomography showed fluid retention from the pancreatic head to the right iliopsoas muscle and an IPMN at the pancreatic head. The findings of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography led to the suspicion of a minor leak and a pancreatic stent was placed. The patient died due to an uncontrollable infection. A pathological autopsy showed a pancreatic fistula extending into the thigh that had been caused by the rupture of the IPMN.

An early diagnosis is important for improving the prognosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA). We herein describe the utility of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2-D STE) in diagnosing CA at a less advanced stage. A 63-year-old woman with exertional dyspnea was suspected of having CA based on her echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings. A myocardial biopsy was negative for amyloid deposits, while the relative apical sparing pattern was detected on 2-D STE, which was highly suggestive of CA. Chemotherapy was initiated as a treatment for CA, and the patient's symptoms were immediately relieved. Thereafter, amyloid deposits were detected in a skin biopsy specimen.

A 42-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to chest pain, diabetes mellitus, and sensorineural hearing loss. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed diffuse left ventricular hypokinesis. He was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease and a c.A3243G mutation was identified in his mitochondrial DNA. This case of mitochondrial cardiomyopathy demonstrated a low uptake of ¹²³I-BMIPP, while the uptake of ^99mTc-MIBI was preserved. In contrast, previous reports have noted the increased uptake of¹²³I-BMIPP and the decreased uptake of ^99mTc-MIBI. This is the first study to show this unique ^99mTc-MIBI/¹²³I-BMIPP mismatch pattern. We also discuss the relationships among the cardiac scintigraphy, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathology findings.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric disorder which typically occurs in young women; however, more and more cases in middle-aged women are being reported. The management of this complex disease requires a team approach, and full recovery occurs only in 50% of patients. Endocrine and metabolic complications are commonly observed, the latter of which may even be life-threatening, and require prompt and proper management. Infections, albeit reported, are not usually a major clinical problem in these patients. We herein report the case of a severely malnourished middle-aged woman with long-standing AN who was hospitalized with marked hypokalaemia (1.5 mEq/L) and rhabdomyolysis; during hospitalization she developed septic shock and acute respiratory distress syndrome, which required urgent admission to the intensive care unit. She underwent sedation and tracheal intubation for mechanical ventilation and was managed with combined therapies, which eventually led to a successful outcome. Life-threatening medical complications can occur not only in young women but in middle-aged women with AN as well and require a combined multidisciplinary approach.

The patient was 32-year-old man, who received olanzapine for schizophrenia and developed polyuria and thirst without drinking soft-drinks after 4 months. Five months after the initiation of treatment, he developed diabetic ketoacidosis (blood glucose: 490 mg/dL, HbA1c: 15.5%). He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-Ab: 5.6 U/mL, IA-2 Ab: 5.9 U/mL, fasting C-peptide: 0.12 ng/mL) and was put on intensive insulin therapy. At four months after the onset of 1A diabetes, he experienced a honeymoon phase that was sustained until the 40th month of treatment. We hypothesize that the administration of olanzapine to a patient with pre-type 1A diabetes induced marked hyperglycemia and accelerated the onset of type 1A diabetes.

Anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) are at high risk of developing rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD), which is associated with a high mortality rate. Approximately half of the patients with ILD recover; however, the long-term clinical course of these patients has not been fully reported and is not completely understood. This report describes the atypical clinical course of an anti-MDA5 antibody-positive CADM patient who experienced three deteriorations of ILD in 9 years. These findings indicate that the ILD in anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients may not only be rapidly progressive, but may also be chronic and recurrent.

A 23-year-old man who had previously undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for severe aplastic anemia was diagnosed with invasive laryngeal-tracheobronchial-pulmonary aspergillosis after presenting with a persistent dry cough at six months post-transplantation based on the findings of laryngoscopy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy. A fiberoptic bronchoscope was used to remove the obstructive material from the patient's airway and posaconazole plus caspofungin were administered to successfully to treat the patient. Our report suggests that laryngoscopy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy should be considered as alternative approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of allo-HSCT recipients with persistent respiratory symptoms when invasive laryngeal aspergillosis and invasive tracheobronchial aspergillosis are suspected.

Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) with varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a rare occurrence after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We herein report a case of VZV meningitis, radiculitis and myelitis that developed 8 months after cord blood transplantation, shortly after the cessation of cyclosporine and low-dose acyclovir. Although treatment with acyclovir did not achieve a satisfactory response, the patient was successfully treated with foscarnet. Our report indicates that VZV infection should be considered in allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients with CNS symptoms and that foscarnet may be effective for the treatment of acyclovir-resistant VZV infections of the CNS. The development of optimal prophylactic strategies and vaccination schedules may eradicate post-transplant VZV disease.

We describe a 24-year-old woman with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis that developed 3 weeks after normal delivery. She was treated with methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasmapheresis, in addition to teratoma excision. However, her recovery was slow, and dysmnesia and mental juvenility persisted even two years after onset. To date, five patients with postpartum anti-NMDAR encephalitis have been reported. All of those patients showed psychotic symptoms and were suspected of having postpartum psychosis in the early period of the encephalitis. Changes in hormonal factors, modification of immune tolerance, or retrograde infection of the ovary may be contributing factors for postpartum anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Central nervous system graft-versus-host disease can present quite a diagnostic challenge. We herein present a case of histologically-confirmed chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) involving the central nervous system that occurred at 19 months after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed areas of confluent hyperintensity in the deep/subcortical white matter with multiple punctate and curvilinear gadolinium enhancements, suggesting the disruption of the blood-brain barrier. A brain biopsy revealed perivascular CD3-positive T cell infiltration around the small vessels. We propose that the detection of punctate-enhanced lesions by magnetic resonance imaging may be a useful finding that facilitates the early diagnosis of chronic GVHD involving the central nervous system.

A 64-year-old Japanese man with multiple myeloma was admitted to our institute due to fever and hypotension. He had received multiple courses of chemotherapy just before his febrile episode. Blood culturing detected Morganella morganii. At the time of the diagnosis, his laboratory findings revealed massive rhabdomyolysis with a significantly increased creatinine kinase level (CK; 3,582 U/L); 98.8% of which corresponded to the CK-MB isotype. We diagnosed the patient with sepsis caused by M. morganii, complicated with severe rhabdomyolysis. He died of multi-organ failure 2 days later. Clinicians should closely observe patients with possible systemic infection-associated rhabdomyolysis.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department due to coma. The cerebrospinal fluid cell count was 40,080 cells/μL, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected on culture. Stretching the bacterial colonies on an agar plate showed the formation of a viscous string with a length exceeding 5 mm, indicating hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hv-KP). A genome analysis suggested hv-KP capsular genotype K54 with sequence type 29. Although no brain abscess was detected on contrast-enhanced computed tomography on Day 4 or on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on Day 7, contrast-enhanced MRI on Day 23 showed granuloma-like nodal enhancement on the surface of the left insula. Antibacterial therapy was continued until the enhancement disappeared on Day 40. MRI may help determine the duration required for antibacterial therapy. After six months, the patient was discharged and remained free from recurrence.

A 73-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus and end-stage renal disease was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. He required continuous dialysis after percutaneous coronary intervention. Subsequently, multiple nodules were discovered in both lungs for the first time, and Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated from the patient's sputum, blood, bilateral pleural fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid cultures, resulting in a diagnosis of disseminated cryptococcosis. This case represents an invaluable example of disseminated cryptococcosis with rapidly growing lung nodules in a dialysis patient, and illustrates that dialysis causes innate immune disorder and the reactivation of cryptococcosis.