Prediction of a Null Response to Pegylated Interferon α-2b Plus Ribavirin in Patients with High Viral Load Genotype 1b Hepatitis C

( Yuki Wada ),( Hideyuki Tamai ),( Akira Kawashima ),( Naoki Shingaki ),( Yoshiyuki Mori ),( Masanori Kawaguchi ),( Kosaku Moribata ),( Hisanobu Deguchi ),( Kazuki Ueda ),( Izumi Inoue ),( Takao Maeki 대한소화기학회 2014 Gut and Liver Vol.8 No.4

Background/Aims: The present study aimed to clarify whether virological response within 2 weeks after therapy initiation can predict a null response to pegylated interferon α-2b plus ribavirin therapy in patients with high viral load genotype 1b hepatitis C. Methods: The participants consisted of 72 patients with high viral load genotype 1b. The dynamics of viral load within 2 weeks were measured. Results: Significant differences between null responders and nonnull responders were noted for interleukin (IL)-28B genotype, amino acid 70 substitution, α-fetoprotein, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hyaluronic acid, and viral response. The area under the curve (AUC) for the receiver operating characteristic curve of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level decline at 2 weeks (AUC=0.993) was the highest among the factors predicting the null response. When the cutoff value for the HCV RNA level decline at 2 weeks was set at 0.80 log, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy in predicting a null response were 82%, 96%, 82%, 96%, and 94%, respectively. In comparison, values for the non-TT and mutant type of amino acid 70 substitution were similar to those for HCV RNA level decline at 2 weeks. Conclusions: Virological response at 2 weeks or the combination of IL-28B and amino acid 70 substitution are accurate predictors of a null response. (Gut Liver 2014;8:421-427)

Flux Growth Assisted Synthesis of Silicon-Substituted Sodium Titanate Crystal for Metal Ions Removal from Contaminated Solution

Yuki Wada,Mongkol Tipplook,Tetsuya Yamada,Fumitaka Hayashi,Katsuya Teshima 한국표면공학회 2023 한국표면공학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2023 No.11-1

Carbonyl cyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone-induced toxicities in rats: comparative study with other mitochondrial uncouplers (2,4-dinitrophenol, OPC-163493 and tolcapone)

Inoue Yuki,Wada Yuko,Sato Makoto,Sato Seiji,Okamoto Takashi,Kanemoto Naohide 한국독성학회 2023 Toxicological Research Vol.39 No.4

FCCP (carbonyl cyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone) is known to inhibit oxidative phosphorylation as a protonophore, dissipating the proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane. To understand the toxicity of FCCP, 3-day, 2- and 4-week repeated oral dose studies were performed in male rats. In the 3-day and 2-week repeated dose toxicity studies, observations included salivation, increased body temperature, and dead and moribund animals. Increased liver weight was observed in conjunction with hydropic degeneration and centrilobular necrosis of hepatocytes. In addition, pathological changes were observed in the pancreas, testis, epididymal duct, stomach and parotid gland. Electron microscopic examination revealed mitochondrial pleomorphism in the hepatocytes. Swelling of mitochondria was observed in the alpha cells and beta cells of the pancreas. Dilatation of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies and loss of secretory granules were also noted in the beta cells of the pancreas. FCCP was also compared with three other mUncouplers (DNP, OPC-163493 and tolcapone) with regard to in vitro mitochondrial uncoupling (mUncoupling) activities. FCCP produced the peak ΔOCR (oxygen consumption rate) at the lowest concentration (0.4 μM), followed by OPC-163493, tolcapone, and DNP, based on peak values in ascending order of concentration (2.5, 10, and 50 μM, respectively). Considering the relationship between the mUncoupling activity and toxicity profile of the four mUncouplers, there is no parallel relationship between the in vitro mUncoupling activity and the degree of in vivo toxicity. These findings may contribute to the efficient development of new mitochondrial uncoupler candidates.

Analgesic effects and distribution of cutaneous sensory blockade of quadratus lumborum block type 2 and posterior transversus abdominis plane block: An observational comparative study

Aoyama Yuki,Sakura Shinichi,Abe Shoko,Wada Minori,Saito Yoji 대한마취통증의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Anesthesiology Vol.73 No.4

Background: The posterior transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) and quadratus lumborum block (QLB) were developed for postoperative pain control after lower abdominal surgery. However, there is little data regarding their effects. Their analgesic effects and the distribution of the cutaneous sensory blockade were observed in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. Methods: After an induction of general anesthesia, patients alternately received bilateral ultrasound-guided QLB type 2 (QLB2) or posterior TAPB using 20 ml of 0.375% levobupivacaine on each side. The measurements included visual analogue pain scores (VAS), cutaneous sensory blockade in each dermatome, demands for postoperative analgesics, and complications for up to 48 h after the block. Our primary endpoint was VAS at 24 h after the block. Results: Forty patients completed the study. The VAS at rest was significantly lower after QLB2 than that after TAPB at 48 h, but not at 24 h. Neither group differed in VAS when coughing at any point in time. Postoperative demands for fentanyl and other analgesics also did not differ for either block. The majority of injections produced a cutaneous sensory blockade in the T11 and T12 dermatomes in both groups. The median number of dermatomes blocked was limited to three dermatomes after either block. No severe complication related to either block was observed. Conclusions: The analgesic effects of QLB2 and posterior TAPB did not differ in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. The cutaneous sensory blockade produced was limited to three dermatomal levels in the majority of patients. However, these findings need to be confirmed through a larger comparative study.

Elution Behavior of Nutrient Salts from Sediment and its Impact on Water Bodies

Keiko Wada,Fumio Haruki,Kyoji Ishita,Yuki Okada 대한환경공학회 2010 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.15 No.1

Enhanced Nogo-P3 amplitudes of mothers compared with non-mother women during an emotional Go/Nogo task

Hayashi, Sayuri,Wada, Hiroko,Kim, Sung-Phil,Motomura, Yuki,Higuchi, Shigekazu,Kim, Yeon-Kyu BioMed Central 2018 Journal of Physiological Anthropology Vol.37 No.1

<P><B>Background</B></P><P>It is known that emotion regulatory responses of humans are changed by the experiences they have, but in particular, they are changed by becoming a mother. A recent study has found how a woman’s emotion regulatory response to a child’s crying changes after becoming a mother. However, mothers’ emotion regulatory responses other than those to children and the association between emotion regulatory response and parental stress are still unknown.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>Eighteen healthy Japanese females (nine mothers and nine non-mothers) participated in the experiment. They performed an emotional Go/Nogo task, with facial expressions of others (angry, happy, and neutral faces) used as emotional stimuli. The percentage of correct responses, response time, and event-related potentials (ERPs) during the task was measured.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>This comparison revealed that the mother group had a larger P3 (Nogo-P3) amplitude than the non-mother group when Nogo trials were held. This indicates that in mothers, there was greater activation of the behavioral inhibition-related brain areas than in non-mother women when they inhibited inappropriate behavior following recognition of facial expressions of others. In addition, in the mother group, there was a negative correlation between parental stress levels and Nogo-P3 amplitudes evoked by angry faces. This suggests that there is a relation between the level of parental stress of mothers and their emotion regulatory responses to angry faces.</P><P><B>Conclusions</B></P><P>Our results demonstrate that mothers’ emotion regulatory processes may differ from those of non-mothers in response, not only to a child’s crying but also to expressions of emotions by others, and also suggest that the inhibitory recognition activity of mothers can be affected by parental stress.</P>

Comparison of inflammation-based prognostic scores as predictors of survival outcomes in patients with germ cell tumors

Kasumi Yoshinaga,Takuya Sadahira,Yuki Maruyama,Yosuke Mitsui,Takehiro Iwata,Koichiro Wada,Motoo Araki,Toyohiko Watanabe,Yasutomo Nasu 대한비뇨의학회 2021 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.62 No.1

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic value of pretreatment inflammation-based scoring systems in terms of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with germ cell tumors (GCTs) receiving bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 63 patients with GCTs retrospectively. The Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, prognostic index, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), systemic immune-inflammation index, and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) were measured in all patients before chemotherapy. To assess the predictive ability of each scoring system, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify associations between the predictive scores and OS. Results: Of all the inflammation-based scoring systems, the GPS had the greatest area under the curve (0.847) for predicting OS, followed by the PNI (0.829) and AGR (0.810). Kaplan–Meier analyses revealed that the GPS, PNI, and AGR were significantly associated with OS, whereas the GPS, PLR, and PNI were significantly associated with PFS. In the multivariate analysis, the GPS was an independent predictor of OS and PFS. Conclusions: We demonstrated that the GPS was the most valuable biomarker of OS and PFS in patients with GCTs.

Impact of Sarcopenia on Erectile Function after Nerve-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy

Mitsui Yosuke,Sadahira Takuya,Maruyama Yuki,Sato Ryota,Rodrigo Acosta Gonzalez Herik,Wada Koichiro,Araki Motoo,Watanabe Masami,Watanabe Toyohiko,Nasu Yasutomo 대한남성과학회 2021 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.39 No.4

Purpose: To determine the impact of sarcopenia on erectile functional outcomes after a nerve-sparing (NS) robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using patient-reported validated questionnaires. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, RARP was performed on 841 patients at Okayama University Hospital, of which 132 underwent NS RARP. Erectile functional outcomes were assessed using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Automated measurement of skeletal muscle at L3 was achieved using volume analyzer software and normalizing for height (cm2/m2) to calculate skeletal muscle index (SMI). Patients who had an IIEF-5≤4 comprised the group with erectile dysfunction (ED), and those with an IIEF-5≤5 made up the non-ED group. Results: This study enrolled 95 patients of median age 65 years with a preoperative IIEF‑5 of 16. There were no significant differences between patients with and without sarcopenia among those with preoperative IIEF‑5. Postoperatively, in the ED group, SMI and preoperative IIEF‑5 were significantly lower than in the non-ED group. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that (1) both SMI and preoperative IIEF-5 were independent predictors of ED, and (2) sarcopenia and preoperative IIEF-5 were predictors of ED at 12 months after NS RARP. Conclusions: Patients with sarcopenia can have worse erectile functional outcomes after NS RARP. Sarcopenia and a lower preoperative IIEF-5 score may be predictive of postoperative ED.