A Case of PMR-Like irAE Developing After Treatment With Ipilimumab and Nivolumab for Lung Cancer.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become one of the main strategies for advanced cancers. ICIs are associated with many immune side effects, called immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Since irAE has various variations, it is important to carefully examine each individual case that develops irAE.

Roflumilast reduces the number of lung adenocarcinomas, inflammation, and emphysema in a smoking-induced mouse model.

Background: The prognosis of lung cancer complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is poor, and effective prophylactic agents have not been established. Given that inflammation is a shared pathogenic mechanism of both diseases, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of roflumilast, a novel anti-inflammatory drug, in preventing emphysema and lung cancer using a smoking-induced lung cancer mouse model.

Methods: Male A/J mice were exposed to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, a potent carcinogen, and intermittent mainstream cigarette smoke for 20 weeks.

Impact of long COVID on the health-related quality of life of Japanese patients: A prospective nationwide cohort study.

Background: Various prolonged systemic symptoms, forming the long coronavirus disease (COVID), have been observed in patients who have recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19. Although previous studies have reported that COVID-19 impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the associations of long COVID symptoms and clinical characteristics with HRQoL remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify these associations using nationwide Japanese epidemiological data.

Celecoxib prevents malignant progression of smoking-induced lung tumors via suppression of the COX-2/PGE signaling pathway in mice.

Introduction: Lung cancer is characterized by a poor prognosis and is a significant comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, effective chemopreventive agents are warranted. We evaluated the effects of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib on the prevention of lung-carcinoma development using an intermittent smoking-induced lung-carcinoma mouse model.

Exploring the pathophysiology of anemia in COPD: Insights from chest CT and longitudinal clinical data.

Background: Although anemia has been associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severity, the underlying risk factors, such as chest imaging indicators, remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between anemia and clinical features, including pulmonary and extrapulmonary indicators on chest computed tomography (CT), and to clarify the pathophysiology of anemia in COPD.

Methods: A total of 400 patients with COPD were prospectively followed for 3 years.

Predicting coronavirus disease 2019 severity using explainable artificial intelligence techniques.

Predictive models for determining coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity have been established; however, the complexity of the interactions among factors limits the use of conventional statistical methods. This study aimed to establish a simple and accurate predictive model for COVID-19 severity using an explainable machine learning approach. A total of 3,301 patients ≥ 18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 2020 and October 2022 were included.

Erector Spinae Muscle to Epicardial Visceral Fat Ratio on Chest CT Predicts the Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background: Chest computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing and predicting the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and assessing extrapulmonary organs. Reduced muscle mass and visceral fat accumulation are important features of a body composition phenotype in which obesity and muscle loss coexist, but their relationship with COVID-19 outcomes remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the erector spinae muscle (ESM) to epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) ratio (ESM/EAT) on chest CT and disease severity in patients with COVID-19.

Coronary Artery Calcification on Chest Computed Tomography as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Adverse Events in Patients With COVID-19 - A Multicenter Retrospective Study in Japan.

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) detected through chest computed tomography (CT) strongly predicts cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals undergoing primary prevention. Few studies with limited sample sizes have investigated the predictive value of CAC for cardiovascular complications in COVID-19. This study examined the impact of CAC on cardiovascular complications using a large-scale COVID-19 database.

Spirometry estimation of central airway dysanapsis on computed tomography in healthy subjects without active lung diseases.

The original concept of the airway-to-lung size mismatch, termed dysanapsis, was introduced on spirometry and was extended by computed tomography (CT) evaluation of the central airways. CT-assessed dysanapsis allows a risk estimation of lung disease development in healthy subjects, although radiation exposure limits its use, particularly for younger subjects. This study investigated which spirometry indices can be used to estimate CT-assessed central airway dysanapsis in healthy subjects.

Blood DNA virome associates with autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus.

The relationship between long COVID, labor productivity, and socioeconomic losses in Japan: A cohort study.

Objectives: We examined shifts in labor productivity and their economic ramifications among adult patients with long COVID in Japan.

Methods: A total of 396 patients were categorized into three groups based on symptom progression: non-long COVID, long COVID recovered, and long COVID persistent. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed at three time intervals: 3, 6, and 12 months after COVID-19 diagnosis.

Impact of smoking on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in human and mice: Implications for COPD.

We aimed to elucidate the dynamic changes in short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced by the gut microbiota following smoking exposure and their role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis. SCFA concentrations were measured in human plasma, comparing non-smokers (n = 6) and smokers (n = 12). Using a mouse COPD model induced by cigarette smoke exposure or elastase-induced emphysema, we modulated SCFA levels through dietary interventions and antibiotics to evaluate their effects on inflammation and alveolar destruction.

Effects of passive smoking on cortical spreading depolarization in male and female mice.

Background: Patients with migraine are typically advised to avoid passive smoking because it may aggravate headaches and other health conditions. However, there is insufficient high-quality evidence on the association between passive smoking and migraine, which warrants further investigation using animal models. Therefore, using a mouse model, we examined the effect of passive smoking on susceptibility to cortical spreading depolarization (CSD), the biological basis of migraine with aura.

Prognostic significance of chronic kidney disease and impaired renal function in Japanese patients with COVID-19.

Background: Renal impairment is a predictor of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) severity. No studies have compared COVID-19 outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and patients with impaired renal function without a prior diagnosis of CKD. This study aimed to identify the impact of pre-existing impaired renal function without CKD on COVID-19 outcomes.