Dual drivers of polypharmacy in people with HIV: Quantifying the independent associations of aging and long-term antiretroviral therapy.

Objectives: This study aimed to disentangle the independent effects of aging and cumulative antiretroviral therapy (ART) duration on polypharmacy in people with HIV. While successful ART has led to an aging population with HIV, polypharmacy may stem from both aging and ART's cumulaftive toxicity. Quantitative evidence separating these effects is scarce, particularly in Japan.

Comprehensive Cardiovascular Risk Profiling in People Living with HIV: Insights from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically improved outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH), yet concerns about cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain, especially in aging populations. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between ART regimens and CVD events in Japan using a nationwide pharmacovigilance database. We retrospectively analyzed reports from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database spanning April 2004 to September 2024.

Right-brain utilization in pharmacists' dispensing processes: an eye-tracking analysis of efficiency and safety using error-induction models.

Background: Dispensing errors associated with "same-name drugs" and "similar-name drugs" are common, negatively affecting patients. Using two pairs of error-induction models, this study analyzed pharmacists' gaze movements while dispensing by an eye-tracking method to interpret their thought processes. Thus, we aimed to assess the efficiency and safety of dispensing processes by examining right-brain function using error-induction models.

Pharmacovigilance study of immunomodulatory drug-related adverse events using spontaneous reporting system databases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the country-specific reporting status profile of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs)-related adverse events (ImrAEs) in real-world clinical practice, using data from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) databases. Immunomodulatory drugs, including thalidomide and its derivatives, are a new class of anticancer and anti-inflammatory drugs. IMiD risk management programs have instituted sufficient measures to prevent fetal effects but do not address adverse effects experienced by patients themselves.

Antibacterial, Transparency, and Mechanical Properties of Cationic Radical Initiator Triggered Polystyrene Sheets Obtained by Thermal Blending.

Polystyrene (PS) is widely used because of its transparency, mechanical strength, and ease of production. With rising health concerns, antibacterial PS is increasingly sought after, but few polymer-based antibacterial agents have been prepared to date. In this study, polystyrene was synthesized using a cationic radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis-[2-(1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1-imidazol-3-ium-2-yl)] propane triflate (ADIP), and evaluated as an antibacterial additive.

Risk Factor for Rash in Patients Receiving Cytarabine and Idarubicin Induction Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Background/aim: Rash is a common adverse event (AE) observed during cytarabine and idarubicin induction therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous studies have highlighted the challenge in predicting the onset and duration of rash. This study aimed to determine the factors that affect the onset of rash in patients receiving induction therapy for AML.

Contact-Killing Antibacterial Polystyrene Polymerized Using a Quaternized Cationic Initiator.

Contact-killing antibacterial materials are attracting attention owing to their ability for sustained antibacterial activity. However, contact-killing antibacterial polystyrene (PS) has not been extensively studied because its chemically stable structure impedes chemical modification. In this study, we developed an antibacterial PS sheet with a contact-killing surface using PS synthesized from 2,2'-azobis-[2-(1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1-imidazol-3-ium-2-yl)]propane triflate (ADIP) as a radical initiator with cationic moieties.

Profiles and Outcomes of Skin Injuries Caused by Injectable Drug Extravasation: An Analysis of the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database.

Extravasation occurs when injectable drugs leak out of the blood vessels, damaging the surrounding tissues and causing a variety of skin injuries. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze extravasation risk, skin injury profiles, and outcomes for suspect drugs from the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse events were defined according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities/Japanese version; the term extravasation (Standardized MedDRA Query Code: 20000136) was used in this analysis.

Measurement of Intracellular Temperature in Brown Adipocytes Using a Cationic Fluorescent Polymeric Thermometer.

Brown adipose tissue specializes in expending energy through non-shivering thermogenesis, and many studies have associated its activity with protection and treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. To reveal the mechanisms involved in heat production, primary cultured brown adipose cells (BACs) have been used because of their ease of genetic engineering and similarity to living tissue. However, thermogenic activity has often been evaluated as an indirect method, such as the measurement of oxygen consumption.

Analysis of the thinking process of pharmacists in response to changes in the dispensing environment using the eye-tracking method.

Background: Pharmacists must understand the mechanisms by which dispensing errors occur and take appropriate preventive measures. In this study, the gaze movements of pharmacists were analyzed using an eye-tracking method, to elucidate the thinking process of pharmacists when identifying target drugs and avoiding dispensing errors.

Methods: We prepared verification slides and projected them on a large screen.

Surface Characteristics of Antibacterial Polystyrene Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Cationic Initiator and Comonomers.

Polymer nanoparticles have attracted attention as antibacterial materials, but the function of the polymer itself has not yet been clarified sufficiently. To estimate the essential surface properties of antibacterial polymer nanoparticles, herein, we synthesized cationic polystyrene (PSt) nanoparticles via soap-free emulsion polymerization using 2,2'-azobis-[2-(1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1-imidazol-3-ium-2-yl)]propane triflate (ADIP) as initiator. The conversion of total monomers was drastically increased through the addition of the commoner (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride (VBTMAC), where unimodal size distributions ( ≤ 10%) were obtained at comonomer molar ratios between 0.

Usefulness of Medication Guidance Sheets for Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Receiving ESHAP±R Therapy.

Background/aim: The occurrence of chemotherapy-related serious adverse events (AEs) is associated with a poor prognosis of hematopoietic malignancies. We have developed a medication guidance sheet (MGS) for monitoring AEs occurring when combining chemotherapy with etoposide, methylprednisolone, cisplatin, cytarabine, and rituximab (ESHAP±R). In this study, the usefulness of MGS was investigated in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients.

Prognostic significance of pre-treatment ALBI grade in advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving immune checkpoint therapy.

The liver is an essential organ for regulating innate and acquired immunity. We hypothesized that the pre-treatment hepatic function affects the clinical outcome of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed 140 patients with NSCLC who received ICIs.

Continuous monitoring of neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio for estimating the onset, severity, and subsequent prognosis of immune related adverse events.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) play a central role in various cancers. ICIs can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As severe irAEs can be life-threatening, biomarkers for estimating irAE onset are crucial.

[Utility of the Filter Extraction Method for Detecting Anticancer Drug Contamination in Air].

The filter extraction method is a new, simple method for evaluating anticancer drug contamination in air. The method involves installing a filter in the exhaust port of an exhaust duct on a facility's air conditioner, then collecting and measuring fine particles of the antineoplastic agents adsorbed onto the filter. In this study, we analyzed the utility of maintaining continuous filter extraction for measuring cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil contamination.

Risk Factors for Gemcitabine-Induced Vascular Pain in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Peripheral intravenous injection of gemcitabine often causes vascular pain; however, preventive measures have not yet been established.

Objectives: This study focused on identifying predictive factors for gemcitabine-induced vascular pain.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed risk factors for developing vascular pain in patients with pancreatic cancer receiving gemcitabine infusions at our institution.

[Significant Changes Associated with the Transition from Outsourcing to In-hospital Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Novel Antiepileptics].

For many of the novel antiepileptics, immunoassays, used for routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), cannot be used. We could monitor eight novel antiepileptics using an LC/MS method since July 2017. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significant changes associated with the transition from outsourcing to in-hospital monitoring of novel antiepileptics.

Effects of Diluent Volume and Administration Time on the Incidence of Anaphylaxis Following Docetaxel Therapy in Breast Cancer.

Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, are common side effects associated with docetaxel treatment in breast cancer patients. However, preventive measures have not yet been established. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the risk factors for developing anaphylaxis in 182 female breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel.

Usefulness of daily folic acid supplementation during methotrexate treatment of Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of daily folic acid supplementation on methotrexate (MTX) toxicity and efficacy in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: We followed 19 patients treated with MTX who switched from taking weekly 5 mg folic acid supplementation (weekly regimen) to 1.25 mg daily (daily regimen).

Increasing Diluent Volume Decreases Bendamustine-Induced Venous Irritation without Reducing the Therapeutic Efficacy.

The intravenous injection of bendamustine often induces venous irritation, which reduces patients' QOL. We previously reported that the dilution of the final volume of bendamustine from 250 to 500 mL significantly decreased the incidence of venous irritation. However, the influence of this change on the therapeutic efficacy of bendamustine remains unclear.

A Cell-Targeted Non-Cytotoxic Fluorescent Nanogel Thermometer Created with an Imidazolium-Containing Cationic Radical Initiator.

A cationic fluorescent nanogel thermometer based on thermo-responsive N-isopropylacrylamide and environment-sensitive benzothiadiazole was developed with a new azo compound bearing imidazolium rings as the first cationic radical initiator. This cationic fluorescent nanogel thermometer showed an excellent ability to enter live mammalian cells in a short incubation period (10 min), a high sensitivity to temperature variations in live cells (temperature resolution of 0.02-0.

Enhancement of immunomodulative effect of lactic acid bacteria on plasmacytoid dendritic cells with sucrose palmitate.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a key role in the immune response against viruses. In addition, recent research has suggested that pDCs possess direct and indirect tumoricidal activities. We previously found that a lactic acid bacteria strain, Lactococcus lactis JCM 5805 (LC-Plasma), stimulated pDCs and prevented viral infection in mouse and human studies.

Difference in intracellular temperature rise between matured and precursor brown adipocytes in response to uncoupler and β-adrenergic agonist stimuli.

Brown adipocytes function to maintain body temperature by heat production. However, direct measurement of heat production at a single cell level remains difficult. Here we developed a method to measure the temperature within primary cultured brown adipocytes using a cationic fluorescent polymeric thermometer.