Precision Strategy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance after Hepatitis C Cure: Debates across Guidelines.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance markedly reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, HCC continues to develop in a subset of patients, particularly in those with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Leading hepatology societies, including Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver, European Association for the Study of the Liver, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Korean Association for the Study of the Liver, Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver, and Japan Society of Hepatology, have issued divergent guidelines for HCC surveillance after sustained virologic response, which reflects variations in regional patient populations, healthcare infrastructure, and policy priorities. While traditional risk stratification primarily centers on histological staging of fibrosis, an array of additional host-related factors, including age, sex, alcohol use, metabolic comorbidities, and genetic and epigenetic profiles, further influence individual HCC risks.

Intestinal mucosal immune responses to novel oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 in healthy newborns.

Background: Approximately 1.5 billion doses of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) have been administered in response to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks since 2021. Although infants are eligible to receive the vaccine from birth, the induction of intestinal mucosal immunity by nOPV2 in newborns has not been directly evaluated.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis impairs protective cytokine production via transcription factor MafB manipulation.

Although an increased expression of the transcription factor v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B (MAFB) has been reported in patients with active tuberculosis (TB), its potential role in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection remains unknown. Herein, we report that MafB in macrophages is a regulator of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-12p40, which are crucial for host defense against M. tuberculosis infection.

Extreme weather events and dengue in Southeast Asia: A regionally-representative analysis of 291 locations from 1998 to 2021.

Background: Climate change, leading to more frequent and intense extreme weather events (EWEs), could significantly impact dengue transmission. However, the associations between EWEs and dengue remains underexplored in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. We investigated the association between selected EWEs (i.

Towards an Asian paradigm of inflammatory bowel disease management: A comparative review of China and Japan.

This systematic review compares inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management between China and Japan across epidemiology, clinical strategies, health insurance, and social security policies. Epidemiologically, the incidence of IBD is rapidly increasing in China, contributing to a growing disease burden. In contrast, Japan has a stabilized incidence but a rising prevalence, driven by an aging patient population.

Rare but not to be overlooked: Epidemiology and strategies for rare dermatological diseases in China.

Rare skin diseases in China, recognized through the 2018 National Rare Disease List (121 conditions), pose substantial epidemiological and systemic challenges. The National Rare Diseases Registry System (NRDRS) documented 62,590 cases (2016-2020) of 166 diseases, and yet data remain fragmented: only 53.1% of rare diseases are prevalent and they are found in 94.

The Relationship Between the Experience of Rescue Activities in the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Psychological Distress Among Medical Rescue Workers.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between the experience of rescue activities in the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and psychological distress among medical rescue workers (MRWs).

Methods: MRWs were recruited from March 8 to March 31, 2024. Outcomes were psychological distress and PTSS.

Randomized crossover comparison of two teriparatide self-injection regimens for primary osteoporosis: final report of the Japanese Osteoporosis Intervention Trial 06 (JOINT-06).

Introduction: Although bone anabolic agents such as teriparatide are effective for osteoporosis, satisfaction and adherence may vary by regimen. This multicenter study assessed long-term satisfaction, persistence, efficacy, and safety in postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis treated with alternating daily and twice-weekly teriparatide over 52 weeks, followed by a final free-choice treatment period.

Materials And Methods: In a randomized, open-label, crossover study, 358 postmenopausal women at high risk for fracture were assigned to receive once-daily (20 µg) or twice-weekly (28.

Effects of electrical muscle stimulation during hemodialysis in older patients with frailty: a crossover randomized controlled trial.

Background: While electrical muscle stimulation during hemodialysis has been reported to improve physical performance in middle-aged patients, clinical evidence regarding its efficacy in older patients with frailty remains limited.

Methods: In this crossover trial, we randomly assigned 18 older patients (aged ≥ 65 years) with frailty receiving maintenance hemodialysis in a 1:1 ratio to the study intervention. Group 1 underwent electrical muscle stimulation first, followed by a five-week washout period, and then the control session without electrical muscle stimulation.

Acute Cholangitis With Non-O1 and Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae Bacteremia: A Case Report.

We describe a case of acute cholangitis with bacteremia caused by non-O1 and non-O139 (NOVC) in a 76-year-old man following acute gastroenteritis. The strain, isolated from blood cultures, was identified as serogroup O120. It lacked the cholera toxin gene, but it harbored multiple virulence genes, including , , , and .

The role of HIV-1 Gag and genomic RNA interactions in virion assembly.

The virion assembly represents a critical aspect of producing infectious progenies required for HIV-1 replication. Each step in that process, such as Gag-membrane binding, Gag-genomic RNA binding/packaging, Gag multimerization, and viral particle budding, has been extensively analyzed in a stepwise and specific manner. While Gag proteins are the primary drivers of HIV-1 virion assembly, the interactions between Gag and RNA play a significant role in regulating the process.

Surgery for postoperative intrahepatic recurrence after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: Repeat hepatectomy versus salvage liver transplantation.

Liver resection (LR) remains a cornerstone curative option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and yet the high rate of postoperative intrahepatic recurrence poses a significant clinical challenge. Despite numerous attempts, no adjuvant therapy has shown definitive efficacy in preventing recurrence. In this context, salvage liver transplantation (SLT) and repeat hepatectomy (RH) have emerged as key curative strategies for recurrent disease.

Elevated risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes among underweight patients in Japan: A national registry-based study.

We conducted a study to determine the impact of body mass index (BMI) (underweight, normal weight, and overweight) on the severity of COVID-19 across different periods of variant predominance using a large-scale data registry of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Japan (COVIREGI-JP), involving 46,291 Japanese patients aged 20-89 years. Severity was classified based on the most intensive treatment received throughout the hospitalization. Multiple logistic models were used to assess the risk of severe disease, and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for BMI < 18.

Rising cognitive behavioral therapy claims among Japanese youth despite population decline: A retrospective study using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims (FY 20142022).

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is reimbursed under the national insurance system of Japan, although predominantly for adults. Recent mental health crises among children and adolescents have prompted policy reforms to expand access to CBT. This study aimed to assess trends in CBT insurance claims among Japanese youth (0-19 years) from fiscal year 2014-2022 using national claims data.

Study on sufficient blood vessel ligation and bowel mobilization in laparoscopic surgery for ascending colon cancer.

Although well established, laparoscopic surgery for ascending colon cancer is a difficult procedure due to the presence of many blood vessels requiring treatment and the need for sufficient mobilization to extract the right colon through a small laparotomy. This is the first study to investigate the adequacy of vascular ligation and bowel mobilization for laparoscopic resection of ascending colon cancer and extracorporeal reconstruction. This retrospective study included 103 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy for ascending colon cancer from 2015 to 2022 at the Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine.

Characteristics of home-visit nursing stations and psychiatric home-visit nursing service users requiring frequent visits and support coordination in Japan.

This study examined the characteristics of service users requiring frequent visits (≥ 3 times/week) and support coordination from home-visit nursing stations and psychiatric home-visit nursing in Japan. Psychiatric home-visit nursing is vital for individuals with mental disorders, but its implementation has lagged behind physical home-visit nursing because of Japan's historical emphasis on institutional psychiatric care. A questionnaire survey was conducted from October 2024 to January 2025, involving 56 home-visit nursing stations with 224 service users.

A novel synthetic bile acid derivative inhibits hepatitis B virus infection at entry step by interfering with the oligomerization of sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health burden worldwide despite the availability of an effective vaccine and effective anti-HBV drugs. The currently approved anti-HBV drugs-i.e.

Joint Impact of Smoking and Metabolic Syndrome on Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study.

Aims: This study examined whether or not the coexistence of smoking and metabolic syndrome synergistically increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) beyond their individual effects.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 68,743 workers from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study. The participants were categorized into four groups based on their smoking status and metabolic syndrome.

Late-onset paradoxical response 11 years after treatment of tuberculous hepatic abscesses in an HIV-negative patient: a case report and literature review.

Paradoxical responses (PRs) to anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) treatment refer to the worsening of pre-existing tuberculous lesions or the emergence of new lesions in patients whose clinical symptoms initially improved with therapy. PRs are less common in HIV-negative patients, and presentations as tuberculous hepatic abscesses are rare. Furthermore, PRs occurring after completion of TB treatment are uncommon, making it difficult to distinguish them from TB relapse.

Impact of Vaccination and Prior Infection on SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in Preschool Children During the Omicron Pandemic.

Preschool-aged children can have difficulty adhering to infection control measures and were affected during the Omicron wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the impacts of prior severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and vaccination on viral load in this age group remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, and viral load or clinical severity in preschool-aged children infected during the Omicron variant epidemic in Japan.

Role of Antipseudomonal Antibiotics in Older Patients with Aspiration Pneumonia: A Nationwide Database Study in Japan.

: Aspiration pneumonia is increasingly recognized as a fatal pulmonary disease among older people. Although antipseudomonal antibiotics are commonly used in clinical practice, their efficacy in this population remains uncertain. : Nationwide data collected from patients aged ≥65 years who were hospitalized due to aspiration pneumonia from January 2018 to December 2018 were analyzed.

Effects of antibiotic prophylaxis during labour on maternal and neonatal outcomes in women planning vaginal birth.

Rationale: Maternal sepsis is the third leading cause of maternal mortality globally. However, the risk of maternal sepsis can be reduced by administering antibiotics prophylactically before infection occurs. Previous research has assessed the effects of azithromycin prophylaxis during pregnancy, but evidence is lacking on the effects of other types of antibiotics, and the potential for antimicrobial resistance.

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and duration of protection among children and adolescents: A retrospective cohort study in 11 large cities in Japan.

Introduction: COVID-19 vaccination for children has been debatable. Compiling scientific evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness was indispensable for the effective vaccine strategy. This study aimed to estimate the effectiveness and protection duration of the COVID-19 vaccine among children and adolescents in Japan.

Comparative immunogenicity study of quartet and bifurcated tetravalent dengue virus envelope domain III displayed virus-like particle vaccine candidates in BALB/c mice.

Developing an effective dengue vaccine requires targeting all four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes while ensuring both safety and efficacy. Our research aimed to address this by developing DENV vaccine candidates strategically designed to display Envelope Domain III (EDIII) antigens on a DENV capsid virus-like particle (VLP). We engineered tetravalent EDIII constructs, designed either as a quartet (qE) or bifurcated (bE) arrangement, and expressed them alongside DENV type 2 capsid (C2) in silkworm larvae, followed by affinity purification.