Ouki Kuniyoshi, Yuta Yokoyama, Yuma Nonomiya, Takashi Nakakuma, Tomonori Nakamura
{"title":"Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer with Pre-existing Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia: Epirubicin/cyclophosphamide Followed by Weekly Paclitaxel.","authors":"Ouki Kuniyoshi, Yuta Yokoyama, Yuma Nonomiya, Takashi Nakakuma, Tomonori Nakamura","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0008-CR","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0008-CR","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The incidence of breast cancer in patients with pre-existing interstitial lung disease has been rarely reported. Consequently, evidence supporting the safety of chemotherapy in this population remains limited. This report describes the case of a 55-year-old woman with a history of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia who received adjuvant chemotherapy for the management of breast cancer. The chemotherapy regimen comprised the administration of epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by the weekly administration of paclitaxel. This regimen was selected based on the findings of previous studies that assessed the utility of chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of lung cancer in patients with interstitial lung disease. Chemotherapy was completed without worsening of the cryptogenic organizing pneumonia or the appearance of new abnormal lung fields. Therefore, the administration of epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by the weekly administration of paclitaxel may be safe in patients with pre-existing interstitial lung disease. This regimen may be a suitable choice for the perioperative management of this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"35-39"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145349121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Palliative Radiotherapy for Colorectal Villous Adenoma with Severe Diarrhea and Electrolyte Imbalance.","authors":"Hirofumi Toyama, Yoshihiro Nakazato, Yuka Katsurada, Yutaka Shiraishi, Masashi Tamura, Takashi Hanada, Toshio Ohashi, Yutaka Ando, Naoyuki Shigematsu, Atsuya Takeda","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0010-CR","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0010-CR","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Colorectal large villous adenomas are sometimes associated with McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome, a condition characterized by severe diarrhea leading to dehydration, electrolyte depletion, and acute renal failure, which can be life-threatening in some cases. The efficacy of radiotherapy for colorectal villous adenoma has rarely been reported. We present a rare case of McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome in an older man caused by a large colorectal villous adenoma. This case is notable because palliative external beam radiotherapy of 30 Gy in 10 fractions not only reduced the tumor size but also resulted in significant symptom relief. This report demonstrates the efficacy of palliative radiotherapy for severe colorectal villous adenomas as a valid treatment option, particularly in older patients with complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"29-34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145373177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Association of Loneliness and Health Literacy with Overuse of Over-the-counter Drugs in Patients with COVID-19 in Japan.","authors":"Takuma Fujimoto, Hiroki Iwata, Noriko Kobayashi, Singo Kondo, Katsunori Yamaura","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0023-OA","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2302/kjm.2025-0023-OA","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Loneliness is associated with medication use and that health literacy influences medication adherence. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the self-medication of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs among patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between loneliness, health literacy, and OTC self-medication in home care settings during the Omicron BA.5-Dominant Wave (the 7th COVID-19 wave, July-September 2022) in Japan. Individuals aged 20 to 49 years were randomly selected from the web panel of a research company (Macromill, Inc.). Participants who had contracted COVID-19 during the Omicron BA.5-Dominant Wave were asked to complete the Three-Item Loneliness Scale (TIL) and the 14-item Health Literacy Scale (HLS-14). Logistic regression analysis was conducted using disregard for OTC drug package inserts and OTC drug overuse as objective variables. Valid responses were obtained from 197 men and 180 women. Among OTC drug users (n =282), 18% disregarded the OTC drug package inserts, and 9% used more than the recommended amount of OTC drugs. Disregarding OTC drug package inserts was significantly associated with HLS-14 score ≤51, indicating low health literacy (odds ratio (OR): 2.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26-4.79, P = 0.008). OTC drug overuse was significantly associated with TIL score ≥6, indicating high loneliness (OR: 3.97, 95% CI: 1.64-10.63, P = 0.002). The findings of this study highlight the importance of communication in addressing the disregard of OTC drug package inserts and the overuse of OTC drugs in patients with COVID-19, taking into account both health literacy and loneliness.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148158589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Takeshi Kimura, Aleksandra Mącznik, Akira Kinoda, Yuichi Yamada, Yuki Muramoto, Yoshinori Katsumata, Kazuki Sato
{"title":"Injury Prevalence and Associated Factors in Japanese Competitive Kendo Collegiate Athletes.","authors":"Takeshi Kimura, Aleksandra Mącznik, Akira Kinoda, Yuichi Yamada, Yuki Muramoto, Yoshinori Katsumata, Kazuki Sato","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2024-0008-OA","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2024-0008-OA","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In Japan, many schools include kendo as part of the school physical education program. Farther afield, kendo also serves as a life-long method to improve and retain physical fitness and mental skills for adults of all ages around the world. Therefore, kendo has the potential to be an inexpensive public health modality if proven safe. This study aimed to investigate the 1-year prevalence of kendo-related injuries in Japanese collegiate athletes. The factors associated with kendo injuries were explored in a retrospective observational study using an online survey between June 2022 and August 2023. Athlete characteristics and injury occurrence, location, type, and circumstances were recorded. The survey was completed by 143 athletes (average age 19.9 years) with an average of 12.9 years of experience in kendo. We found that the 1-year prevalence of injuries in Japanese kendo collegiate athletes was 43%. The only factors associated with injury were sex and body mass index (BMI) status. Female athletes were 4.9 time more likely to report an injury than male athletes, whereas athletes with overweight or obese status (BMI ≥ 25) were 3.7 times more likely to report an injury than athletes with underweight or normal BMI status (BMI < 25). Special attention should be given to injury prevention and long-term development in female kendo athletes, especially in strength training.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sotaro Shimada, Ai Tomotaki, Ardith Z Doorenbos, Hiroki Fukahori
{"title":"Acceptability and Preliminary Effects of Online Evidence-based Practice Education Program for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Pre- and Post-intervention Study.","authors":"Sotaro Shimada, Ai Tomotaki, Ardith Z Doorenbos, Hiroki Fukahori","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2024-0013-OA","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2024-0013-OA","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Evidence-based practice (EBP) plays a crucial role in improving healthcare quality; however, there is still a lack of insight into EBP education for nursing in Japan. We aimed to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary effects of an online EBP education program on undergraduate nursing students in Japan. A pilot, single-armed, pre- and post-intervention design study using mixed methods was conducted with 11 nursing students. Participants completed an 8-h EBP education program over a 2-day period, which provided introductory knowledge and skills based on the five steps of EBP. The total score of the Student-Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire showed a trend toward improvement with a medium effect size (P = 0.06, d =0.51). The following subscales displayed improvement with small to medium effect sizes: \"frequency of practice\" (P = 0.14, d =0.34), \"retrieving/reviewing evidence\" (P = 0.04, d = 0.59), and \"sharing and applying EBP\" (P = 0.13, d = 0.36). The focus group interviews revealed an enhanced understanding of EBP, improved skills for reading articles, and highlighted the importance of interactive teaching and access to on-demand learning materials. Our results suggested that the online EBP education program was acceptable and demonstrated preliminary effects in enhancing the skills of undergraduate nursing students in retrieving and reviewing evidence and results in thematic analysis. Further research such as a controlled trial including a more diverse sample with longer follow-up should be conducted to validate our findings and examine the program's long-term effects on clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"9-19"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nizar Sirag, Hassabelrasoul Elfadil, Abduallh J Ghabban, Abdulmajeed M Alasiri, Ibtisam R Alnasser, Hibah S Bedaiwi, Sadeem F Alharbi, Maha J Almarwani, Omar M Aljohani, Hanan M Hassan, Mohammed M H Al-Gayyar, Ayman Salama
{"title":"Ligustilide Attenuates Neuroinflammation and Fibrosis in an Aluminum Chloride-induced Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease via mTOR/STAT3 Signaling Inhibition.","authors":"Nizar Sirag, Hassabelrasoul Elfadil, Abduallh J Ghabban, Abdulmajeed M Alasiri, Ibtisam R Alnasser, Hibah S Bedaiwi, Sadeem F Alharbi, Maha J Almarwani, Omar M Aljohani, Hanan M Hassan, Mohammed M H Al-Gayyar, Ayman Salama","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0017-OA","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2302/kjm.2025-0017-OA","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects approximately 50 million individuals worldwide and is projected to triple by 2050. Ligustilide is a naturally occurring compound with varied pharmacological actions. Ligustilide has been reported to ameliorate AD by inhibiting PKA/AKAP1 or inducing α-secretase, but no prior research has examined its ability to activate the inflammasome in AD. We aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of ligustilide in rats with AD by assessing the inflammatory and fibrotic pathways. AD was induced in rats by aluminum chloride. Subsequently, some rats were orally administered 20 mg/kg of ligustilide. For structural assessment, hippocampal brain tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin/eosin and subjected to anti-mTOR and anti-phospho-tau antibody staining. The collected samples were then analyzed for gene expression and protein levels of mTOR, STAT3, TGF-β, β-catenin, NFκB, TNF-α, TLR4, and NLRP3. We found that rats treated with ligustilide displayed marked improvements in their behavior. Furthermore, microscopic analysis of hematoxylin/eosin-stained images revealed that ligustilide reduced inflamed tissues and partially dilated blood vessels, without gliosis or vacuolated neuropil. Additionally, ligustilide decreased the expression of mTOR, STAT3, TGF-β, β-catenin, NFκB, TNF-α, TLR4, and NLRP3. In conclusion, ligustilide improved AD in rats and reduced inflammation and fibrosis. This effect is attributed to ligustilide's ability to reduce mTOR and STAT3 activity, thereby suppressing NFκB, TNF-α, TLR4, and NLRP3, and inhibiting the inflammasome pathway. Consequently, this cascade results in decreased STAT3 and TGF-β levels, thereby reducing fibrosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147379095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transcript of the Commemorative Lecture by Dr. Akiko Iwasaki (30th Keio Medical Science Prize Award Ceremony).","authors":"","doi":"10.2302/kjm.NewsLetter_75-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2302/kjm.NewsLetter_75-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":"75 2","pages":"40-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148320023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pemphigus: An Autoimmune Disease Model for Understanding the Role of Autoreactive T Cells.","authors":"Hayato Takahashi","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0002-IR","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2025-0002-IR","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Finding cures is the ultimate goal of research on autoimmune diseases. Pemphigus is an autoantibody-mediated autoimmune skin disease in which specific autoantibodies target desmogleins 1 and 3 as autoantigens. The condition leads to painful blisters and erosions in the skin and oral mucosa, impacting patients' ability to eat and other daily activities, significantly affecting quality of life. The molecular mechanisms by which these pathogenic autoantibodies induce blisters have been extensively studied and understanding has advanced considerably. However, many critical questions remain, such as the exact cause of the disease, the mechanisms that normally prevent autoimmunity, and the pathogenic cells involved, other than autoantibodies. This article focuses on the role of autoreactive T cells in pemphigus and uses the pemphigus model to answer some of these questions. Research into pemphigus has enhanced our understanding of both the pathogenic and regulatory mechanisms involved, not only in pemphigus but also in other skin diseases caused by cellular autoimmunity. The growing body of scientific evidence on pemphigus has made it a model disease, paving the way for the development of novel therapeutic approaches, including antigen-specific immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"177-188"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prognosis Prediction by <sup>18</sup>F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Parameters in Patients Undergoing Chemoradiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer.","authors":"Yusuke Motomura, Junichi Fukada, Tadaki Nakahara, Hirofumi Toyama, Takayuki Abe, Masahiro Jinzaki, Naoyuki Shigematsu","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2023-0018-OA","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2023-0018-OA","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to identify <sup>18</sup>F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (<sup>18</sup>F-FDG-PET/CT) parameters that could predict the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer before and after undergoing chemoradiation therapy. We retrospectively reconstructed images under the same conditions for patients who underwent pre- and post-treatment <sup>18</sup>F-FDG-PET for chemoradiation therapy for esophageal cancer. Correlations between 2-year survival rates and pre-treatment values, differences between pre- and post-treatment quotients, and their ratios were examined for various standardized uptake values (SUV), metabolic tumor volumes (MTV), and each SUVmean (Mean SUV)*MTV (Vol.mean). We enrolled 29 patients who underwent pre-and post-treatment <sup>18</sup>F-FDG-PET. The median overall survival was 21.4 months (range, 3.6-100.9 months). Pre-treatment MTV had the most favorable hazard ratio (HR) for survival. However, the MTV product (Vol.meanQ), SUV corrected for basal metabolic rate using Mifflin-St Jeor estimation (BMR.ms), Vol.mean (SUVmeanQ) using the qPET method, SUVmean, and HR using Vol.meanQ corrected for body weight were nearly equivalent. No significant results were obtained for the pre- and post-treatment quotients. The pre- and post-treatment Vol.meanQ is a useful prognostic parameter that considers the effect of age-related loss of lean body mass. The use of parameters, including metabolism, will facilitate more appropriate use of <sup>18</sup>F-FDG-PET before and after chemoradiation therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"189-204"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Community Pharmacists' Perceptions and Needs Regarding Oral Healthcare Advice in Japan.","authors":"Hiroki Iwata, Rintaro Yoshida, Naoko Hayashi, Noriko Kobayashi, Kazuko Fujimoto, Katsunori Yamaura","doi":"10.2302/kjm.2024-0022-OA","DOIUrl":"10.2302/kjm.2024-0022-OA","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It is desirable for community pharmacists to be involved in promoting and maintaining the oral health of local residents. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of Japanese community pharmacists to understand the actual conditions and the attitudes of these pharmacists regarding oral healthcare advice. A web-based anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was completed by community pharmacists from March 26 to 29, 2021. We received responses from 324 pharmacists. A majority of respondents (66.0%) regarded dealing with \"daily oral health issues and oral care\" as a role of community pharmacists. Respondents also reported being consulted by patients or customers about mouth ulcers (70.1%) and xerostomia (54.6%). However, the frequency of consumer inquiries about these oral conditions was less than once per week. Just over half of the respondents (52.2%) said they were confident about dealing with mouth ulcers, whereas less than 40% were confident about handling other oral problems. The most common anxiety was a \"lack of knowledge about appropriate responses to oral symptoms\" (60.2%). The respondents desired education and training (75.6%) to better promote oral health-related activities. Japanese community pharmacists believe that they have a role to play in oral health issues and oral care, but their level of confidence in their ability to respond to oral health issues is low. Pharmacists are concerned about their lack of knowledge about oral healthcare and they desire more opportunities for education and training so that they can perform pharmacy-based maintenance and promotion of oral healthcare for local residents.</p>","PeriodicalId":46245,"journal":{"name":"KEIO JOURNAL OF MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"205-213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}