👤 Takuro Kameda

Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) is robust biomarker for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, cell-based CEC assays require complex procedures that limit clinical use. The immobilized liposome-bound gel beads (ILG) method, a newly developed cell-free CEC assay, demonstrates sufficient performance for clinical application. This study investigated the clinical significance of CEC measured by the ILG method in relation to HDL subclasses and coronary artery plaque characteristics. We analyzed CEC and HDL parameters, including the ratio of apolipoprotein E (apoE)-HDL-C to HDL-C (%apoE) and HDL CEC correlated positively with HDL-C and %apoE. Among the patients, 26 (42.6%) exhibited large lipid-rich plaques on OCT. Univariable analysis showed that CEC was significantly lower in patients with large lipid-rich plaques compared to those without. While this association did not reach statistical significance after multivariable adjustment (p = 0.109), the addition of CEC to traditional risk factors improved the model's explanatory power (Nagelkerke R CEC measured using the ILG method reflects HDL subclass features and is associated with the burden of lipid-rich coronary artery plaques. These findings suggest the significance of CEC evaluated using the ILG method, supporting its potential for enhanced ASCVD risk assessment and further clinical applications. Show less

Myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms associated with FGFR1 abnormalities (MLN-FGFR1 abnormalities) are rare hematologic malignancies associated with chromosome 8p11.2 abnormalities. Translocations of 8p11.2 were detected in 10 of 17,039 (0.06%) unique patient cytogenetic studies performed at nine institutions in Japan. No inversions or insertions of 8p11.2 were detected. Among the 10 patients with 8p11.2 translocations, three patients were diagnosed with MLN-FGFR1 abnormalities, which were confirmed by FISH analysis. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was observed in all three patients, and all progressed to AML or T-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia. The prevalence of 8p11.2 translocations in clinical practice and the proportion of MLN-FGFR1 abnormalities in patients with 8p11.2 translocations in Japan were consistent with those in previous reports from Western countries. Show less

Objective Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is speculated to worsen growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion in acromegaly and to be a cause of paradoxical increases in GH (PI-GH) during 75-g oral glucose tolerance testing (75-g OGTT). Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is), which increase the circulating concentration of active GIP, are frequently administered to diabetic patients, including those with acromegaly. We aimed to determine whether or not the administration of a DPP4i increases GH concentration, especially in patients demonstrating PI-GH during a DPP4i-OGTT, in which a DPP4i was administered immediately before 75-g OGTT. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on acromegalic patients admitted to Hokkaido University hospital between June 2011 and May 2018. The participants underwent both 75-g OGTT and DPP4i-OGTT. For those who underwent surgery, immunohistochemical staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the GIP receptor (GIPR) were performed on the resected pituitary adenomas. Results Twenty-five percent of the participants had PI-GH confirmed (3 of 12 cases). Two of the three participants who demonstrated PI-GH exhibited higher circulating GH concentrations during DPP4i-OGTT than during OGTT. The increase in plasma glucose was reduced during DPP4i-OGTT compared to during 75-g OGTT, suggesting that the increase in GH during DPP4i-OGTT was due not to high glucose concentrations but instead increased GIP caused by the administration of DPP4i. The adenoma from one participant with PI-GH displayed positive immunostaining for GIPR and a higher GIPR messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression than the others. Conclusion DPP4i may enhance the GH secretion response during glucose loading, especially in individuals with PI-GH. Show less