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The dependence of the response on the gain of the feedback loop and the oscillation frequency is investigated in the oscillation-controlled magnetic sensing system. Two types of response are observed according to the gain of the feedback loop.

We obtained monoclonal antibodies specific for human type II collagen and characterized them using human collagen type I, II. Ill and V and tropocollagen A (3/4) (TCA) and iropocollagen B (1/4) (TCB) fragments of type II collagen which were obtained by digestion with tadpole collagenase. These antibodies were of the IgG2a class and specific for the conformational determinant of TCA fragment of type II collagen. When injected intravenously into DBA/IJ mice, one of the monoclonal antibodies induced arthritis, which was characterized by early onset, mildness in severity and preferential localization mainly in the peripheral joints of the lower extremities. These results suggest that, a I least, one of the arthritogenic determinants of type M collagen for collagen-induced arthritis of mice exists in the three quarter region from the N-terminus of type II collagen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complicated with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Gastroesophageal reflux disease is prevented by Helicobacter pylori infection and is a predisposing factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in RA patients with ILD has not been sufficiently investigated., Objective: In this study, we analyzed anti- H. pylori antibodies in RA patients with ILD., Design: Case-control observational study., Methods: Anti- H. pylori antibodies were analyzed in the sera of RA patients using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit., Results: The positivity of anti- H. pylori antibodies in RA with ILD ( n  = 30 [18.0%], P  = .0227), usual interstitial pneumonia ( n  = 10 [14.3%], P  = .0212), and airway disease ( n  = 30 [18.0%], P  = .0227) was significantly lower than that of RA without chronic lung disease ( n  = 78 [27.5%]). The positivity of anti- H. pylori antibodies was also lower in RA with chronic lung disease ( n  = 68 [18.2%], P  = .0059). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the presence of anti- H. pylori antibodies was independently and protectively associated with chronic lung disease in RA., Conclusion: The seroprevalence of H. pylori was lower in RA with ILD. H. pylori infection prevented ILD in patients with RA by protecting them from gastroesophageal reflux disease., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

A 62-year-old man was diagnosed with Stage Ⅲ signet ring cell carcinoma of the lower thoracic esophagus. The patient underwent 2 courses of neoadjuvant cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil(SP therapy), demonstrating stable efficacy. Subsequently, the patient underwent subtotal esophagectomy with thoracoabdominal 2-field lymphadenectomy via right thoracotomy, followed by esophageal reconstruction using a gastric tube through a retrosternal route. Pathological examination revealed a signet ring cell carcinoma of the esophagogastric junction(pT3, pN2, sM0, and fStage Ⅲ). Postoperatively, the patient received chemotherapy with S-1 for 2 years owing to multiple lymph node metastases. Remarkably, the patient remained free of recurrence 6 years after surgery. We encountered a case of long-term survival in esophagogastric junction cancer with multiple lymph node metastases, typically associated with poor prognosis, following pre- and postoperative chemotherapy and radical surgery.

Objectives: A common complication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is interstitial lung disease (ILD). Antibodies (Abs) to anti-aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase (ARS) are linked to ILD in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). There have been limited studies of anti-ARS Abs in RA. In this study, we examined anti-ARS Abs in ILD in patients with RA. Methods: Anti-ARS Abs in serum from patients with RA were measured. Results: There were higher anti-ARS Ab levels in RA patients with ILD (mean ± SDM, 16.3 ± 32.3 vs. 7.4 ± 7.0 (Index), p = 5.58 × 10 -12 ), usual interstitial pneumonia (14.4 ± 24.4 vs. 7.4 ± 7.0 [Index], p = 3.14 × 10 -12 ), and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (17.9 ± 37.7 vs. 7.4 ± 7.0 (Index), p = 5.07 × 10 -5 ) compared with patients without chronic lung disease. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve for anti-ARS Ab was too low to allow for discrimination among RA patients with/without chronic lung disease (0.608, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.560-0.655, p = 8.69 × 10 -6 ). Multiple logistic regression analyses of age, smoking status, anti-ARS Abs, as well as Steinbrocker stage generated an ARS-index with a high AUC value (0.707, 95%CI 0.662-0.752, p = 2.20 × 10 -19 ). Conclusions: Anti-ARS Abs are related to ILD pathogenesis in RA and may be a biomarker for ILD.

67-year-old woman underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy( dCRT) with cisplatin( CDDP) and 5-fluorouraci(l 5-FU)(FP) for locally advanced unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus. During treatment, the patient developed grade 3 pharyngitis and esophagitis as adverse events. She was administered maintenance chemotherapy with 2 courses of FP and achieved complete response. Currently, she experiences esophageal stenosis; however, she remains alive and recurrence-free 9 years after initial treatment. While dCRT is effective for locally advanced esophageal cancer, its adverse effects may persist. Herein, we report our case and have included relevant literature considerations.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is sometimes complicated by interstitial lung disease (ILD) with a poor prognosis. A single nucleotide variant (SNV) in MUC5B was associated with ILD in European RA patients. However, associations of this SNV were not found in Japanese RA patients, because its frequency in Japanese populations is very low. We investigated the associations of candidate SNVs including the MUC5B variant with ILD in Japanese RA., Methods: Genotyping of MUC5B rs35705950, MUC2 rs7934606, MAD1L1 rs12699415, and PPFIBP2 rs6578890 in Japanese RA patients was conducted for association analyses., Results: MUC5B rs35705950 was associated with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) (p = 0.0039, Pc = 0.0156, odds ratio [OR] 10.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.05-55.37) or ILD (p = 0.0071, Pc = 0.0284, OR 7.33, 95%CI 1.52-35.44) in Japanese RA under the allele model. MUC2 rs7934606 was associated with UIP (p = 0.0072, Pc = 0.0288, OR 29.55, 95%CI 1.52-574.57) or ILD (p = 0.0037, Pc = 0.0148, OR 22.95, 95%CI 1.27-416.13) in RA. Haplotype analyses suggested the primary association of MUC5B rs35705950 with UIP in Japanese RA. No significant association of MAD1L1 rs12699415 or PPFIBP2 rs6578890 with UIP, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, or ILD in RA was observed., Conclusions: MUC5B rs35705950 is associated with, and might be involved in the pathogenesis of ILD, especially UIP, in Japanese RA., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. The best treatment for the AEF due to esophageal carcinoma is still unresolved. Here, we report a rare case of AEF caused by esophageal cancer, that was successfully treated with emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), followed by esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction., Case Presentation: A 64-year-old man presented with loss of consciousness and hypotension during chemoradiotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer. Enhanced computed tomography showed extravasation from the descending aorta into the esophagus at the tumor site. We performed emergency TEVAR for the AEF, which stabilized the hemodynamics. We then performed thoracoscopic subtotal esophagectomy on day 4 after TEVAR to prevent graft infection, followed by gastric tube reconstruction on day 30 after TEVAR. At 9 months after the onset of AEF, the patient continues to receive outpatient chemotherapy and leads a normal daily life., Conclusion: TEVAR is a useful hemostatic procedure for AEF. If the patient is in good condition and can continue treatment for esophageal cancer, esophagectomy and reconstruction after TEVAR should be performed to prevent graft infection and maintain quality of life., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A 64-year-old woman underwent left-thoracoabdominal esophagectomy and esophagojejunostomy for cancer of the esophagogastric junction. The pathological examination of the resected specimen showed a poorly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The pathological stage was pT3, pN1, sM0, and fStage Ⅲ. Three months after surgery, an SCC antigen related to a tumor marker was found to be outside the normal range, and CT showed lymph node recurrence of the three fields(No. 101R, No. 104RL, No. 106recRL, No. 106pre, and No. 16b1). Because the lymph node recurrence was in the three fields, we performed systemic chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin(CDDP), and 5-fluorouracil(5-FU)(collectively, DCF). After the patient received 2 courses of DCF therapy, the lymph nodes where the recurrent occurred decreased in size(partial response), and SCC became within normal range. She received additional chemotherapy with 2 courses of DCF and achieved a complete response. Currently, she has been alive without recurrence for 7 years and 9 months after 4 courses of DCF therapy. We think that we can select DCF therapy as a first-line treatment for lymph node recurrence alone but not for CRT with FP.

Interstitial lung disease and airway disease (AD) are often complicated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and have a poor prognosis. Several studies reported genetic associations with interstitial lung disease in RA. However, few genetic studies have examined the susceptibility to AD in RA patients. Here, we investigated whether single nucleotide variants susceptible to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis might be associated with interstitial lung disease or AD in Japanese RA patients. Genotyping of rs2736100 [C/A] in TERT and rs1278769 [G/A] in ATP11A was conducted in 98 RA patients with usual interstitial pneumonia, 120 with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), 227 with AD, and 422 without chronic lung disease using TaqMan assays. An association with AD in RA was found for rs2736100 ( p = 0.0043, Pc = 0.0129, odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-1.77). ATP11A rs1278769 was significantly associated with NSIP in older RA patients (>65 years, p = 0.0010, OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.35-3.40). This study first reported an association of rs2736100 with AD in RA patients and ATP11A rs1278769 with NSIP in older RA patients.

Reflux esophagitis and gastric tube ulcer sometimes cause severe clinical problems in patients undergoing esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction. We previously reported that acidity in the gastric tube was decreased for 1 year after esophagectomy, and that lower acidity levels were associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. However, the long-term changes in gastric acidity remain unknown. We aimed to investigate the long-term changes in gastric acidity after surgery. Eighty-nine patients who underwent esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction for esophageal cancer were analyzed. They underwent 24-hour pH monitoring, serum gastrin measurement, and H. pylori infection examination before surgery, at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. The gastric acidity at 1 month and 1 year after surgery was significantly lower than that before surgery (p=0.003, p=0.003). However, there was no difference in gastric acidity before and 2 years after surgery. The gas tric acidity in H. pylori-infected patients was significantly lower in comparison to non-infected patients at each time point (p=0.0003, p<0.0001, p<0.0001, p<0.0001, respectively). In H. pylori-infected patients, gastric acid ity was decreased for 1 year after surgery, and recovered within 2 years after surgery. However, no significant differences were observed in the acidity levels of non-infected patients during the 2-year follow-up period. The serum gastrin level increased after esophagectomy. The acidity levels in the gastric tube recovered within 2 years after surgery. Periodic endoscopy examination is recommended for early detection of acid-related disease, such as reflux esophagitis or gastric tube ulcer, after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common complication after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction. The GerdQ questionnaire was developed for diagnosing GERD in primary care patients. Its effectiveness in patients after esophagectomy remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of the GerdQ questionnaire for diagnosing GERD after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer., Materials and Methods: A total of 124 patients with esophageal cancer underwent right transthoracic esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction between January 2010 and December 2016. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and 24-hour esophageal pH-metry were performed at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. The GerdQ questionnaire was administered at the same postoperative time points. We assessed any correlation between the GerdQ scores and the endoscopy and pH-metry findings., Results: The incidence rates of GERD at 1 month, 1 year and 2 years post-surgery were 31.6%, 46.9%, and 49.2%, respectively. The GerdQ questionnaire showed 77% sensitivity and 56% specificity for diagnosing GERD at 2 years after esophagectomy when the cutoff point was 7. However, the optimal cutoff points were different at each postoperative time, and the scores showed some imbalance between sensitivity and specificity. Regurgitation may be a useful indicator, as the frequency of regurgitation was significantly higher in patients with GERD than in patients without GERD at 1 year (P = 0.046) and 2 years postoperatively (P = 0.048)., Conclusion: The GerdQ questionnaire is not a useful diagnostic tool for GERD in patients who have undergone esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.