Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine最新文献

Coronary atherosclerosis (CAS) is a frequent clinical disease that critically affects human health and requires an early diagnostic marker. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have the potential to be diagnostic markers due to their aberrant expression in a wide range of diseases. In this study, the levels of miR-411-5p and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) were analyzed by qRT-PCR. ROC curves were analyzed for the diagnostic value of miR-411-5p. Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) were treated with ox-LDL to construct a cell model. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory factors levels were evaluated by the CCK-8, flow cytometry, and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of miR-411-5p were higher in CAS patients than in controls. Ox-LDL promoted the miR-411-5p levels and suppressed VASP in cells. Suppressing miR-411-5p markedly mitigated ox-LDL suppressive effect on cell proliferation while also diminishing its stimulatory roles in apoptosis and inflammation. However, this alleviation was notably reversed when VASP expression was diminished. MiR-411-5p holds promising prospects as a diagnostic marker for CAS, and targeting the miR-411-5p/VASP axis could mitigate the progression of CAS.

This study aims to investigate the predictive value of long non-coding RNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (lncRNA TUG1) for complications following cesarean section in patients with scarred uterus. We first included 186 subjects with scarred uterus. The levels of TUG1 in the serum of these subjects were measured using RT-qPCR, and based on the expression levels of TUG1, they were divided into TUG1 high expression group (90 cases) and TUG1 low expression group (96 cases). The postpartum hemorrhage, postoperative site infections, pelvic floor muscle strength, and vaginal microbiota status were compared between the two groups. And the predictive value of TUG1 for complications following cesarean section in women with scarred uteri was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The levels of TUG1 were found to be strongly positively correlated with the abdominal scar score of the pregnant women. Furthermore, TUG1 levels in women who experienced pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), vaginal microbiome disorders, surgical site infections (SSI), and postpartum hemorrhage were significantly higher than those in women without these complications. The ROC curve indicated that TUG1 predicted PFD, vaginal microbiota disorders, SSI, and postpartum hemorrhage with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.811, 0.832, 0.819, and 0.887, respectively. TUG1 was positively correlated with abdominal scar scores and demonstrated good predictive value for complications after cesarean section in women with scarred uteri. These findings suggest that TUG1 has the potential to serve as a clinical biomarker for these complications.

The prevalence of type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes in reproductive women is rising. Subclinical hyperglycemia's impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes is evident. Nevertheless, the variance in outcomes between T1D and T2D pregnancies is not well-defined. We retrospectively analyzed 68 pregnancies (28 T1D, 40 T2D) at the Gunma University Hospital (Dec 2017-Mar 2022), examining maternal characteristics, insulin therapy, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, daily insulin dose, gestational weight gain, and perinatal outcomes. In T1D pregnancies, those with large-for-gestational age (LGA) infants had less improvement in HbA1c early in pregnancy and greater weight gain overall. Notably, even non-obese women with T1D often gained excessive weight, which was closely tied to LGA risk. The risk increased sharply when third-trimester HbA1c exceeded 48 mmol/mol (6.5%). These findings suggest that, despite significant gestational weight gain, insulin doses may not have been sufficiently escalated to match increased insulin resistance, contributing to both poor glycemic control and a higher risk of LGA in T1D pregnancies. Our study underscores the importance of tailoring insulin therapy and weight management to reduce LGA risk in T1D. As the use of advanced technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), and sensor-augmented pump (SAP) therapy continues to expand in pregnancy care, ongoing data updates will be essential to refine clinical strategies and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

The doctor shortage is a general healthcare problem on many remote islands, which differ geographically from the mainland. Revealing the factors for recruitment and retention of doctors on remote islands may help develop countermeasures. We systematically investigated the factors related to recruitment and retention of doctors specifically on remote islands. The literature available from PubMed, CENTRAL, and Embase up to May 2024 was reviewed. Eligible studies were original articles with cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and interventional designs that focused on recruitment and retention of doctors on remote islands. For this study, the "island" was defined as an area and region surrounded by water and separated from the "mainland". The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Rating Scale. We identified nine eligible original articles, including six cohort studies and three cross-sectional studies on recruitment and retention of doctors reported in Hawaii, Tasmania, and Maluku. In four studies on recruitment, the identified factors were island background, medical education on islands, and quality of life on islands. In six studies on retention, the identified factors were island background, medical education on islands, quality of life on islands, opportunities for professional training, family-related factors, working conditions, and financial incentives. These findings would be useful for policymakers and healthcare planners to secure doctors on remote islands. Further studies are warranted.

On March 28, 2025, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar (GLIDE #EQ-2025-000043-MMR), compounding the country's existing political instability, economic fragility, and infrastructural weaknesses. Although seismic events have recurred throughout history, limited knowledge exists regarding how working-age adults (18-60), who play a central role in recovery, mobilize personal, cultural, and community resources to cope with adversity and reconstruct their lives. This is a protocol clarification for a remote access qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 30 purposively sampled participants, half from heavily impacted zones (Sagaing, Mandalay) and half from nearby regions experiencing secondary disruption (Yangon). Using a remote system, interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically following Graneheim and Lundman's approach. This study aims to identify key coping strategies, including social support networks, spiritual practices, and local initiatives of working-age adults in Myanmar, and to compare how exposure severity shapes adaptive responses. Anticipated themes based on existing disaster and resilience literature include community-led resilience, hope through faith, and resource-sharing practices. Findings are expected to offer in-depth, culturally grounded insights that can inform disaster recovery programs, psychosocial support services, and policy frameworks aimed at strengthening resilience in Myanmar and similar low-resource, low-accessibility, crisis-affected settings.