JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INVESTIGATION最新文献

Background and aim: The associations between follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and lipid profiles have been controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between FSH levels and lipid profiles before and during hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Japanese women.

Subjects and methods: We recruited 117 women who were receiving HRT and examined serum levels of FSH, LH, estradiol, triglycerides (TG), LDL-C and HDL-C. In addition, the associations of reduction rate of FSH and increase in estradiol level with changes in lipid parameters before and during HRT were examined.

Results: FSH showed a significant negative correlation with TG and LDL-C and a significant positive correlation with LH and HDL-C. In women receiving oral estrogen, the rate of increase in HDL-C and TG was significantly greater in the group with a large decrease in FSH. In women receiving oral estrogen, LDL-C was significantly decreased and TG was significantly increased in the group with a large increase in estradiol.

Conclusion: We demonstrated associations between FSH level and favorable lipid profiles in this study. During HRT, the action of reduction of FSH on lipid parameters did not exceed the direct action of estrogen. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 290-297, August, 2025.

Photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) allows for attainment of images with excellent spatial resolution at reduced radiation doses. However, practical utility of this diagnostic modality in neurosurgery is still not defined well. Herein, the authors report their initial experience with the use of postoperative PCD-CT (helical pitch, 0.85;gantry rotation time, 0.5 s;tube voltage, 120 kV) in a single-acquisition high-resolution mode with the iterative metal artifact reduction and attainment of the reconstructed images with slice thickness of 0.2 mm for assessment of the shunt valve pressure adjustment system and endovascular flow-diverting stent. In both cases, intracranially implanted neurosurgical devices were effectively visualized. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 463-466, August, 2025.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a key indicator of CAD, reflecting plaque burden. Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) promotes vascular inflammation and contributes to plaque development, making it a promising imaging biomarker. This study aimed to create a radiomics-based model using cardiac CT features of PCAT around the left main coronary artery (LMCA) to predict CAC.

Methods: Imaging from forty patients who underwent ECG-gated cardiac CT was retrospectively analyzed and grouped by CAC presence. Manual segmentation was performed using 3D Slicer to delineate PCAT surrounding the LMCA. Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression were utilized for feature selection. Random Forest and support vector machine (SVM) models were trained and compared.

Results: From the 1,037 features extracted, two features with non-zero coefficients were retained at the optimal LASSO parameter (log α = 0.0128). The Random Forest model achieved 92% accuracy and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9143, outperforming SVM.

Conclusion: Radiomic features of PCAT on cardiac CT can accurately predict CAC, showing its potential as an imaging-based biomarker for CAD risk assessment. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 330-336, August, 2025.

Physiological studies on the amount and duration of vitamin D intake are limited. Noninvasive biomarkers for vitamin D status also need to be explored. Thus, we conducted a dietary challenge study to assess vitamin D metabolism. This crossover study included 21 healthy Japanese individuals, with each test lasting 6 consecutive days. Participants consumed test meals during the study period for 5 days. The main dish was either fish (FD) or meat (MD), and the FD group was provided with at least 18 μg of vitamin D per day. Fasting blood samples and 24 h urine samples were collected on the first and last days. The mean serum 25(OH)D3 level were low before the intervention and changed only slightly after intervention, with higher levels in the FD group. Serum 25(OH)D3 demonstrated a strong positive correlation with serum 24,25(OH)2D3 but showed no correlation with urinary 25(OH)D3. Surprisingly, it had a relatively strong positive correlation with urinary 24,25(OH)2D3. In conclusion, in healthy Japanese, adequate intake of vitamin D from fish failed to increase serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. On the other hand, noninvasive urinary24,25(OH)2D3 excretion may be used instead of serum 25(OH)D3 levels to assess vitamin D status. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 308-315, August, 2025.

Objective: We investigated the relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and symptom severity, clinical and socio-demographic variables in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: One hundred and ten patients with schizophrenia were compared with 110 healthy subjects matched by gender, age, body mass index, and smoking status. The NLR was determined after obtaining full blood counts by calculating the ratio of absolute neutrophil count and the absolute lymphocyte count. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to determine the severity of symptoms in patients.

Results: In patients with schizophrenia, neutrophil count and NLR were significantly higher (p<0.001), while lymphocyte count (p=0.035) was significantly lower compared to healthy controls. A significant positive correlation was found between NLR and the PANSS negative, general psychopathology, and total scores (all p<0.05). The NLR was also positively correlated with PANSS negative, cognitive, excitement, and depression factor scores (all p<0.05). Regression analysis revealed that NLR was a predictor for the clinical symptoms. No significant correlations were found between NLR and clinical and demographic characteristics in patients.

Conclusion: Increased NLR is associated with the severity of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, and may be a state marker in schizophrenia. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 408-418, August, 2025.

This study aimed to propose a measurement protocol for visualizing nurses' empathic communication competencies using gaze-tracking, voice-analysis, and digital video. This study was conducted at University A from June to November 2019 and two nursing students in their 20s. The scenario simulated nurses' empathic listening to patients discuss their health. Data were collected using a gaze analysis device (Tobii Eye Tracker 4C), a voice analysis device (WavePad FFT), and a digital video camera. Gaze data were categorized into 16 facial and upper-body regions and visualized on the horizontal and vertical axes using scatter plots. Verbal communication lasted 4 min 59 s, with 24,222 valid data points recorded from the subjects' gazes within the effective range. Subjects' "focus of gaze" was more frequently on the lower right face (36.51%), upper right face (33.93%), lower left face (13.01%), and upper left face (8.31%), 94% of the gaze was directed at the other person's face. Voice analysis revealed initial sound pressure levels between -18 to -12 dB, increasing beyond -6 dB with laughter and frequent utterances. The proposed measurement protocol allowed the visual and numerical identification of nurses' expressed empathy and emotions toward the patient by voice, gaze, and digital video recorded data. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 419-424, August, 2025.

Background/objectives: Although dietary intake has been shown to affect various diseases, the effect of dietary intake on body composition remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of dietary intake on body composition.

Methods: A total of 51 Japanese dietetic students (11 men and 40 women;average age:20.9±2.8) participated in this study. We assessed their body composition (i.e., muscle mass, body fat, and total body water) using the Physion MD® system. The subjects also completed an FFQg that was used to analyze dietary intake.

Results: The mean body mass index was 21.09±3.28 kg/m2, the mean percentage of body muscle was 35.9±6.2%, and the mean percentage of body fat was 21.1±6.7%. The body fat percentage was negatively correlated with vegetable intake (r=-0.5872, p<0.0001) and positively correlated with snack intake (r=0.6853, p<0.0001).

Conclusions: Daily dietary intake, especially intake of vegetables and snacks, was independently associated with body fat percentage in healthy subjects. This suggests that intake of vegetables and snacks has a direct impact on body composition. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 281-285, August, 2025.

Intestinal organoids are three-dimensional cell culture models that replicate the structure and function of the intestine, and have drawn significant attention in recent years for their potential in research and medical applications. Organoid culture technology enables the reconstruction of miniature tissues with intestinal structures, often referred to as "mini-organs", from adult stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells. This technology allows for the faithful replication of intestinal functions and pathologies that are challenging to reproduce using conventional two-dimensional culture systems. As a result, organoid culture has emerged as a vital platform that is widely utilized in developmental biology, disease modeling, drug screening, and personalized medicine. This article focuses on the clinical applications of organoid culture technology, particularly with respect to the gastrointestinal tract, and provides an overview of its advancements and clinical potential. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 235-240, August, 2025.

We report a case of successful management of a massive pulmonary embolism (PE) with simultaneous hepatic arterial injury using anticoagulation and interventional radiology (IVR). The patient, with pre-existing muscle atrophy, decreased lower extremity mobility, and spinal stenosis, developed bilateral PE during rehabilitation. Following cardiopulmonary arrest, chest compressions for resuscitation resulted in hepatic hemorrhage. The patient was treated with intravenous heparin, transcatheter arterial embolization, thrombectomy, and blood transfusion, leading to full recovery without neurological complications. This case highlights the importance of assessing PE risk in hospitalized patients and highlights the efficacy of IVR in complex cases. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 177-181, February, 2025.

Sarcoma Meth A is widely used in the field of immunology and oncology study. We found that a mutant cell line, Meth A (mMeth A), was rejected in an in vivo subcutaneous challenge in BALB / c mice. mMeth A cells were not rejected in athymic BALB / c-nu / nu mice and CD8+ cell-depleted BALB / c mice, suggesting that CD8+ cells are required for rejection of mMeth A cells. Microarray analysis showed that melanoma antigen (MAg) was one of the most elevated genes in mMeth A cells. Indeed, quantitative gene expression analysis showed that the expression level of MAg in mMeth A cells was one hundred-times higher than that in Meth A cells. We constructed two types of expression vector coding the MAg gene sequence corresponding to 788-1257 and 1611-2043 and immunized mice with these genes by intramuscular injection. Immunization of a plasmid expressing the Mag 788-1257 gene protected the mice from in vivo Meth A challenge as evaluated by tumor volume and survival rate. The results reveal that MAg is a potential vaccine candidate antigen against Meth A tumors. J. Med. Invest. 72 : 161-166, February, 2025.