Azusa Sameshima

Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis associated with ovarian immature teratoma

Anti‐N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (anti‐NMDAR) encephalitis is a treatment‐responsive encephalitis associated with anti‐NMDAR antibodies. Unlike classic paraneoplastic encephalitis, this disorder usually develops in young women with ovarian teratoma who typically present with marked neuropsychiatric symptoms, followed by prolonged respiratory failure, clouding of consciousness, and bizarre dyskinesia. This disorder is often treatable by resection of ovarian tumor and immunotherapy, but, delayed diagnosis results in a worse condition and sometimes fatal outcome. However, some gynecologists are not familiar with this disorder. When physicians encounter a female patient with encephalitis showing marked neuropsychiatric symptoms, search for an ovarian tumor should be promptly initiated. We present a case of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis associated with ovarian immature teratoma. The symptoms were dramatically relieved by tumor resection and immunotherapy.

Teneligliptin improves metabolic abnormalities in a mouse model of postmenopausal obesity

A decrease in serum estrogen levels in menopause is closely associated with the development of visceral obesity and the onset of type 2 diabetes in women. In the present study, we demonstrated the therapeutic effects of the novel DPP4 inhibitor, teneligliptin, on the features of postmenopausal obesity in mice. In the control group, female C57BL/6 mice were sham-operated and maintained on a standard diet. In the postmenopausal obese group, ovariectomized (OVX) mice were maintained on a high-fat diet, and were referred to as OVX-HF. In the treated group, teneligliptin at 60 mg/kg per day was administrated to OVX-HF, and were referred to as Tene. After a 12-week food challenge, the metabolic phenotypes of these mice were analyzed. Body weight, fat accumulation, and glucose intolerance were greater in OVX-HF than in control, while these abnormalities were markedly improved without alterations in calorie intake in Tene. Teneligliptin effectively ameliorated the characteristics of metabolic abnormalities associated with postmenopausal obesity. Regarding chronic inflammation in visceral adipose tissue, the numbers of F4/80(+)CD11c(+)CD206(-) M1-macrophages in flow cytometry, crown-like structure formation in immunohistochemistry, and proinflammatory cytokine expression were significantly attenuated in Tene. Hepatic steatosis was also markedly improved. Furthermore, decreased energy consumption in the dark and light phases, reduced locomotor activity in the dark phase, and lowered core body temperature in OVX-HF were ameliorated in Tene. Since obesity and reduced energy metabolism are a common physiology of menopause, teneligliptin appears to be beneficial as a treatment for type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal obesity.

Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome with placental chorangioma due to H19-differentially methylated region hypermethylation: A case report

Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a common overgrowth syndrome that involves abdominal wall defects, macroglossia, and gigantism. It is sometimes complicated by placental tumor and polyhydramnios. We report a case of BWS, prenatally diagnosed with ultrasonography. A large and well‐circumscribed tumor also existed on the fetal surface of the placenta, which was histologically diagnosed as chorangioma after delivery. Polyhydramnios was obvious and the fetal heart enlarged progressively during pregnancy. Because the biophysical profiling score dropped to 4 points at 33 weeks of gestation, we carried out cesarean section. By epigenetic analysis, H19‐differentially methylated region hypermethylation was observed in the placental tumor, normal placental tissue, and cord blood mononuclear cells. This is the first report of BWS with placental tumor due to H19‐differentially methylated region hypermethylation.

A Yolk Sac Larger Than 5 mm Suggests an Abnormal Fetal Karyotype, Whereas an Absent Embryo Indicates a Normal Fetal Karyotype

It is very hard to estimate an abnormal or normal fetal karyotype in miscarriage before surgery. We investigated whether the abnormal fetal karyotype in early miscarriage could be estimated by comprehensive ultrasonographic findings by a multivariate analysis.