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The percentage cross-sectional area of the lung under five (%CSA <5 ) is the percentage of pulmonary vessels with <5 mm 2 area relative to the total lung area on computed tomography (CT). The extent that %CSA <5 is related to pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is unclear, as is the effect of pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) on %CSA <5 . Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of %CSA <5 in patients with CTEPH. We studied 98 patients (64 females, mean age 62.5 ± 11.9 years), who underwent CT with %CSA <5 measurement and right heart catheterization (RHC). Patients were classified into groups based on eligibility for PEA. We compared the %CSA <5 with pulmonary hemodynamics measured by RHC in various groups. In 38 patients who underwent PEA, the relationship between %CSA <5 and pulmonary hemodynamics was also evaluated before and after PEA. Significant correlations between %CSA <5 and pulmonary vascular resistance, and compliance, and pulmonary artery pulse pressure were observed in all patients. Pulmonary hemodynamics in the patients who underwent or were eligible for PEA showed a significant correlation with %CSA <5 . Additionally, %CSA <5 was significantly lower in the postoperative than in the preoperative group. There was no correlation between changes in %CSA <5 and pulmonary hemodynamics before and after PEA. Furthermore, %CSA <5 did not correlate significantly with prognosis. %CSA <5 may reflect pulmonary hemodynamics in CTEPH with central thrombosis. Furthermore, %CSA <5 was reduced by PEA postoperatively. However, %CSA <5 is not a prognostic indicator, its clinical usefulness in CTEPH patients is limited, and further validation is required., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Pulmonary Circulation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute.)

This study investigated whether dilated bronchial arteries are associated with reperfusion pulmonary edema in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Results showed that the extent of enlarged bronchial arteries was not associated with the development of reperfusion pulmonary edema, whereas the residual pulmonary hypertension had a significant association., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) is an antioxidant and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that reduces inflammatory cytokine production. Gelatin hydrogel can be used as a carrier of a physiologically active substance that release it gradually for an average of ~3 weeks. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the effect of EPA-incorporating gelatin hydrogels on osteoarthritis (OA) progression in vivo. Ten-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups (n = 6): Sham, destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM), Corn: DMM + 2 µL corn oil, EPA injection alone (EPA-I): DMM + 2 µL corn oil + 125 μg/μL EPA, Gel: DMM + gelatin hydrogels, and EPA-G: DMM + 125 μg/μL EPA-incorporating gelatin hydrogels. The mice were euthanized at 8 weeks after DMM or Sham surgery, and subjected to histological evaluation. Matrix-metalloproteinases-3 (MMP-3), MMP-13, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), p-IKK α/β, CD86, and CD163 protein expression in the synovial cartilage was detected by immunohistochemical staining. F4/80 expression was also assessed using the F4/80 score of macrophage. Histological score was significantly lower in EPA-G than in EPA-I. MMP-3-, MMP-13-, IL-1β-, and p-IKK α/β-positive cell ratio was significantly lower in EPA-G than in EPA-I. However, CD86- and CD163-positive cell ratio was not significantly different between EPA-I and EPA-G. The average-sum F4/80 score of macrophage in EPA-G was significantly lower than that in EPA-I. EPA-incorporating gelatin hydrogels were shown to prevent OA progression in vivo more effectively than EPA injection alone. Our results suggested that intra-articular administration of controlled-release EPA can be a new therapeutic approach for treating OA., (© 2020 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)