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Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the actual status of male climacteric symptoms in rotating night shift workers and how to cope with the symptoms.Methods: We planned a self-administered questionnaire survey in male rotating night shift workers. Male climacteric symptoms were evaluated by using the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale.Results: Of 1891 questionnaires that were sent, 1561 were collected. There were significant differences in total AMS scores among the age groups. In all age groups, there were high proportions of men with increased need for sleep and often feeling tired (64.9%) and decrease in muscular strength (60.7%). There were significant differences in AMS scores for somatic symptoms between men in their 20 s and those in their 40 s or 50 s and between men in their 30 s and those in their 50 s and in AMS scores for sexual symptoms between men in their 20 s and those in their 30 s, 40 s, 50 s or 60 s, between men in their 30 s and those in their 40 s, 50 s or 60 s and between men in their 40 s and those in their 50 s or 60 s.Conclusion: Significant age-dependent differences are found in somatic symptoms and sexual symptoms in rotating night shift workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optic neuritis and myelitis are manifestations in both multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO). But unlike MS, NMO is characterized by severe optic neuritis, longitudinally extensive and transverse myelitis, and the presence of aquaporin-4 antibody. Since patients with optic neuritis and myelitis have often been diagnosed with "optic-spinal MS (OSMS)" in Asia, it was obscure whether "OSMS" is synonymous with NMO or includes both NMO and MS. Interferon β (IFNβ)-1a and -1b are used as the first-line disease-modifying therapy for MS. However, some neurologists have been reluctant to use IFNβ to treat patients with optic-spinal symptoms, because IFNβ therapy is not efficacious in NMO. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of IFNβ in patients with "genuine" OSMS, we retrospectively evaluated Japanese MS patients who fulfilled the following six criteria: 1) Relapsing-remitting MS with optic-spinal presentation alone (no brain symptoms), 2) With or without asymptomatic brain MRI lesions, 3) Oligoclonal IgG band-positive, 4) aquaporin-4 antibody seronegativity, 5) No myelitis extending longitudinally over ≥ 3 vertebral segments, and 6) Duration of IFNβ-1b therapy ≥ 2 years. Among 157 patients with MS, six (four women and two men, age 43.8 ± 8.5 years old) met all the criteria. Their Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were lowered (4.1 ± 2.4 → 3.1 ± 2.8) (P = 0.033) and annualized relapse rate was decreased (0.59 ± 0.34 → 0.13 ± 0.15) (P = 0.027) after IFNβ-1b therapy. These results suggest that IFNβ is therapeutically effective in inhibiting functional worsening and reducing relapse rate in "genuine" OSMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete medical examinations are a system of preventive medicine unique to Japan. In recent years, Japanese and foreigners have been aware of complete medical examinations. However, the extent to which this concept of comprehensive medical checkup is recognized in different counties is unknown. The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) is a facility that has been performing complete medical examinations on inbound visitors since May 2016, and more than 3,500 inbound visitors have been received to date. Based on this track record, the current study analyzed trends in foreigners' demand for medical checkups in Japan. From August 2020 to July 2023, 471 foreign residents in Japan from 22 countries were received. A certain proportion of examinees (approximately 30%) underwent examinations multiple times at a frequency of once a year. In addition, inbound medical visitors resumed starting in January 2023, and 158 inbound examinees were received. Of these, 15.2% of examinees had undergone a complete medical examination at the NCGM before the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that inbound medical visitors and foreign residents may regularly undergo complete medical examinations. In order to continue to meet this demand, Japanese medical facilities should enhance their system for receiving such examinees., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (2024, National Center for Global Health and Medicine.)

Dectin-2 (gene symbol Clec4n) is a C-type lectin expressed by dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages. However, its functional roles and signaling mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we generated Clec4n(-/-) mice and showed that this molecule is important for host defense against Candida albicans (C. albicans). Clec4n(-/-) DCs had virtually no fungal alpha-mannan-induced cytokine production. Dectin-2 signaling induced cytokines through an FcRgamma chain and Syk-CARD9-NF-kappaB-dependent signaling pathway without involvement of MAP kinases. The yeast form of C. albicans induced interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-23 secretion in a Dectin-2-dependent manner. In contrast, cytokine production induced by the hyphal form was only partially dependent on this lectin. Both yeast and hyphae induced Th17 cell differentiation, in which Dectin-2, but not Dectin-1, was mainly involved. Because IL-17A-deficient mice were highly susceptible to systemic candida infection, this study suggests that Dectin-2 is important in host defense against C. albicans by inducing Th17 cell differentiation., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)