民俗学的新时代:通往“世界常民学”之路

柳田国男、石田英一郎、竹田旦、直江广治、千叶德尔、宫本馨太郎、和歌森太郎、樱井德太郎、宫田登、福田亚细男等日本民俗学界的前辈们,通过不断提出质问的方式推动了20世纪日本民俗学的发展。从进入大学后,佐野贤治亲历了从竹田旦、直江广治、千叶德尔到宫田登,再到福田亚细男的几次民俗学变革。通过逾半个世纪的学习与实践,佐野贤治在继承柳田民俗学的基础上,从事比较民俗学、佛教与民俗及民具等方面的研究对其进行了补足。最后佐野贤治提出对21世纪民俗学研究的展望,即超越“一国民俗学”的“世界常民学”研究。--译者.

Serum autotaxin levels are correlated with hepatic fibrosis and ballooning in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM To examine the relationship between serum autotaxin(ATX) concentrations and clinicopathological findings in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) patients.METHODS One hundred eighty-six NAFLD patients who had undergone liver biopsy between 2008 and 2017 were retrospectively enrolled.Serum samples were collected at the time of biopsy and ATX was measured by enzyme immunoassays.Sera obtained from 160 healthy,nonobese individuals were used as controls.Histological findings were graded according to an NAFLD scoring system and correlations with serum ATX were calculated by Spearman's test.Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC).Cut-off values were identified by the Youden index,and the nearest clinically applicable value to the cutoff was considered the optimal threshold for clinical convenience.RESULTS Serum ATX levels were significantly higher in NAFLD patients than in controls(0.86 mg/L vs 0.76 mg/L,P < 0.001) and correlated significantly with ballooning score and fibrosis stage(r = 0.36,P < 0.001 and r = 0.45,P < 0.001,respectively).Such tendencies were stronger in female patients.There were no remarkable relationships between ATX and serum alanine aminotransferase,lipid profiles,or steatosis scores.The AUC values of ATX for predicting the presence of fibrosis(≥ F1),significant fibrosis(≥ F2),severe fibrosis(≥ F3),and cirrhosis(F4),were all more than 0.70 in respective analyses.CONCLUSION Serum ATX levels may at least partially reflect histological severity in NAFLD.

Association between endotoxemia and histological features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

AIMTo assess whether surrogate biomarkers of endotoxemia were correlated with the histological features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).METHODSOne hundred twenty-six NAFLD patients who had undergone percutaneous liver biopsy were enrolled. Serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) and anti-endotoxin core immunoglobulin G (EndoCab IgG) antibody concentrations at the time of liver biopsy were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to examine for relationships between biomarker levels and histological scores.RESULTSSerum LBP concentration was significantly increased in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients as compared with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) subjects and was correlated with steatosis (r = 0.38, P &#x0003c; 0.0001) and ballooning scores (r = 0.23, P = 0.01), but not with the severity of lobular inflammation or fibrosis. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that LBP was associated with steatosis score and circulating C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, and fibrinogen levels. Serum EndoCab IgG concentration was comparable between NASH and NAFL patients. No meaningful correlations were detected between EndoCab IgG and histological findings.CONCLUSIONLBP/EndoCab IgG were not correlated with lobular inflammation or fibrosis. More accurate LPS biomarkers are required to stringently assess the contribution of endotoxemia to conventional NASH.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease later diagnosed as myotonic dystrophy

BACKGROUND Myotonic dystrophy(MD)is sometimes accompanied by metabolic/endocrine disorders,including dyslipidemia,central obesity,and hypogonadism.Due to considerable individual differences in the severity and progression of myopathy,MD patients with minimal-to-mild muscle symptoms might be followed as having other diseases,such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).CASE SUMMARY A 40-year-old non-obese man without a history of regular ethanol consumption was referred to our hospital due to persistent liver dysfunction and hyperlipidemia.His body mass index was 23.4 kg/m2.Liver histology demonstrated macrovesicular steatosis,ballooned hepatocytes with eosinophilic inclusion bodies,and perisinusoidal fibrosis,leading to the diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH).Although he had no discernable muscle pain or weakness,persistently high serum creatine kinase(CK)and myoglobin levels as well as the presence of frontal baldness,a hatched face,history of cataract surgery,and grip myotonia indicated the possibility of MD.Southern blotting of the patient’s DNA revealed the presence of CTG repeats,confirming the diagnosis.CONCLUSION When gastroenterologists encounter NAFLD/NASH patients,serum CK should be verified.If hyperCKemia,frontal baldness,a hatched face,history of cataract surgery,and grip myotonia are noted,the possibility of MD may be considered.

Mice-lacking LMP2, immuno-proteasome subunit, as an animal model of spontaneous uterine leiomyosarcoma

Uterine tumors are the most common type of gynecologic neoplasm.Uterine leiomyosarcoma(LMS)is rare,accounting for 2%to 5%of tumors of the uterine body.Uterine LMS develops more often in the muscle tissue layer of the uterine body than in the uterine cervix.The development of gynecologic tumors is often correlated with female hormone secretion;however,the development of uterine LMS is not substantially correlated with hormonal conditions,and the risk factors are not yet known.Radiographic evaluation combined with PET/CT can be useless in the diagnosis and surveillance of uterine LMS.Importantly,a diagnostic biomarker,which distinguishes malignant LMS and benign tumor leiomyoma(LMA)is yet to be established.Accordingly,it is necessary to analyze risk factors associated with uterine LMS in order to establish a method of treatment.LMP2-deficient mice spontaneously develop uterine LMS,with a disease prevalence of~40%by 14 months of age.It is therefore of interest whether human uterine LMS shows a loss of LMP2 expression.We found LMP2 expression is absent in human LMS,but present in human LMA.Therefore,defective LMP2 expression may be one of the risk factors for LMS.LMP2 is potentially a diagnostic biomarker for uterine LMS,and gene therapy with LMP2-encording DNA may be a new therapeutic approach.