No abstract

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is suppressed during thermoneutral head-out water immersion (HOI) in humans. In this study, the effects of ageing on the suppressive response of MSNA to HOI were determined. MSNA was recorded microneurographically from the tibial nerve in 16 healthy men, 10 of whom were aged 19-30 years (young group) and six aged 45-67 years (older group). MSNA was suppressed in all the subjects during HOI. The suppressive response was significantly less prominent in the older group than in the young group. A significant negative correlation between age and the suppressive response of MSNA induced by HOI (r = -0.53, P < 0.05) was found. We conclude that suppressive response of sympathetic nerve activity to HOI is reduced with age.

A 64-year-old woman presented with exertional dyspnea. The case was diagnosed as mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) due to presence of swollen fingers, Raynaud's phenomenon, muscle weakness, positive anti-U1RNP antibody, pericarditis and interstitial pneumonia. Although the histology from a transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) indicated organizing pneumonia, corticosteroid therapy was postponed for two months at the patient's request. She died 8 weeks later from acute progressive interstitial pneumonia in spite of the administration of intravenous cyclophosphamide combined with prednisolone. The autopsy revealed exudative and organizing diffuse alveolar damage (DAD). Previous reports have shown that DAD is an extremely rare pulmonary complication in MCTD. This report presents a case of MCTD with acute respiratory failure. This case thus suggests that this therapy should be administered as soon as possible.

We herein report a 42-year-old man with advanced lung adenocarcinoma and nivolumab-associated dermatomyositis. Nivolumab, an anticancer drug that is classified as an immune checkpoint inhibitor, often induces immune-related adverse events (irAEs). However, there have so far been no reports regarding nivolumab-associated dermatomyositis. This patient was diagnosed with dermatomyositis due to the presence of proximal muscle weakness with abnormal electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging findings; skin lesions, such as heliotrope rash, shawl sign, and periungual erythema; and an elevated serum aldolase level after nivolumab administration. It is important to consider drug-associated dermatomyositis in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with skin lesions and muscle weakness after nivolumab treatment.

Background. Fluid shift induced by postural change causes autonomic neural responses of the cardiovascular system that buffer blood pressure fluctuation. The aim of the study was to clarify the effects of aging on cardiovascular autonomic functions in response to gravity-related fluid shift that unloads or loads the baroreceptors in human subjects.