Journal Club– category –
Commentaries on original medical and life-science papers by Hirotsugu and Ayuko Suwanai — the research question, study design, key results and limitations, from basic science to clinical implications.
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Can DPP-4 Inhibitors Reduce Surgical Scarring? Evidence from Japan’s National Claims Database
A 2020 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery study analyzed 5,430 patients who underwent median sternotomy in Japan’s national claims database (NDB) and found fewer hypertrophic scars and keloids among those taking DPP-4 inhibitors. -
Diabetic Chorea in Japan: A 59-Hospital Survey Points to Risks of Rapid Glucose Correction and Hypoglycemia
A 2025 study in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation surveyed 64 reported cases of diabetic chorea in Japan. Most patients were older adults with type 2 diabetes and severe hyperglycemia, but about one in five developed symptoms after hypoglycemia or glucose improvement. -
Why NOD Mice Have Weak NK Cells: A Defective Il15 Allele (PNAS 2010)
A 2010 PNAS study traced the natural killer (NK) cell deficiency of NOD mice — the classic type 1 diabetes model — to an under-expressed Il15 allele, with implications for building humanized mouse models. -
Predicting Primary Aldosteronism Subtypes with Machine Learning: Who Needs Adrenal Vein Sampling?
A 2022 study built a machine-learning model from routine tests in 154 patients with primary aldosteronism to predict unilateral versus bilateral disease, potentially helping decide who should undergo adrenal vein sampling. -
A Monogenic Cause in About One in Four Children with 46,XY DSD: Genetic Analysis of 185 Japanese Patients
A 2025 JCEM study sequenced 25 genes in 185 Japanese children with 46,XY differences of sex development (DSD) and found a monogenic cause in about 26%, more often when Müllerian structures were present or the external genitalia were female-typical. -
Immune Cells That Control Post-meal Glucose: Adipose Tissue Macrophages, IL-10 and Akt-mTOR
A 2020 Molecular Cell study showed that feeding prompts adipose tissue macrophages to make IL-10 in response to both insulin and gut-derived LPS, suppressing hepatic glucose production — a mechanism impaired in obesity. -
When Does COVID-19 Turn Severe in People with Diabetes? A Multistate Model of the Hospital Course
A 2026 study of 413 inpatients at Tokyo Medical University Hospital used a multistate model to show that patients with diabetes moved to ICU care or death faster, with the first 14 days being the critical window. -
MEK/ERK Signaling Supports Both the Number and the Function of β-Cells: A Study in Diabetes
A 2021 study in Diabetes showed that MEK/ERK signaling in β-cells regulates both β-cell proliferation and mass and insulin exocytosis. We review findings in mice and human islets and their implications for therapy. -
Twelve “Bridges” That Hold Thyroid Peroxidase Together: Disulfide Bonds and Congenital Hypothyroidism
Our 2024 Thyroid study showed that all 12 disulfide bonds of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) are essential for its activity. We explain why blocking degradation does not restore activity and what this means for genetic diagnosis. -
Diabetes Was an Independent Risk Factor for Severe COVID-19: Inpatient Data from 38 Hospitals in Chiba, Japan
Our 2025 PLoS One study analyzed DPC data on about 10,000 inpatients from 38 hospitals in Chiba, Japan. People with diabetes had higher risks of in-hospital death, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission and dialysis. We also discuss how to interpret the results and their limits.
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