Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the white blood cell (WBC) count and hypertension in the general Japanese population. Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using annual health check-up data of residents of Iki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. A total of 2935 participants without hypertension at baseline were included in the present analysis. WBC counts were classified as tertile 1 (<4700/μL), tertile 2 (4700–5999/μL), and tertile 3 (≥6000/μL). The outcome was incident hypertension (blood pressure ≥140 mmHg). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Result: During an average follow-up of 4.5 years, 908 participants developed hypertension. The incidence (per 100 person-years) of hypertension increased with an elevation in the WBC count (6.3 in tertile 1, 7.0 in tertile 2, and 7.4 in tertile 3). This association was significant, even after adjustment for other risk factors, including age, sex, current smoking habits, current alcohol intake, exercise habits, obesity, elevated blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. The hazard ratios were 1.07 for tertile 2 (95% CI 0.90–1.26) and 1.27 for tertile 3 (95% CI 1.06–1.51) compared with the reference group of tertile 1 (p = 0.009). Conclusion: The WBC count was associated with future development of hypertension in the general Japanese population.

Background: We investigated whether eating speed was associated with the incidence of diabetes in a Japanese general population. Methods: A total of 4853 Japanese individuals without diabetes at baseline were analyzed. Self-reported eating speed was categorized as slow, medium, and fast on the basis of questionnaire responses. The study outcome was the incidence of diabetes. Results: After an average follow-up period of 5.1 years, 234 individuals developed diabetes. The incidence of diabetes per 1000 person-years was 4.9 in the slow eating speed group, 8.8 in the medium eating speed group, and 12.5 in the fast eating speed group, respectively (*** p < 0.001 for trend). The HRs were 1.69 (95%CI 0.94–3.06) for the medium eating speed and 2.08 (95%CI 1.13–3.84) for the fast eating speed, compared to the slow eating speed (* p = 0.014 for trend) after adjustment for age, gender, smoking status, drinking, exercise, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Conclusion: Faster eating speed increased a risk for the incidence of diabetes in a general Japanese population.

The novel conceptual disease model, the oral–gut axis, which represents the immunomodulatory mutual relationship between oral and gut microbial compartments, has been attracting attention in relation to systemic health issues. We investigated whether this unique crosstalk influences the systemic condition of patients with COVID-19 infections who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the intensive care unit (ICU) during April and December 2020. In this case-control study, patients were divided into two groups according to their survival (total entry size, n = 21; survivors, n = 13; non-survivors, n = 8). Patients were evaluated using the oral assessment guide from Fukuoka University (OAG-F) and the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) to examine the oral and fecal conditions. A blood-based inflammatory factor, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), was used as an indicator of systemic immunity. The high total OAG-F scores were associated with both elevated BSFS and NLR values, and a mutually positive correlation between BSFS and NLR was observed. This indicated an interplay between oral deterioration, gut dysbiosis, and the impairment of immunity. Furthermore, oral deterioration was more frequently observed in non-survivors on day 14 of ICU admission. In addition, on days 7 and 21 of ICU admission, impaired immunity, reflected by an elevated NLR, was observed in non-survivors. However, the distribution of the gut microbiome—reflected by increased BSFS values—with the time it was examined was not directly observed in non-survivors. Taken together, these findings suggested that oral–gut health may be specifically associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients receiving ECMO in the ICU.

Primary oral diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is rare and the differential diagnosis is difficult due to its low incidence and nonspecific symptoms, which resemble those of common oral diseases in the initial clinical setting. We aimed to discuss the value of making an accurate diagnosis using liquid-based cytology (LBC) and cell block (CB) for not only the morphological interpretation but also cytohistological assessment of oral DLBCL. LBC and CBs made from oral brushing materials were prepared on the first medical examination and a morphological analysis and immunohistochemical analysis of specific biomarkers were performed. The analysis of LBC preparations showed the presence of large-size lymphocytes with large irregular nuclei and prominent nucleoli, suggesting the existence of large B-cell lymphoma. A more detailed histological subclassification of the CB specimen was performed, which was classified as the activated B-cell (ABC) phenotype of DLBCL, by confirming the immunohistochemical expression of CD10−/ B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6)+/ multiple myeloma oncogene 1(MUM1)+, which is a significant risk factor in DLBCL. Our findings suggest that the combination of LBC and CB is a useful and informative tool for making an accurate molecular diagnosis of oral DLBCL in cases in which lymphomas are clinically suspected.