SUMMARY of scientific misconduct

Article No.1  → Circulation. 2003 Nov 25;108(21):2679-88.
Article No.2  → Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Feb;25(2):424-9.
Article No.3  → Circulation. 2008 Aug 12;118(7):731-42.
Article No.4  → Circ Res. 2008 Dec 5;103(12):1402-9.
Article No.5  → Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010 Nov;30(11):2242-8.

Retraction Watch  → Three AHA journals retract lipid papers over “negligent” record-keeping, image issues and more

See also  → Alleged image fraud at the University of Tokyo 
See also  → Alleged image fraud at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Bharat Aggarwal lab)
See also  → Alleged image fraud (Michael Karin lab et al.)
See also  → Alleged image manipulation (Yanagisawa lab at Tsukuba university)
ScienceInsider News   → Whistleblower Uses YouTube to Assert Claims of Scientific Misconduct

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Feb;25(2):424-9. Epub 2004 Dec 9.

Pitavastatin inhibits remnant lipoprotein-induced macrophage foam cell formation through ApoB48 receptor-dependent mechanism.

Kawakami A, Tani M, Chiba T, Yui K, Shinozaki S, Nakajima K, Tanaka A, Shimokado K, Yoshida M.

Source

Department of Geriatrics and Vascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.

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Fig. 1、　Fig. 4、　Fig. 5、

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東京医科歯科大学の調査結果（平成２５年４月４日）
研究不正に関する調査委員会の調査結果について（通知）の一部を抜粋
２．調査委員会による審議と結論 　調査委員会は、平成２４年３月１２日から４回開催し、当該論文の責任著者に２回にわたる再実験の依頼を行い、提出された生データを調査した結果、以下の結論に至りました。
　なお、当該論文の当事者である川上氏はすでに本学を解雇されており、本調査委員会への協力を得られなかったことも併せてご報告いたします。

ア. 雑誌名: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology誌 2005,25:424-429
題名: Pitavastatin inhibits remnant lipoprotein-induced macrophage foam cell formation through ApoB48 receptor-dependent mechanism.
調査結果：指摘内容①は、Fig.1左図、Fig.4A左図は同一条件で行われていることより、同じであっても問題がないとの結論に至った。
　また、指摘内容②はFig.1中央図、Fig.5E左図は明らかに違う実験であり、同じ写真の流用が疑われているが、２回にわたる再実験により、そのデータに信憑性を確認した。なお、Fig.5E左図にFig.1左図を使うところを間違えて、Fig.1中央図を使った可能性は否定できないとの結論に至った。
　指摘内容③は、Fig.4A左から２番目の図、Fig.5E中央図は同一条件で行われていることより、同じであっても問題がないとの結論に至った。
　したがって、本論文については確かに同一の図は使われていると疑われるものの、再現性が得られたことにより、得られた結果をもとにFig.1の図をErratumとしてArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology誌の雑誌編集者に図の変更を依頼するように責任著者に指示する。

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指摘内容①と③は同一条件であるから同一図でも問題ない結論しているが、これは間違いである。

統計解析をそれぞれの図（データ群）で繰り返すことにより、第一種の過誤（有意差がないのに差があるとしてしまう確率）が増加してしまう。

指摘内容②に関しては実験条件が違うので明らかな画像流用であるが、これはおそらく川上明夫氏の研究不正行為によるものであろう。２回の再現実験の結果、再現性が認められたのでErratumを出すよう指示したという結果は評価できる。川上氏は既に解雇されており調査への協力が得られないで仕方ない。

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Circulation. 2003 Nov 25;108(21):2679-88. Epub 2003 Nov 17.

Remnant lipoprotein-induced smooth muscle cell proliferation involves epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation.

Kawakami A, Tanaka A, Chiba T, Nakajima K, Shimokado K, Yoshida M.

Source

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Building D-256, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.

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Fig. 2、　Fig. 6

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Circulation. 2008 Aug 12;118(7):731-42. Epub 2008 Jul 28.

Apolipoprotein CIII links hyperlipidemia with vascular endothelial cell dysfunction.

Kawakami A, Osaka M, Tani M, Azuma H, Sacks FM, Shimokado K, Yoshida M.

Source

Department of Geriatrics and Vascular Medicine, Life Science and Bioethics Research Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. kawakami.vasc@tmd.ac.jp

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Circulation.2012; 125: e362

Notice of Retraction

The authors of the following article have requested that it be retracted from publication in Circulation:

Kawakami A, Osaka M, Tani M, Azuma H, Sacks FM, Shimokado K, Yoshida M. Apolipoprotein CIII links hyperlipidemia with vascular endothelial cell dysfunction. Circulation. 2008;118:731–742.

The corresponding author, Dr Akio Kawakami, reported to the editors that the authors of this manuscript have raised concerns related to the accuracy of the data presented in this article. In the process of following up the findings reported in this study, they were unable to reproduce some experiments due to Dr Akio Kawakami's negligence in keeping proper original records. This information was reported to the editors by Dr Kawakami directly. The authors apologize to the readers of Circulation for any inconvenience caused by this retraction.

[Full Text of this Article]

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Circ Res. 2008 Dec 5;103(12):1402-9. Epub 2008 Oct 30.

Toll-like receptor 2 mediates apolipoprotein CIII-induced monocyte activation.

Kawakami A, Osaka M, Aikawa M, Uematsu S, Akira S, Libby P, Shimokado K, Sacks FM, Yoshida M.

Source

Department of Geriatrics and Vascular Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.

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Circulation Research.2012; 110: e40

Notice of Retraction

The authors of the following article have requested that it be retracted from publication in Circulation Research:

Kawakami A, Osaka M, Aikawa M, Uematsu S, Akira S, Libby P, Shimokado K, Sacks FM, Yoshida M. Toll-like receptor 2 mediates apolipoprotein CIII–induced monocyte activation. Circ Res. 2008;103:1402–1409.

The corresponding author, Dr Akio Kawakami, admitted to the editors to improperly handling the collection and presentation of data in this article such that the authors can no longer verify the authenticity and accuracy of the data presented. These errors include, but may not be limited to, the blots in Figure 2A, Figure 4D, and Online Figure III originating from unrelated experiments of the corresponding author, and the incorrect reporting of “n” in Figures 5 and 6, which are less than indicated. As such, data in those figures are not verifiable.

All co-authors involved in this study other than the corresponding author, Dr Kawakami, had no knowledge of any scientific impropriety related to the collection, analysis, or presentation of data in this article. Dr Kawakami takes full responsibililty for this.

[Full Text of this Article]

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Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010 Nov;30(11):2242-8. Epub 2010 Sep 9.

Apolipoprotein CIII induces monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin 6 expression via Toll-like receptor 2 pathway in mouse adipocytes.

Abe Y, Kawakami A, Osaka M, Uematsu S, Akira S, Shimokado K, Sacks FM, Yoshida M.

Source

Department of Geriatrics and Vascular Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 1138519, Japan.

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Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.2012; 32: e22

Notice of Retraction

The authors of the following article have requested that it be retracted from publication in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology:

Abe Y, Kawakami A, Osaka M, Uematsu S, Akira S, Shimokado K, Sacks FM, Yoshida M. Apolipoprotein CIII induces monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin 6 expression via toll-like receptor 2 pathway in mouse adipocytes. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010;30:2242–2248.

The corresponding author, Dr Akio Kawakami, reported to the editors his concerns related to the authenticity and accuracy of the data presented in this article. Because the number of experiments was inflated in some studies, and the corresponding author presented some data from unrelated experiments, the results are not verifiable. All co-authors involved in this study other than the corresponding author had no knowledge of any scientific impropriety related to the collection, analysis, or presentation of data in this article. Dr Kawakami apologizes for any adverse consequences that may have resulted from the article's publication and any inconvenience and wasted effort that this may have caused the scientific community and readers of the journal.

[Full Text of this Article]

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Fig. 3

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