Nationwide surveillance of AIDS-defining illnesses among HIV patients in Japan from 1995 to 2017.

Objectives: The accurate prevalence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining illnesses (ADIs) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients has not been well investigated. Hence, a longitudinal nationwide surveillance study analyzing the current status and national trend of opportunistic complications in HIV-infected patients in Japan is warranted.

Methods: A nationwide surveillance of opportunistic complications in HIV-infected patients from 1995 to 2017 in Japan was conducted.

Munchausen syndrome mimicking refractory subcutaneous abscess with bacteremia, diagnosed by repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction: a case report.

Background: Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Munchausen syndrome is important not only for the patient but also for health care workers because a delay in diagnosis can worsen patients' clinical outcomes, and result in a substantial medical cost.

Case Presentation: A young and previously healthy 24-year-old Japanese woman, a nurse, presented with complaints of refractory abscess on her left upper limb for 3 months. A physical examination on admission revealed low-grade fever and a subcutaneous abscess in her left forearm.

Clinical features of pulmonary cryptococcosis in non-HIV patients in Japan.

Objective: To clarify the clinical features of pulmonary cryptococcosis in Japanese non-HIV population.

Methods: Retrospective investigation of 151 pulmonary cryptococcosis cases between 1977 and 2012 was executed. The underlying disease (UDs), aggravating factors, radiological characteristics, and treatment were examined.

The prevalence of opportunistic infections and malignancies in autopsied patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection in Japan.

Background: Opportunistic infections and malignancies such as malignant lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma are significant complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, following the introduction of antiretroviral therapy in Japan in 1997, the incidence of clinical complications has decreased. In the present study, autopsy cases of HIV infection in Japan were retrospectively investigated to reveal the prevalence of opportunistic infections and malignancies.

In vivo efficacy of biapenem with ME1071, a novel metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) inhibitor, in a murine model mimicking ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by MBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ME1071, a maleic acid derivative, is a novel, specific inhibitor of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs). In vitro, ME1071 can potentiate the activity of carbapenems against MBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To confirm the clinical efficacy of ME1071 in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by MBL-producing P.

Seroprevalence of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus among men who have sex with men in Japan.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the etiologic agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, causes malignancies frequently in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In the United States and Europe, KSHV infection is common among men who have sex with men. However, the seroprevalence of KSHV among men who have sex with men in Japan is unknown.

Prospective randomized comparison study of piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem for healthcare-associated pneumonia in Japan.

Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) may have a more severe course than community-acquired pneumonia (CAP); hence, it is more likely to be caused by drug-resistant bacterial pathogens and anaerobes involved in aspiration pneumonia. We compared the efficacy and safety of initial empiric therapy with piperacillin/tazobactam (PIPC/TAZ, 13.5 g/day) with that of meropenem (MEPM, 1.

Correlation between triazole treatment history and susceptibility in clinically isolated Aspergillus fumigatus.

This is the first report of a detailed relationship between triazole treatment history and triazole MICs for 154 Aspergillus fumigatus clinical isolates. The duration of itraconazole dosage increased as the itraconazole MIC increased, and a positive correlation was observed (r = 0.5700, P < 0.

A case of refractory chronic respiratory tract infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa successfully controlled by combination of clarithromycin and azithromycin.

The prognosis of patients with chronic respiratory tract infections, especially diffuse panbronchiolitis, is remarkably improved by long-term administration of low-dose macrolides. However, in some cases, patients are refractory to macrolide treatment and show a low or no response; therefore, new treatment strategies are required. Here we present a patient refractory to either single low-dose clarithromycin or azithromycin but responded remarkably to the combination usage of both macrolides.

Bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan for the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.

Diagnosing chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is complicated, and there are limited data available regarding the identification of galactomannan (GM) in clinical specimens to assist the detection of this infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the detection of GM in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum and to assess its utility for diagnosing CPA. We retrospectively reviewed the diagnostic and clinical characteristics of 144 patients, with and without CPA, in Nagasaki University Hospital, Japan, whose BAL and serum specimens were examined for the presence of GM.

[Anti-cytomegaloviral drugs].

Cytomegalovirus infection is often life threatening in immunocompromised patients. Three anti-CMV drugs, ganciclovir, valganciclovir and foscarnet are available in commercial basis in Japan. In addition to them, cidofovir is provided for patients with HIV by a research group supported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Active surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with the BD GeneOhm MRSA™ assay in a respiratory ward in Nagasaki, Japan.

The utility of active surveillance cultures (ASCs) in respiratory wards, that do not have an associated intensive care unit (ICU), and the usefulness of the BD GeneOhm MRSA™ system for rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have not been previously evaluated in Japan. ASCs using conventional culture methods and the BD GeneOhm MRSA™ assay were conducted in adult inpatients between May 11, 2009 and November 10, 2009 in a respiratory ward, without an associated ICU, in Nagasaki University Hospital. The infection and colonization rates of MRSA acquired in this respiratory ward were both investigated.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular characteristics of 857 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from 16 medical centers in Japan (2008-2009): nationwide survey of community-acquired and nosocomial MRSA.

This study is a nationwide survey of all clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates, including community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA), in Japan. A total of 857 MRSA clinical isolates were collected from the 16 institutions throughout Japan that participated in the survey (2008-2009). The drug susceptibility and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing and the presence of specific pathogenic genes were evaluated.

A case of bronchial aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus udagawae and its mycological features.

Aspergillus udagawae and A. fumigatus share similar morphological features but they differ genetically. There is also an important clinical distinction as A.

Antifungal susceptibilities of Aspergillus fumigatus clinical isolates obtained in Nagasaki, Japan.

We investigated the triazole, amphotericin B, and micafungin susceptibilities of 196 A. fumigatus clinical isolates in Nagasaki, Japan. The percentages of non-wild-type (non-WT) isolates for which MICs of itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole were above the ECV were 7.

Clinical characteristics of seven patients with Aeromonas septicemia in a Japanese hospital.

The genus Aeromonas comprises flagellated gram-negative rods widely distributed in freshwater, estuarine and marine environments. Aeromonas species may cause a variety of illnesses in humans, such as enterocolitis and septicemia, especially in warmer tropical or subtropical environments. To recognize the characteristics of Aeromonas septicemia in Japan, we reviewed laboratory data and medical records in our hospital.

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked aspartyl protease Yps1 is transcriptionally regulated by the calcineurin-Crz1 and Slt2 MAPK pathways in Candida glabrata.

In the pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata, the YPS1 gene, which encodes a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked aspartyl protease, is required for cell wall integrity and virulence. Although the expression of YPS1 has been studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the transcriptional regulation of this gene in C. glabrata is not well understood.

Diagnostic significance of Aspergillus species isolated from respiratory samples in an adult pneumology ward.

Although the diagnostic significance of isolating Aspergillus spp. from respiratory cultures has been studied in immunocompromised hosts with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), little is known of such infections in immunocompetent patients with other forms of aspergillosis. In this study of adult pneumology ward patients, we examined the association between Aspergillus spp.

[Opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS].

The number of diagnosed AIDS and HIV infection is still increasing year by year in Japan. Therefore, reported annual number of opportunistic infections (OIs) is also increasing. Pneumocystis pneumonia, cytomegalovirus infection, candidiasis, and tuberculosis are the major OIs in Japan.

Serum (1-->3) beta-D-glucan as a noninvasive adjunct marker for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia in patients with AIDS.

High serum (1-->3) beta-D-glucan levels are described in patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). We evaluated the diagnostic value of beta-D-glucan in 111 patients with AIDS who had PCP and confirmed its usefulness. However, it does not correlate with disease severity and is not suitable for monitoring response to treatment.