Cytomegalovirus as an etiologic factor in corneal endotheliitis.

Purpose: To investigate clinical manifestations and response to antiviral therapy of 8 patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV)-induced corneal endotheliitis who were diagnosed and treated at 2 university hospitals in Japan.

Design: Retrospective, consecutive, multicenter case series.

Participants: Eight eyes of 8 patients diagnosed with active CMV corneal endotheliitis at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and Ehime University School of Medicine.

Cytomegalovirus in aqueous humor from an eye with corneal endotheliitis.

Purpose: To report cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in aqueous humor from a patient with unilateral corneal endotheliitis.

Design: Case report.

Methods: A 51-year-old man presented with unilateral corneal endotheliitis with linear keratic precipitates and coin-shaped lesions.

The presence of Propionibacterium spp. in the vitreous fluid of uveitis patients with sarcoidosis.

Purpose: An immunological reaction to a bacterial antigen, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Propionibacterium spp., is suspected to be an initial mechanism in the disorder known as sarcoidosis. We investigated whether or not P.

Lidocaine inhibits tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor and suppresses proliferation of corneal epithelial cells.

Background: Although lidocaine is recognized as an excellent topical corneal analgesic, its toxic effect on corneal epithelial cells limits its use during corneal epithelial wound healing. Mechanism of the impairment of corneal reepithelialization with lidocaine, however, has not been evaluated. The authors' previous study revealed that lidocaine inhibits the activity of tyrosine kinase receptors through the interaction with specific amino acid sequences around autophosphorylation sites, including acidic, basic, and aromatic amino acids.

Comparison of ultrastructure, tight junction-related protein expression and barrier function of human corneal epithelial cells cultivated on amniotic membrane with and without air-lifting.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of the air-lifting technique for culturing corneal limbal epithelial cells on amniotic membrane (AM) for use in ocular surface reconstruction. A cultured sheet that has a good barrier function should be better for this purpose. In corneal epithelium, tight junctions (TJ) play a vital role in the barrier function.

Tight junction-related protein expression and distribution in human corneal epithelium.

Purpose: To investigate the expression and cellular distribution of the tight junction-related proteins occludin, claudin and ZO-1 in human corneal epithelium.

Methods: Light and electron immunohistochemistry was used to determine tissue distribution of occludin, claudin-1 and ZO-1 in the human corneal epithelium. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to reveal claudin mRNA expression in human corneal epithelium.

[Comparative studies on activities on antimicrobial agents against causative organisms isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (2000). III. Secular changes in susceptibility].

The bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) isolated from patients diagnosed as having urinary tract infections (UTIs) in 10 institutions in Japan were supplied between August 2000 and July 2001. Then, the susceptibilities of these bacteria to various antimicrobial agents were examined, and the results were compared with those obtained between 1992 and 1999.

[Comparative studies on activities of antimicrobial agents against causative organisms isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (2000). II. Background of patients].

Five-hundred eighty eight bacterial strains isolated from 435 patients diagnosed as having urinary tract infections (UTIs) in 10 institutions in Japan were supplied between August 2000 and July 2001. Then, the clinical background of patients were investigated such as sex, age, and type of infections, infections and kind of bacteria, frequency of bacteria isolation by age and infections, bacteria and infections by timing of antibiotics administration, and bacteria and infections by surgical procedures. About the relationship between age and sex of patients and type of infections, the number of male patients aged less than 50 years was few, and complicated UTIs without indwelling catheter was the most frequent.

[Comparative studies on activities of antimicrobial agents against causative organisms isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (2000). I. Susceptibility distribution].

The bacterial strains isolated from patients diagnosed as having urinary tract infections (UTIs) in 10 institutions in Japan were supplied between the period of August 2000 and July 2001. Then, the susceptibilities of them to many kinds of antimicrobial agents were investigated. The number of them were 511 strains.

The association of HLA with young-onset keratoconus in Japan.

Purpose: To report the association of HLA antigens with keratoconus in Japanese patients.

Design: Observational consecutive case series.

Methods: In 90 consecutive Japanese keratoconus patients, HLA class I (HLA-A, -B, -C) and class II (HLA-DR, -DQ) were analyzed.

Two sporadic cases of infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins in Japan.

TEM- or SHV-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are of clinical concern in Europe and the United States, whereas bacterial strains producing such types of ESBLs have not been reported in Japan. We report here two cases of infection due to Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins in Japan. A ceftadizime-resistant K.