Hyperoxia exaggerates bacterial dissemination and lethality in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia.

Effects of hyperoxia on lethality in mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia were defined, and protective roles of macrolides were examined both in vitro and in vivo. Sub-lethal hyperoxia accelerated lethality of mice with P. aeruginosa pneumonia.

Paradoxically high resistance of natural killer T (NKT) cell-deficient mice to Legionella pneumophila: another aspect of NKT cells for modulation of host responses.

In the present study, we examined the roles of natural killer T (NKT) cells in host defence against Legionella pneumophila in a mouse model. The survival rate of NKT cell-deficient Jalpha281 knock-out (KO) mice was significantly higher than that of wild-type mice. There was no bacterial overgrowth in the lungs, but Jalpha281 KO mice showed enhanced pulmonary clearance at a later stage of infection, compared with their wild-type counterparts.

[Evaluation of the usefulness of a rapid immunochromatographic membrane test to detect Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen in the early diagnosis of pneumococcal respiratory tract infections and the relationship to the severity of pneumonia].

We evaluated the usefulness of a rapid immunochromatographic membrane test (Binax NOW Streptococcus pneumoniae kit; ICT) to detect Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen in early diagnosis of pneumococcal respiratory tract infections and the relationship to the severity of pneumonia. We diagnosed 155 of 592 samples, which were performed by ICT, as S. pneumoniae respiratory tract infections.

[Evaluation of ImmnoCard mycoplasma for diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection].

We compared the differences of two tests, for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection a rapid detection kit for Mycoplasma pneumoniae-specific IgM antibody, ImmunoCard (IC) Mycoplasma test (Meridian Bioscience-USA), and a particle agglutination (PA) test in a retrospective study among 57 patients. They were all suspected to be suffering from atypical bacterial respiratory infection and were checked by the IC test at the Fukuroi Municipal Hospital from January 2004 to January 2006. In this study, the concordance of IC and PA results showed a great difference in children and adults.

[Predictive factors for treatment incompletion in elderly patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis].

Background: To identify predictive factors of treatment incompletion in elderly patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis.

Materials And Methods: In elderly patients of more than 65-years old and with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis, a retrospective study was conducted. A total of 88 patients were admitted in International Medical Center of Japan with pulmonary tuberculosis between June 2000 and February 2002.

Response of a thymic mucoepidermoid carcinoma to combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and irinotecan: a case report.

A chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced thymic carcinoma has not yet been established. We describe a patient with advanced thymic mucoepidermoid carcinoma who achieved a complete response to combination chemotherapy with cisplatin (Randa) and irinotecan hydrochloride (Campto). A 74-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain, general fatigue, appetite loss and weight loss.

Role of Toll-like receptor 2 in recognition of Legionella pneumophila in a murine pneumonia model.

Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular organism and the major aetiological agent of Legionnaires' disease. Although recent progress has identified Toll-like receptors (TLRs) as receptors for recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns in a variety of micro-organisms, understanding the contribution of TLRs to the host response in L. pneumophila infection is still limited.

Immunization with 3-oxododecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone-protein conjugate protects mice from lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.

Quorum-sensing systems have been reported to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of several bacterial infections. Recent data have demonstrated that Pseudomonas N-3-oxododecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C12-homoserine lactone, 3-oxo-C12-HSL), but not N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), induces apoptosis in macrophages and neutrophils. In the present study, the effects of active immunization with 3-oxo-C12-HSL-carrier protein conjugate on acute P.

Cytosolic recognition of flagellin by mouse macrophages restricts Legionella pneumophila infection.

To restrict infection by Legionella pneumophila, mouse macrophages require Naip5, a member of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain leucine-rich repeat family of pattern recognition receptors, which detect cytoplasmic microbial products. We report that mouse macrophages restricted L. pneumophila replication and initiated a proinflammatory program of cell death when flagellin contaminated their cytosol.