Publications by authors named "Kiwamu Nakamura"

We herein report a case of bacterial meningitis and bacteremia in a 3-month-old boy caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 35B multidrug resistance. Intravenous ampicillin was administered on admission. However, when pneumococcal meningitis was suspected, the antibiotic treatment was changed to ceftriaxone (CTRX) and vancomycin (VCM).

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Objective: This study determined whether the GENECUBE rapid nucleic acid amplification test could directly detect nuc and mecA genes in clinical blood culture samples of Staphylococcus and various other pathogens.

Methods: Between September 2020 and December 2021, 537 blood culture samples from 192 patients with suspected bacteremia were tested using conventional assays (MicroScan WalkAway96 or VITEK 2 systems) and GENECUBE nuc and mecA assays. Isolates from samples with discrepant results between the conventional and GENECUBE assays were further evaluated using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, disk diffusion testing using cefoxitin, broth microdilution testing using oxacillin, and sequencing for mecA.

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Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is associated with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of patients with MRSA-IE in Japan and identify the factors associated with prognosis.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IE caused by MRSA, between January 2015 and April 2019.

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  • Scrub typhus (ST) has been prevalent in Fukushima, Japan, particularly between 2009 and 2010, with 55 cases reviewed from 2008 to 2017, highlighting the disease's treatability yet difficult diagnosis due to atypical symptoms.
  • The study found that many patients (70%) were misdiagnosed initially, with 64% of cases being female and a low fatality rate of 1.8%.
  • A significant portion of cases presented without classic symptoms like fever or eschar, leading to severe complications in some patients and emphasizing the challenge of diagnosing ST in its endemic region.
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  • MRSA infective endocarditis (IE) has a high risk of complications and death, prompting a study to analyze patient data from Japan focusing on treatment and outcomes.
  • The study involved 64 patients with MRSA-IE, revealing a high mortality rate of 28.1% at 30 days and 45.3% during hospitalization, with glycopeptides being the most commonly used initial treatment.
  • While the choice of antibiotic therapy (glycopeptide, daptomycin, linezolid) did not significantly affect prognosis, further research is needed to identify the best first-line treatments for MRSA-IE.
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We tested the accuracy of quenching probe-polymerase chain reaction (QP-PCR) for detecting Clostridioides difficile toxin B gene (tcdB) in stools from inpatients with suspected C. difficile infection and compared the results with other nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). Toxigenic culture results were used as reference for comparison.

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Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first broke out in Wuhan in December 2019, and has since caused a global pandemic. The efficacy of several drugs has been evaluated, and it is now evident that tocilizumab has a beneficial effect, especially combined with corticosteroids, in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the optimal timing of tocilizumab administration has not yet been established.

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Background: Some institutions reuse cuff syringes and do not periodically sterilize cuff pressure gauges. Pathogenic bacterial contamination of such equipment may increase the probability of pathogen transmission to patients during anesthetic procedures. Therefore, microbial contamination on cuff syringes, cuff pressure gauges, and their surroundings was assessed in the operating rooms of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital in Japan.

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A 28-year-old woman with anorexia nervosa (AN) and Candida brain abscesses was transferred to our hospital for intensive treatment. On admission, she had a low-grade fever but no clinical neurological abnormalities were observed, even though she had a high-grade fever in the previous hospital. These clinical findings did not suggest a serious disorder in the brain.

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  • * The current study tested ozonated water's efficiency for hands contaminated with organic materials, using a specific testing standard.
  • * Results indicated that ozonated water and antimicrobial soap produced similar reductions in bacteria, suggesting ozonated water could be a viable hand cleansing option.
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  • A case study highlights the successful use of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment in a patient with severe COVID-19, leading to significant improvement in lung inflammation despite prior clinical deterioration.
  • The deterioration was attributed to the reactivation of proinflammatory factors (like tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6), not just the viral presence.
  • IVIg may help manage severe COVID-19 by suppressing the immune response and inhibiting harmful cytokines, potentially countering the cytokine storm associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Objective: To evaluate the cytotoxicity of various hand disinfectants and ozonated water to human keratinocytes using a cultured epidermal model.

Design: Using a test protocol from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, investigators applied hand disinfectants containing either 83% ethanol, 0.2% benzalkonium chloride, 0.

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In this study, we evaluated extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria with the newly developed primer and probe sets to detect bla, bla, and bla using BD MAX, a fully automated multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay system. In 36 isolates confirmed by whole-genome sequencing to have bla, bla, or bla, the developed primer and probe sets accurately detected each gene without being influenced by the presence of other β-lactamase genes. In nine control strains that do not harbor either bla, bla, or bla no cross-reaction was observed.

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  • The study examined the effects of IL-13 on severe systemic infections caused by Candida albicans in mice, focusing on kidney infection outcomes and survival rates.
  • Mice with higher IL-13 levels had fewer fungal colonies in the kidneys and survived longer, showing increased inflammatory markers like CXCL2 and neutrophils compared to control mice.
  • In contrast, control mice showed heightened levels of TGF-β and IL-17 A after 10 days, suggesting IL-13 plays a complex role in modulating the immune response during the infection.
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Background: Human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV-3) is known to cause cold-like symptoms, diarrhea, or severe infections such as sepsis in infants and children. In adults, HPeV-3 infection is rarely diagnosed because the symptoms are generally mild and self-limiting; however, this infection has been linked to epidemic myalgia, regardless of the presence of underlying diseases, immunosuppression, or sex.

Case Presentation: We describe an adult case of severe systemic myalgia and orchiodynia after infection with HPeV-3, which was transmitted from the child of the patient.

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  • - A case study describes a 3-day-old newborn who developed meningitis from group B Streptococcus (GBS) through breast milk, despite the mother showing no signs of infection before delivery.
  • - After recovering from meningitis, the infant experienced recurrent GBS bacteremia, leading doctors to investigate the mother’s breast milk, where GBS was ultimately found.
  • - Both the GBS strains from the mother's milk and the infant's cerebrospinal fluid matched, highlighting the risk of GBS transmission via breastfeeding; doctors recommended formula feeding to prevent further infections.
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Background: Kirschsteiniothelia is a saprophytic fungus that is abundantly present in the environment. To date, there have been no reports of human infection caused by this fungus. We report a case of Kirschsteiniothelia infection superimposed on a pre-existing non-infectious bursitis of the ankle.

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  • * Initial treatment for a bacterial infection failed, prompting a switch to a tetracycline antibiotic, which led to rapid improvement in his condition.
  • * The diagnosis confirmed typhoidal tularemia, which can present without the typical local symptoms found in other forms, highlighting the importance for doctors to consider this disease in similar cases.
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  • - MRSA is a significant pathogen causing hospital outbreaks, and the incidence of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is rising in Japanese hospitals, highlighting the need for effective outbreak investigations.
  • - Timely information from clinical laboratories about MRSA isolates is vital for infection control teams to proactively detect and manage potential outbreaks.
  • - Challenges like costs, laboratory workload, and isolation space must be addressed for effective active surveillance and outbreak management, requiring collaboration between infection control departments and clinical laboratories.
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We herein report a case of disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection that involved both optic nerves, the conjunctiva, the right lower lung, and multiple skin lesions, including a thoracic nodule. The patient was a 65-year-old man without any significant medical history. The pathogen was detected in the patient's eye discharge, sputum, bronchial lavage fluid, and thoracic nodule.

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Orosomucoid (ORM, composed of two isoforms, ORM1 and ORM2) has been described as an inducer of M2 macrophages, which are cells that decrease host antibacterial innate immunities. However, it is unknown which phenotypes of M2 macrophages are induced by ORM. In this study, healthy donor monocytes stimulated with ORM (ORM-monocytes) were characterized phenotypically and biologically.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Kiwamu Nakamura"

  • - Kiwamu Nakamura's recent research focuses on the detection and treatment of infectious diseases, particularly those related to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other pathogens, utilizing advanced diagnostic methods such as nucleic acid amplification and mass spectrometry.
  • - In studies, Nakamura has highlighted the clinical characteristics of MRSA-related infective endocarditis through a multicenter analysis in Japan, identifying significant prognostic factors that impact patient outcomes.
  • - Research also includes the evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests for the detection of Clostridioides difficile and the clinical effects of treatments for COVID-19, illustrating the importance of early and accurate interventions in managing severe infections.