Publications by authors named "Kou Kimoto"
Background: Sore throat is a prevalent symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly when caused by the Omicron variants. However, the association between sore throat and immune responses to different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of immune responses associated with sore throat in patients with COVID-19 before and after the emergence of Omicron.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe level of neutralizing antibodies required to confer protection against COVID-19 breakthrough infections (BIs) is unclear, and the ability to know the immune status of individuals against the rapidly changing endemic variants is limited. We assessed longitudinal serum anti-RBD antibody levels and neutralizing activities (NTs) against Omicron BA.5 and XBB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Acute immune responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are influenced by variants, vaccination, and clinical severity. Thus, the outcome of these responses may differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients and those with and without COVID-19-related pneumonia. In this study, these differences during infection with the Omicron variant were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPanton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-negative community-associated methicillin-resistant (CA-MRSA) was originally disseminated in Japan and has since replaced healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). However, the clinical characteristics of CA-MRSA bacteremia (CA-MRSAB) compared with those of HA-MRSA bacteremia (HA-MRSAB) are unknown. We aim to clarify differences and investigate associations between the clinical manifestations and virulence genes associated with plasma-biofilm formation in PVL-negative CA-MRSA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGround-glass opacity (GGO) and organizing pneumonia (OP) are dominant pulmonary CT lesions associated with COVID-19. However, the role of different immune responses in these CT patterns remains unclear, particularly following the emergence of the Omicron variant. In this prospective observational study, we recruited patients hospitalized with COVID-19, before and after the emergence of Omicron variants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVancomycin (VCM) and daptomycin (DAP) are standard therapies for methicillin-resistant (MRSA) bacteremia, despite concerns regarding clinical utility and growing resistance. Linezolid (LZD) affords superior tissue penetration to VCM or DAP and has been successfully used as salvage therapy for persistent MRSA bacteremia, indicating its utility as a first-choice drug against MRSA bacteremia. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we compared the effectiveness and safety of LZD with VCM, teicoplanin (TEIC), or DAP in patients with MRSA bacteremia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn addition to the original monovalent vaccines available for SARS-CoV-2, bivalent vaccines covering wild-type (WT) and Omicron BA.1 are also available. However, there is a lack of real-world data on the immunogenicity of bivalent vaccines as second boosters against the dominant Omicron sublineages, including BA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- β-D-glucan detection is a key diagnostic tool for identifying invasive fungal infections, but there are notable differences among various commercial assay kits.* -
- In a study of 175 patients, three kits (Wako, MKII, and ES) were evaluated for their effectiveness in diagnosing invasive mycosis, showing varying degrees of sensitivity and specificity.* -
- Despite generally high diagnostic values, the study highlights the need for careful interpretation of results due to potential false positives, particularly with the ES kit.*
Article Synopsis
- * Out of 56 patients, RNA was found in 19.6% upon admission, with higher prevalence in those with moderate to critical illness, leading to increased need for oxygen, ICU care, and mechanical ventilation.
- * The research indicated that higher viral loads in throat swabs were associated with greater disease severity and mortality, highlighting the potential benefits of using both serum and throat swab tests together for better prognosis in COVID-19 patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the dynamics of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in COVID-19 patients using a specific testing method on serum samples, focusing on their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2.
- Analysis of samples from 11 patients revealed that 90.9% showed neutralizing activity upon hospital admission, with different patterns of antibody responses depending on disease severity.
- The findings suggest that a quicker NAb response is linked to less severe illness, indicating that early antibody activity may help prevent worsened disease progression.
Article Synopsis
- This study looked at how different doses of linezolid affect the risk of thrombocytopenia in hemodialysis patients through drug monitoring.
- Patients were split into two groups: one received a standard dose of 600 mg every 12 hours, while the other received a reduced dose of 300 mg every 12 hours or 600 mg every 24 hours.
- Results showed that those on the reduced dose had significantly lower rates of thrombocytopenia and severe thrombocytopenia, suggesting that starting with a lower dose of linezolid could help minimize side effects in these patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed the nasopharyngeal viral load of COVID-19 patients discharged from Toyama University Hospital in Japan, focusing on those who met symptom-based criteria for discharge.* -
- Out of 33 patients studied, the average viral load at discharge was 1.90 log-copies/μL, with 64% having viral loads above the infectious threshold of 50 copies/μL.* -
- The findings suggest no correlation between age and viral load, indicating that even after discharge, patients may still pose a risk for virus transmission, highlighting the need for ongoing infection control measures.*
Article Synopsis
- As of October 2020, there is no specific treatment for COVID-19, but favipiravir has been proposed as a potential option despite lacking full validation.
- A case study of a 64-year-old woman treated with favipiravir showed quick symptom resolution and decreased viral load, but she experienced a resurgence of fever after 12 days.
- The fever was attributed to favipiravir itself, as stopping the drug alleviated her symptoms, indicating that drug-induced fever should be considered in COVID-19 patients undergoing favipiravir treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Linezolid, a medication, is currently given at a fixed dose to all patients, which can lead to risks like overexposure and low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) in those with kidney issues.
- This study evaluated the incidence of thrombocytopenia in patients with renal impairment and looked at how effective therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) could be in tailoring dosages.
- The findings suggest that reducing the dose to 300 mg every 12 hours after an initial period, along with TDM, could enhance safety without compromising effectiveness for patients experiencing renal impairment.