High prevalence of cross-resistance to aminoglycosides in fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolates.

Background: Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, especially a lineage of O25b:H4-ST131, has increased and spread worldwide. The surveillance of cross-resistance of E. coli is necessary.

Serotype distribution and susceptibility to penicillin and erythromycin among noninvasive or colonization isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in northern Japan: a cross-sectional study in the pre-PCV7 routine immunization period.

Distribution of serotypes, prevalence of resistance to penicillin and/or erythromycin (EM), and its genetic traits were analyzed for a total of 1,061 noninvasive or colonization isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (998 and 61 isolates from children and adults, respectively) in Hokkaido, northern main island of Japan, in the year 2011, the pre-PCV7 routine immunization period. Serotype deduction was performed by sequential multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), employing mutagenic PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism for discrimination of 6A/C and 6B/D. Unaltered three PBP genes and macrolide resistance genes erm(B) and mef(A/E) were detected by multiplex PCR.

Genetic diversity of emerging Panton-Valentine leukocidine/arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME)-positive ST8 SCCmec-IVa meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and ACME-positive CC5 (ST5/ST764) MRSA strains in Northern Japan.

Panton-Valentine leukocidine (PVL) is a distinctive virulence factor of community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), and arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) is a staphylococcal genomic island that enhances fitness and the ability of bacterial cells to colonize on skin and mucous membranes. ACME is characteristically found in USA300, which is a predominant CA-MRSA clone [sequence type (ST) 8] in the USA and is spreading globally, and has also been detected in non-ST8 MRSA at low frequency. In Japan, spread of MRSA with PVL and/or ACME and their genetic traits have not yet been well characterized.

Prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli O25:H4-ST131 (CTX-M-15-nonproducing) strains isolated in Japan.

Background: Fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-carrying multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli have become severely problematic. In particular, a lineage of multilocus sequence-type ST131 which belongs to O25:H4 and carries ESBL CTX-M-15 has spread worldwide.

Methods: Fluoroquinolone-resistant E.

Molecular characteristics of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Hokkaido, northern main island of Japan: identification of sequence types 6 and 59 Panton-Valentine leucocidin-positive community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Prevalence and molecular characteristics of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) were studied in Hokkaido, the main northern island of Japan. Among the 1,015 S. aureus isolates derived from clinical specimens of outpatients collected in 2009, methicillin resistance gene mecA was detected in 189 isolates (18.

Antibiotic susceptibility of Haemophilus influenzae strains isolated from various clinical sources in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan.

Any increase in beta-lactam-resistant Haemophilus influenzae is a serious problem in respiratory and otolaryngology medicine. In this study, we examined the antibiotic susceptibility and genotype of 457 clinical Haemophilus influenzae strains isolated in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Strains with beta-lactam-resistant mutations in gene encoding penicillin-binding protein 3 were more frequently found in lower respiratory tract specimens (sputa) than in upper respiratory tract specimens, such as rhinorrhea.

Macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates that occur in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan.

We examined the macrolide susceptibility and the presence of macrolide-resistance genes in 780 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains that were isolated and collected at trunk hospitals and commercial clinical laboratories in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan, between 1999 and 2003. Of the 780 strains, 57.0% and 49.

Filter cigarette smoking and lung cancer risk; a hospital-based case--control study in Japan.

Recent changes in the histology of lung cancer, namely a relative increase of adenocarcinoma compared to squamous cell carcinoma, might be due to a temporal shift from nonfilter to filter cigarettes. To investigate the association between type of cigarette and lung cancer by histological type, we conducted a case-control study in Japan, comprising 356 histologically confirmed lung cancer cases and 162 controls of male current smokers, who provided complete smoking histories. Overall, logistic regression analysis after controlling for age and prefecture revealed decreased risk, as shown by adjusted odds ratios, for both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma among lifelong filter-exclusive smokers as compared to nonfilter or mixed smokers.

Fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains occur frequently in elderly patients in Japan.

We identified and genetically characterized seven fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains among 293 clinical strains isolated from 1999 to 2001 in Japan. The resistant strains were isolated only from adults, and 7 of 31 isolates (22.6%) were from patients more than 20 years old.

Association of CD8+ natural killer T cells in the liver with neonatal tolerance phenomenon.

Background: Neonatal tolerance is a very interesting phenomenon, because even allogeneic skin grafts are not rejected in these mice at the adult stage. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Methods: In this study we prepared such tolerant C57BL/6 (B6) mice (H-2b) by the injection of allogeneic lymphocytes of BALB/c origin (H-2d) at the neonatal stage.

Prognosis of resected non-small cell lung cancer patients with carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the prognosis of resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease which might be considered as the next advanced stage of positive pleural lavage cytology.

Method: The data were collected from a questionnaire survey on the survival of the patients with carcinomatous pleuritis found at thoracotomy from 1985 to December 1994 which was conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG).

Results: Out of 227 patients with carcinomatous pleuritis found at thoracotomy who had available information on a survival, 100 patients who underwent a resection of the primary tumor had carcinomatous pleuritis of minimal disease defined based on the criteria of the Japan Lung Cancer Society.

The prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer found to have carcinomatous pleuritis at thoracotomy.

Non-small cell lung cancer with carcinomatous pleuritis is considered to be a contraindication of surgical resection. The objective of this study was to clarify the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in whom carcinomatous pleuritis was found at thoracotomy. A questionnaire survey on the survival of patients with carcinomatous pleuritis found at thoracotomy between January 1985 and December 1994 was conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group.

[Thoracoscopic enucleation for sclerosing hemangioma of the lung--a case report].

A 30-year-old female with sclerosing hemangioma of the lung (SHL) was managed by thoracoscopic enucleation. Under the left lateral decubitus position, four small skin incisions were made. The tumor, approximately 2.

[Prediction and the results of postoperative performance status in patients with giant bulla--prospective study of 47 patients].

The discriminant function (Z) for predicting postoperative performance status in patients with giant bulla was addressed in our previous paper. In the present study, patients with dyspnea were classified into Group 1 or Group 2 based on preoperative function, Group 1 showing continuous improvement in dyspnea and Group 2 unchanged or worsened condition after bullectomy. Of the 47 patients in this study, 28 had dyspnea of grade 2 or more, 19 revealing no symptoms prebullectomy.

[A case of tuberculous mesenteric lymphadenitis and peritonitis with symptoms of acute abdomen].

Both of tuberculous mesenteric lymphadenitis and tuberculous peritonitis are now rather rare in parallel with the decrease of the incidence of tuberculosis as a whole. Here, we report a case of tuberculous mesenteric lymphadenitis complicated with tuberculous peritonitis. A 28-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with pulmonary tuberculosis.

[Omental pedicle flap for chronic empyema].

We have used the omental pedicle flap (OPF) method to treat 10 patients with chronic empyema secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis. Since 1987 they included 9 men and one woman ranging from 48 to 70 years in age. Two patients were required re-operation because of residual bronchopleural fistulas, and the additional procedures (muscle plombage and thoracoplasty) performed in order to close residual dead space produced more severe thoracic deformity and pulmonary dysfunction.

Case-control study for lung cancer and cigarette smoking in Osaka, Japan: comparison with the results from Western Europe.

In order to clarify the relation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, a case-control study was conducted. The case series consisted of 1,376 lung cancer patients (1,082 males and 294 females) who were newly diagnosed and admitted to eight hospitals in Osaka during 1986-88. Smoking histories were compared with those of 2,230 controls (1,141 males and 1,089 females) admitted to the same hospitals during the same period without established smoking-related diseases.

[Squamous papillomatosis of the left main bronchus and trachea: a case report].

A 49-year-old female complaining of dyspnea at exercise was admitted. Bronchoscopic examination revealed that the left main bronchus was almost obstructed by a tumor. A sleeve resection of the left main bronchus was performed.

Epidural migration of hemostatic agents as a cause of postthoracotomy paraplegia. Report of two cases.

Paraplegia secondary to pulmonary surgery occurred in two patients because of epidural migration of hemostatic agents. Computerized tomography following myelography revealed the lesion clearly. Both patients achieved satisfactory neurological recovery through prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Characterization of D-aspartic acid uptake by rat hippocampal slices and effect of ischemic conditions.

The cellular uptake of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) as a model compound for glutamic acid transport was studied in rat hippocampal slices. D-Asp is accumulated by both Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent processes in hippocampal slices, and both processes are dependent on temperature. The Na(+)-dependent uptake is assumed to be high in affinity (apparent Km = 0.

Lung cancer risk among exsmokers.

Lung cancer risk among exsmokers according to years since cessation of smoking was assessed by means of a case-control study. The case series consisted of 1,052 lung cancer patients who were newly diagnosed and admitted to eight hospitals in Osaka in 1986-88. Smoking histories were compared with those of 1,111 controls admitted to the same hospitals during the same period without any diagnosis of smoking-related disease.

Mediastinal lymph node metastases from nonsmall cell bronchogenic carcinoma: reevaluation with CT.

We evaluated the sensitivity of CT for detecting mediastinal lymph node metastases in patients with nonsmall cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Computed tomography of 208 cases of surgically proven bronchogenic carcinoma from three institutes was evaluated retrospectively using specific diagnostic criteria. These consisted of two size thresholds for specific mediastinal node regions: 13 mm short transverse diameter for nodes in the subcarinal, precarinal, and tracheobronchial regions and 10 mm for other regions.

[Familial spontaneous pneumothorax in three siblings including identical twins].

Two identical twin brothers and their sister who suffered from spontaneous pneumothorax (ages at onset, 18, 22 and 20 years) were admitted to our hospital. Their symptoms and clinical courses were similar and all three were finally treated by thoracotomy. No other members of their family had any history of spontaneous pneumothorax.

[A case of chemotherapy induced necrosis of primary mediastinal germ cell tumor].

A 17 year old male with mediastinal yolk sac tumor is herein reported. His chief complaint was anterior chest pain. Chest X-ray and chest CT indicated a 8 cm diameter mass in the anterior mediastinum.