Quantifying the Reversibility of Clofazimine-induced Pigmentation in a Patient with Mycobacterium abscessus Pulmonary Disease.

A 45-year-old woman with Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease was treated with multidrug therapy, including clofazimine, at Fukujuji Hospital. Six months after clofazimine initiation, the treatment was discontinued at the patient's request due to hyperpigmentation. Pigmentation is a critical side effect of clofazimine.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease caused by .

was first isolated and reported in Korea in 2007. We report a rare case of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease caused by . A woman in her mid-90s was referred to our hospital due to bloody sputum.

Serum Derivatives-Reactive Oxygen Metabolite Levels as a Marker of Clinical Conditions in Patients with Bronchial Asthma, COPD, or Asthma-COPD Overlap: A Prospective Study.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma (BA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), but its relevance has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of oxidative stress and investigate its clinical significance in patients with BA, COPD, or ACO. We recruited 214 patients between June 2020 and May 2023 (109 patients with BA, 63 with COPD, and 42 with ACO).

Beyond Symptoms: Radiologic identification of asymptomatic Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary infections.

Background: Although international nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) guidelines highlight symptom presence at diagnosis, the clinical characteristics of asymptomatic Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary infection (MAC-PI) patients remain understudied. We clarified the clinical characteristics and course of asymptomatic MAC-PI patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 200 consecutive patients with MAC-PIs and adequate available data who newly met the microbiological and radiological criteria for NTM-PD at Fukujuji Hospital from January 2018 to June 2020.

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Caused by Homozygous DNAAF1 Mutations Resulting from a Consanguineous Marriage: A Case Report from Japan.

We present the case of a 58-year-old female patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). She was born to parents with a consanguineous marriage. Chest computed tomography conducted at age 41 years indicated no situs inversus, and findings of bronchiectasis were limited to the middle and lingular lobes.

Relationship between serum IgA levels and low percentage forced expiratory volume in the first second in asthma.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is suggested to have pathogenic effects in respiratory inflammatory diseases, including asthma. We aimed to analyze the relationship between serum IgA, and clinical indicators and biomarkers of asthma. This study was a post hoc analysis of the NHOM Asthma Study.

Video gamers demonstrate superior bronchoscopy skills among beginners.

While previous research has explored the connection between video gaming and medical procedures, studies on the connection between video gaming and bronchoscopy techniques are lacking. This study aimed to investigate how video gaming experience influences bronchoscopy skills, particularly among beginners. This study was conducted at Fukujuji Hospital from January 2021 to October 2023.

Predictive factors of the presence of pulmonary embolism in patients with interstitial lung disease: Observational study.

In patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) is increased; however, distinguishing between PE and ILD exacerbation can be difficult. Therefore, this study investigated the usefulness of the Wells criteria and revised Geneva score and predictive factors for diagnosing PE in ILD patients with worsening respiratory symptoms. We retrospectively collected the data of 65 patients with ILD who underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography at Fukujuji Hospital and Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine from January 2018 to March 2023, including 18 patients in the PE group and 47 patients in the non-PE group, and the data were compared between the 2 groups.

Diagnostic flowchart for tuberculous pleurisy, pleural infection, and malignant pleural effusion.

Background: Several markers for the diagnosis of pleural effusion have been reported; however, a comprehensive evaluation using those markers has not been performed. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a diagnostic flowchart for tuberculous pleurisy, pleural infection, malignant pleural effusion, and other diseases by using these markers.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 174 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, 215 patients with pleural infection other than tuberculous pleurisy, 360 patients with malignant pleural effusion, and 209 patients with other diseases at Fukujuji Hospital from January 2012 to October 2022.

The deterministic condition for the ground reaction force acting point on the combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation moments in early phase of cutting maneuvers in female athletes.

Background: Combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation (VL + IR) moments have been shown to stress the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in several in vitro cadaveric studies. To utilize this knowledge for non-contact ACL injury prevention in sports, it is necessary to elucidate how the ground reaction force (GRF) acting point (center of pressure (CoP)) in the stance foot produces combined knee VL + IR moments in risky maneuvers, such as cuttings. However, the effects of the GRF acting point on the development of the combined knee VL + IR moment in cutting are still unknown.

Serum MMP3 and IL1-RA levels may be useful biomarkers for detecting asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap in patients with asthma.

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) is characterized by concurrent features of asthma and COPD. Since disease pathogenesis, severities, and treatments differ between asthma and ACO, it is important to differentiate them.

Objective: To clarify and compare the characteristics of ACO and asthma and identify the serum biomarkers for differentiating them, especially in older patients.

Multiple bacterial culture positivity reflects the severity and prognosis as bronchiectasis in Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease.

Background: Bacterial coinfections are observed in 19-66% of patients with Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) during the entire duration of the disease. The impact of bacterial coinfection at diagnosis on the clinical course of MAC-PD has not been reported.

Methods: Among 558 patients diagnosed with MAC-PD between January 2016 and December 2020, 218 patients who underwent sputum culture tests twice or more within one year before and after diagnosis were included.

Analysis of the utility of transbronchial lung biopsy culture under endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide-sheath.

Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) culture is not common in clinical practice, and TBLB culture for patients with mycobacterial disease provide limited value because the diagnostic accuracy of TBLB culture is very low. Recently, bronchoscopic devices have been further developed, such as endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide-sheath (EBUS-GS). Therefore, this study investigated the utility of TBLB culture obtained by using EBUS-GS compared to washing cultures.

Serum IgA augments adhesiveness of cultured lung microvascular endothelial cells and suppresses angiogenesis.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is important in local immunity and is also abundant in the blood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of serum IgA on cultured lung microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-Ls), which are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory lung diseases. Serum IgA induced adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokine production from HMVEC-Ls, and enhanced adhesion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to HMVEC-Ls.

Activities of Daily Living, Hypoxemia, and Lymphocytes Score for Predicting Mortality Risk in Patients With Pulmonary TB.

Background: A clinically applicable mortality risk prediction system for pulmonary TB may improve treatment outcomes, but no easy-to-calculate and accurate score has yet been reported. The aim of this study was to construct a simple and objective disease severity score for patients with pulmonary TB.

Research Question: Does a clinical score consisting of simple objective factors predict the mortality risk of patients with pulmonary TB?

Study Design And Methods: The data set from our previous prospective study that recruited patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary TB was used for the development cohort.

Comparison of the thickness of the erector spinae muscles between aspiration pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia patients.

Background And Aims: Aspiration pneumonia is generally associated with deterioration of skeletal muscle mass, which is usually evaluated by the erector spinae muscle cross-sectional area (ESM); however, no report has assessed ESM in patients with aspiration pneumonia. Furthermore, erector spinae muscle thickness (ESM) was developed to be easier to measure than ESM. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between ESM and ESM in aspiration pneumonia patients compared to bacterial pneumonia patients.

A case of disseminated bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) disease after one month of BCG bladder infusion therapy and analysis of 77 cases of suspected BCG infection in Japan, 2017-2022.

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) intravesical injections are used as adjuvant therapy for superficial bladder cancer. We report a case of a 78-year-old man who developed disseminated BCG disease mimicking miliary tuberculosis early after BCG intravesical infusion. He started coughing after receiving three rounds of BCG for superficial bladder tumors, following transurethral resection of the tumors, approximately one month after initiation.