[First case report of fatal Japanease spotted fever in Kumamoto Prefecture and the investigation of severe cases in Kamiamakusa City].

An 81 year-old woman whose chief complaint was fever and general fatigue was admitted to our hospital in Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture in October 2013. She was suspected to have Japanease spotted fever, which is a local pandemic disease in Kamiamakusa, because wide-spreaded skin erythema appeared on the palms of her hands and soles of her feet several days after admission. Though there was a delay of more than 6 days after onset, we treated her with minocycline (MINO) and levofloxacin (LVFX).

Three familial cases of drug-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Unlabelled: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is believed to result from defective host immune response rather than from direct cell injury by the organism itself. In this context, emergence of drug-resistant M. pneumoniae may provide us with special opportunities to study the pathogenesis from a clinical point of view.

Extended-stay hospitalization for childhood asthma in Japan.

Background: While recent advances in asthma management have enabled adequate control to be frequently achieved in outpatient settings, children whose asthma remains poorly controlled despite outpatient treatment are often referred to extended-stay hospitals. The aim of the present study was to examine trends concerning extended-stay hospitalization and to evaluate the present status of this approach.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to assess changes in the number of admissions among 408 children with extended stays at Kamiamakusa General Hospital between 1989 and 2005.

Ghrelin and leptin modulate immunity and liver function in overweight children.

Background: The rising prevalence of obesity represents a growing worldwide public health problem. Interactions of adipocytokines and low-grade systemic inflammation presently are considered important in the development of obesity, as well as associated chronic disease including bronchial asthma, obesity-related liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The purpose of the present study was to investigate metabolic, hormonal, immunologic and inflammatory factors in overweight children and to further clarify possible immunomodulatory effects of obesity-related hormones and cytokines.