Ultrasonographic Study of the Corkscrew Arterial Image in Buerger Disease Patients.

Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease) is known as an intractable vascular disease that has been reported as thrombosis in distal arteries and occasional venous occlusion, as well as inflammatory changes in the thrombus and vascular wall. Patients often require limb amputation due to limb necrosis. Corkscrew (CS), a small arterial coiling, is an important diagnostic finding that was mainly found with angiography.

Suppressed pediatric asthma hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, from a national survey.

Background: Acute asthma exacerbation in children is often caused by respiratory infections. In this study, a coordinated national surveillance system for acute asthma hospitalizations and causative respiratory infections was established. We herein report recent trends in pediatric acute asthma hospitalizations since the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Buerger Disease: Pathological Changes in Elderly Patients.

Reports of vascular lesion changes in elderly Buerger disease patients are rare. Patients are expected to continue to have typical Buerger disease even after the age of 50. However, after 50, when patients suffer from atherosclerotic risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or hyperlipidemia, what kind of changes will occur? We will report on 3 cases of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or hyper lipidemia after or around 50 years of age.

Cytosolic HSC70s repress heat stress tolerance and enhance seed germination under salt stress conditions.

Heat shock factor A1 (HsfA1) family proteins are the master regulators of the heat stress-responsive transcriptional cascade in Arabidopsis. Although 70 kDa heat shock proteins (HSP70s) are known to participate in repressing HsfA1 activity, the mechanisms by which they regulate HsfA1 activity have not been clarified. Here, we report the physiological functions of three cytosolic HSP70s, HSC70-1, HSC70-2 and HSC70-3, under normal and stress conditions.

The Incidence of Pediatric Invasive Bacterial Diseases in Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital before and after the Introduction of Conjugate Vaccines.

The introduction of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine and the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has led to dramatic reductions in cases of invasive H. influenzae disease and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). After the introduction of the PCV7 and the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), the number of children with IPD markedly decreased in our hospital.

The Transcriptional Cascade in the Heat Stress Response of Arabidopsis Is Strictly Regulated at the Level of Transcription Factor Expression.

Group A1 heat shock transcription factors (HsfA1s) are the master regulators of the heat stress response (HSR) in plants. Upon heat shock, HsfA1s trigger a transcriptional cascade that is composed of many transcription factors. Despite the importance of HsfA1s and their downstream transcriptional cascade in the acquisition of thermotolerance in plants, the molecular basis of their activation remains poorly understood.

Functional analysis of the Hikeshi-like protein and its interaction with HSP70 in Arabidopsis.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) refold damaged proteins and are an essential component of the heat shock response. Previously, the 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) has been reported to translocate into the nucleus in a heat-dependent manner in many organisms. In humans, the heat-induced translocation of HSP70 requires the nuclear carrier protein Hikeshi.

Maggot debridement therapy for peripheral arterial disease.

Introduction: Maggots are potent debriding agents capable of removing necrotic tissue and slough; however, it is still unclear which wounds are most likely to benefit from maggot debridement therapy (MDT). Thus, we performed this retrospective review to gain insight into the patient and therapy characteristics influencing outcome.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed patients with foot ulcers caused by critical limb ischemia, encountered during the period between June 2005 and May 2010.

Identification of a novel biomarker candidate, a 4.8-kDa peptide fragment from a neurosecretory protein VGF precursor, by proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from children with acute encephalopathy using SELDI-TOF-MS.

Background: Acute encephalopathy includes rapid deterioration and has a poor prognosis. Early intervention is essential to prevent progression of the disease and subsequent neurologic complications. However, in the acute period, true encephalopathy cannot easily be differentiated from febrile seizures, especially febrile seizures of the complex type.

High mobility group box 1 in cerebrospinal fluid from several neurological diseases at early time points.

The present study aimed to elucidate the possible role of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1), which is a candidate prognostic marker in diseases that combine inflammation and tissue injury, in acute encephalopathy. HMGB1 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained on admission from eight children with acute encephalopathy, and 16 children with febrile seizure, eight children with bacterial/aseptic meningitis, and eight children with fever without neurological symptoms were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found no increase in HMGB1 in CSF from acute encephalopathy or in CSF from febrile seizure or fever without neurological complications at early time points, while marked elevation of HMGB1 was seen in CSF from bacterial and aseptic meningitis.

Enhanced expression of cytokines/chemokines in cerebrospinal fluids in mumps meningitis in children.

Background:   The mumps virus is frequently the causative agent in aseptic meningitis and mumps has still prevailed in Japan. We compared data obtained from patients with mumps meningitis and patients with aseptic meningitis caused by other viruses in order to identify mumps meningitis-specific cytokine/chemokine alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Methods:   We elucidated the cytokine/chemokine network based on the cytokine/chemokine profiles in CSF from children with mumps meningitis and meningitis due to other viral infections using multiplex cytokine measurement.

IL-17 is elevated in cerebrospinal fluids in bacterial meningitis in children.

Bacterial meningitis has a poor prognosis and neurologic complications. The present study aimed to investigate the cytokine/chemokine network in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from children with bacterial meningitis and aseptic meningitis. Interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta, were measured simultaneously in CSF supernatants.

High prevalence of antibodies against Bartonella henselae with cervical lymphadenopathy in children.

Background: Cat-scratch disease is the most common form of Bartonella henselae infection. Although reports have shown that CSD is relatively common, they have not shown the prevalence of seropositivity for Bartonella henselae in cases of cervical lymphadenitis and Kawasaki disease, which are relatively common diseases in children.

Methods: We evaluated the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig) G- and IgM-class antibodies against Bartonella henselae in children with cervical lymphadenitis, Kawasaki disease, and infectious diseases without lymphadenopathy in a semi-rural area in Japan.

Theophylline-induced changes in mouse electroencephalograms.

Theophylline can induce life-threatening seizures in humans, especially in infants, but the mechanism of induction remains unknown. We investigated the effects of orally administered theophylline on mouse electroencephalograms (EEGs). ddY mice, which are generally completely free of seizures, were used for the experiments.

An 8-year-old boy with vertebral artery dissection with cerebellar ataxia featuring suspected vertebral artery hypoplasia.

We report an 8-year-old boy with left vertebral artery dissection featuring cerebellar ataxia in which congenital vertebral artery hypoplasia was suspected as a predisposing factor in the dissection. The patient suddenly suffered from vertigo and vomiting while swimming, and he was brought to our department. The initial brain Computed Tomography (CT) demonstrated no abnormalities, and his symptoms disappeared the next morning.

Transient thrombocytopenia after incompatible red blood transfusion in an infant girl with autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

We report on 5-month-old girl with severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (hemoglobin 2.9 g/dl, positive direct Coombs test) in whom thrombocytopenia developed after red blood cell transfusion. The platelet count was 62.