Association between loss of hypercoagulable phenotype, clinical features and complement pathway consumption in COVID-19.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) features a hypercoagulable state, but therapeutic anticoagulation effectiveness varies with disease severity. We aimed to evaluate the dynamics of the coagulation profile and its association with COVID-19 severity, outcomes, and biomarker trajectories.

Methods: This multicenter, prospective, observational study included patients with COVID-19 requiring respiratory support.

Specific IgE Response and Omalizumab Responsiveness in Severe Allergic Asthma.

Objective: Omalizumab has demonstrated clinical efficacy in patients with severe allergic asthma sensitized to perennial allergens and/or severe pollinosis through inhibition of IgE-dependent allergic response. When considering the "one airway, one disease" concept, sensitization to pollen could predict responsiveness to omalizumab. This study aimed to assess whether the pretreatment specific IgE response could be a predictor of responsiveness to omalizumab in severe allergic asthma sensitized to perennial allergens.

[Change of the patient characteristics among adult asthmatics hospitalized due to acute exacerbation].

Background: We analysed the patient characteristics among adult asthmatics hospitalized to our hospital to clearfy the residual problems in the prevention and treatment of asthma.

Methods: We identified the adult asthmatics hospitalized to our hospital during the period A: Jan 2004-Dec 2005 and the period B: Jan 2009-Dec2010 and analysed retrospectively around age, smoking history, and the use of ICS (including combination medicine) and so on.

Results: The total patient numbers were A: 161 and B: 88, decreasing to almost half.

[Two cases of recurrent non-small cell lung cancer successfully treated with S-1 as fifth-line chemotherapy].

There is at present no defined role for S-1 chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who previously failed chemotherapy. Two cases of multidrug-resistant, NSCLC that were successfully treated with S-1 as fifth-line chemotherapy are reported. A 75-year-old man was diagnosed as having pulmonary adenocarcinoma, cT1N3M0, stage III B.

Small-cell lung cancer arising after chemotherapy for a patient with lymphoma of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue-a case report.

A 76-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with infiltrations evident in the right lower lobe on chest computed tomography. Bronchoscopic biopsy showed lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Lymphoma of the pulmonary MALT became enlarged at 8 months after diagnosis and dyspnea developed.

Endobronchial metastasis from primary papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum.

A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a left lower lobe opacity and mediastinal shift on the chest X-ray. She had been complaining of intermittent nonproductive cough and exertional dyspnea. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed an endobronchial tumor of the left main to the lower bronchus, atelectasis of the left lower lobe, and mediastinal shift.

Pharmacokinetic study of pleural fluid penetration of carbapenem antibiotic agents in chemical pleurisy.

Study Objectives: We investigated pleural fluid penetration of carbapenem antibiotic agents [imipenem (IPM), panipenem (PAPM), meropenem (MEPM), and biapenem (BIPM)] using an experimental rabbit pleuritis model to clarify the usefulness of the carbapenem agents for the treatment of bacterial pleurisy or pyothorax.

Measurements And Results: Serum and pleural fluid specimens were serially collected at 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 min after antibiotic administration for measurement of antibiotic levels. We investigated each agent alone as well as drug solutions containing each agent and a dehydropeptidase-I-specific inhibitor, cilastatin (CS), to remove the influence of dehydropeptidase-I-related hydrolysis.

Combined effects of panipenem and aminoglycosides on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are the main causes of refractory infections that are often resistant to antimicrobial agents. In these cases, combination of agents with antimicrobial activity is being examined. However, few studies have investigated combined effects with antimicrobial agents including carbapenem and aminoglycosides.

Isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria from patients with pneumoconiosis.

This study aimed to confirm the isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) from patients with pneumoconiosis. Monthly sputum examinations in 155 patients were performed from April 1998 to December 2002. When NTM were isolated, species were identified and the frequency of isolation was reviewed.

Bronchoscopic intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide treated against bronchial obstruction caused by peanut aspiration.

We encountered a case of obstructive pneumonia 1 month after peanut aspiration. Bronchoscopic examination revealed obstruction of the right basal bronchus with immature granulation tissue due to the peanut aspiration. Despite antibiotic treatment, the obstruction had not been resolved.

An adult case of Bochdalek hernia complicated with hemothorax.

A 53-year-old female with mild shock due to vomiting and abdominal pain visited the emergency room of our hospital. Chest X-ray on admission showed a large amount of left pleural effusion. Thoracentesis revealed hemorrhagic pleural effusion.

Analysis of epitope recognition of antibodies induced by DNA immunization against hemagglutinin protein of influenza A virus.

In an effort to find efficient DNA vaccine candidates, cDNA of influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA) gene and several derived mutants were injected into mice using a gene gun. Mice immunized with HA1 DNA, with or without a membrane domain, showed a humoral immune response and the survival rate against homologous virus challenge was comparable to that of mice injected with HA DNA. In order to analyze epitopes recognized by antibodies induced by gene gun immunization, we used a binding assay employing the chimeric HA protein method.