Number of components of the metabolic syndrome; smoking and inflammatory markers.

Background: The association between inflammatory markers and the combination of the smoking status plus a number of components of the metabolic syndrome was not fully evaluated in male Japanese subjects.

Objectives: To demonstrate the association between inflammatory markers and the number of components of the metabolic syndrome by considering smoking status.

Patients And Methods: A total of 3,017 male subjects (1,047 current smokers, 1,970 non-smokers) were included.

Aging, components of metabolic syndrome and serum C-reactive protein showed significant relationship with carotid atherosclerosis.

Objective: metabolic syndrome (MetS) is known to be associated with an increased risk for cerebro- as well as cardio-vascular disease. Prediction of carotid atherosclerosis by components of MetS, serum C-reactive protein, aging and related factors was conducted for Japanese inhabitants.

Methods: A total of 887 subjects (761 males, 126 females) were included in the present study.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its relationship with diabetes mellitus by aging.

Introduction: It is important to make a prompt diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in order to prevent the development of cardio-/cerebro- vascular diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM). The authors estimated the risk of development of DM by the presence/absence of MetS and age groups.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of subjects undergoing intensive health examination was conducted (3149 men aged 30-69 years).

Unusual radiological findings of Fasciola hepatica infection with huge cystic and multilocular lesions.

This report describes a case of hepatic phase Fasciola hepatica infection presenting huge and multilocular lesions. The unique radiological findings mimicked hydatid diseases and also cystic liver neoplasm. Fascioliasis should be included in the differential diagnosis for cystic liver diseases.

Clinical characteristics of imported malaria in Japan: analysis at a referral hospital.

Imported malaria remains an important problem in Japan. We have reviewed the medical records of 170 cases of malaria in our hospital, which corresponds to 14.9% of the total cases in Japan.

Questionnaire-based analysis of mefloquine chemoprophylaxis for malaria in a Japanese population.

Although mefloquine is the only drug licensed for malaria chemoprophylaxis in Japan, there have been few reports describing the effects of and adverse events in the prophylactic usage of mefloquine in a Japanese population. We therefore performed a questionnaire-based study in 21 travelers who were prescribed mefloquine for malaria chemoprophylaxis between October 2001 and December 2003. The study revealed that only 8 out of 21 (38.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis following Plasmodium vivax malaria.

A 24-year-old Japanese man showed neurological disturbances 2 weeks after complete recovery from Plasmodium vivax infection. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain showed multiple high-intensity spotty lesions in the left cerebral cortex and subcortex. Cerebrospinal fluid examination, including polymerase chain reaction analysis for viruses, revealed no sign of active infection.

Molecular analysis of human herpesvirus 8 by using single nucleotide polymorphisms in open reading frame 26.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) can be classified into distinct subtypes on the basis of sequence polymorphisms in several open reading frames (ORFs). We analyzed the subtypes of HHV-8 in 59 human immunodeficiency virus-infected Japanese patients by using polymorphisms in ORF26 and found that over two-thirds of the HHV-8 isolates fell into major subtype A. We also found that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at nucleotide positions 1032 (C-to-A substitution) and 1055 (G-to-T substitution) in HHV-8 ORF26 were correlated with increased susceptibility to Kaposi's sarcoma, compared to the results obtained with HHV-8 with wild-type nucleotides at these positions (P = 0.

Pneumocystis carinii carriage in immunocompromised patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Eighty-one bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens obtained from 26 HIV-infected, 45 non-HIV immunosuppressed and 10 immunocompetent patients with primary pulmonary diseases were analysed for the presence of Pneumocystis carinii by staining and by P. carinii 5S rDNA determined by PCR. P.

Dihydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms in Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. hominis in Japan.

This study examined polymorphisms in the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene of Pneumocystis carinii isolates from 27 patients with P. carinii pneumonia (PCP) in Japan. Four substitution sites with two synonymous and two non-synonymous changes were found.