Clinical study of Japanese spotted fever and its aggravating factors.

Twenty-eight patients with Japanese spotted fever were clinically investigated. The diagnosis was determined by confirming an increase of specific antibody. All patients were treated with minocycline, and all recovered, excluding one patient with a fulminant course.

The significance of prostate-specific antigen alpha-1-antichymotrypsin complex and its indices for the detection of prostate cancer.

We examined the usefulness of prostate specific antigen alph-1-antichymotrypsin complex (PSA-ACT) and its indices for the detection of prostate cancer in patients with a prostate specific antigen (PSA) level between 2.1 and 10.0 ng/ml.

Fulminant Japanese spotted fever definitively diagnosed by the polymerase chain reaction method.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the emergency ward in our hospital on July 20, 2001, because of consciousness disturbance, fever, generalized skin eruption, and severe general weakness beginning 7 days previously. Physical examination on admission revealed marked systemic cyanosis, erythema, and purpura. Laboratory findings indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiorgan failure (platelet count, 0.

Japanese spotted fever associated with multiorgan failure.

A 49-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, with a diagnosis of multiple organ failure, on June 10, 2000. Physical examination revealed high fever, generalized maculopapular erythema, and an eschar on his lower leg. Laboratory findings revealed severe renal and liver dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and markedly elevated soluble interleukin 2-receptor (sIL2-R) level (>10 000 U/ml).