The therapeutic effect of norfloxacin on chronic prostatitis

The clinical efficacy of norfloxacin (NFLX) was evaluated in 74 patients having chronic prostatitis with the subjective symptoms suggesting the inflammations of prostate and more than five white bloodcells (WBCs)/hpf in their prostatic secretions (EPS). Of these, gram negative rods with greater than or equal to 10(3)CFU/ml (GNR group) were isolated from the EPS in 10 patients (13.6%) and gram positive cocci with greater than or equal to 10(3) CFU/ml (GPC group) were obtained in 46 patients (62.2%). E. coli (70.0%) was the most frequent strain isolated among GNR group and S. epidermidis (40.4%), S. aureus (19.1%), E. faecalis (17.0%) and S. haemolyticus (14.9%) were frequently isolated among the GPC group. The overall clinical efficacy of NFLX was determined at the second and fourth week by the three factors, (1) the effect on bacteria, (2) WBCs in the EPS and (3) the subjective symptoms in the patients with bacteria of greater than or equal to 10(3) CFU/ml being isolated. The overall clinical effectiveness rate was 71.4% and 100%, respectively, in the GNR group. In the GPC group, its rate was 79.3% and 88.0%, respectively. The patients with no bacteria or less than 10(3) CFU/ml isolated from the EPS had an overall clinical effectiveness rate of 89.8% at the second week and 90.0% at the fourth, when it was evaluated by the effect on WBCs and subjective symptoms. In the effect of NFLX on bacteria in the EPS, it eliminated them in 75.0% and 83.9% at the second and fourth week, respectively, of all patients with GNR or GPC of greater than or equal to 10(3) CFU/ml isolated from the EPS. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of NFLX against E. coli isolated from the EPS was distributed from 0.025 microgram/ml to 3.13 micrograms/ml with most below 0.1 microgram/ml. Those against all other GNR were below 0.78 microgram/ml. NFLX showed good antimicrobial activities against GPC with most of MIC being distributed from 0.78 microgram/ml to 1.56 micrograms/ml. NFLX produced the highest eradication rate in bacteriological response not only against GNR such as 100% at the first, the second and fourth week but GPC as 89.2%, 93.8% and 96.0%, respectively. In the effect of NFLX on WBCs in EPS, 40-50% of patients got free from the inflammation of prostate by NFLX treatment. This became prominent in the GNR group as the treatment was continued although not in the GPC group. The subjective symptoms were improved by NFLX treatment in most of the patients.     

Effects of antibiotics on the in vitro ERG of the albino rabbit

This study describes the effects of penicillin G (PC-G) potassium, PC-G sodium, cloxacillin sodium (MCIPC), disodium sulbenicillin (SBPC), cefazolin sodium (CEZ) and cefsulodin sodium (CFS) on the in-vitro electroretinogram (ERG) of the albino rabbit.The b-wave and oscillatory potentials (OPs) were unchanged by 0.1 mM PC-G potassium or PC-G sodium. The OPs were slightly suppressed by 0.3 mM of either drug. While the a- and b-waves were not deteriorated, the OPs were greatly suppressed by 1.0 mM concentration. The effect of PC-G on the ERG was characterized by a selective suppression of the OPs. The b-wave and OPs were not suppressed by 0.03 mM MCIPC. They were slightly suppressed by 0.05 mM MCIPC. The a-wave, b-wave and OPs were not deteriorated by 1.0 mM SBPC. The b-wave and OPs were suppressed by 3.0 mM or 6.0 mM SBPC respectively. These changes appeared to be dose-dependent. Since the b-wave and OPs were concomitantly suppressed by both MCIPC and SBPC, these antibiotics, unlike PC-G, did not selectively suppress the OPs. The b-wave and OPs were unchanged by 0.1 mM CEZ or CFS. The OPs were slightly suppressed by 0.3mM CEZ or CFS. CEZ or CFS of 1.0 mM did not deteriorate the a- and b-waves, but selectively suppressed the OPs. The effects of CEZ and CFS on the ERG were characterized by a selective suppression of the OPs. The above-described changes in the ERG were reversible.     

A Case of Purulent Pancreatic Ductitis Successfully Treated by Endoscopic Stenting

A 50‐year‐old male received conservative medical treatment for acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. High fever, abdominal pain, as well as enhancement of inflammatory response and pancreatic enzymes in serum, persisted after treatment for 1 month. Purulent pancreatic fluid was drained by endoscopically placing an 8F plastic stent in the main pancreatic duct, resulting in marked improvement of clinical symptoms. This case appears to provide useful information in considering indications for pancreatic stents.     

Leptin gene and leptin receptor gene polymorphisms are associated with sweet preference and obesity

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone that regulates food intake and body weight, and that was recently reported to suppress sweet sensitivity in an animal model. We investigated the associations among sweet preference, obesity, and polymorphisms of the leptin gene (LEP) or leptin receptor gene (LEPR). A total of 3,653 residents randomly selected from among the citizens of Suita City, Osaka, Japan were enlisted as subjects, in whom we investigated sweet preference, clinical characteristics, including obesity and serum leptin level, and the polymorphisms of LEP and LEPR (G-2548A and A19G for LEP; R109K, R223Q, and rs3790439 for LEPR). We determined the associations among the parameters using logistic regression analysis, in order to consider potential confounding factors for sweet preference and/or obesity. The LEP A19G and LEPR R109K polymorphisms were associated with sweet preference, whereas the serum leptin level was not. Further, the LEPR 109KK genotype was found to be associated with obesity along with sweet preference. In conclusion, our results are the first to show associations of LEP and LEPR polymorphisms with sweet preference, and may provide useful information for diagnosis and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases.     

Comparative studies on activities of antimicrobial agents against causative organisms isolated from urinary tract infections (1985). II. Background of patients

We have investigated relationships between patients' backgrounds and isolates from urinary tract infections in reference to various conditions, such as sexes, age distribution by sex, species of causative organisms by sex, age distribution according to species and types of infections, species and infections before and after treatment with antibacterial agents, and species and detected places. As for the relationship between sexes and types of infections, although simple urinary tract infections were consistently found at about 20% in men and at about 80% in women between 1981 and 1983, these infections were seen at 24.4% in men and at 75.6% in women in 1984, and at 26.6% and at 73.4% in 1985, indicating slight decreases in the ratio of women. By contrast, complex urinary tract infections were found in men at about 60-70% from 1981 up to 1985, regardless of the presence or absence of indwelling catheter. There were no noticeable changes according to age during this 5-year period in incidences of infections including simple urinary tract infection and complex urinary tract infection with or without indwelling catheter. Thus, backgrounds of patients with urinary tract infections, including sex, age and simple or complex infections, were fairly consistent throughout this period, while there were relatively large changes in species of isolates. Enterococcus faecalis was isolated at about 8% of both men and women in 1982 and 1983, but its isolation rates were increased to 22.5% of men and 17.9% of women in 1984. In 1985 this species was isolated in 14.9% of men and 7.6% of women, and in 11.2% of all patients. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp. were detected at rates of 3.2%, 8.1%, 0.7% and 1.0%, respectively, and 24.2% of isolated strains were Gram-positive organisms. When species of isolates before treatment with antibacterial agents and their isolation rates were analyzed, it was found that the isolation rate of E. faecalis increased dramatically in 1983, and that this tendency was still seen in 1984. The isolation rate of Gram-positive organisms was 25% in 1984 and 24.3% in 1985. Escherichia coli was consistently isolated at about 40%, but, as far as simple urinary tract infections are concerned, its isolation rate decreased by about 10% in 1985, compared to 1982 and 1983. These results suggested that causative organisms for simple urinary tract infections became similar to those for complex urinary tract infections. In other words, isolates obtained from complex urinary tract infections before treatment were similar to those of simple infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Rapid, nonradioactive detection of mutations in the human genome by allele-specific amplification

A simple, rapid, nonradioactive method has been developed to facilitate the direct detection of point mutations that cause genetic disease. The method operates on the basis of the specific amplification of a target allele by the polymerase chain reaction with extension primers designed such that their 3' end is placed at the mutation site. When this base is complementary to that of the specific allele, the DNA segment is amplified; when it is not complementary, the polymerase chain reaction cannot proceed. When alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1AT) deficiency was used as a model, the technique of allele-specific amplification was capable of selective detection of five different mutations that cause the alpha 1AT deficiency state, including three different naturally occurring single-base substitution mutations (alleles Z, S, and Nullbellingham), an insertion mutation (Nullmattawa), and a deletion mutation (Nullgranite falls). Double-blind evaluation of 47 samples of genomic DNA demonstrated 100% accuracy of the method. The technique of allele-specific amplification is rapid, simple, and does not require the existence of a convenient restriction endonuclease site or the use of radioactive materials, and thus should have broad applicability for the detection of known genetic diseases in a highly sensitive and specific fashion.     

The molecular genetics of rheumatoid arthritis disease gene

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a chronic polyarthritis of unknown etiology affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Previous studies have shown that the ratio of the risk for siblings of patients with the disease versus the prevalence of that disease in the general population (lambda s) is much greater in RA, suggesting that genetic factors may be involved in familial clustering. Using microsatellite marker analysis and sib-pair linkage study, we have identified three chromosome regions D1S214/253, D8S556 and DXS1232/984 as candidate loci for RA disease genes. In this article, we review the molecular genetic findings on the RA disease genes located respectively at each of the above chromosome regions. We show that the death receptor 3(DR3) gene, a Fas family member, containing nucleotide polymorphism is the candidate disease gene located at D1S214/253. We also identify the mutant forms of angiopoietin-1(Ang-1) and Dbl proto-oncogenes respectively as the candidate genes located at D8S556 and DXS1232/984. We surmise that these mutations are responsible for the impairment of apoptosis induction, angiogenesis and leukocyte function in the patients, which may predispose to autoimmunity.