Prevalence and characterization of leukotoxin-producing Staphylococcus intermedius in Isolates from dogs and pigeons

Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from dogs (n = 44) and pigeons (n = 62) were categorized into 12 types by intergenic ribosomal DNA spacer polymorphism analysis. All isolates from pigeons were lukS positive and all isolates from dogs were lukS and lukF positive by dot blot analysis. The mean leukotoxicity titer for dog isolates was at least 129-fold higher than that for pigeon isolates.     

Etiological Study of Diarrheal Patients in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

The etiological agents of diarrhea in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), were studied in the period from October 1996 to August 1997. A total of 880 patients with diarrhea visiting medical facilities were examined for Shigella, Salmonella, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Vibrio, Aeromonas, Campylobacter, and rotavirus. Shigella spp., heat-stable enterotoxin (ST)-producing E. coli, and serogroup-based enteropathogenic E. coli were found to be the main organisms causing diarrhea in Vientiane, with frequencies of 16.8% (148 of 880), 17.2% (111 of 645), and 11.0% (97 of 880), respectively. Relatively low incidences were observed in the cases of Salmonella spp., (0.6%; 5 of 880), Campylobacter spp. (4.4%; 39 of 880), and rotavirus (6.1%; 9 of 148), and no isolates of V. cholerae O1 or O139 or Aeromonas were recovered. An analysis of the incidences of enteropathogens with respect to age and seasonal variations demonstrated that the frequencies of isolation of Shigella spp. and heat-labile enterotoxin-producing E. coli were significantly higher in those aged 1 to 5 years than in those younger than 1 year of age and those older than 5 years of age (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively) and that the frequencies of isolation of Shigella spp. and ST-producing E. coli were significantly higher in the rainy season than in the dry season (P < 0.005 and P < 0.001, respectively). Almost all strains of Shigella spp. tested were resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin and were susceptible to cefdinir and ofloxacin. This is the first intensive and longitudinal study to define the etiologic agents of diarrheal diseases in Lao PDR.     

Clinical features of oral allergy syndrome to plant foods allergens in Kanto regions]

BACKGROUND: Recently, it is recognized that the patients of oral allergy syndrome (OAS) to fruits are increasing. However, there are little knowledges of the background, character, and seriousness about these patients in Kanto regions. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the clinical features of OAS patients to plant origin foods in Kanto regions. METHODS: The patient, who visited Sagamihara National Hospital from 2000 to 2005 and developed some allergic symptoms to plant origin foods, were studied by a questionary survey. RESULTS: As for the 42 subjects, average age are 36 years old, male:female=8:34, merger of other allergic disease is 35 allergic rhinitis of 42 subjects (83%), 34 of asthma (81%), 14 of atopic dermatitis (33%). The causes of OAS symptoms are 32 rose-family fruits, 34 non-rose family fruits, 14 vegetables, 11 nuts, 2 grains subjects. As for the symptom, only in the oral and pharynx symptoms are found in 12, the systemic symptoms is 29, anaphylaxis is 11 subjects. Allergic rhinitis preceded on the 90% subjects with pollinosis, very high rate. On the other hand, the 20% of all subjects have no symptoms of allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSION: A nasal catarrh symptoms went ahead in most of the OAS subjects in Kanto regions. In addition, considering from some patients have no black alder pollinosis and/or are allergic to many non-rose-family fruits at high frequency, there might be a broad cross-reactivity between many pollens other than alder and plant origin foods.     

Roles of tyrosine kinase in insulin action on cell volume of fetal rat type II pneumocyte

The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles of tyrosine kinase (TK) in the insulin action on cell volume in fetal rat (20-day gestational age) type II pneumocyte. Insulin (100 nmol/l) increased cell volume, and this insulin (100 nmol/l) action was completely blocked by 50 μmol/l bumetanide (BMT) and 10 μmol/l amiloride (AML). This observation indicates that 100 nmol/l insulin activates BMT-sensitive Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^? cotransporter and AML-sensitive pathways. The stimulatory action of 100 nmol/l insulin on BMT-sensitive Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^? cotransporter was completely abolished by 10 μmol/l lavendustin A (LAV-A, an inhibitor of TK), however 100 nmol/l insulin could stimulate AML-sensitive pathways even in LAV-A (10 μmol/l)-treated cells. These observations indicate that the insulin (100 nmol/l) action on the BMT-sensitive Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^? cotransporter is mediated through TK-dependent pathways, while 100 nmol/l insulin requires a TK-independent pathway to show the stimulatory action on the AML-sensitive pathways. From these observations we conclude that TK-dependent and -independent pathways are involved in the insulin (100 nmol/l) signaling in fetal rat type II pneumocyte.     

Plasma brain natriuretic peptide and the evaluation of volume overload in infants and children with congenital heart disease

This study was designed to explore whether it was possible to evaluate the severity of VSD, PDA, and ASD by measuring brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. We also investigated normal BNP levels in children to provide a baseline for our study. We measured BNP levels in 253 normal children, including 11 normal neonates, and in 91 VSD patients, 29 PDA patients, and 34 ASD patients. BNP levels showed no age-related differences in normal children (the mean value: 5.3 +/- 3.8 pg/ml). In the healthy neonates, BNP levels rose from 10.4 +/- 11.9 pg/ml in cord blood to 118.8 +/- 83.2 pg/ml on day 0, then fell to 15.3 +/- 7.8 pg/ml by day 7. In VSD and PDA patients, BNP levels correlated significantly with Qp/Qs, LVEDV, and peak RVP/LVP. In ASD patients, BNP levels correlated with Qp/Qs and RVEDV. Especially, in VSD patients, as an index corresponding to 1.5-2.0 of the Qp/Qs ratio, BNP levels of 20-35 pg/ml were found to be best with regard to both sensitivity and specificity. In the healthy neonates, BNP levels changed rapidly after birth. In VSD, PDA, and ASD patients, BNP levels were well-correlated with the severity of the disease. Especially, in VSD patients, it that appears BNP levels may be useful in evaluating surgical indications, with 20-35 pg/ml levels being the appropriate cut-off value.     

Identification and characterization of temperature-sensitive mild mutations in three Japanese patients with nonsevere forms of very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

Very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency is clinically classified into severe, intermediate, and myopathic forms. We identified mutations in three unrelated Japanese patients with VLCAD deficiency: two with the myopathic form and one with the intermediate form, all compound heterozygotes of K264E/M437V, A416T/1798delA, and P89S/IVS16-3delAA, respectively. We characterized four missense mutations, K264E, M437V, A416T, and P89S, by transisent expression analysis, using SV40-transformed fibroblasts derived from a VLCAD-null patient, as recipient cells. In transient expression of the wild-type VLCAD cDNA, VLCAD activity at 30 degrees C was higher than at 37 degrees C. Moreover, this temperature-sensitive character is more evident in all the mutant proteins tested than in wild type. Based on characterization of the five missense mutations identified in four Japanese patients, including data on one patient with the myopathic form previously reported, patients with the nonsevere forms (intermediate or myopathic forms) have missense mutations with residual activities in at least one allele. Expression analysis at 30 degrees C may be more useful for evaluating these missense mutations, compared with that at 37 degrees C.     

Induction of biologically active antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies by immunization with human apoptotic polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Translocation of intracellular components to the cell surface during the priming or apoptosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) is an important mechanism for interaction of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) with these antigens. To test the capacity of apoptotic PMN to trigger production of ANCA, six groups of mice were immunized with either live or apoptotic lymphocytes, or with live, apoptotic, formalin-fixed, or lysed PMN. Mice immunized with both live and apoptotic neutrophils developed high titers of antibodies which gave a granular cytoplasmic immunofluorescent pattern. These antibodies were specific for lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase. Following a second intravenous infusion of apoptotic PMNs, mice developed anti-PR3 antibodies. Vasculitis lesions were not found in mice which developed ANCA. The ANCA-containing IgG fraction induced superoxide production by human PMNs. These results support the hypothesis that neutrophil-specific antigens presented on the cell membranes of apoptotic PMN may induce ANCA in the proper conditions.     

Distinct progression pathways involving the dysfunction of DUSP6/MKP-3 in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas.

DUSP6/MKP-3 is identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene for pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of DUSP6 in the pancreatic carcinogenesis through the pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and/or intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms, both of which are considered to be precursor lesions of invasive carcinoma of the pancreas, by comparing with involvements of other major tumor suppressive pathways. Expressions of DUSP6, CDKN2A, TP53, and SMAD4 were investigated by immunohistochemistry in a total of 206 lesions of dysplastic ductal precursors and carcinomas retrieved from 52 pancreata with invasive ductal carcinomas and 51 of those with intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms. The intensity of staining was evaluated in lesions at different atypical grades and statistically compared among them. Mutations of KRAS2 were analyzed by methods of the allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization and nucleotide sequencing. In pancreata with invasive ductal carcinomas, expressions of DUSP6 were abrogated exclusively in the invasive carcinoma cells in contrast to its fairly preserved expressions in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. In pancreata with intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms, abrogated expressions of DUSP6 were observed in a relatively small fraction of intraductal adenoma/borderlines and intraductal carcinomas. Most of the intraductal adenoma/borderline lesions with abrogation of DUSP6 harbored mutations of KRAS2. None of the molecules was associated with each other in any grade of lesions. Morphological variations of papillae of the intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms were evaluated and analyzed for their associations with abrogations of the molecules, which resulted in finding of no significant associations. Our results suggest that the abrogation of DUSP6 is associated exclusively with progression from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia to the invasive ductal carcinoma while it is potentially associated with initiation of intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms with mutated KRAS2, which is independent of other major tumor suppressive pathways in both types of neoplasms.