Fukuoka igaku zasshi = Hukuoka acta medica最新文献

We report a compromised patient with mycotic aneurysm, who was successfully treated by urgent placement of a stent graft. A man in his seventies was admitted to our hospital with relapsing high fever and back pain during chemotherapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Contrast CT demonstrated a saccular aneurysm of the thoracic aorta and left pleural effusion. Blood cultures were positive for Escherichia coli producing extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). Therefore, thoracic mycotic aneurysm was diagnosed. Because of rapid growth on consecutive examinations, absolute bed rest was required. Therefore, we performed antibiotic therapy combined with stent graft placement, which achieved complete exclusion of the aneurysm. He was discharged in an ambulatory state, and his quality of life remained good at home until just before death from terminal state of the cancer.

Background: Influenza virus has neuraminidase (NA), a surface protein with enzymatic activity that is essential for virus replication. Mutation may affect the effectiveness of NA inhibitors that are used for the treatment of influenza patients. In this study, we determined the NA gene sequences from the clinical isolates of influenza patients to examine the chronological genetic changes and the relation to drug susceptibility.

Methods: For 96 A/H3N2 virus isolates the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) (48 each from the 2011-12 and 12-13 influenza seasons) was measured. RT-PCR was done with extracted viral RNA, followed by nucleotide sequencing.

Results: One putative amino acid mutation, D151N, was found in an NA activity-related cite in five of ninety-six tested isolate. The mutation did not affect the IC50 value. The mutations identified at amino acid positions 387 and 400 were statistically correlated with an increased IC50 value, although the change was less than ten times, suggesting no significant difference in the clinical effectiveness. A small number .of isolates showed mutation in the T and/or B cell epitope region of NA.

Conclusion: No mutation that affected the IC50 value or effectiveness of NAIs was detected. Antigenic mutations of NA, which influence the selection of epidemic strains, were not determined. Continuous observation will be necessary to further clarify the genetic features of NA.

We report the case of 2-year-old girl who died of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common cancer in children. She had no remarkable medical history. She was transferred to a hospital because of respiratory distress and died 4 hours after arrival. Two weeks before death, she had a fever of 39 degrees C, which subsided after the administration of a naturopathic herbal remedy. She developed jaundice 1 week before death, and her condition worsened on the day of death. Laboratory test results on admission showed a markedly elevated white blood cell count. Accordingly, the cause of death was suspected to be acute leukaemia. Forensic autopsy revealed the cause of death to be precursor B-cell ALL. With advancements in medical technology, the 5-year survival rate of children with ALL is nearly 90%. However, in this case, the deceased's parents preferred complementary and alternative medicine (i.e., naturopathy) to evidence-based medicine and had not taken her to a hospital for a medical check-up or immunisation since she was an infant. Thus, if she had received routine medical care, she would have a more than 60% chance of being alive 5 years after diagnosis. Therefore, we conclude that the parents should be accused of medical neglect regardless of their motives.

Purpose: Since early modern times, tooth size has reportedly been increasing in each successive generation. A detailed analysis of these trends can provide meaningful information for elucidating the origin of various problems caused by larger teeth, such as an abnormal dentition and occlusion. By using data from most recent generations, this study aimed to clarify the time course of changes in tooth size in the Japanese.

Materials and methods: The dentitions of two Japanese cohorts comprising young individuals born in the 1980s and the 1990s were compared with those of another cohort of Japanese individuals born in the 1940s, approximately half a century earlier. The mesiodistal diameter of the tooth crowns was measured on plaster models and subjected to statistical analyses.

Results: A mean difference test revealed that each recent generation showed positive generational differences in the size of more than 50% of the tooth types. In addition, a deviation graph analysis indicated that the degree of change in tooth size varied with the tooth type or sampling site. Principal component analysis clearly showed an increase in tooth size on an individual basis in the more recent generations.

Conclusions: This study revealed positive generational differences in tooth size in the Japanese population. The results may aid in understanding the development of abnormal dentitions and occlusion in recent Japanese populations.

The plant Houttuynia cordata, which is called "dokudami" in Japanese, is known as a potent antioxidant herb that has been traditionally consumed as a folk medicine for various ailments, such as diabetes, obesity, cough, fever and skin diseases, in Asia. However, its antioxidant mechanism remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Houttuynia cordata extract (HCE) on human keratinocytes. HCE activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, with subsequent induction of the antioxidative enzyme NAD (P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 gene. HCE inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in keratinocytes stimulated with tumor necrosis factor α or benzo(α)pyrene. Moreover, HCE upregulated the gene expression of filaggrin, an essential skin barrier protein, in an AHR-dependent manner. HCE may be beneficial for treating ROS-related photoaging and barrier-disrupted skin conditions.

We herein report a case of a late type III endoleak caused by disconnection of the aorta extension and main body of a Powerlink four years after implantation. Migration of the main body caused a disconnection of the main body and extension despite the fact that the size of the aneurysm had been decreasing. The endoleak was successfully repaired using the interpolation of an Endurant aortic extender. In case of necessity of implantation of the extension, first implantation of extension before deploying the main body may help to prevent type III endoleaks caused by disconnection of the stentgraft in patients treated with the Powerlink system. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a late type III endoleak caused by a Powerlink device.