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A worldwide increase in the Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) complex has been observed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the diversity of the rrl and erm(41) genes, both of which are associated with macrolide sensitivity in the M. abscessus complex. The current study also examined the efficacy of mass spectrometry as an alternative to molecular testing to classify subspecies of the M. abscessus complex. A total of 14 strains of the M. abscessus complex were obtained, and based on conventional analyses using housekeeping genes, 57% were determined to be M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, 43% were M. abscessus subsp. massiliense, and none were identified as M. abscessus subsp. bolletii. However, depending on the strain, it was not always possible to distinguish between the subspecies by mass spectrometry. Consequently, PCR products for the rrl and erm(41) genes were directly sequenced. Overall, 7.1% of the strains were identified to have a rrl mutation, and 92.9% carried a T at position 28 of erm(41). Results presented here suggest that the principal cause of treatment failure for M. abscessus complex infections is inducible macrolide resistance encoded by the erm(41) gene. From a strictly pragmatic standpoint, the phenotypic function of a putative erm(41) gene is the most important piece of information required by clinicians in order to prescribe an effective treatment. Although PCR amplification of erm(41) is not sufficient to differentiate between the M. abscessus complex subspecies, PCR can be easily and efficiently used to predict the sensitivity of members of the M. abscessus complex to clarithromycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many patients visit primary care clinics or local hospitals with a complaint of prolonged/chronic cough. Among the different types of chronic cough, cough variant asthma (CVA) and postinfectious cough may be the most common types, and their differential diagnosis is difficult. Some physicians tend to prescribe inhaled corticosteroids before establishing a definitive diagnosis., Methods: We retrospectively investigated useful findings for diagnosis in 77 patients with a complaint of prolonged/ chronic cough to detect meaningful findings for differential diagnosis and to identify problems associated with diagnosis in clinical practice., Results: CVA was diagnosed in 39 patients, and postinfectious cough was diagnosed in 19. Compared with postinfectious cough, CVA was associated with significant characteristics such as "diurnal variation of symptoms," "response to inhalation of short acting β 2 agonist (SABA)," and "recurrent episodes of symptoms." CVA was associated with high FeNO levels as well, and high FeNO levels were specific to CVA. However, these useful characteristics were not significant in the patients who had been prescribed ICS before visiting our hospital., Conclusions: Medical examination and determination of FeNO levels are useful for the differential diagnosis of prolonged/chronic cough, before treatment with ICS.

We report a hemodialysis patient with extensive small-cell lung cancer who was administered CPT-11(50mg/m2)chemotherapy and achieved a partial response after four courses of chemotherapy. Hemodialysis was performed 24 hours after the first course of CPT-11 was completed. Because the patient developed thrombocytopenia and pneumonia, hemodialysis was performed 4 hours following the second course of chemotherapy, after which grade III bone marrow suppression was observed. The plasma concentrations of CPT-11 and its metabolic products(SN-38 and SN-38G)were measured during both courses. A pharmacokinetic study showed that the plasma concentration of CPT-11 after the first course was relatively high, and that the kinetics was similar to that in a non-dialysis case. However, 4 hours after hemodialysis, the concentrations of CPT-11 and SN-38G were re-elevated, and showed a sustained level higher than that obtained 24 hours after hemodialysis. Further study is needed to determine the optimal dosages of CPT-11, and the best time to conduct hemodialysis for chronic cancer patients requiring it.

A 42-year-old woman presented with persistent cough, bloody sputum and fever. Her chest X-ray film showed an infiltrative shadow with cavitation in the upper lobe of the left lung. Acid-fast-bacilli were shown by sputum smear staining. The anti-tuberculosis drugs isoniazid, refampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide were prescribed, but her symptoms and chest X-ray findings did not improve. Findings of MTD and MAC-PCR were negative but Mycobacterium abscessus was confirmed by sputum culture with the DNA hybridization method. Combination therapy with clarithromycin, amikacin and imipenem/cilastatin for one month improved her symptoms and chest X-ray shadow, and clarithromycin monotherapy was carried out for another ten months. Drug susceptibility tests revealed this mycobacterium was sensitive to clarithromycin and amikacin. To determine the environmental factors related to this infection, several samples were examined. Acid-fast-bacilli were present in a smear from the bath room drain. However, to confirm the infectious routes, longer observation is needed. Moreover, serum amyloid protein A and ESR were useful markers to estimate the clinical course.

A 46-year-old man presented with the complaint of cough, fever and dyspnea on exercise. Sixteen years previously stage II sarcoidosis was diagnosed, with an ocular lesion. So far, he had had no respiratory symptoms and was followed up without medication. Two months before his visit, he had a cough. He gradually developed a fever and felt dyspnea on exercise. Chest X-ray showed an infiltrative shadow with a cavity in the right upper lobe. Bronchofiberscopy was performed and the biopsy specimen from the cavity wall revealed noncaseating epitheloid cell granulomas, suggesting primary cavitary sarcoidosis. Corticosterid therapy was started. His symptoms improved rapidly, and the infiltrative shadow on the right upper lobe decreased within one month. The cavity wall was thin on the following computed tomography. Thirty-two cases of primary cavity sarcoidosis were reported in Japan from 1975-2005. The mean age of the patients was 26.5 years old and the ratio of males to females was 13:3. In most cases, corticosteroid therapy was effective and nine spontaneously improved cases were reported. To determine the indications for steroid therapy, further examination is needed.

A 19-year-old man consulted a doctor for swelling of his neck and shortness of breath. The day before, he woke up with a slight cough and upper chest pain early in the morning. He went to school and spent the day as usual. He did not have a history of asthma or violent cough. The next day, chest radiography showed subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum. Computed tomography not only confirmed the presence of mediastinal and subcutaneous air, but also demonstrated a linear radiolucent stripe in the spinal canal corresponding to epidural emphysema. The patient did not have any neurologic findings. His general condition remained good except that his arterial blood oxygen saturation slightly decreased to 95%. Laboratory data were normal, except for serum IgE, which was elevated (2072 IU/ml). He stayed at rest and was treated conservatively and his symptoms improved within a few days. Seven days later, the intraspinal air and pneumomediastinum had resolved spontaneously on follow-up chest computed tomography (CT).

A 55-year-old man was admitted complaining of hemosputa, fever and dyspnea. The chest radiographs and computed tomography showed a diffuse alveolar filling pattern; suggesting alveolar hemorrhage. Laboratory data demonstrated renal dysfunction with hematuria and proteinuria and serum MPO-ANCA was also elevated. Respiratory failure progressed rapidly within two days. Steroid pulse therapy and plasmapheresis was performed. Thereafter, symptoms and chest radiograph findings improved dramatically. However proteinuria persisted as steroid administration was tapered. Renal biopsy demonstrated gromeluronephritis and interstitial lymphocyte infiltration. After administering a second course of steroid semi-pulse therapy, her proteinuria improved. C-reactive protein and MPO-ANCA decreased to normal levels after the initial steroid therapy, but serum amyloid A protein (SAA) gradually elevated. The second course of steroid pulse therapy normalized SAA, and proteinuria improved. Based on these findings, SAA seems to be a more sensitive marker for steroid tapering than either CRP or MPO-ANCA.

A 55-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of somnolence and aspontaneity. He was hospitalized in the psychopathic ward under the initial diagnosis of depression. Chest X-ray showed infiltration in both upper lobe. Twelve days later, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected from his sputum and was confirmed by RT-PCR. Cerebrospinal fluid findings showed elevated ADA and mononuclear cells, suggesting the presence of tuberculous meningitis. However, the brain CT revealed no abnormal findings. By applying antituberculous treatment the pulmonary lesion improved but psychological symptoms remained. Three months later follow-up brain MRI was examined. Contrast enhanced granuloma was detected in the ambiens, suprasellar and quadrigeminal cisterns. A strong signal was seen in the left frontal thalamus and a weak enhanced lesion was detected in the right frontal thalamus on a T2 enhanced image. These lesions showed low intensity on a T1 enhanced image, suggesting cerebral infarction affecting the bilateral thalamus. Somnolence and memory disorder was due to cerebral infarction of the bilateral thalamus and tuberculous meningitis contributed to form the intracranial lesion. From the experience of this case, it is needed to consider cerebral infarction (especially the thalamus) due to tuberculous meningitis when we examine the patients with acute onset of psychological symptoms.