Karakterizacija podjedinice β (rpoB) RNA polimeraze vrste Ehrlichia canis izdvojene iz pasa i krpelja Rhipicephalus sanguineus u području Cebu na Filipinima.

Ehrlichia canis, a canine tick-borne pathogen with wide geographic distribution, has been serologically and molecularly detected in the Philippines. The present study aimed to characterize E. canis detected from Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and dogs in Cebu, Philippines, using the RNA polymerase sub-unit Beta (rpoB), a gene that has been used for disease diagnosis and resolution of phylogenetic relationships between closelyrelated species. Using a 16S rRNA gene-based PCR that screens Ehrlichia spp., DNA samples obtained from the blood of 10 dogs, confirmed to be serologically positive for E. canis, were tested and found positive for E. canis after subsequent DNA sequencing. DNA from infected ticks and the 16S rRNA-E. canis-positive canine blood samples from the present study were further analyzed using the rpoB gene. All registered Ehrlichia spp. rpoB gene sequences were aligned to design specific primers that can amplify a partial 1572-bp length sequence of E. canis. The obtained sequences revealed 99.8-100 % identities with each other, and 99.8-100 % and 87.8-89.1 % identities with registered E. canis and E. chaffeensis sequences from the USA, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the obtained partial rpOB sequences formed a clade with E. canis strains from the USA. The present study is the first rpoB characterization of E. canis in the Philippines, and apparently in Asia, and provides additional evidence of the presence of the pathogen in the country. It also adds information on the high conservation of the rpoB gene in E. canis.Ehrlichia canis, geografski vrlo proširena rikecija u pasa, dokazana je serološki i molekularno na Filipinima. Određena su obilježja E. canis dokazane u krpelja Rhipicephalus sanguineus i pasa u pokrajini Cebu na Filipinima. To je učinjeno analizom podjedinice β (rpoB) RNA polimeraze, gena koji je rabljen za dijagnosticiranje bolesti i otkrivanje filogenetske srodnosti između usko srodnih vrsta. Upotrebom lančane reakcije polimerazom temeljene na genu 16S rRNA pomoću kojeg se razlikuju vrste roda Ehrlichia, u krvi 10 pasa serološki pozitivnih na E. canis dokazana je DNA specifična za E. canis. DNA iz zaraženih krpelja i uzorci krvi pasa pozitivnih na 16S rRNA-E. canis bili su dalje analizirani na osnovi gena rpoB. Sve dokazane sekvencije gena rpoB rikecija roda Ehrlichia bile su poravnate radi sinteze specifičnih početnica s kojima se može umnožiti slijed specifičan za E. canis dužine 1572 bp. Umnožene sekvencije pokazivale su 99,8-100 % identičnosti međusobno, 99,8-100 % identičnosti s vrstom E. canis iz SAD-a i 87,8-89,1 % identičnosti sa slijedovima E. chaffeensis iz SAD-a. Filogenetska analiza je pokazala da se sekvencije rpoB nalaze u skupini sa sojevima E. canis iz SAD-a. U istraživanju je prvi put analiziran rpoB vrste E. canis na Filipinima i u Aziji. Ono pruža dodatni dokaz prisutnosti te vrste na tom području. Također pruža informaciju o visokoj konzerviranosti gena rpoB vrste E. canis

Postmarketing surveillance of safety and effectiveness of etanercept in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Our aim was to evaluate real-world safety and effectiveness in a 6-month postmarketing surveillance study covering all Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received etanercept during a 2-year period. Data for 13,894 patients (1334 sites) enrolled between March 2005 and April 2007 were collected. Adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported in 4336 (31.2%) and 857 (6.2%) patients, respectively. The most frequent AEs were injection site reactions (n = 610, 4.4%) and rash (n = 339, 2.4%), whereas pneumonia (n = 116, 0.8%) and interstitial lung disease (n = 77, 0.6%) were the most frequent SAEs. Significant improvement in the proportion of patients with a good European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response was observed from week 4 (17.6%) to week 24 (31.6%) (p < 0.001); 84.3% of patients had good or moderate EULAR responses at week 24. The percentage of patients achieving remission increased significantly from week 4 (9.3%) to week 24 (18.9%) (p < 0.001). Patients with early moderate RA were less likely to experience SAEs and were more likely to achieve remission compared with patients with more severe disease. The safety and effectiveness of etanercept was demonstrated in Japanese patients in one of the largest observational trials conducted thus far in RA patients treated with biologics

Effects of mosapride on motility of the small intestine and caecum in normal horses after jejunocaecostomy

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prokinetic effects of mosapride with non-invasive assessment of myoelectrical activity in the small intestine and caecum of healthy horses after jejunocaecostomy. Six horses underwent celiotomy and jejunocaecostomy, and were treated with mosapride (treated group) at 1.5 mg/kg per osos once daily for 5 days after surgery. The other six horses did not receive treatment and were used as controls (non-treated group). The electrointestinography (EIG) maximum amplitude was used to measure intestinal motility. Motility significantly decreased following surgery. In the treated group, the EIG maximum amplitude of the small intestine was significantly higher than in the controls from day 6~31 after treatment. These findings clearly indicate that mosapride could overcome the decline of intestinal motility after jejunocaecostomy in normal horses

Safety and effectiveness of switching from infliximab to etanercept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from a large Japanese postmarketing surveillance study

Finding an effective treatment strategy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who have not benefited from previous tumor necrosis factor–α antagonist treatment is important for minimizing RA disease activity and improving patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of etanercept in patients with and without infliximab (IFX) treatment experience. Patients (n = 7,099) from a large postmarketing observational study of etanercept use in Japan were divided into 2 cohorts based on previous IFX use (pre-IFX and non-IFX). Baseline characteristics were assessed in each cohort. Adverse events (AEs) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) responses were monitored every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. At baseline, pre-IFX patients were younger and had fewer comorbidities and a shorter RA duration than non-IFX patients. During the study, pre-IFX patients received concomitant methotrexate more often than non-IFX patients. The incidence of AEs and serious AEs were significantly lower in pre-IFX patients, as was the percentage of patients who discontinued treatment. Both cohorts had significant improvement (P < 0.001) in EULAR responses at the end of the treatment period. This study demonstrated that etanercept was effective and well tolerated in active RA patients with and without prior IFX treatment

Safety and effectiveness responses to etanercept for rheumatoid arthritis in Japan: a sub-analysis of a post-marketing surveillance study focusing on the duration of rheumatoid arthritis

The aim is to investigate the relationship of duration of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with safety and effectiveness of etanercept (ETN) in Japan. Post-marketing surveillance data for 7,099 patients treated with ETN were analyzed. Baseline characteristics, treatment effectiveness, incidence of adverse events (AEs), and serious AEs (SAEs) in relation to duration of RA were studied. At baseline, patients with RA for longer duration were older, weighed less, had more comorbidities, allergies, and corticosteroid use, but smoked less and had less morning stiffness. By 2–5 years with RA, more than half of the patients had advanced to Steinbrocker radiographic stage III or IV. Methotrexate (MTX) was the most commonly used pre-treatment disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; however, concomitant MTX use and its dose were lower among patients with longer duration of RA. Remission rates (26.6%) were greatest among patients having RA for <2 years. Less AEs and SAEs were observed among patients with shorter duration of RA. These results suggest that RA treatment in Japan in the era pre-biologics may not have been adequate to control disease activity and prevent joint destruction. Patients with shorter duration of RA may have better physical status which allows the opportunity to treat more intensively putting a higher percentage of patients in remission and possibly decreasing exposure to SAEs

Emerging concepts in biomarker discovery; The US-Japan workshop on immunological molecular markers in oncology

Supported by the Office of International Affairs, National Cancer Institute (NCI), the "US-Japan Workshop on Immunological Biomarkers in Oncology" was held in March 2009. The workshop was related to a task force launched by the International Society for the Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify strategies for biomarker discovery and validation in the field of biotherapy. The effort will culminate on October 28th 2009 in the "iSBTc-FDA-NCI Workshop on Prognostic and Predictive Immunologic Biomarkers in Cancer", which will be held in Washington DC in association with the Annual Meeting. The purposes of the US-Japan workshop were a) to discuss novel approaches to enhance the discovery of predictive and/or prognostic markers in cancer immunotherapy; b) to define the state of the science in biomarker discovery and validation. The participation of Japanese and US scientists provided the opportunity to identify shared or discordant themes across the distinct immune genetic background and the diverse prevalence of disease between the two Nations

Effects of low-dose diminazene aceturate injection followed by clindamycin administration for treating canine Babesia gibsoni infection

A total of 242 dogs diagnosed with acute Babesia gibsoni infection were administered three subcutaneous injections of low-dose diminazene aceturate (DA). After the initial DA treatment, 20 dogs in grave condition were excluded, and the remaining 222 were divided into 2 groups for the evaluation of clindamycin treatment from days 8 to 29: the clindamycin group, which received oral clindamycin and the control group, which received no drugs. Between days 8 and 29, relapse was observed in 13 of 80 dogs in the clindamycin-group, as compared to 42 of 142 dogs in the control. The relapse rate in the clindamycin-group was significantly lower compared to the control. Low-dose DA injection followed by oral clindamycin administration could effectively prevent relapse

Detection of morulae in peripheral blood neutrophils from two dogs with Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in Japan

Morulae are cytoplasmic inclusions found in granulocytes of mammals infected by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Two dogs presented with acute anorexia and lethargy in 2018, and both exhibited fever and thrombocytopenia as clinicopathological findings. Hematological examination of blood smears revealed cytoplasmic inclusions in neutrophils, which were confirmed as A. phagocytophilum infection with serological and molecular methods. Sequencing of partial 16S rRNA genes revealed highest homologies to the A. phagocytophilum sequence from a case of canine granulocytic anaplasmosis in Japan. This is the first report of morulae appearance with canine granulocytic anaplasmosis in Japan