The Effect of Praziquantel on Patterns of Schistosoma mansoni Eggshell Hatching Breaks

The break of the eggshell formed by water- and praziquantel (PZQ)-induced hatching of Schistosoma mansoni eggs was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The break most frequently formed on the long axis of the eggshell opposite the spine, and less frequently along spine side, parallel or oblique to the long axis of the lateral side of the egg-shell. An outwardly-curled lip of shell lined the external margins of the hatching orifice. The shell itself was of uniform thickness and fairly smooth. No significant difference was observed in the position breaks between water- and PZQ-hatched eggs. However, PZQ hatching produced smaller hatching orifices and the miracidium frequently failed to escape

Oxaliplatin for Metastatic Colon Cancer in a Patient with Renal Failure

The efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and dialysability of oxaliplatin were assessed in a hemodialysis patient with recurrent cecal cancer

Effect of Praziquantel on Hatching of Schistosoma haematobium Eggs

The hatchability of Schistosoma haematobium eggs excreted by patients treated with praziquantel (PZQ) was examined. The rate of hatching of the eggs excreted by the patients before treatment was 90.1%. The rates of hatching of the eggs excreted by the patients 3 hr, 24 hr and 48 hr after treatment were 25.5%, 19.2% and 29.9% respectively. In vivo PZQ inhibits the hatching of S. haematobium eggs. The result of in vivo experiment was strongly supported by the results of the in vitro experiments. The hatching of the eggs exposed to PZQ at a concentration of 0.1μg/ml for one hour in vitro was inhibited

Efficacy of Metrifonate in a Highly Endemic Area of Urinary Schistosomiasis in Kenya

In a community in Kwale district, Kenya, selective mass chemotherapy with metrifonate caused a marked reduction in the intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection from 46.5 to 9.4 eggs/hr and a sharp fall in prevalence of gross hematuria from 18.3% to 5.1%, although overall prevalence was reduced only slightly from 67.4% to 54%. The effect of metrifonate on cure rate and reduction of infection intensity was limited by both age and pretreatment infection intensity. Rate of improvement from gross hematuria was similar in all ages and in all classes of intensity of infection. Two doses of metrifonate reduced the prevalence of gross hematuria as much as 3 doses did, while the effect of a single dose on morbidity remains to be clarified

Infected aortic aneurysm and inflammatory aortic aneurysm—In search of an optimal differential diagnosis

SummaryInfected aortic aneurysm and inflammatory aortic aneurysm each account for a minor fraction of the total incidence of aortic aneurysm and are associated with periaortic inflammation. Despite the similarity, infected aortic aneurysm generally shows a more rapid change in clinical condition, leading to a fatal outcome; in addition, delayed diagnosis and misuse of corticosteroid or immunosuppressing drugs may lead to uncontrolled growth of microorganisms. Therefore, it is mandatory that detection of aortic aneurysm is followed by accurate differential diagnosis. In general, infected aortic aneurysm appears usually as a saccular form aneurysm with nodularity, irregular configuration; however, the differential diagnosis may not be easy sometimes for the following reasons: (1) symptoms, such as abdominal and/or back pain and fever, and blood test abnormalities, such as elevated C-reactive protein and enhanced erythrocyte sedimentation rate, are common in infected aortic aneurysm, but they are not found infrequently in inflammatory aortic aneurysm; (2) some inflammatory aortic aneurysms are immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related, but not all of them; (3) the prevalence of IgG4 positivity in infected aortic aneurysm has not been well investigated; (4) enhanced uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) by 18F-FDG-positron emission tomography may not distinguish between inflammation mediated by autoimmunity and that mediated by microorganism infection. Here we discuss the characteristics of these two forms of aortic aneurysm and the points of which we have to be aware before reaching a final diagnosis

Carcinosarcoma of the Sigmoid Colon: Report of a Case

Our case was a 65-year-old male, with the chief complaints of diarrhea and abdominal distention. Three years earlier, the patient had undergone transcatheter arterial embolization and radiofrequency treatment based on a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma due to hepatitis B by another doctor. In October 2007, the patient developed diarrhea and increased abdominal distention. In December, CT examination conducted by the previous doctor revealed a 20-cm tumor within the pelvis. The patient was diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer based on barium enema examination using gastrografin, and was introduced to our hospital for treatment. He was diagnosed with low-differentiated carcinoma by biopsy of the colon during endoscopy and underwent sigmoidectomy based on a diagnosis of sigmoid colon cancer. The tumor had infiltrated the bladder, and a tumorectomy was conducted through partially combined resection. The tumor was a huge lesion occupying the inside of the lumen, and histopathological findings revealed that the tumor, the main part of which lay beneath the mucous membrane, had a transitional image composed of both spindle-shaped atypical cells and sarcomatoid shape. The result of immunostaining was CK7(+), CK20(-), AFP(-), and the patient was diagnosed as having carcinosarcoma of the colon. Carcinosarcoma of the colon is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, and the mean survival period in past reports was approximately 6 months. The patient was treated with FOLFIRI+Bevacizumab therapy according to chemotherapy for colon cancer, but he was refractory to the therapy

Cercarial Density in the River of an Endemic Area of Schistosomiasis Haematobia in Kenya

The cercarial density in natural water and number of infected Bulinus globosus were monitored over a one-year period to identify the transmission foci in an endemic area of schistosomiasis haematobia in Kenya. Overall prevalence and intensity of infection of the study community were 59.2% and 10.9 eggs/10 ml of urine. Cercariometry was carried out on 456 occasions at 20 study sites while snail sampling was done on 465 occasions at the same sites over a one-year period. Cercariometry was exclusively done at flowing water habitats. The results showed the focality and seasonality of transmission. Cercariae were detected on 44 occasions at 11 sites. The detections were made on seven occasions at two study sites, six occasions at one site, four occasions at four sites, three occasions at one site, two occasions at two sites, and one occasion at one site. Densities of 1?4 cercariae/100 liters of water were found on 31 occasions. Five to nine cercariae/100 liters of water were found on seven occasions, 10?19 cercariae/100 liters of water were found on two occasions, and high cercarial densities greater than 20 cercariae/100 liters of water were found on four occasions. The highest count was 52 cercariae/100 liters of water. The presence of cercariae in natural water was shown to depend on the water temperature, but the intensity and duration of sunlight did not affect the presence of cercariae in water. The monthly variability of cercarial density was proportional to the number of infected snails. Cercarial density was highest in March and April, in the middle of the rainy season, whereas no cercariae were detected in cool dry season. The snail population peaked late in March, the beginning of the long rainy season, remained high for two months, and decreased rapidly late in May when heavy rain occurred. The overall infection rate of snails was 7.3% and the majority of infected snails were collected from March to May. There was no definite correlation between the presence or absence of cercariae and infected snails. Cercariae were frequently found where infected snails were absent and cercariae were sometimes absent where infected snails were present. Cercariometry and snail sampling remain quite complementary in identifying the transmission foci of schistosomiasis

Change in Haematuria and Proteinuria Levels in Urinary Schistosomiasis after Treatment with Praziquantel : Population-based Study in a Kenyan Community

In order to investigate efficacy of praziquantel (biltricide) on morbidity related to Schistosoma haematobium infection, 300 subjects of which 219 had eggs in the urine were examined for urinary eggs, blood and protein before and three months after treatment. Haematuria and proteinuria disappeared in 80.4% and 75.5% of the studied subjects respectively. The disappearance rates were not related to pre-treatment levels of haematuria and proteinuria. The rates both for haematuria and proteinuria were significantly lower in the age group 15 years and over than in the younger age group. Parasitologically, praziquantel cured 85.3% of the egg positives and reduced the mean egg count by 98.2%

オクタマ ニ オケル シンヨウジュジンコウリン ト コウヨウジュニジリンナイ デノ ノネズミルイコタイグンドウタイ

森林施業に関わる野ネズミ類の役割を明らかにする一環として,林相の異なる針葉樹人工林と広葉樹二次林を跨ぐ形で林内に生息する野ネズミ類を捕獲・放獣する方法により2006年から2009年まで個体群の変動を調査した。その結果,調査対象としたアカネズミ(Apodemus speciosus),ヒメネズミ(Apodemus argenteus)の捕獲個体数は2006年9月には延べワナ数675個で157個体,422回と最高の高密度状態を記録したが,11月から急激な減少が認められ,その後は1年以上ひと月の捕獲個体が数頭という低密度で推移したことから,野ネズミ類個体群にクラッシュが生じたものと判断した。アカネズミとヒメネズミの捕獲個体数の変動を比較すると,それぞれの生息特性を反映して急減の時期に3か月の時間的差異が見られた。しかし,全体的な変動の傾向は両種とも同様の推移を示した。針葉樹林と広葉樹林での生息状況を見ると,アカネズミでは広葉樹林の利用頻度が高く,秋季から冬季にかけて針葉樹林の依存度が増す傾向にあった。ヒメネズミでは針葉樹林のみの利用個体が多いものの,年によっては夏季に広葉樹林のみ利用する個体が増加した。また,いずれの種とも両方の林分を同時に利用している個体は少ないという傾向を得た。行動範囲に関しては,高密度下では大きく,ランダムに分布し,低密度下では小さく,限定的になる傾向が見られた。As a part of clarifying up the role of the forest field mouse, we investigated the fluctuation of the mouse population at an area between a coniferous plantation and a broad-leaved secondary forest in Okutama area, Tokyo. We attempted the capture-recapture method from 2006 to 2009. In September 2006, the captured number of the Apodemus speciosus and A. argenteus surveyed recorded the maximum (157 individuals, 422 caputures in 675 trap night ), but it started decreasing suddenly from November. We judged that a sudden drop occurred in the field mouse population because the captured number of these mice remained low over the next year. Start of the drop in A. argenteus was delayed three months compared to that of A. speciosus. However, both species had a similar population fluctuation tendency. A. speciosus generally used the broad-leaved forest frequently, and they showed increased dependence on the coniferous forest in fall. A. argenteus generally preferred the coniferous forest, but in summer some individuals of both species used only the broad-leaved forest. There were not many individuals whose home ranges extended across both kinds of forests. Home ranges of the field mice tended to be wide and random under a high density situation, but they became narrow and clustered under a low density situation