The current status, attitudes, and practices concerning maternal pertussis vaccination in obstetric delivery facilities in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: a questionnaire survey

This study investigated the implementation status, attitudes, and practices regarding maternal pertussis vaccination in delivery facilities in Kanagawa, Japan. We conducted a questionnaire survey of pertussis vaccination during pregnancy at 125 delivery service facilities, excluding midwifery clinics, in Kanagawa Prefecture from June 18 to July 20, 2020. The questionnaire comprised multiple-choice items, with single or multiple answers depending on the question. Of the 125 facilities surveyed, valid responses were obtained from 72 facilities (58%). There were 41 primary clinics with birthing facilities (57%), 16 general hospitals (not designated perinatal centers) (22%), 10 regional perinatal centers (14%), and five tertiary perinatal centers (7%). None of the facilities administered pertussis vaccination during pregnancy. Forty facilities (56%) reported knowledge of the severity of neonatal and infant pertussis infections. Twenty-three facilities (32%) reported knowledge of the prevention of pertussis infection by vaccination during pregnancy. All facilities reported willingness to consider vaccination if included in the Japanese guidelines. In Japan, the pertussis vaccination during pregnancy is not highly practiced by obstetricians; thus, it is not as popular as in other countries. Further studies are needed to promote strategies to prevent pertussis infection in the neonatal and infant periods

Acute Hypertriglyceridaemia Caused by Tocilizumab in a Patient with Severe COVID-19

Treatment with tocilizumab (TCZ) to block interleukin-6 (IL-6) signalling is predicted to mitigate cytokine release syndrome (CRS) caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the adverse effects of TCZ on patients with COVID-19 remain unclear. We herein report a patient with COVID-19 treated with TCZ who developed acute hypertriglyceridaemia. Despite favipiravir treatment, acute respiratory distress syndrome developed in a 45-year-old patient with COVID-19; thus, TCZ was initiated. The triglyceride levels greatly increased after TCZ administration. Physicians should consider the negative impact of TCZ on the lipid profile in patients with COVID-19, although COVID-19-induced CRS itself may be an aggravating factor

Adrenomedullin Regulates IL-1β Gene Expression in F4/80+ Macrophages during Synovial Inflammation

Adrenomedullin (AM) plays an important role in the regulation of inflammatory processes; however, the role and expression of AM in synovial inflammation have not been determined. To investigate the expression and role of AM in inflamed synovial tissue (ST), the gene expression profiles of AM in the ST, including synovial macrophages and fibroblasts, of a murine patellar surgical dislocation model were characterized. In addition, the effects of interleukin- (IL-) 1β and AM in cultured synovial cells were also examined. CD11c+ macrophages were found to be elevated in ST of the surgically dislocated patella. Higher gene expression of CD11c, IL-1β, AM, receptor activity-modifying proteins 2 (RAMP2), and 3 (RAMP3) was also observed in ST obtained from the dislocated side. AM expression was also significantly increased in synovial fibroblasts and macrophages in response to IL-1β treatment. Synovial macrophages also highly expressed RAMP3 compared to fibroblasts and this expression was further stimulated by exogenously added IL-1β. Further, the treatment of the F4/80-positive cell fraction obtained from ST with AM inhibited IL-1β expression. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that AM was produced by synovial fibroblasts and macrophages in inflamed ST and that increased levels of AM may exert anti-inflammatory effects on synovial macrophages

Diagnostic performance of serum interferon gamma, matrix metalloproteinases, and periostin measurements for pulmonary tuberculosis in Japanese patients with pneumonia

Serum markers that differentiate between tuberculous and non-tuberculous pneumonia would be clinically useful. However, few serum markers have been investigated for their association with either disease. In this study, serum levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 9 (MMP-1 and MMP-9, respectively), and periostin were compared between 40 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and 28 non-tuberculous pneumonia (non-PTB) patients. Diagnostic performance was assessed by analysis of receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and classification trees. Serum IFN-γ and MMP-1 levels were significantly higher and serum MMP-9 levels significantly lower in PTB than in non- PTB patients (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). No significant difference was observed in serum periostin levels between groups. ROC curve analysis could not determine the appropriate cut-off value with high sensitivity and specificity; therefore, a classification tree method was applied. This method identified patients with limited infiltration into three groups with statistical significance (p = 0.01), and those with MMP-1 levels < 0.01 ng/ mL and periostin levels ≥ 118.8 ng/mL included only non-PTB patients (95% confidence interval 0.0–41.0). Patients with extensive infiltration were also divided into three groups with statistical significance (p < 0.001), and those with MMP-9 levels < 3.009 ng/mL included only PTB patients (95% confidence interval 76.8–100.0). In conclusion, the novel classification tree developed using MMP-1, MMP-9, and periostin data distinguished PTB from non- PTB patients. Further studies are needed to validate our cut-off values and the overall clinical usefulness of these markers

Elsberg Syndrome with Eosinophilic Meningoencephalitis Caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis

A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a history of fever, headache and disorientation. His cerebrospinal fluid revealed eosinophilia and his serum had an antibody against Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis). Then, he was diagnosed as eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by A. cantonensis. He was treated with repeated lumbar punctures and oral prednisolone. Although a symptom he had been suffering from at the time of his admission was urinary retention, this symptom disappeared as his general condition improved. Therefore his case was considered to be Elsberg syndrome with eosinophilic meningoencephalitis caused by A. cantonensis