Acute respiratory distress syndrome following infection of influenza A (H1N1) virus

A 28-year-old man with a history of mental retardation was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea, cough and high fever. His SpO(2) level at room-environmental conditions was in the eighties, and his chest radiograph showed diffuse infiltrates in both lungs. He was diagnosed as suffering from influenza A by a rapid influenza virus antigen test. The echocardiogram showed no evidence of left cardiac failure; therefore, his symptoms were consistent with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Oseltamivir was started, and antibiotics were also given because of the possibility of secondary bacterial infection. Due to respiratory failure and low blood pressure, which suggested septic shock, intensive treatments including mechanical ventilation were performed. Corticosteroid therapy was started for ARDS and sepsis, and these therapies improved his respiratory condition. Polymerase chain reaction of his pharyngeal swab revealed that he had influenza A (H1N1). This is the first case of ARDS following infection by influenza A (H1N1) virus in Japan

Case report: Thyroid storm in a three-year-old girl presenting with febrile status epilepticus and hypoglycemia

Thyroid storm, though extremely rare in toddlers, requires prompt diagnosis and treatment because it can be fatal if left untreated. However, thyroid storm is not often considered in the differential diagnosis of a febrile convulsion due to its rarity in children. Herein, we report the case of a 3-year-old girl with thyroid storm who presented with febrile status epilepticus. Although the seizure was stopped by diazepam administration, her tachycardia and widened pulse pressure persisted, and severe hypoglycemia was observed. Based on the findings of thyromegaly, a history of excessive sweating and hyperactivity, and a family history of Graves' disease, she was eventually diagnosed with a thyroid storm. The patient was successfully treated with thiamazole, landiolol, hydrocortisone, and potassium iodide. Propranolol, a non-selective β-blocker, has been used to manage tachycardia during thyroid storm. However, a cardio-selective β1-blockers, landiolol hydrochloride, was used in our case to avoid worsening hypoglycemia. Febrile status epilepticus is one of the most common medical emergencies in childhood; it is necessary to rule out treatable underlying critical diseases such as septic meningitis and encephalitis. Thyroid storm should be considered in children presenting with prolonged febrile convulsion accompanied by findings that are not usually observed with febrile convulsions

ショウサイボウ ハイガン セツジョ ヒョウホン ニ オケル シンケイ サイボウ セッチャク ブンシ ( ポリシアルサン フカガタ シンケイ サイボウ セッチャク ブンシ オヨビ L1 シンケイ サイボウ セッチャク ブンシ ) ノ ハツゲン ト サイボウ ゾウショク シヒョウ ト ノ カンレン ニ ツイテ

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(医学)甲第9084号医博第2392号新制||医||776(附属図書館)UT51-2001-G804京都大学大学院医学研究科外科系専攻(主査)教授 日合 弘, 教授 月田 承一郎, 教授 和田 洋巳学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of Medical ScienceKyoto UniversityDA

Recognition of 8-Oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine in DNA Using the Triphosphate of 2′-Deoxycytidine Connecting the 1,3-Diazaphenoxazine Unit, dCdapTP

DNA is constantly damaged by various external and internal factors. In particular, oxidative damage occurs in a steady state, and 8-oxo-2 '-deoxyguanosine (oxodG) is known as the main oxidative damage. OxodG is a strong genotoxic nucleoside and is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of cancer and neurological diseases. However, a breakthrough method to detect the position of oxodG in DNA has not yet been developed. Therefore, we attempted to develop a novel method to detect oxodG in DNA using artificial nucleosides. Recently, we have succeeded in the recognition of oxodG in DNA by a single nucleotide elongation reaction using nucleoside derivatives based on a purine skeleton with a 1,3-diazaphenoxazine unit. In this study, we developed a new nucleoside derivative with a pyrimidine skeleton in order to further improve the recognition ability and enzymatic reaction efficiency. We, therefore, designed and synthesized 2 '-deoxycytidine-1,3-diazaphenoxazine (Cdap) and its triphosphate derivatives. The results showed that it was incorporated into the primer strand relative to the dG template because of its cytidine skeleton, but it was more effective at the complementary position of the oxodG template. These results indicate that the new nucleoside derivative can be considered as one of the new candidates for the detection of oxodG in DNA

Successful resection of large mediastinal mature cystic teratoma immediately after evacuation of fluid content

Ryo Miyahara, Shinjiro Nagai, Toshihiko Sato, Chen Fengshi, Toru Bando, Kenichi Okubo, Hiroshi DateDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanAbstract: In this report, we presented a case of urgent resection of mature giant mediastinal teratoma. Its characteristic radiologic findings allowed us to plan evacuation of intratumoral fluid in order to make the surgical procedure safe and less invasive. In addition, a hybrid thoracoscopic-open approach also provided safety and allowed a somewhat less invasive tumor resection than otherwise would have been required. The patient recovered well without recurrence at nine months’ follow-up, with full expansion of the right middle and lower lobes. Here we discuss the diagnosis and surgical procedure with reference to the literature.Keywords: mediastinal mature teratoma, rupture, acute pleuriti

Survival and relapse pattern after trimodality therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PURPOSE: Multimodality therapy has been applied to resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, but the tolerability of the treatment and relapse pattern in detail remain unknown. We reviewed our experience of trimodality therapy as a single-institution study in Japan. METHODS: A total of 16 patients with resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma were intended to treat with extra-pleural pneumonectomy followed by platinum-based chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy. The histology of the tumors was epithelioid in 10, sarcomatoid in 4, and biphasic in 2. International Mesothelioma Interest Group staging was stage II in 1, stage III in 11, and stage IV in 4. The tolerability to the combined treatment, the survival, and the relapse pattern were examined. RESULTS: All patients underwent a macroscopic complete resection. In all, 14 patients received chemotherapy, and subsequently 13 underwent radiotherapy, indicating a tolerability of 81%. The overall median survival was 28.1 months; and the 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 53.3% and 26.7%, respectively. In patients with stage III or lower disease, the median survival was 37.9 months. Recurrence was seen in eight patients; the first relapse site was local in seven and distant in two. The local recurrences occurred within 24 months, mostly around 12 months, after the extrapleural pneumonectomy, whereas the distant metastases occurred later. CONCLUSION: Trimodality therapy showed a survival benefit in patients with stage III or lower malignant pleural mesothelioma. Most of the recurrences were local. Therefore, better local control is required to improve the prognosis of the disease

Pharmacokinetic Study of Weekly (Days 1-5) Low-dose S-1 in Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

[Background]: S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, is usually given for 4 weeks (80 mg/m2/day) followed by a 2-week rest. However, compliance with this regimen is unsatisfactory because of adverse events such as leukopenia, anorexia, and nausea. To reduce adverse effects and improve compliance, we studied a "5-day on/2-day off" low-dose regimen of S-1 and evaluated pharmacokinetics in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). [Methods]: Twelve patients with NSCLC were divided into 2 groups and received S-1 in a dose of 25 mg twice daily (level 1, n = 6) or 40 mg twice daily (level 2, n = 6) for 5 consecutive days followed by a 2-day rest (5 days on/2 days off) every week. Plasma 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) concentrations were measured. [Results]: The maximum concentration in plasma and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to 9 h were respectively 55.3 ± 21.1 ng/ml and 290.2 ± 95.7 ng・hr/ml for level 1, as compared with 104.2 ± 33.5 ng/ml and 541.9 ± 232.3 ng・hr/ml for level 2. These values were similar to those previously reported for a continuous intravenous infusion of 5-FU. Adverse events were grade 1 fatigue (n = 1 in each group) and anorexia (n = 1 in each group). [Conclusions]: A "5-day on/2-day off" low-dose (40 mg twice daily) regimen of S-1 is feasible for the treatment of NSCLC, with acceptable plasma 5-FU concentrations and minimal adverse effects. A phase II or III trial of this regimen in an adjuvant setting is warranted in patients with NSCLC

Brain Network Involved in the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion in the Early Blind

Previous studies suggest that the brain network responsible for the recognition of facial expressions of emotion (FEEs) begins to emerge early in life. However, it has been unclear whether visual experience of faces is necessary for the development of this network. Here, we conducted both psychophysical and functional magnetic-resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments to test the hypothesis that the brain network underlying the recognition of FEEs is not dependent on visual experience of faces. Early-blind, late-blind and sighted subjects participated in the psychophysical experiment. Regardless of group, subjects haptically identified basic FEEs at above-chance levels, without any feedback training. In the subsequent fMRI experiment, the early-blind and sighted subjects haptically identified facemasks portraying three different FEEs and casts of three different shoe types. The sighted subjects also completed a visual task that compared the same stimuli. Within the brain regions activated by the visually-identified FEEs (relative to shoes), haptic identification of FEEs (relative to shoes) by the early-blind and sighted individuals activated the posterior middle temporal gyrus adjacent to the superior temporal sulcus, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the fusiform gyrus. Collectively, these results suggest that the brain network responsible for FEE recognition can develop without any visual experience of faces

Clinicopathologic Features of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with EML4-ALK Fusion Gene.

BACKGROUND: A fusion gene between echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) and the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) has recently been identified in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). We screened for EML4-ALK fusion genes and examined the clinicopathological and genetic characteristics of fusion-harboring NSCLC tumors. METHODS: We examined 313 NSCLC samples from patients who underwent resection at our hospital between May 2001 and July 2005. We screened for the fusion genes using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and confirmed the results with direct sequencing. We also examined mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), KRAS, and ERBB2 genes. RESULTS: Five EML4-ALK fusion genes were detected (four from 111 female samples and one from 202 male samples; 1.6% overall). All five genes were found in adenocarcinomas and accounted for 2.4% of the 211 adenocarcinoma samples. One EML4-ALK fusion was variant 1, and two were variant 3. In addition, we also found two new fusion variants. Patients with fusion-positive tumors were nonsmokers or light smokers. Among the 211 adenocarcinomas, mutations in EGFR, KRAS, and ERBB2 were detected in 105, 29, and 7 tumors, respectively. Interestingly, all of the fusion-positive NSCLCs had no mutations within these genes. CONCLUSIONS: EML4-ALK fusion genes were observed predominantly in adenocarcinomas, in female or nonsmoking populations. Additionally, the EML4-ALK fusions were mutually exclusive with mutations in the EGFR, KRAS, and ERBB2 genes

Ligand Design for Specific MHC Class I Molecules on the Cell Surface

We have validated that ligand peptides designed from antigen peptides could be used for targeting specific major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules on cell surface. To design the ligand peptides, we used reported antigen peptides for each MHC-I molecule with high binding affinity. From the crystal structure of the peptide/MHC-I complexes, we determined a modifiable residue in the antigen peptides and replaced this residue with a lysine with an ε-amine group modified with functional molecules. The designed ligand peptides successfully bound to cells expressing the corresponding MHC-I molecules via exchange of peptides bound to the MHC-I. We demonstrated that the peptide ligands could be used to transport a protein or a liposome to cells expressing the corresponding MHC-I. The present strategy may be useful for targeted delivery to cells overexpressing MHC-I, which have been observed autoimmune diseases.</p