Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis with Incomplete Double Ureter

Introduction. Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a type of chronic renal inflammation that usually occurs in immunocompromised middle-aged women with chronic urinary tract infection or ureteral obstruction induced by the formation of ureteral stones. XGP with an incomplete double ureter is extremely rare. Case Presentation. A 76-year-old woman was referred to our department to undergo further examination for a left renal tumor that was detected by ultrasonography. Dynamic contrast computed tomography (CT) revealed an enhanced tumor in the upper renal parenchyma. Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy was performed based on a preoperative diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Histological sections showed the aggregation of foam cells; thus, XGP was diagnosed. Conclusion. We herein report a rare case of XGP in the upper pole of the kidney, which might have been associated with an incomplete double ureter

Virus detection and cytokine profile in relation to age among acute exacerbations of childhood asthma

Background: Little information is available regarding eosinophil activation and cytokine profiles in relation to age in virus-induced bronchial asthma. We therefore explored the association between age, respiratory viruses, serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and cytokines/chemokines in acute exacerbations of childhood asthma. Methods: We investigated viruses in nasal secretions from 88 patients with acute exacerbation of childhood asthma by using antigen detection kits and/or RT-PCR, followed by direct DNA sequencing analysis. We also measured peripheral eosinophil counts, and the serum levels of ECP and 27 types of cytokines/chemokines in 71 virus-induced acute asthma cases and 13 controls. Results: Viruses were detected in 71(80.7%) of the 88 samples. The three major viruses detected were rhinoviruses, RS viruses, and enteroviruses; enteroviruses were found to be dominant in patients aged ≥3 years. There was no change in the levels of rhinoviruses and RS viruses between the two age groups, defined as children aged <3 years and children aged ≥3 years. Serum concentrations of ECP, IL-5, and IP-10 were significantly elevated in virus-induced acute asthma cases compared with controls. Serum ECP values were significantly higher in patients with virus-induced asthma at age ≥3 years compared with those aged <3 years. Among the 27 cytokines/chemokines, serum IP-10 was significantly higher in virus-induced asthma in patients <3 years than in those ≥3 years. Serum ECP and IL-5 production correlated significantly with age, whereas serum IP-10 showed an inverse correlation with age. Conclusions: Age-related differences in cytokine profiles and eosinophil activation may be related to virus-induced acute exacerbations of childhood asthma

Superlattice MAX Phases with A-Layers Reconstructed into 0D-Clusters, 1D-Chains, and 2D-Lattices

identifier:oai:t2r2.star.titech.ac.jp:5067839

Ureter metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a case report

Abstract Background In most cases, prostate cancer metastasizes to the lymph nodes, bone, and liver. In very rare cases, it metastasizes to the ureter. Due to the difficulty in making a preoperative diagnosis, ureteral metastasis from prostate cancer is typically diagnosed after nephroureterectomy. Case presentation A 77-year-old Asian Japanese man with right hydronephrosis and hydroureter was referred to our hospital to undergo further examination due to the suspicion of ureteral cancer. He had been diagnosed 2 years previously with prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 4+5=9. He received radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy. A nephroureterectomy was performed for suspected right ureteral cancer. On the basis of a histopathological examination, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was suspected, and the tumor cells were positive for prostate-specific antigen immunohistochemically. Conclusions We herein report a rare case of ureteral metastasis in castration resistant prostate cancer