Clinical Utility of BDTM mCCDA ClearHT Agar Medium for Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter spp. has been the leading cause of bacterial food poisoning in Japan since 2000. The predominant Campylobacter spp. testing method employs selective medium to isolate Campylobacter spp. In the present study, we evaluated the Campylobacter-isolating capacity and clinical utility of BDTM mCCDA Clear-HT, an agar medium containing a chromogenic substrate, on 230 diarrhea stool samples. After 48 hours incubation, 50 samples (21.7%) were positive with BDTM mCCDA Clear-HT, while 61 samples (26.5%) were positive using modified Skirrow agar medium. In this study, BDTM mCCDA Clear-HT had a lower detection rate of Campylobacter jejuni more than Vitalmedia modified Skirrow agar medium.

Clinical Utility of Pourmedia ViGBS Agar Medium for Group B Streptococcus Screening.

Group B Streptococcus (hereinafter GBS) is the main pathogen in neonatal sepsis and meningitis, accounting for approximately one quarter of the cases. 1) Prevention of infection is therefore crucial. The GBS carriage testing of pregnant women is necessary to prevent infections. In this study, we examined the clinical utility of Pourmedia ViGBS agar medium (Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd.) in GBS screening, using a total of 197 vaginal and urine samples. Of these samples, 32 (16.2%) tested GBS positive with Pourmedia ViGBS agar medium, and 29 (14.7%) tested GBS positive with Nissui separated plate sheep blood agar/Drigalski agar medium (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.). These results indicate the usefulness of Pourmedia ViGBS agar medium as a GBS screening selective agar medium.

[The Evaluation of the MRSA Selective Agar Medium Using Chromogenic Enzyme Substrate from Clinical Specimens].

We evaluated MRSA-CI agar (Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Industrial Co., Ltd.) and BD BBL CHROMagar MRSA II agar (BD Japan) for the detection of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We used 129 specimens in this study. The positive rate of MRSA-CI agar was 19.4% (25/129 samples), whereas BD BBL CHROMagar MRSA II was 17.8% (23/129 samples). It is suggested that MRSA selective agar medium including enzyme substrate compounds is a useful medium to detect MRSA.

[Clinical utility of Pourmedia GBS agar on screening for vaginal colonization of Group B Streptococcus].

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are normal flora of the vagina and intestinal, but if the pregnant woman was infected with GBS in the vagina, miscarriage or premature would occur or the newborn would be developed to severe GBS infection. It is recommended that the inspection of GBS on all pregnant women by Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We examined the comparison of detection rate between Pourmedia GBS agar (Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd.) and Nissui Separated Plate Sheep Blood Agar/BTB Lactose Agar medium (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) on 112 sample. The positive rate of Pourmedia GBS agar was 21.4% (24/112 samples), Whereas Nissui Separated Plate Sheep Blood Agar/BTB Lactose Agar medium was 17.8% (20/112 samples). It was found that the detection rate was improved by using Pourmedia GBS agar on GBS screening test of vaginal swab.

Higher frequency of abnormal serum angiopoietin-like protein 3 than abnormal cholesteryl ester transfer protein in Japanese hyperalphalipoproteinemic subjects.

BACKGROUND: Either a decrease of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) or an increase of angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) in plasma has been shown to increase HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. However, as yet, it is not known which protein is more strongly associated with the modulation of HDL in the Japanese hyperalphalipoproteinemic (HALT) subjects. METHODS: The serum concentration of ANGPTL3 and CETP, together with total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), adiponectin and ApoE phenotypes were determined in three groups with different HDL-C concentrations: low, <40 mg/dl (n=51); normal, 40-90 mg/dl (n=126) and high, >90 mg/dl (n=89) in the average Japanese population. RESULTS: The normal range (mean+/-2SD) of serum ANGPTL3 (218+/-144 ng/ml) and CETP (1.29+/-0.90 microg/ml) were determined in cases with 40-90 mg/dl HDL-C concentration. The frequency of abnormally high ANGPTL3 cases (>362 ng/ml) were found to be significantly greater (44%) compared with those of low CETP cases (<0.39 microg/ml, 4.5%) in HALT cases (>90 mg/dl). ANGPTL3 showed a high correlation with HDL-C (r=0.67, P<0.0001) and adiponectin (r=0.57, P<0.0001), but not with CETP. CONCLUSION: In average Japanese population, abnormally higher frequency of increased ANGPTL3 prevail in HALT cases as compared with cases with low CETP. These findings suggest that ANGPTL3, the inhibitor of endothelial lipase, may be more strongly associated with increased HDL-C rather than CETP in plasma. Accordingly, ANGPTL3 seems to be a better target for the modulation of HDL-C.

Evaluation of a method for measuring tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase activity in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) isozymes in the healthy human serum samples appears in two isoforms: normal-molecular-weight IAP (NIAP) and high-molecular-weight IAP (HIAP). We have demonstrated that the reference range for serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity is higher in blood group B and O antigen secretors than in the tested other blood groups, for the appearance of these isoforms is depended on blood group B or O antigen secretors. METHODS: We assessed a diethanolamine-L-phenylalanine (DEA-Phe) method for measuring tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). This assays the sum of liver alkaline phosphatase and bone alkaline phosphatase activities as determined by an inhibiting IAP activity method with Phe. We classified 420 healthy subjects into two groups, a group of subjects who had blood group B or O antigen secretors (n = 184) and a group of subjects who had other blood groups (n = 236). RESULTS: ALP activity was higher in the B or O secretor group than in the other group: 20.9% higher (P<0.001) by the N-methyl-D-glucamine method, 13.7% higher (P<0.002) by 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol method, and 9.6% higher (P<0.05) by the diethanolamine method, but there was no significant difference in TNAP activity between the two blood group when measured by the DEA-Phe method. CONCLUSIONS: These results of this study support the expectation that the DEA-Phe method would be specific for TNAP activity. In addition, the reference range for TNAP activity did not vary with the differences in the tested all blood groups.

Serum remnant lipoprotein cholesterol/triglyceride ratio as an index for screening familial type III hyperlipidaemia.

BACKGROUND: An elevated serum remnant lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C)/triglyceride (TG) ratio has not been evaluated as an index of familial type III hyperlipidaemia defined by the presence of beta-VLDL and apolipoprotein (Apo) E2/2 phenotype in the Japanese hyperlipidaemic population. METHODS: Serum lipids and lipoproteins from 514 individuals (200 men and 314 women, mean age 58 years) with total cholesterol >6.22 mmol/L and TG between 2.26 mmol/L and 9.04 mmol/L, selected from 25,080 subjects visiting the clinics for health checkup were analysed for a possible relationship with familial type III hyperlipoproteinaemia. RESULTS: Median RLP-C concentration and RLP-C/TG ratio were 0.30 and 0.11 mmol/L, respectively. When compared between subjects with (31 cases) and without (483 cases) a broad-beta band on electrophoresis, the RLP-C concentrations and RLP-C/TG ratio were 0.77 +/- 0.43 mmol/L versus 0.34 +/- 0.16 mmol/L (P<0.0001) and 0.15 +/- 0.023 versus 0.11 +/- 0.027 (P<0.0001), respectively. Three cases with broad-beta band positive (the presence of beta-VLDL) showed RLP-C/TG ratio greater than 0.23 and RLP-C greater than 0.78 mmol/L, suggestive of type III hyperlipoproteinaemia, despite a lack of characteristic Apo E2/2 homozygosity. Cases with Apo E/Apo CIII ratio greater than 1.0 were not detected in this study group. CONCLUSION: Serum RLP-C concentration and RLP-C/TG ratio, together with Apo E/Apo CIII ratio appear to be useful for screening familial type III hyperlipidaemia in the Japanese hyperlipidaemic population.

[Estimation of blood-group-dependent hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects by agarose gel electrophoresis].

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) isozymes in the healthy human sera appears in two isoforms: normal-molecular-weight IAP (NIAP) and high-molecular-weight IAP (HIAP). We have demonstrated that the reference range for ALP activity is higher in blood group B and O secretors than in the other blood groups, for the appearance of these isoforms is depended on blood group B or O secretors. We currently reported that blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects only appeared in blood group B or O secretors. In the present paper, we examined estimation of blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects by use of agarose gel electrophoresis. We classified 104 healthy subjects with the B or O secretors into two groups of blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia (n = 5) and normal ALP activity (n = 99). The mean HIAP percentage in blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia group (18.5%) was higher than that in normal ALP activity group (9.9%). These results suggested that blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects can be estimated from the HIAP levels by agarose gel electrophoresis.

[Incidence and characteristics of intestinal hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects].

We recently reported that two intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) isoforms, high molecular mass IAP (HIAP) and normal molecular mass IAP (NIAP), appear in healthy serum with our Triton-PAGE method for determination of ALP isozymes. In addition, HIAP is chiefly present in blood group B or O secretors, and a large amount of NIAP is secreted into the circulation in blood group B or O secretors. In the present paper, we examined incidences and characteristics of intestinal hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects and blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia. We classified 273 healthy women into two groups of blood group B or O secretors (n = 105) and other blood groups (n = 168). Intestinal hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects only appeared in sera of B or O blood group secretors, and incidence of intestinal hyperphosphatasemia was 26.6% (28/105). In addition, blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia, more than 350 U/l of ALP activity, was 21.4% (6/28) of intestinal hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects, and 5.7% (6/105) of blood group B or O secretors. These results suggested that blood groups dependent hyperphosphatasemia in healthy subjects was closely related to the HIAP and NIAP levels.