Third nationwide surveillance of bacterial pathogens in patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis conducted by the Japanese surveillance committee during 2020 and 2021: Antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

The Japanese surveillance committee conducted a third nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of acute uncomplicated cystitis at 55 facilities throughout Japan between April 2020 and September 2021. In this surveillance, we investigated the susceptibility of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (S. saprophyticus) for various antimicrobial agents by isolating and culturing bacteria from urine samples. In total, 823 strains were isolated from 848 patients and 569 strains of target bacteria, including E. coli (n = 529, 92.9 %), K. pneumoniae (n = 28, 4.9 %), and S. saprophyticus (n = 12, 2.2 %) were isolated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 18 antibacterial agents were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute manual. In premenopausal patients, there were 31 (10.5 %) and 20 (6.8 %) fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant E. coli and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli, respectively. On the other hand, in postmenopausal patients, there were 75 (32.1 %) and 36 (15.4 %) FQ-resistant E. coli and ESBL-producing E. coli, respectively. The rate of FQ-resistant E. coli and ESBL-producing E. coli in post-menopausal women was higher than that for our previous nationwide surveillance (20.7 % and 32.1 %: p = 0.0004, 10.0 % and 15.4 %; p = 0.0259). For pre-menopausal women, there was no significant difference in the rate of FQ-resistant E. coli and ESBL-producing E. coli between this and previous reports, but the frequency of FQ-resistant E. coli and ESBL-producing E. coli exhibited a gradual increase. For appropriate antimicrobial agent selection and usage, it is essential for clinicians to be aware of the high rate of these antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in acute uncomplicated cystitis in Japan.

The third nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility against Neisseria gonorrhoeae from male urethritis in Japan, 2016-2017.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is one of the important pathogens of sexually transmitted infections. N. gonorrhoeae is rapidly becoming antimicrobial resistant, and there are few drugs that are effective in the initial treatment of gonorrhea. To understand the trends of antimicrobial susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae, the Surveillance Committee of the Japanese Society of Infectious Diseases, the Japanese Society for Chemotherapy, and the Japanese Society of Clinical Microbiology conducted the third nationwide antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance of N. gonorrhoeae isolated from male urethritis. The specimens were collected from male patients with urethritis at 30 facilities from May 2016 to July 2017. From the 159 specimens collected, 87 N. gonorrhoeae strains were isolated, and 85 were tested for susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents. All strains were non-susceptible to penicillin G. Seven strains (8.2%) were ß-lactamase-producing strains. The rates of susceptibility to cefixime and cefpodoxime were 96.5% and 52.9%, respectively. Three strains were non-susceptible with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.5 mg/L for cefixime. None of the strains were resistant to ceftriaxone or spectinomycin. The susceptibility rate for ciprofloxacin was 23.5% (20 strains), and no strains showed intermediate susceptibility. The susceptibility rate against azithromycin was 81.2%, with one strain isolated with a MIC of 8 mg/L against azithromycin. The results of this surveillance indicate that ceftriaxone and spectinomycin, which are currently recommended for gonococcal infections in Japan, appear to be effective. It will be necessary to further expand the scale of the next surveillance to understand the current status of drug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae in Japan.

Surfactant Protein A Inhibits Growth and Adherence of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli To Protect the Bladder from Infection.

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is a multifunctional host defense collectin that was first identified as a component of pulmonary surfactant. Although SP-A is also expressed in various tissues, including the urinary tract, its innate immune functions in nonpulmonary tissues are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that adherence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to the bladder was enhanced in SP-A-deficient mice, which suggests that SP-A plays an important role in innate immunity against UPEC. To understand the innate immune functions of SP-A in detail, we performed in vitro experiments. SP-A directly bound to UPEC in a Ca2+-dependent manner, but it did not agglutinate UPEC. Our results suggest that a bouquet-like arrangement seems unsuitable to agglutinate UPEC. Meanwhile, SP-A inhibited growth of UPEC in human urine. Furthermore, the binding of SP-A to UPEC decreased the adherence of bacteria to urothelial cells. These results indicate that direct action of SP-A on UPEC is important in host defense against UPEC. Additionally, adhesion of UPEC to urothelial cells was decreased when the cells were preincubated with SP-A. Adhesion of UPEC to urothelial cells is achieved via interaction between FimH, an adhesin located at bacterial pili, and uroplakin Ia, a glycoprotein expressed on the urothelium. SP-A directly bound to uroplakin Ia and competed with FimH for uroplakin Ia binding. These results lead us to conclude that SP-A plays important roles in host defense against UPEC.

Second nationwide surveillance of bacterial pathogens in patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis conducted by Japanese Surveillance Committee from 2015 to 2016: antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

The Japanese Surveillance Committee conducted a second nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens responsible for acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC) in premenopausal patients aged 16-40 years old at 31 hospitals throughout Japan from March 2015 to February 2016. In this study, the susceptibility of causative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus saprophyticus) for various antimicrobial agents was investigated by isolation and culturing of organisms obtained from urine samples. In total, 324 strains were isolated from 361 patients, including E. coli (n = 220, 67.9%), S. saprophyticus (n = 36, 11.1%), and K. pneumoniae (n = 7, 2.2%). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 20 antibacterial agents for these strains were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) manual. At least 93% of the E. coli isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins, whereas 100% of the S. saprophyticus isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. The proportions of fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains were 6.4% (13/220) and 4.1% (9/220), respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility of K. pneumoniae was retained during the surveillance period, while no multidrug-resistant strains were identified. In summary, antimicrobial susceptibility results of our second nationwide surveillance did not differ significantly from those of the first surveillance. Especially the numbers of fluoroquinolone-resistant and ESBL-producing E. coli strains were not increased in premenopausal patients with AUC in Japan.

[A Case of Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Penis].

A 75-year-old man visited our hospital complaining of a foul smelling, painful swelling of the glans of the penis. Physical examination showed a true phimosis and a huge solid mass on the glans under the foreskin. After postectomy and penile tumor biopsy, we performed partial penectomy. Histologically, the tumor was composed of atypical spindle cells arranged in an epithelioid pattern and stained positive for both epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Therefore we diagnosed the tumor as sarcomatoid carcinoma of the penis. One month after surgery, advanced gastric cancer was discovered. Thereafter, cancer rapidly spread throughout the whole body, and he died six months postoperatively.

[Significance of Procalcitonin Measurement in Cases with Febrile Condition during Chemotherapy for Urological Cancer].

We examined the usefulness of measurement of procalcitonin (PCT) for patients, who developed febrile neutropenia during cancer chemotherapy for urological cancer. Of the Patients who underwent cancer chemotherapy for bladder, renal pelvic or ureteral, and testicular cancer in our department from 2010 to 2013, 51 had febrile events. Their clinical courses and PCT values were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. PCT was positive in 12 patients and negative in 39. The duration with febrile status was significantly longer in the PCT-positive group than in the PCT-negative group. There was no significant difference between the blood count values in each group, but C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly higher in the PCT-positive group than in the PCT-negative group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in other tests with blood. There were 12 patients with febrile neutropenia (FN) but all were classified into low-risk by the MASCC scoring system. Four of these 12 patients were positive for PCT. Our results suggested that, in patients with a fever of 37.5°C or more during the course of cancer chemotherapy for urologic cancer, bacteremia possibly existed if the patient was positive for PCT. In addition, the duration of fever tended to be longer and the condition was more severe. When the patients with urological cancer undergo cancer chemotherapy manifest high-grade fever, PCT is promising and valuable as an indicator of the severity of infection.

Surgical site infection of scrotal and inguinal lesions after urologic surgery.

To clarify the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) after urological scrotal and inguinal surgical procedures and the preventive effect of antimicrobial prophylaxis for SSI, retrospective analysis was performed. The patients who underwent scrotal and inguinal operations from 2001 to 2010 were included in this analysis. A first or second generation cephalosporin was administered as antimicrobial prophylaxis just before the start of surgery and no additional prophylaxis was conducted. The surgery was classified into 76 (38%) cases with testicular sperm extraction (TESE), 72 (36%) with radical orchiectomy, 29 (14.5%) with bilateral orchiectomy (surgical castration) and 23 (11.5%) with other scrotal and inguinal operations. The median age and age range were 36 years and 18-81 years, respectively. SSI occurred in 7 (3.5%) cases. The frequencies of SSI were 6.5% in the patients with urological inguinal surgery and 1.6% in those with scrotal surgery. The frequency of SSI in the patients with urological inguinal surgery was not negligible even though it is considered a clean operation, and further analysis is warranted to prevent SSI.

Occurrence of infection following prostate biopsy procedures in Japan: Japanese Research Group for Urinary Tract Infection (JRGU) - a multi-center retrospective study.

We retrospectively investigated the incidence of genitourinary tract infection in 5895 patients who underwent transrectal and/or transperineal prostate biopsy procedure between January and December 2011 at 46 institutions belonging to Japanese Research Group for Urinary Tract Infection (JRGU). The total rate of genitourinary tract infection after prostate biopsy was 0.76%, while that following transrectal procedure was 0.83% and following transperineal procedure was 0.57%, which were not significantly different. In contrast, febrile infection associated with a fever (≥38 °C) occurred significantly more frequently after transrectal (0.71%) than transperineal (0.16%) approach (P = 0.04). Notably, in infectious cases, Escherichia coli was most frequently isolated. Of the 9 E. coli strains isolated by urine culture, 6 (66.7%) produced extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) and 7 (77.8%) showed levofloxacin resistance. Similarly, of 6 E. coli strains isolated by blood culture, 4 (66.7%) produced ESBL and 6 (100%) showed levofloxacin resistance. When the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) with levofloxacin for the patients undergoing transrectal or transperineal biopsy was compared between a single dose (500 mg) and that given for 2 or more days, no significant difference was observed for the rate of infection (transrectal: 0.82% vs. 1.04%, p = 0.94; transperineal: 0.30% vs. 0.46%, p = 0.68). Although a single dose of levofloxacin for AMP is sufficient to prevent genitourinary infection after transrectal or transperineal prostate biopsy, and recommended in this era of increased multi-drug resistant pathogens, the increase in fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli and ESBL-producing E. coli has emerged as a profound problem for surveillance.

Surfactant protein D inhibits adherence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli to the bladder epithelial cells and the bacterium-induced cytotoxicity: a possible function in urinary tract.

The adherence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to the host urothelial surface is the first step for establishing UPEC infection. Uroplakin Ia (UPIa), a glycoprotein expressed on bladder urothelium, serves as a receptor for FimH, a lectin located at bacterial pili, and their interaction initiates UPEC infection. Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is known to be expressed on mucosal surfaces in various tissues besides the lung. However, the functions of SP-D in the non-pulmonary tissues are poorly understood. The purposes of this study were to investigate the possible function of SP-D expressed in the bladder urothelium and the mechanisms by which SP-D functions. SP-D was expressed in human bladder mucosa, and its mRNA was increased in the bladder of the UPEC infection model in mice. SP-D directly bound to UPEC and strongly agglutinated them in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Co-incubation of SP-D with UPEC decreased the bacterial adherence to 5637 cells, the human bladder cell line, and the UPEC-induced cytotoxicity. In addition, preincubation of SP-D with 5637 cells resulted in the decreased adherence of UPEC to the cells and in a reduced number of cells injured by UPEC. SP-D directly bound to UPIa and competed with FimH for UPIa binding. Consistent with the in vitro data, the exogenous administration of SP-D inhibited UPEC adherence to the bladder and dampened UPEC-induced inflammation in mice. These results support the conclusion that SP-D can protect the bladder urothelium against UPEC infection and suggest a possible function of SP-D in urinary tract.

Pulmonary collectins play distinct roles in host defense against Mycobacterium avium.

Pulmonary collectins, surfactant protein A (SP-A) and surfactant protein D (SP-D), play important roles in the innate immunity of the lung. Mycobacterium avium is one of the well-known opportunistic pathogens that can replicate within macrophages. We examined the effects of pulmonary collectins in host defense against M. avium infection achieved via direct interaction between bacteria and collectins. Although both pulmonary collectins bound to M. avium in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, these collectins revealed distinct ligand-binding specificity and biological activities. SP-A and SP-D bound to a methoxy group containing lipid and lipoarabinomannan, respectively. Binding of SP-D but not SP-A resulted in agglutination of M. avium. A chimeric protein with the carbohydrate recognition domain of SP-D, which chimera revealed a bouquet-like arrangement similar to SP-A, also agglutinated M. avium. The ligand specificity of the carbohydrate recognition domain of SP-D seems to be necessary for agglutination activity. The binding of SP-A strongly inhibited the growth of M. avium in culture media. Although pulmonary collectins did not increase membrane permeability of M. avium, they attenuated the metabolic rate of the bacteria. Observations under a scanning electron microscope revealed that SP-A almost completely covers bacterial surfaces, whereas SP-D binds to certain areas like scattered dots. These observations suggest that a distinct binding pattern of collectins correlates with the difference of their biological activities. Furthermore, the number of bacteria phagocytosed by macrophages was significantly increased in the presence of SP-D. These data indicate that pulmonary collectins play critical roles in host defense against M. avium.

Significance of anaerobic bacteria in postoperative infection after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion or reconstruction.

Radical cystectomy followed by urinary diversion or reconstruction (RC) is a standard treatment for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. In these operations, a high frequency of complications, especially postoperative infection, has been reported. However, there have only been a few studies about postoperative anaerobic bacterial infection. To clarify the significance and role of anaerobic bacteria in postoperative infection, we retrospectively analyzed cases in which postoperative infection by these organisms developed. A total of 126 patients who underwent RC from 2006 to 2010 were included in this study. Various types of postoperative infection occurred in 66 patients. Anaerobic bacterial infections were detected with cultures for urine and blood in one case, for blood in two cases, and for surgical wound pus in four. The frequency of postoperative anaerobic bacterial infection in RC was less than that of colon surgery. However, this study revealed the possible development of a nonnegligible number of postoperative anaerobic bacterial infections. Therefore, we should consider anaerobic bacteria as possible pathogens in postoperative infection after RC.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and penicillin-binding protein 1 and 2 mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from male urethritis in Sapporo, Japan.

The spread of antimicrobial-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae worldwide is a critical issue in the control of sexually transmitted infections. The purpose of this study was to clarify recent trends in the susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to various antimicrobial agents and to compare these data with our previous data. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of various antimicrobial agents were determined in N. gonorrhoeae strains clinically isolated from male gonococcal urethritis. In addition, amino acid sequencing of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2, encoded by the penA gene, was analyzed so that genetic analysis of mosaic PBP 2 could clarify the susceptibility of the strains to cefixime and other cephalosporins. The susceptibility rate for ceftriaxone, cefodizime, and spectinomycin, agents whose use is recommended by the guideline of the Japanese Society of Sexually Transmitted Infections (JSSTI), was 100 %. The susceptibility rates of the strains to penicillin G and ciprofloxacin were lower than those in previous reports. Mosaic PBP 2 structures were detected in 51.9 % of the strains and the MICs of the strains with the mosaic PBP 2 to cefixime were much higher than those of the strains without the mosaic PBP 2. In the clinical situation, the treatment regimen recommended by the JSSTI remains appropriate; however, the susceptibility to cephalosporins should be intensively surveyed because strains with mosaic PBP 2 were commonly detected.

[Prospective multi-institutional analysis according to the "Japanese guidelines for prevention of perioperative infections in urological field"].

OBJECTIVE: The "Japanese guidelines for prevention of perioperative infections in urological field" was edited by the Japanese Urological Association in 2007. They are the first Japanese guidelines for antimicrobial prophylaxis specifically to prevent perioperative infections in the urological field. We report here the results of a multicenter prospective study conducted to examine the validity and usefulness of these guidelines. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 513 patients who had undergone urological surgeries between July and September 2008 at 10 nationwide university institutions in the Japanese Society of UTI Cooperative Study Group. These surgeries were transurethral resection of bladder (TURBT), transurethral resection of prostate (TURP), adrenalectomy, nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, radical prostatectomy and total cystectomy. Analysis was performed on patient information, surgical procedures, types and durations of administration of prophylactic antibiotic agents, and the presence of surgical site infections (SSI) and remote infections (RI). RESULTS: Of 513 patients, 387 (75.4%) were administered prophylactic antibiotic agents according to the guidelines. In these patients, the incidences of SSI and RI were 5.9% and 4.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that significant factors for SSI were the surgical risk (according to the ASA physical status classification system), diabetes, and operation time, and that the only significant factor for RI was the operation time. CONCLUSIONS: More large-scale study and evidences are necessary in order to demonstrate the validity and usefulness of these guidelines.

[A questionnaire survey of antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent perioperative infection in urological field in Japan].

PURPOSE: To survey the present condition of administration method of the antimicrobial prophylactic (AMP) agents for the perioperative infection in Japan on revising "The Japanese guidelines for prevention of perioperative infections in urologic field (2006)". PATIENTS AND METHODS: With the approval of the Japanese Urological Association (JUA) in 2011, all of the principal urological training institutions certified by JUA (n = 836) were encouraged to participate to survey their adherence to the JUA guidelines (published in 2006) for AMP to prevent perioperative infection in urological field, and 446 (53.3%) institutions responded to the questionnaire. RESULTS: The rates of following the JUA guidelines of, "completely", "mainly", "not too much", and "not at all" were 6.5%, 69.7%, 22.0% and 1.6%, respectively. The guidelines were followed for open clean operations in 48.5%, open clean-contaminated operations in 66.4%, open contaminated operations in 61.8%, laparoscopic clean operations in 54.1%, laparoscopic clean-contaminated operations in 61.2%, transurethral resection of bladder tumor in 71.5%, transurethral resection of prostate in 68.9%, ureteroscopy and transurethral ureterolithotomy in 68.2%, prostate biopsy in 43.2%, and cystoscopy were in 42.2%, respectively. However, in terms of duration of AMP administration, the longer duration than those recommended by the guidelines were observed for clean surgery, transurethral resection of bladder tumor, ureteroscopy and transurethral ureterolithotomy, prostate biopsy, and cystoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of kinds of AMP, the guidelines were almostly followed in all operative procedures. However, the duration of AMP administration were longer than those recommended by the guidelines. On revision of "Japanese guidelines for prevention of perioperative infections in urologic field (2006)", these data would be taken into consideration to avoid dissociation between the guidelines and the practical side in the urologists.

Clinical efficacy of levofloxacin 500 mg once daily for 7 days for patients with non-gonococcal urethritis.

To confirm the efficacy of the treatment regimen with oral levofloxacin (LVFX) 500 mg once daily for 7 days for patients with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), we evaluated the microbiological and clinical outcomes of the regimen in those patients. We finally evaluated 53 patients with symptomatic NGU and 5 patients with asymptomatic NGU. As a result of microbiological examinations, 19 of the symptomatic patients were diagnosed as having non-gonococcal chlamydial urethritis (NGCU); 13 had non-gonococcal non-chlamydial urethritis (NGNCU), and 21 had urethritis without any microbial detection. Five of the asymptomatic patients were diagnosed as having NGCU. Microbiological cure was achieved in 91% of the 32 patients with symptomatic NGU and in 80% of the 5 patients with asymptomatic NGCU. Clinical cure was obtained in 92% of the 53 patients with symptomatic NGU. The microbiological eradication rate for Chlamydia trachomatis was 92% in 24 patients. As for other organisms, the microbiological eradication rate for Mycoplasma genitalium was 60% in 5 patients and that for Ureaplasma urealyticum was 100% in 10. The microbiological and clinical efficacy of oral LVFX 500 mg once daily for 7 days for the patients with NGU was the same for the azithromycin (AZM) 1,000 mg single dose that we previously reported. The eradication rates of C. trachomatis and U. urealyticum in the treatment regimen with LVFX 500 mg were high enough in the clinical setting; however, for M. genitalium, the rate was relatively inferior to that with AZM.

Management for males whose female partners are diagnosed with genital chlamydial infection.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the infection rate of asymptomatic men whose female sexual partners were diagnosed as having genital chlamydial infection and discuss the management for them. The subjects were asymptomatic men whose female sexual partners were diagnosed with genital chlamydial infection at other obstetric and gynecological clinics. Microscopic findings of urinary sediment and the results of a nucleic acid amplification test of the first-voided urine specimen were retrospectively examined in those men who visited our clinics. A total of 267 men were included and analyzed. The infection rate for urinary Chlamydia trachomatis in asymptomatic men was 36.3% (97 of 267). In the analysis of urinary sediment, 35 of the 267 (13.1%) had pyuria and 82.9% (29 of 35) in the men with pyuria were positive for urinary C. trachomatis in. Even in men without pyuria, the urinary C. trachomatis-positive rate was 29.3% (68 of 232). When such men have pyuria in the clinic, prompt treatment is the appropriate approach. If the men are without pyuria, testing for urinary C. trachomatis should be performed. Prompt treatment before doing any clinical evaluation can be an option in couples with trouble.

Clinical relevance of single administration of prophylactic antimicrobial agents against febrile events after removal of ureteral stents for patients with urinary diversion or reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis when removing ureteral stents after urinary diversion or reconstruction and to establish the most appropriate prophylactic protocol to prevent febrile events. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the incidence of febrile events in the two studies. Study 1 consisted of 39 patients who received antimicrobial prophylaxis and 31 who did not. Study 2 included 48 patients who were given oral fluoroquinolone (FQ) and 27 who had intramuscular injection of an aminoglycoside (AG). RESULTS: In study 1, the incidence of febrile events was significantly lower in patients receiving antimicrobial prophylaxis (26.0%) than in those not receiving it (51.6%) (P = 0.025, chi(2) test). In study 2 there was a 13% incidence of febrile events, which was much lower than the incidence found in study 1. The incidence of these events was similar between the two study groups, being 13% for those receiving FQ and 15% for those receiving AG. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic administration of antimicrobials reduces the incidence of febrile events after removal of ureteral stents. Both FQ and the AG are equally effective in this setting.

Efficacy of treatment with carbapenems and third-generation cephalosporins for patients with febrile complicated pyelonephritis.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical relevance of carbapenem and third-generation cephalosporin treatment for febrile complicated pyelonephritis, which often leads to urosepsis. Parenteral antimicrobial treatment with a carbapenem or third-generation cephalosporin was administered to febrile patients and the treatment was switched to oral antimicrobial agents after they became afebrile. In principle, the duration of the course of antimicrobial chemotherapy was limited to a total of 14 days. Clinically, the success rates were 97.3% in the carbapenem group and 96.0% in the third-generation cephalosporin group. For microbiological efficacy, the success rates were 89.2% in the carbapenem group and 92.0% in the third-generation cephalosporin group. There were no serious adverse events in the course of the study. The treatment regimen with a carbapenem or a third-generation cephalosporin was highly effective for patients with febrile complicated pyelonephritis and was well tolerated. Either of these regimens could become one of the standard treatments for patients with febrile complicated pyelonephritis.

Is urethritis accompanied by seminal vesiculitis?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether urethritis is accompanied by seminal vesiculitis using transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging. METHODS: Fifty-six male patients (mean age 31.6 8.7 years) with urethritis were included in the study. As a control group,we also considered 34 healthy volunteers (mean age 21.3 1.8 years). The two groups were evaluated by the nucleic acid amplification test and imaging studies using TRUS. RESULTS: The nucleic acid amplification test could identify 15 patients (26.8%) with gonococcal urethritis (five had accompanying chlamydial urethritis), 32 (57.1%) with chlamydial urethritis, and nine (16.1%) with nongonococcal and nonchlamydial urethritis. The mean anteroposterior diameter of the bilateral seminal vesicles was significantly longer in the urethritis group than in the controls (12.9 3.3 mm vs 11.0 2.0 mm, P = 0.004). The incidence of dilatation or cystic changes of seminal vesicles was significantly higher in the urethritis group than in the controls (dilatation: 30% vs 9%, P = 0.019; cystic change: 39% vs 12%, P = 0.007). There was no significant difference in the incidence of dilatation or cystic changes of seminal vesicles between gonococcal urethritis and chlamydial urethritis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with urethritis are likely to have accompanying seminal vesiculitis. This suggests a close interrelationship among urethritis, seminal vesiculitis and epididymitis.

[Patients with clinically unconfirmed positive urinary cytology --retrospective analysis of clinical courses].

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical courses of 7 patients with clinically unconfirmed positive urine cytology characterized by persistent positive urine cytology but without any evidence of tumor by endoscopy or image diagnosis during the time from January 1999 to June 2004. A past history of urothelial cancer was found in 5 patients. In 2 of these 5 patients, transurethral resection of the bladder mucosa and ureteroscopy done as the initial examination identified bladder cancer and ureteral cancer, respectively. Urothelial cancer was found in the remaining 3 patients by subsequent endoscopy, image diagnosis and surgical resection that were done in the follow-up period of 8 months. Two patients who did not have a history of urothelial cancer were diagnosed as having bladder cancer and ureteral cancer in the initial or subsequent examination. Patients with clinically unconfirmed positive urine cytology should be carefully followed up with endoscopy and image diagnosis since the subsequent examinations tend to identify urothelial cancer in the upper urinary tract or bladder.