Endovascular Therapy for Vascular Graft Infection After Multiple Bypass Surgeries for Aorto-Iliac Occlusive Disease.

BACKGROUND: Vascular graft infection is a very complex disease. Although complete excision of the infected grafts with extra-anatomic bypass or in situ reconstruction is a general treatment strategy, some concerns including reinfection in the new graft remain. CASE REPORT: An 88 year-old man presented to the hospital with abdominal swelling and bleeding. The patient had undergone revascularization for aorto-iliac occlusive disease twice in the past. The first procedure had been performed 15 years previously, with right ilio-femoral bypass grafting for right iliac artery occlusion and stent implantation for left iliac artery stenosis. The second procedure had been performed 10 years previously, with aorta-to-left femoral and left-to-right femoro-femoral bypass grafting because the terminal aorta, the first ilio-femoral bypass graft, and the stent of the left iliac artery had been occluded. The patient was diagnosed with vascular graft infection, and endovascular therapy was selected as the revascularization method prior to graft excision. It was successfully performed using various devices and techniques, followed by graft excision without critical limb ischemia. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates that endovascular therapy prior to graft excision can be an alternative revascularization method for vascular graft infection after bypass surgery for aorto-iliac occlusive disease.

Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Rodent Populations in Tokyo, Japan.

The maintenance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among wildlife populations poses a potential risk for the emergence of novel variants. Therefore, monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection among animals is crucial. As urban rodents live in close proximity to human habitats, there is concern that they may be a potential source of zoonoses. To examine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in rodent populations, we analyzed 128 serum samples and 129 oral swabs collected from 128 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and 2 black rats (Rattus rattus) captured for pest control purposes in Tokyo, Japan, between May and December 2023. A virus-neutralizing test using the Omicron variant revealed no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in these populations. Real-time RT-PCR from oral swabs did not detect any SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive rats. These results indicate the low probability of SARS-CoV-2 circulation among rat populations in Tokyo.

Rapid Formation of an Infected Coronary Artery Aneurysm With Stent Fracture.

Infected coronary artery aneurysm (ICAA) is a rare but fatal disease. We describe a case of rapid formation of ICAA with fracture of an intracoronary stent observed on coronary angiography and cardiac computed tomography. Surgery with resection of the aneurysm and coronary artery bypass grafting was performed successfully. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Spillover and spillback risks of ectoparasites by an invasive squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus in Kanto region of Japan.

Invasive organisms can alter host-parasite relationships in a given ecosystem by spreading exotic parasites and/or becoming a new reservoir for native ones. Since these problems affect management programs of the invasive host organisms, it is necessary to monitor them individually. The Pallas's squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus is an invasive arboreal mammal introduced into Japan that threatens to exacerbate ecological and public health problems by spreading native and exotic parasites. However, only limited surveys have been available especially for ectoparasites, using the traditional combing method in which the possibility of oversight is inherent. Here, we evaluated the ectoparasite occurrences in Kanto region of Japan, using the whole-shaving method as an alternative approach. As a result of examining 52 hosts from two invaded districts (Yokohama and Yokosuka), chigger mites (Leptotrombidium spp.) and fleas (Ceratophyllus anisus and Ceratophyllus indages indages) were newly recovered in addition to the previously reported tick (Haemaphysalis flava) and exotic lice (Enderleinellus kumadai and Neophaematoponis callosciuri). The parasite burdens were higher in Yokosuka and in male host individuals, affecting infracommunity richness and composition. Our findings on the variety of native and exotic ectoparasites, at higher abundances in some cases than previously known, may suggest that both the spillover and spillback risks need to be adjusted upwards.

Primary Cardiac Lymphoma Arising from Both Sides of the Heart.

Primary cardiac lymphomas (PCLs) are extremely rare tumors with a poor prognosis. They usually involve the pericardium and the right side of the heart. PCLs arising from the left side of the heart are relatively rare, with bilateral cases being even rarer. We herein report a case of PCL arising from both the right and left sides of the heart in a 65-year-old man. Multiple imaging modalities clearly demonstrated the tumors at the initial evaluation. The pathological diagnosis was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Gastric ulceration caused by genetically identified Anisakis simplex sensu stricto in a harbor porpoise from the Western Pacific stock.

The genus Anisakis is a well-known group of nematodes that parasitize cetaceans as the final host and cause mucosal damage to their stomach. However, little has been done to precisely identify the nematodes recovered from the final hosts, especially in the Western Pacific, because of taxonomic confusion about the discrimination of sibling species and the difficulties of obtaining specimens from cetaceans. We describe the results of genetic identification and histopathological observations of specimens recovered from an ulcerated lesion and stomach contents in the forestomach of a female harbor porpoise accidentally caught by a set net fishery in Usujiri, southern Hokkaido, Japan. All the specimens arbitrarily collected from the lesion and stomach contents were identified as Anisakis simplex sensu stricto according to their ITS rDNA sequences. The size of the ulcer was approximately 6.3 mm in diameter and it was infected with 119 individual nematodes, mostly consisting of L3 and L4 stage larvae (95.0%). Histological sections were characterized by a locally extensive ulcer with the parasites penetrating into the muscularis externa that caused a thickening of the surrounding mucosa.

Vascular RAGE transports oxytocin into the brain to elicit its maternal bonding behaviour in mice.

Oxytocin sets the stage for childbirth by initiating uterine contractions, lactation and maternal bonding behaviours. Mice lacking secreted oxcytocin (Oxt -/-, Cd38 -/-) or its receptor (Oxtr -/-) fail to nurture. Normal maternal behaviour is restored by peripheral oxcytocin replacement in Oxt -/- and Cd38 -/-, but not Oxtr -/- mice, implying that circulating oxcytocin crosses the blood-brain barrier. Exogenous oxcytocin also has behavioural effects in humans. However, circulating polypeptides are typically excluded from the brain. We show that oxcytocin is transported into the brain by receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) on brain capillary endothelial cells. The increases in oxcytocin in the brain which follow exogenous administration are lost in Ager -/- male mice lacking RAGE, and behaviours characteristic to abnormalities in oxcytocin signalling are recapitulated in Ager -/- mice, including deficits in maternal bonding and hyperactivity. Our findings show that RAGE-mediated transport is critical to the behavioural actions of oxcytocin associated with parenting and social bonding.