Two cases of Clostridium ramosum bacteremia with intestinal perforation: The antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical strains.

Clostridium ramosum is one of the obligate anaerobes that constitute the intestinal microbiota, and one of the rare Clostridia. With Clostridium ramosum, very few data have been reported to investigate antimicrobial susceptibility for clinical isolates that have caused bacteremia. Here, we report two cases of Clostridium ramosum bacteremia. The first case was a 54-year-old Japanese man with taking 20mg hydrocortisone for hypopituitarism. He presented to the emergency department for an unknown cause cardiopulmonary arrest. At the hospital day 36, he had fever and a drop in blood pressure. Abdomen computed tomography (CT) revealed free air around the ascending colon, we diagnosed with intestinal perforation, and peritonitis. Blood culture revealed Clostridium ramosum. We administered conservative management by 6-week of antibiotic treatment. The second case was a 78-year-old Japanese man with no significant medical history. He was referred to our hospital with fever and abdominal pain. Abdomen CT revealed perforated appendicitis, and blood cultures revealed Clostridium ramosum. We performed emergency surgery, and administered one-week course of antibiotic treatment. This report demonstrates two cases of Clostridium ramosum bacteremia with intestinal perforation, and the antimicrobial susceptibility of each clinical strain. For the future, it is necessary to accumulate data on the susceptibility of clinical isolates in order to find an appropriate treatment.

Risk factors for acute kidney injury in vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam combination therapy: A retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Combined use of vancomycin (VCM) and piperacillin/tazobactam (PIPC/TAZ) has been reported to increase the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the risk factors associated with AKI after VCM and PIPC/TAZ (VPT) administration have not yet been identified. Therefore, we retrospectively assessed patients treated with VPT to investigate the risk factors for AKI development. METHODS: The study involved patients who were treated with VPT from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2020. The patients were divided into the AKI or non-AKI group. The clinical characteristics of patients and antimicrobial therapy were compared between the groups. Their association with AKI risk was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In total, 182 patients were included, with 118 in the non-AKI group and 64 in the AKI group. Therefore, the incidence of AKI was 35.2 %. The initiation of VPT combination therapy on the same day and concomitant use of vasopressors were associated with an increased risk of AKI (odds ratio [OR] 2.55, 95 % confidential interval [CI] 1.20-5.44 and OR 3.22, 95 % CI 1.31-7.89, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the concomitant use of vasopressors and initiating VPT combination therapy on the same day are likely risk factors for AKI development.

Incidental finding of neurosyphilis with intracranial hemorrhage and cerebral infarction: A case report.

Syphilis has recently increased in prevalence in Japan. Neurosyphilis is a special pathological condition of syphilis well known to cause cerebral vasculitis and ischemic stroke. Neurosyphilis in the meningovascular stage rarely causes caliber irregularity of the cerebral blood vessels or cerebral hemorrhage. We describe the case of a 49-year-old Japanese man with neurosyphilis. Cerebral hemorrhage, multiple cerebral infarctions, and caliber irregularity of the cerebral blood vessels were observed, the patient underwent surgery for cerebral hemorrhage on the day of admission, all of which were suspected to be caused by syphilis. He was started on an antibacterial treatment of penicillin on the day of admission and was diagnosed with neurosyphilis the following week based on his serum and spinal fluid test results. His condition improved, and he was transferred to another hospital after 4 weeks of treatment consisting of 3 weeks of infusion treatment with benzylpenicillin followed by oral treatment with amoxicillin. To the best of our knowledge, this is a rare case of neurosyphilis in conjunction with cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. Clinicians should consider syphilis in the differential diagnosis of cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction and test patients for sexually transmitted diseases, in addition to cerebrospinal fluid testing, when cerebral hemorrhage occurs with an unknown cause. This is especially pertinent when patients present with cerebral infarction or caliber irregularity of the cerebral blood vessels.

Three-year epidemiological analysis of Clostridioides difficile infection and the value of hospital-infection control measures in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Japan using PCR-based open-reading frame typing.

INTRODUCTION: Clostridioides difficile is an important causative pathogen in antibiotic-associated colitis and nosocomial infections. This study aimed to assess immunochromatographic test results for C. difficile infection and the utility of PCR-based open-reading frame typing (POT) for potentially controlling the intra-ward transmission of C. difficile. METHODS: We conducted a molecular epidemiological analysis using POT to investigate 102 inpatients who tested positive for the C. difficile toxin using immunochromatography in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Japan between 2016 and 2018; isolates from the patients were obtained and cultured. RESULTS: The number of POT numbers detected in 2016, 2017, and 2018 were 27 (among 34 patients), 20 (among 31 patients), and 28 (among 37 patients), respectively. During this three-year period, there were seven cases whose bacterial strains with the same POT number was identified in the same ward within 6 months. The intra-ward transmission rate was the highest in 2017 (16.1%). Intra-ward transmission was identified at a higher rate in patients whose sample cultures tested toxin-positive than in patients whose sample cultures tested toxin- and glutamate-dehydrogenase-positive via immunochromatography (16% vs. 3%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the use of immunochromatographic tests for C. difficile diagnosis and epidemiological analyses via POT may be helpful for evaluating intra-ward transmission of C. difficile.

Corynebacterium jeikeium-induced infective endocarditis and perivalvular abscess diagnosed by 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analysis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Corynebacterium jeikeium normally presents on human skin, and it is often judged as contamination when it is cultured from blood. C. jeikeium can cause infective endocarditis, especially, that associated with cardiac surgery and prosthetic valvular endocarditis. CASE REPORT: A 66-year-old Japanese male patient was diagnosed with C. jeikeium-induced infective endocarditis (IE) and perivalvular abscess after a coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement with bioprosthesis; pyogenic spondylodiscitis was also observed. Patch repair for aortic valve annulus and re-Bentall procedure with bioprosthesis was performed for IE and perivalvular abscess. The causative bacterium was confirmed as C. jeikeium on 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing of surgical sample and positive blood culture. The patient underwent six weeks of intravenous antibacterial treatment with vancomycin and an additional two weeks of oral treatment with linezolid, following which, his condition improved. Corynebacterium jeikeium can cause infective endocarditis and perivalvular abscess, which is a more severe condition than IE. CONCLUSION: 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing is useful in diagnosing bacterial species that can cause contamination, such as Corynebacterium spp.

Congenital bronchial atresia complicated by a lung abscess due to Aspergillus fumigatus: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Congenital bronchial atresia is a rare pulmonary abnormality characterized by the disrupted communication between the central and the peripheral bronchus and is typically asymptomatic. Although it can be symptomatic especially when infections occur in the involved areas, fungal infections are rare complications in patients with bronchial atresia. We report a case of congenital bronchial atresia complicated by a fungal infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old man with no previous history of immune dysfunction was brought to a nearby hospital and diagnosed with a left lung abscess. Although antimicrobial treatment was administered, it was ineffective, and he was transferred to our hospital. Since diagnostic imaging findings and bronchoscopy suggested congenital bronchial atresia and a fungal infection, he was treated with voriconazole and surgical resection was subsequently performed. A tissue culture detected Aspergillus fumigatus and histopathological findings were compatible with bronchial atresia. After discharge, he remained well and voriconazole was discontinued 5 months after the initiation of therapy. CONCLUSION: Bronchial atresia is a rare disease that is seldom complicated by a fungal infection, which is also a rare complication; however, physicians should consider fungal infections in patients with bronchial atresia who present with infections resistant to antimicrobial treatment.

Detection of viral RNA in diverse body fluids in an SFTS patient with encephalopathy, gastrointestinal bleeding and pneumonia: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that commonly has a lethal course caused by the tick-borne Huaiyangshan banyang virus [former SFTS virus (SFTSV)]. The viral load in various body fluids in SFTS patients and the best infection control measure for SFTS patients have not been fully established. CASE PRESENTATION: A 79-year-old man was bitten by a tick while working in the bamboo grove in Nagasaki Prefecture in the southwest part of Japan. Due to the occurrence of impaired consciousness, he was referred to Nagasaki University Hospital for treatment. The serum sample tested positive for SFTSV-RNA in the genome amplification assay, and he was diagnosed with SFTS. Furthermore, SFTSV-RNA was detected from the tick that had bitten the patient. He was treated with multimodal therapy, including platelet transfusion, antimicrobials, antifungals, steroids, and continuous hemodiafiltration. His respiration was assisted with mechanical ventilation. On day 5, taking the day on which he was hospitalized as day 0, serum SFTSV-RNA levels reached a peak and then decreased. However, the cerebrospinal fluid collected on day 13 was positive for SFTSV-RNA. In addition, although serum SFTSV-RNA levels decreased below the detectable level on day 16, he was diagnosed with pneumonia with computed tomography. SFTSV-RNA was detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid on day 21. By day 31, he recovered consciousness completely. The pneumonia improved by day 51, but SFTSV-RNA in the sputum remained positive for approximately 4 months after disease onset. Strict countermeasures against droplet/contact infection were continuously conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Even when SFTSV genome levels become undetectable in the serum of SFTS patients in the convalescent phase, the virus genome remains in body fluids and tissues. It may be possible that body fluids such as respiratory excretions become a source of infection to others; thus, careful infection control management is needed.

Clinical features and cause analysis of false positive results of Aspergillus galactomannan assay in pulmonary cryptococcosis patients.

There have been conflicting reports of false positive galactomannan assay results in patients with systemic cryptococcosis. We sought to determine the frequency of GM positivity in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and confirm the source of this cross-reactivity in vitro. We conducted a retrospective study to elucidate the rate of galactomannan (GM) false positivity and cause in a cohort of 29 patients with pulmonary cryptococcal disease. The production of GM cross-reacting substances by clinical isolates and laboratory isolates of C. neoformans was tested in vitro. The mean serum GM index (Platelia Aspergillus) in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis was 1.06, with 16 (55.2%) of patients having values above the positive cutoff value of 0.5. GM index values significantly decreased after treatment of cryptococcosis. There was no significant correlation between galactomannan and cryptococcal glucuronoxylomannan antigen (Eiken Latex test) results. Culture supernatants from clinical isolates and wild-type C. neoformans did not react in the GM assay; however, growth in the presence of 6% sodium chloride induced the production of cross-reacting GM antigens in culture supernatants from clinical isolates, wild type and a glucuronoxylomannan-deficient mutant of C. neoformans, but not in culture supernatants from a galactoxylomannan-deficient strain. Our results support the cross-reactivity of cryptococcal galactoxylomannan with the serum GM assay in vitro and in patients with pulmonary cryptococcal infection.

Examination of cryptococcal glucuronoxylomannan antigen in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for diagnosing pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV-negative patients.

We clarified the performance of a cryptococcal glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) antigen test using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples, in an HIV-negative Japanese population. Between March 2008 and December 2014, we examined cryptococcal GXM antigens in both serum and BALF specimens from 429 cases at Nagasaki University hospital. The diagnoses, underlying diseases, chest computed tomography findings, and cryptococcal GXM antigen test results were retrospectively investigated. Twenty-three patients were confirmed to have pulmonary cryptococcosis, another six were clinically diagnosed with cryptococcosis because they were seropositive for the GXM antigen, and five possible cryptococcosis cases had BALF samples that were positive for the GXM antigen and serum samples that were negative. The test's sensitivities for detecting cryptococcal GXM antigens in serum and BALF samples, for confirmed cases, were 73.9% and 82.6%, respectively, and their respective specificities were 98.5% and 97.8%. Three of the five putative patients with cryptococcosis were treated with antifungal agents; the pulmonary lesions decreased in size in all treated patients. Both the BALF and serum GXM antigen titers showed positive correlations with the lesion sizes; however, the serum antigen titers showed a higher correlation (r = 0.490, P = .0033) than did the BALF titres (r = 0.312, P = .0724). The rate of GXM-positive BALF samples was higher than the rate for serum samples, especially for patients with pulmonary lesion diameters ≤25 mm. Testing for the presence of the cryptococcal GXM antigen in BALF specimens might contribute to the early diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Efficacy of High-Dose Meropenem (Six Grams per Day) in Treatment of Experimental Murine Pneumonia Induced by Meropenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

High-dose meropenem (MEPM; 6 g/day) has been approved as a treatment for purulent meningitis; however, little is known regarding its in vivo efficacy in refractory lower respiratory tract infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of MEPM at 6 g/day in a murine model of severe pneumonia caused by MEPM-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Experimental pneumonia induced by MEPM-resistant P. aeruginosa was treated with normal-dose MEPM (150 mg/kg of body weight, simulating a 3-g/day regimen in humans) or high-dose MEPM (500 mg/kg, simulating a 6-g/day regimen in humans). Mice treated with high-dose MEPM showed significantly restored survival relative to that of untreated mice and tended to show a survival rate higher than that of mice treated with normal-dose MEPM. The viable bacterial counts (of two clinical isolates) in the lungs decreased significantly in mice treated with high-dose MEPM from those for untreated mice (P < 0.001) or mice treated with normal-dose MEPM (P, <0.01 and <0.05). The number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was also significantly lower in mice treated with high-dose MEPM than in untreated mice. The free MEPM concentration in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) exceeded 16 µg/ml for 85 min in mice treated with high-dose MEPM, but not for mice treated with normal-dose MEPM. Our results demonstrate that high-dose MEPM (6 g/day) might provide better protection against pneumonia caused by MEPM-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa than the dose normally administered (less than 3 g/day).

Comparative efficacies of daptomycin, vancomycin, and linezolid in experimental enterococcal peritonitis.

Enterococci have become increasingly important pathogens for nosocomial infection (e.g. bacteremia, intra-abdominal infection, endocarditis, etc.), related to their intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics. Although the in vitro susceptibility of daptomycin (DAP) against Enterococci is well established, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved its use for complicated skin and skin structure infections induced by Enterococcus faecalis. In this study we evaluated the potential therapeutic application of DAP in a murine model of enterococcal experimental peritonitis. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with 4 × 1010 colony-forming units of Enterococcus faecium. DAP alone, DAP combined with ampicillin, vancomycin, or linezolid were administered 2 h after enterococcal inoculation and examined the survival, viable bacteria counts, the level of KC/CXCL1 in the peritoneal fluid. The viable bacteria counts in the peritoneal fluid of the DAP- or DAP plus ampicillin-treated groups were decreased significantly compared to those of the vancomycin- and linezolid-treated groups (P < 0.05) at 6 and 12 h after the inoculation of Enterococcus. The level of neutrophil chemoattractants KC in the peritoneal fluid at 12 h after enterococcal inoculation was significantly decreased in the DAP plus ampicillin-treated group (P < 0.05). In addition DAP showed the inhibitory effect of enterococcal biofilm formation dose-dependently by a microtiter biofilm assay. These results indicate that DAP, particularly with ß-lactams, is a possible alternative agent to treat severe enterococcal infection such as peritonitis.

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Agonistic Antibody Promotes Host Defense against Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection in Mice.

Chronic lower respiratory tract infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is difficult to treat due to enhanced antibiotic resistance and decreased efficacy of drug delivery to destroyed lung tissue. To determine the potential for restorative immunomodulation therapies, we evaluated the effect of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) stimulation on the host immune response to Pseudomonas infection in mice. We implanted sterile plastic tubes precoated with P. aeruginosa in the bronchi of mice, administered the TLR4/MD2 agonistic monoclonal antibody UT12 intraperitoneally every week, and subsequently analyzed the numbers of viable bacteria and inflammatory cells and the levels of cytokines. We also performed flow cytometry-based phagocytosis and opsonophagocytic killing assays in vitro using UT12-treated murine peritoneal neutrophils. UT12-treated mice showed significantly enhanced bacterial clearance, increased numbers of Ly6G(+) neutrophils, and increased concentrations of macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) in the lungs (P < 0.05). Depletion of CD4(+) T cells eliminated the ability of the UT12 treatment to improve bacterial clearance and promote neutrophil recruitment and MIP-2 production. Additionally, UT12-pretreated peritoneal neutrophils exhibited increased opsonophagocytic killing activity via activation of the serine protease pathway, specifically neutrophil elastase activity, in a TLR4-dependent manner. These data indicated that UT12 administration significantly augmented the innate immune response against chronic bacterial infection, in part by promoting neutrophil recruitment and bactericidal function.

Macrolides Promote CCL2-Mediated Macrophage Recruitment and Clearance of Nasopharyngeal Pneumococcal Colonization in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) colonizes mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract (URT), resulting in invasive disease. Macrolides are known for their immunomodulatory effects. We investigated the potency of macrolides to reduce pneumococcal colonization by activating host innate immunity. METHODS: The kinetics of colonization, cellular response, and inflammatory cytokine levels in the URT were assessed after nasal inoculation of pneumococci. EM900 (a novel 12-membered nonantibiotic macrolide with an immunomodulatory effect) was orally administered throughout the experiment. Survival was evaluated for 10 days. Macrolide-mediated CCL2 production from peritoneal macrophages was determined by enzyme-linked immuosorbent assay. The cell-signaling pathway was analyzed by means of Western blotting and gene silencing assays. RESULTS: Streptococcus pneumoniae was significantly reduced from EM900-treated mice 14 days after pneumococcal inoculation. Macrophage recruitment and Ccl2 messenger RNA expression were promoted. CCL2 production from peritoneal macrophages was significantly induced by macrolides and was dependent on NF-κB phosphorylation through the myeloid differentiation primary-response gene 88- or TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-ß-mediated pathway. Mortality of mice with invasive pneumococcal disease was improved by pretreatment with EM900. CONCLUSIONS: Macrolides may inhibit invasive pneumococcal infections by accelerating the clearance of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization via promotion of macrophage-mediated innate immunity.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of enterococcal infections in Nagasaki, Japan: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Enterococcus spp. are particularly important etiological agents of nosocomial infections. However, the clinical characteristics of and risk factors for enterococcal infections in clinical settings are poorly understood. METHODS: The sample included patients with Enterococcus spp. infections detected from clinical samples at Nagasaki University Hospital between 2010 and 2011 and patients with enterococcal colonization (control patients). In this retrospective study, the risk factors for enterococcal infections were analyzed by comparing infected and control patients via multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 182 infected (mean age, 64.6 ± 18.2 years; 114 men) and 358 control patients (patients with enterococcal colonization) (mean age, 61.6 ± 22.4 years; 183 men) were included. Enterococcal infections were classified as intraperitoneal (n = 87), urinary tract (n = 28), or bloodstream (n = 20) infections. Cancer and hematological malignancies were the most common comorbidities in enterococcal infections. Carbapenem and vancomycin were administered to 43.8 % and 57.9 % of patients infected with Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, respectively. No vancomycin-resistant enterococci were isolated. Multivariate analysis identified abdominal surgery (odds ratio [OR], 2.233; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.529-3.261; p ≤ 0.001), structural abnormalities of the urinary tract (OR, 2.086; 95 % CI, 1.088-4.000; p = 0.027), male sex (OR, 1.504; 95 % CI, 1.032-2.190; p = 0.033), and hypoalbuminemia (OR, 0.731; 95 % CI, 0.555-0.963; p = 0.026) as independent risk factors for enterococcal infections. Multivariate analysis showed abdominal surgery (OR, 2.263; 95 % CI, 1.464-3.498; p ≤ 0.001), structural abnormalities of the urinary tract (OR, 2.634; 95 % CI, 1.194-5.362; p = 0.008), and hypoalbuminemia (OR, 0.668; 95 % CI, 0.490-0.911; p = 0.011) were independent risk factors for E. faecalis infection. Finally, immunosuppressive agent use (OR, 3.837; 95 % CI, 1.397-10.541; p = 0.009) and in situ device use (OR, 3.807; 95 % CI, 1.180-12.276; p = 0.025) were independent risk factors for E. faecium infection. CONCLUSIONS: These findings might inform early initiation of antimicrobial agents to improve clinical success.

[Two cases of emphysematous urinary tract infections successfully treated with conservative management].

Emphysematous urinary tract infection is a rare, fulminant complication that is characterized by the presence of gas in the pelvicaliceal system, renal parenchyma, perinephric tissues and retroperitoneum. Surgical resection is usually regarded as the treatment of choice, however several studies have shown the safety and efficacy of conservative management under the correct diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic administration. We herein report on two cases of emphysematous urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis and cystitis infected with ESBL-producing Eschrerichia coli, complicated with diabetic mellitus which were successfully treated with conservative treatment.

Nationwide Longitudinal Annual Survey of HIV/AIDS Referral Hospitals in Japan From 1999 to 2021: Trend in Non-AIDS-defining Cancers Among Individuals Infected With HIV-1.

BACKGROUND: Non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) in patients infected with HIV have recently attracted attention because of the improved survival of this patient population. To obtain accurate data, a longitudinal study is warranted for the nationwide surveillance of the current status and national trend of NADCs in patients infected with HIV in Japan. SETTING: An annual nationwide surveillance of NADCs in patients infected with HIV-1 in Japan from 1999 to 2021. METHODS: An annual questionnaire was sent to 378 HIV/AIDS referral hospitals across Japan to collect data (clusters of differentiation 4-positive lymphocytes, time of onset, outcomes, and antiretroviral therapy status) of patients diagnosed with any of the NADCs between 1999 and 2021. RESULTS: The response and case-capture rates for the questionnaires in 2021 were 37.8% and 81.2%, respectively. The number of reported NADC cases subsequently increased since the beginning of this study. Evaluation of the case counts of NADCs demonstrated a high incidence of lung, colorectal, gastric, and liver cancers as the top 4 cancers. Pancreatic cancer (0.63), lung cancer (0.49), and leukemia (0.49) had the highest mortality rates among the NADCs. Trends of NADCs regarding transmission routes were maintained over the years in male individuals who have sex with male individuals compared with heterosexual male individuals and female individuals. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated an increasing trend in the incidence of NADCs over a period of 23 years in Japan. The current data highlighted the importance of raising awareness regarding cancer management for patients infected with HIV in Japan.

Risk factor analysis for piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant Enterobacter spp. bacteremia at a tertiary hospital.

This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP1)-resistant Enterobacter spp. bacteremia. The medical records of 111 patients with Enterobacter spp. bacteremia divided into a TZP-susceptible group (minimum inhibitory concentrations [MICs2] ≤16 µg/mL) and TZP-resistant group (MICs >16 µg/mL) were retrospectively reviewed. The male-to-female ratio, age, underlying disease, and infection site did not differ between the 2 groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that the independent predictor associated with TZP-resistant Enterobacter spp. bacteremia was the previous usage of third-generation cephalosporins (P = 0.036). In conclusion, TZP administration in cases of suspected Enterobacter spp. bacteremia previously treated with third-generation cephalosporin should be cautiously considered.

Nationwide surveillance of AIDS-defining illnesses among HIV patients in Japan from 1995 to 2017.

OBJECTIVES: The accurate prevalence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining illnesses (ADIs) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients has not been well investigated. Hence, a longitudinal nationwide surveillance study analyzing the current status and national trend of opportunistic complications in HIV-infected patients in Japan is warranted. METHODS: A nationwide surveillance of opportunistic complications in HIV-infected patients from 1995 to 2017 in Japan was conducted. An annual questionnaire was sent to 383 HIV/AIDS referral hospitals across Japan to collect information (CD4+ lymphocyte count, time of onset, outcome, and antiretroviral therapy [ART] status) of patients diagnosed with any of 23 ADIs between 1995 and 2017. RESULTS: The response and case capture rates of the questionnaires in 2017 were 53% and 76%, respectively. The number of reported cases of opportunistic complications peaked in 2011 and subsequently declined. Pneumocystis pneumonia (38.7%), cytomegalovirus infection (13.6%), and candidiasis (12.8%) were associated with the cumulative incidence of ADIs between 1995 and 2017. The mortality rate in HIV-infected patients with opportunistic complications substantially decreased to 3.6% in 2017. The mortality rate was significantly higher in HIV patients who received ART within 14 days of diagnosis of complications than in those who received ART 15 days after diagnosis (13.0% vs. 3.2%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated a 23-year trend of a newly diagnosed AIDS status in Japan with high accuracy. The current data reveal the importance of Pneumocystis pneumonia as a first-onset illness and that early initiation of ART results in poor outcomes in HIV patients in Japan.

Isoniazid-induced Immune Thrombocytopenia.

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia occurs through immune-mediated platelet destruction, and its management is challenging during tuberculosis treatment. Although rifampicin is the most common drug causing thrombocytopenia, isoniazid can also cause thrombocytopenia. We herein report a 75-year-old man who developed thrombocytopenia during tuberculosis treatment. Platelet-associated immunoglobulin G and a drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test for isoniazid were positive; no other causes of thrombocytopenia were identified. The patient was diagnosed with isoniazid-induced immune thrombocytopenia, and the platelet count normalized after isoniazid discontinuation. We describe the immunological mechanism of thrombocytosis due to isoniazid, an uncommon cause of thrombocytopenia that physicians should be aware exists.

Duration of antifungal therapy for septic pulmonary embolism caused by Candida albicans from a central venous catheter: A case report.

The treatment duration for candidemia with septic pulmonary embolism should be determined based on the clearance of fungus from the bloodstream and improvement of symptoms. The remaining lung nodules may not necessarily indicate persistent infection.