Development of a high-speed bioaerosol elimination system for treatment of indoor air.

We developed a high-speed filterless airflow multistage photocatalytic elbow aerosol removal system for the treatment of bioaerosols such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Human-generated bioaerosols that diffuse into indoor spaces are 1-10 µm in size, and their selective and rapid treatment can reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A high-speed airflow is necessary to treat large volumes of indoor air over a short period. The proposed system can be used to eliminate viruses in aerosols by forcibly depositing aerosols in a high-speed airflow onto a photocatalyst placed inside the system through inertial force and turbulent diffusion. Because the main component of the deposited bioaerosol is water, it evaporates after colliding with the photocatalyst, and the nonvolatile virus remains on the photocatalytic channel wall. The residual virus on the photocatalytic channel wall is mineralized via photocatalytic oxidation with UVA-LED irradiation in the channel. When this system was operated in a 4.5 m3 aerosol chamber, over 99.8% aerosols in the size range of 1-10 µm were removed within 15 min. The system continued delivering such performance with the continuous introduction of aerosols. Because this system exhibits excellent aerosol removal ability at a flow velocity of 5 m/s or higher, it is more suitable than other reactive air purification systems for treating large-volume spaces.

Managing a gastrointestinal oncology practice in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: single institutional experience in The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared to be a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. On April 7, 2020, a state of emergency was declared in Japan, as had been by other nations worldwide. This unprecedented crisis has profound implications for patients undergoing chemotherapy and for practicing healthcare professionals. Various reports have shown data indicating that cancer patients with COVID-19 have high morbidity and mortality rates. In order to reduce the use of medical resources to avoid the risk of COVID-19 infections in both cancer patients and health care providers, oncologists now have to draw the line for cancer treatments by maintaining their efficacy while avoiding severe adverse events. In this article, we outlined the decisions made regarding the practice of gastrointestinal oncology in our institution during the COVID pandemic.

MEFV Gene-Related Enterocolitis Account for Some Cases Diagnosed as Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unclassified.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Familial mediterranean fever (FMF), an autoinflammatory disease, is characterized by periodic fever and serositis. An MEFV gene mutation has been identified as the cause of FMF. Recently, patients with MEFV gene mutations and chronic gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation mimicking inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been reported. In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with IBD unclassified (IBDU) with MEFV gene mutations. METHODS: MEFV gene analysis was performed on 8 patients with IBDU among 710 patients with IBD who had been treated at Kyorin University Hospital from April 2016 to December 2018. Clinical manifestations, endoscopic findings, and serological markers were also analyzed. RESULTS: The average of the 8 patients with IBDU (3 men, 5 women) was 32.7 ± 6.4 years (range 26-76 years). Their symptoms comprised diarrhea (n = 8, 100%), hematochezia (n = 3, 37.5%), abdominal pain (n = 3, 37.5%), high fever (n = 2, 16.5%), and other periodic symptoms (n = 2, 16.5%). MEFV gene mutation was confirmed in 4/8 of these patients. Colonoscopy showed various mucosal lesions, rectal sparing, right side dominant colitis, pseudopolyposis, and granular protrusions. Colchicine was administered to 5 of the 8 patients (4 with and 1 without MEFV mutation) who were resistant to conventional treatment for ulcerative colitis. Clinical and endoscopic improvement was observed in all of 5 patients treated with colchicine. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients diagnosed as having IBDU have enterocolitis related to MEFV gene mutation and respond to colchicine therapy.

[A Phase â ¡ Study of Systemic Chemotherapy with Capecitabine and Cisplatin Followed by Surgery for Advanced Gastric Cancer with Extensive Lymph Node Metastasis(OGSG1401)].

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis(ELM)is commonly considered unresectable and has a poor prognosis. We conducted a phase Ⅱ study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of capecitabine and cisplatin(XP)as preoperative chemotherapy for gastric cancer with ELM. METHODS: The patients received 2 21-day cycles of XP therapy(ca- pecitabine at 2,000mg/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks and cisplatin at 80 mg/m2 on day 1)followed by gastrectomy with D2 plus para-aortic nodal dissection. After R0 resection, S-1 chemotherapy was administered for 1 year. The primary end point was response rate(RR). The planned sample size was 30. RESULTS: Between April 2015 and November 2016, 4 patients were enrolled, but the enrollment was terminated because of poor patient recruitment. The clinical RR was 50%, and R0 resection was achieved in 75% of the patients. The common Grade 3 adverse events during XP therapy were leukocytopenia(25%), anemia(25%), and hyperlipidemia(25%). The common Grade 3 surgical morbidity was abdominal abscess(33%)and pancreatic fistula(33%). The pathological RR was 25%. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative XP therapy was feasible, but its efficacy was difficult to evaluate because of the small sample size.

Feasibility of Chemotherapy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Related Gastrointestinal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn disease (CD), is a known risk factor for gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, especially colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the feasibility of chemotherapy for IBD-related GI cancer is not well understood in terms of efficacy and adverse events, because there are fewer GI cancer patients with IBD than without IBD. METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of eight IBD patients (CD = 5 and UC = 3) who received chemotherapy for IBD-related GI cancer between April 2003 and March 2013. RESULTS: The most common gastrointestinal adverse event was diarrhea (75%); 38% of patients experienced grade 3 diarrhea. Moreover, all grade 3 diarrhea occurred in patients with CD. The most common hematologic adverse events were anemia (75%), leukopenia (38%), and neutropenia (30%); 25% of patients experienced grade 3 neutropenia. The other severe adverse events were grade 3 AST and ALT elevation (13%). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the incidence of grade 3 diarrhea was higher in patients with CD. The length and dysfunction of the small intestine is the most likely reason that diarrhea occurred more frequently in patients with CD.

Successful Multimodal Treatment of Intracranial Growing Teratoma Syndrome with Malignant Features.

Molecular analysis of the growing teratoma syndrome has not been extensively studied. Here, we report a 14-year-old boy with a growing mass during treatment for a mixed germ cell tumor of the pineal region. Tumor markers were negative; thus, growing teratoma syndrome was suspected. A radical resection via the occipital transtentorial approach was performed, and histopathological examination revealed a teratoma with malignant features. Methylation classifier analysis confirmed the diagnosis of teratoma, and DMRT1 loss and 12p gain were identified by copy number variation analysis, potentially elucidating the cause of growth and malignant transformation of the teratoma. The patient remains in remission after intense chemoradiation treatment as a high-risk germ cell tumor.

Clinical Validation of Plasma-Based Genotyping for RAS and BRAF V600E Mutation in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: SCRUM-Japan GOZILA Substudy.

PURPOSE: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) genotyping on the basis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) may guide targeted therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the validity of NGS-based ctDNA genotyping for RAS/BRAF V600E mutation assessment and the efficacy of anti-EGFR and BRAF-targeted therapies on the basis of ctDNA results remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The performance of NGS-based ctDNA genotyping for RAS/BRAF V600E mutation assessment was compared with that of a validated polymerase chain reaction-based tissue testing in patients with mCRC enrolled in the GOZILA study, a nationwide plasma genotyping study. The primary end points were concordance rate, sensitivity, and specificity. The efficacy of anti-EGFR and BRAF-targeted therapies on the basis of ctDNA were also evaluated. RESULTS: In 212 eligible patients, the concordance rate, sensitivity, and specificity were 92.9% (95% CI, 88.6 to 96.0), 88.7% (95% CI, 81.1 to 94.0), and 97.2% (95% CI, 92.0 to 99.4) for RAS and 96.2% (95% CI, 92.7 to 98.4), 88.0% (95% CI, 68.8 to 97.5), and 97.3% (95% CI, 93.9 to 99.1) for BRAF V600E, respectively. In patients with a ctDNA fraction of ≥1.0%, sensitivity rose to 97.5% (95% CI, 91.2 to 99.7) and 100% (95% CI, 80.5 to 100.0) for RAS and BRAF V600E mutations, respectively. In addition to a low ctDNA fraction, previous chemotherapy, lung and peritoneal metastases, and interval between dates of tissue and blood collection were associated with discordance. The progression-free survival of anti-EGFR therapy and BRAF-targeted treatment was 12.9 months (95% CI, 8.1 to 18.5) and 3.7 (95% CI, 1.3 to not evaluated) months, respectively, for matched patients with RAS/BRAF V600E results by ctDNA. CONCLUSION: ctDNA genotyping effectively detected RAS/BRAF mutations, especially with sufficient ctDNA shedding. Clinical outcomes support ctDNA genotyping for determining the use of anti-EGFR and BRAF-targeted therapies in patients with mCRC.

Meningoencephalocele in the Lateral Sphenoid Sinus Showing Malformation of Cortical Development: A Case Report.

Meningoencephalocele in the lateral sphenoid sinus (SS) has been determined to be a rare entity often detected by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea. To date, the pathology of meningoencephalocele in the lateral SS has remained to be unclear in many cases. In this study, we report on a case of a 72-year-old woman with an arteriovenous malformation who presented with CSF rhinorrhea. Radiologic investigations revealed a left temporal meningoencephalocele in the lateral SS. We removed the meningoencephalocele and performed skull base repair, after which the CSF rhinorrhea resolved. Pathological examination showed congenital cortical abnormalities with dysmorphic neurons in various shapes and acquired chronic tissue alterations including fibrillary gliosis and scattered Rosenthal fibers. These findings may further aid in understanding the etiopathogenesis of meningoencephalocele in the lateral SS.

Increased excitability of human iPSC-derived neurons in HTR2A variant-related sleep bruxism.

Sleep bruxism (SB) is a sleep-related movement disorder characterized by grinding and clenching of the teeth during sleep. We previously found a significant association between SB and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs6313, in the neuronal serotonin 2A receptor gene (HTR2A), and established human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons from SB patients with a genetic variant. To elucidate the electrophysiological characteristics of SB iPSC-derived neural cells bearing an SB-related genetic variant, we generated ventral hindbrain neurons from SB patients and unaffected controls, and explored the intrinsic membrane properties of these neurons using the patch-clamp technique. We found that the electrophysiological properties of iPSC-derived neurons mature in a time-dependent manner in long-term control cultures. SB neurons exhibited higher action potential firing frequency, higher gain, and shorter action potential half duration. This is the first in vitro modeling of SB using patient-specific iPSCs. The revealed electrophysiological characteristics may serve as a benchmark for further investigation of pathogenic mechanisms underlying SB. Moreover, our results on long-term cultures provide a strategy to define the functional maturity of human neurons in vitro, which can be implemented for stem cell research of neurogenesis, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Successful Treatment of Acute Uric Acid Nephropathy with Rasburicase in a Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma Patient Showing a Dramatic Response to Methotrexate-Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) are sensitive to chemotherapy. The standard treatment is high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based chemotherapy. There are no reports of successful treatment of acute uric acid nephropathy with rasburicase after MTX administration in PCNSLs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old man with a history of gout presented with a change in character and cognitive dysfunction. MRI showed a large enhancing mass spanning the bilateral frontal lobes and the right temporal lobe. After endoscopic biopsy, an MTX, procarbazine, and vincristine (MPV) regimen was initiated for the treatment of the PCNSL. After the initiation of chemotherapy, the patient experienced a gout attack, and blood examination revealed acute renal failure (ARF) and hyperuricemia. The considered causes of ARF included MTX toxicity and acute uric acid nephropathy. As the dramatic effect of MTX was observed, treatment was continued despite ARF, most probably due to acute hyperuricemia due to tumor lysis, which was treated in parallel. After an improvement in renal function, MTX was resumed, and rasburicase was initiated to control hyperuricemia. A complete response was obtained after induction chemotherapy. Hyperuricemia was controlled with rasburicase, and renal function was preserved. CONCLUSIONS: Acute uric acid nephropathy should be considered when ARF occurs after the initiation of MTX in PCNSLs, especially in newly diagnosed PCNSL patients with large tumors or hyperuricemia.

WJOG13219G: The Efficacy and Safety of FOLFOXIRI or Doublet plus Anti-VEGF Therapy in Previously Untreated BRAFV600E Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Registry-Based Study (BRACELET Study).

BACKGROUND: The real-world survival benefit of FOLFOXIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan) plus anti-VEGF therapy (Triplet) over doublet chemotherapy (Doublet) remains controversial in patients with BRAFV600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: WJOG13219G was a multicenter, retrospective, registry-based study of patients with BRAFV600E mutant mCRC who received first-line triplet or doublet chemotherapy from January 2014 to December 2019 in Japan. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to adjust for patient background. RESULTS: The analysis included 79 and 91 patients in the Triplet and Doublet groups, respectively. The Triplet group was significantly younger and had better performance status. No statistical difference was noted in progression-free survival (PFS; HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.60-1.13; P = .22) and overall survival (OS; HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.62-1.25; P = .48) between both groups. IPTW analysis also showed no difference between the 2 groups in PFS (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.69-1.08; P = .20) and OS (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.73-1.20; P = .59). The Triplet and Doublet groups had an objective response rate of 53% and 41%, respectively (P = .10). At least one grade 3 or 4 adverse event was seen in 51 (65%) and 43 (47%) patients in the Triplet and Doublet groups, respectively, with the incidence of neutropenia being significantly higher in the former. CONCLUSION: Triplet therapy had no survival benefit versus doublet therapy in the overall and IPTW cohorts or specific subgroups for real-world patients with BRAFV600E mutant mCRC.

Early hypertension and neutropenia are predictors of treatment efficacy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients administered FOLFIRI and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors as second-line chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Three vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, Bevacizumab (BEV), ramucirumab (RAM), and aflibercept (AFL), are widely used for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who are treated with second-line chemotherapy. The difference in outcome between the three drugs has not been evaluated. In contrast to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, VEGF inhibitors have few candidate predictors of efficacy. METHODS: Consecutive mCRC patients who were treated with second-line chemotherapy were retrospectively enrolled. Overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety were assessed. Subgroup analyses of prognostic and predictive efficacy markers were performed. RESULTS: A total of 119 (41.2%), 107 (37.0%), and 63 patients (21.8%) were treated with FOLFIRI +BEV, RAM, or AFL, respectively. ORR, PFS, and OS showed no significant differences between three groups. However, the frequency of grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) in the FOLFIRI +AFL group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.001). Patients with grade 3 or 4 AEs, especially hypertension and neutropenia within the first four cycles of treatment had significantly longer PFS and OS than those without AEs, irrespective of treatment with VEGF inhibitors (p < 0.001). PFS in patients without prior BEV exposure was also significantly longer than that in patients with prior BEV exposure (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapeutic efficacy did not differ between the groups. Grade 3 or 4 AEs within the first four cycles of treatment and prior BEV exposure may be an effective predictor of treatment efficacy in mCRC patients administered VEGF inhibitors as second-line chemotherapy.

Clinical Impact of Primary Tumor Location and RAS, BRAF V600E, and PIK3CA Mutations on Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Efficacy as Third-line Chemotherapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Primary tumor location and RAS and BRAF V600E mutations are predictors of the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. However, there are limited reports on their effects on the outcomes of third-line chemotherapy with EGFR inhibitors in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of KRAS exon 2 wild type (WT) mCRC patients treated with EGFR inhibitor monotherapy or EGFR inhibitor plus irinotecan as third-line chemotherapy. The association between primary tumor location, RAS (KRAS exon 3, 4 or NRAS), BRAF V600E, and PIK3CA mutational status, and treatment outcome was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were included in this study. In multivariate analysis, RAS (p=0.004) and BRAF mutations (p=0.00008) were independent factors for shorter PFS. Poor performance status (p=0.01) and BRAF mutation (p=0.00002) were independent factors for shorter OS, whereas primary tumor location and PIK3CA mutation did not influence survival. CONCLUSION: Additional analysis of RAS and BRAF mutations could contribute to the selection of patients who are likely to benefit from third-line EGFR inhibitors, regardless of primary tumor location.

Effect of neutropenia on survival outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab.

Trifluridine (FTD)/tipiracil (TPI) plus bevacizumab (Bev) is a promising late-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Although chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is a well-known predictor of FTD/TPI efficacy, whether CIN is a predictive marker of efficacy for FTD/TPI + Bev remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of FTD/TPI + Bev and the predictive markers of its efficacy. Clinical data of patients with mCRC who received FTD/TPI + Bev at the Cancer Institute Hospital between January 2017 and August 2020 were retrospectively collected. Disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and safety were assessed. In addition, subgroup analyses of prognostic and predictive efficacy markers were performed. In total, 94 patients (median age, 60.0 years; age range, 32-82 years; 37 men and 57 women) were included in the present study. The DCR was 44.7%, the median PFS time was 2.9 months (2.3-4.1 months) and the median OS time was 10.0 months (7.3-11.1 months). Grade 3 or 4 CIN within the first cycle of treatment occurred in 27.7% of patients, which was significantly associated with a longer PFS time than those who did not develop CIN [3.8 months (2.3-8.4 months) vs. 2.7 months (1.8-4.0 months); P=0.008]. Furthermore, the DCR was higher in patients with grade 3 or 4 CIN within the first cycle of treatment than those without CIN (61.5 vs. 38.2%; P=0.07). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that grade 3 or 4 CIN within the first cycle of treatment are independent predictors for a longer PFS time (P=0.01). Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that grade 3 or 4 CIN within the first cycle of treatment are early predictors of the efficacy of FTD/TPI + Bev.

Time-lapse videomicrographic observations of blastocyst hatching in cattle.

Morphological changes of cultured bovine blastocysts during hatching were observed using time-lapse videomicrography in order to investigate the patterns of the hatching process that occurred in the blastocysts and to determine whether the hatching patterns differed between blastocysts developed from fresh and cryopreserved embryos. Compacted morulae (CMs) were collected from superovulation-treated Japanese Black and Holstein dairy cattle and cultured in a medium in a CO(2) culture chamber equipped with an inverted microscope at 38.5 C. Images of resultant blastocysts during the period from blastocoel formation to completion of hatching were taken at 4-sec intervals by a CCD color camera connected to an inverted microscope and recorded by a time-lapse video cassette recorder. In blastocysts developed from fresh CMs, hatching was found to begin with protrusion of trophectoderm cells from zonae pellucidae at the expanded stage. Protrusion of the cells occurred in any site of the trophectoderm. After protrusion, a large or small slit was formed in the zona pellucida in all blastocysts as a result of blastocyst expansion or enlargement of the protrusion. Then, blastocysts completely escaped from the zona pellucida through the slit in the state of expansion. From these findings, the hatching patterns of cattle blastocysts could be classified into 5 types. In blastocysts developed from frozen-thawed CMs, the hatching pattern and length of time needed for hatching are similar to those in blastocysts developed from fresh CMs. In addition, the pregnancy rate of recipients following transfer of frozen-thawed CMs (52.4%) did not differ from that of recipients following transfer with fresh CMs (58.3%). These results suggested that the quality of frozen-thawed cattle embryos is comparable to that of fresh embryos and that there could be a relationship between the hatching pattern of blastocysts and the viability of embryos after transfer.

Single-institute comparison of the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy for oesophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma and stomach adenocarscinoma in a metastatic setting.

BACKGROUND: Different approaches are used to treat resectable tumours in patients having adenocarcinoma at the oesophagogastrointestinal junction (EGJ) or in the stomach. However, there is limited information about treatment efficacy for patients at metastatic stage. A recent molecular analysis of upper gastrointestinal tract adenocarcinoma revealed that the anatomical location can influence the molecular backgrounds of tumours. This study sought to elucidate whether different therapeutic approaches should be used for EGJ tumours relative to those in the stomach. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single institute in Japan. Patients having metastatic or recurrent adenocarcinoma in the EGJ or stomach who underwent platinum doublet chemotherapy between January 2007 and August 2014 were enrolled. Patients in the EGJ tumour group had tumours having an epicentre within 2 cm proximal or 5 cm distal to the estimated anatomical EGJ and cardia. RESULTS: Among 378 consecutively enrolled patients, 61 were grouped into the EGJ group and the remainder comprised the stomach group. The EGJ group had more men and lower incidence of diffuse type and Borrmann type IV tumours and peritoneum metastasis compared with the stomach group. The median overall survival of patients in the EGJ and stomach groups was similar (17.3 months (95% CI 13.5 to 23.2) vs 14.5 months (95% CI 13.3 to 16.4)). No statistically significant difference was observed in progression-free survival. Although the overall postprogression survival differed significantly between the EGJ and stomach groups (8.2 months (95% CI 5.7 to 12.7) vs 7.1 months (95% CI 6.1 to 7.8)), on grouping patients by histological type, the two groups exhibited similar postprogression survival. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that diffuse-type histology, higher serum CA19-9 levels and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios were independent poor prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Different clinicopathological features of EGJ adenocarcinoma were not associated with clinical outcomes of platinum doublet chemotherapy. Histological subtype rather than anatomical location has more significance for treatment decisions for advanced gastric cancers.

Community-acquired fulminant colitis caused by binary toxin-producing Clostridium difficile in Japan.

We report a case of community-acquired fulminant colitis caused by Clostridium difficile in Japan. A 46-year-old woman was diagnosed with severe infectious enterocolitis and was admitted at another hospital. The stool culture was positive for toxigenic C. difficile. Since the patient presented with fulminant C. difficile infection (CDI) with toxic megacolon, respiratory insufficiency, and circulatory failure, she was transferred to Kyorin University Hospital for intensive care. Intubation and antibiotic therapy were performed. The general condition improved with conservative treatment, and she was discharged without sequelae. While the recovered isolate was toxin A and B-positive and binary toxin-positive, it was identified as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotype ts0592 and slpA sequence type ts0592. The isolate was different from PCR ribotype 027 epidemic in Europe and North America. In Japan, binary toxin-producing strains are rare and have not caused an epidemic to date. Furthermore, there are few data on community-acquired CDI in Japan. In this case, a non-elderly woman with no major risk factors such as antibiotic use, administration of proton pump inhibitor and history of gastrointestinal surgery developed community-acquired fulminant CDI caused by the binary toxin-positive strain, and ICU treatment was required. Further studies focusing on the role of binary toxin-positive C. difficile in the severity of community-acquired CDI are necessary.

Evaluation of the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test for diagnosing mesalazine allergy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mesalazine is an effective drug for treating ulcerative colitis (UC), but causes allergic symptoms in a few cases. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) for the diagnosis of mesalazine allergy. METHODS: Patients with UC treated with mesalazine with or without a history of associated adverse events (AEs) were enrolled at Kyorin University Hospital from July 2016 to April 2017. RESULTS: The DLST was performed in 104 patients with UC, of which 24 had a history of AEs due to mesalazine treatment. The control value of DLST was 337.4±296.3 counts per minute (cpm) in the AE+ group and 408.0±371.9 cpm in the AE- group. The measured value of DLST was 578.8±424.7 cpm in the AE+ group and 476.5±471.8 cpm in the AE- group. The stimulation index (SI) was 243.9%±291.1% in the AE+ group and 119.8%±53.0% in the AE- group. The SI value and DLST positivity were significantly higher in the AE+ group than in the AE- group (P=0.030 and P=0.029, respectively). The test sensitivity and specificity were 0.240 and 0.805, respectively, and the false-positive and false-negative rate was 0.195 and 0.760, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The DLST for mesalazine showed low sensitivity and high specificity, suggesting that it may be useful for the definitive diagnosis of allergy to mesalazine.

A Caucasian American patient with celiac disease diagnosed in Japan and successfully treated with a gluten-free diet.

We report the case of a 33-year-old Caucasian American man diagnosed with celiac disease in Japan. He presented to a community hospital because of chronic watery diarrhea and weight loss for 6 months. The laboratory data showed low serum albumin and serum cholesterol. A colonoscopy was normal. He was referred to our hospital for further work-up. Serum tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (IgA) and endomysial antibody were positive. The HLA type was DQ2. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed nodular and mosaic-patterned mucosa from the bulb to the second part of the duodenum. The histopathological findings were consistent with Marsh type 3c of the modified Marsh classification for celiac disease. The patient was instructed to follow a gluten-free diet (GFD). Six months after the initiation of the GFD, his symptom and the levels of serum albumin and cholesterol were improved, and the serum tissue transglutaminase IgA and endomysial antibody became negative. However, EGD showed little improvement. Capsule endoscopy also revealed mosaic-patterned mucosa, nodular mucosa, and scalloping of the folds of the duodenum and proximal small intestine. There was no definite improvement in histopathological findings. Collectively, the GFD was effective in this patient with celiac disease, but it should be maintained to achieve endoscopic and histopathologic healing.

An HIV-infected Patient with Confirmed Overlapping Complications of Severe Amebic Colitis and CMV Enteritis.

We herein report a case of simultaneous amebic colitis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) enteritis in an HIV-infected patient. The patient was a 40-year-old man who developed bloody stool and diarrhea. We diagnosed him with severe amebic colitis associated with HIV infection and administered metronidazole. While his symptoms began to improve, the patient then developed CMV enteritis. We administered ganciclovir, and his symptoms improved. However, despite control of the infection, stenosis of the descending colon caused intestinal obstruction, and colostomy was performed. This case shows the importance of considering the possibility of simultaneous infection when gastrointestinal symptoms appear in people infected with HIV.