An Atypical Case of Spondylitis Due to Nontyphoidal Salmonella in an Adult Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella commonly induces intestinal infections; however, spondylitis arising from this bacterium is exceedingly rare. A comprehensive review of the clinical attributes of nontyphoidal Salmonella-induced spondylitis in adult populations is lacking in the literature. We report a case of an 83-year-old female who presented with a fever lasting three days, accompanied by anorexia and pervasive malaise. A month prior, she had been prescribed celecoxib and had received a trigger point injection. The patient was initially diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis and treated with an antimicrobial regimen. However, a week later, although her fever persisted, there was no complaint of back pain. The discontinuation of celecoxib led to back pain. Subsequent urine and blood cultures, coupled with MRI findings, confirmed the diagnosis of pyogenic spondylitis attributable to the Salmonella O7 group. The patient's fever abated with the administration of antimicrobial agents, and her back pain subsided. The antimicrobial regimen was continued for 12 weeks, with no resurgence of fever or back pain following treatment. Local pain and fever are important indicators for the diagnosis of spondylitis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella. It is critical to take an accurate history of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use, such as celecoxib, since NSAIDs can obscure the symptoms. Blood cultures are equally important, given their propensity to yield positive results in these patients.

Coffee and caffeine intake reduces risk of ulcerative colitis: a case-control study in Japan.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although diet is one of the potential environmental factors affecting ulcerative colitis (UC), evidence is not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions. This Japanese case-control study examined the association between the consumption of coffee, other caffeine-containing beverages and food, and total caffeine and the risk of UC. METHODS: The study involved 384 UC cases and 665 control subjects. Intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, carbonated soft drinks, and chocolate snacks was measured with a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Adjustments were made for sex, age, pack-years of smoking, alcohol consumption, history of appendicitis, family history of UC, education level, body mass index, and intake of vitamin C, retinol, and total energy. RESULTS: Higher consumption of coffee and carbonated soft drinks was associated with a reduced risk of UC with a significant dose-response relationship (P for trend for coffee and carbonated soft drinks were <0.0001 and 0.01, respectively), whereas higher consumption of chocolate snacks was significantly associated with an increased risk of UC. No association was observed between consumption of decaffeinated coffee, black tea, green tea, or oolong tea and the risk of UC. Total caffeine intake was inversely associated with the risk of UC; the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.67; P for trend <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that intake of coffee and caffeine is also associated with a reduced risk of UC in Japan where people consume relatively low quantities of coffee compared with Western countries.

Yellow Tongue Coating is Associated With Diabetes Mellitus Among Japanese Non-smoking Men and Women: The Toon Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Yellow tongue coating is one of the clinical signs for diabetes mellitus according to traditional East Asian medicine. Few reports have been available on the association between yellow tongue coating and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the general population. We examined that association among population samples of non-smoking men and women. METHODS: The study subjects were Japanese non-smoking men (n = 315) and women (n = 654) aged 30-79 years who resided in Toon city and participated in the Toon Health Study from July 2011 through November 2014. Tongue coating was assessed by a nationally licensed acupuncturist and classified into three categories of white (normal), light yellow, and yellow. We performed an oral glucose tolerance test to confirm the presence of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes. The associations between yellow tongue coating and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes were examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, drinking status, and physical activity. RESULTS: The multivariable odds ratios of diabetes mellitus were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-2.67) for light yellow tongue coating and 2.23 (95% CI, 1.16-4.30) for yellow tongue coating compared with white tongue coating. The respective multivariable odds ratios of prediabetes were 1.13 (95% CI, 0.80-1.61) and 1.43 (95% CI, 0.96-2.12). CONCLUSIONS: Yellow tongue coating was associated with higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and tended to be associated with that of prediabetes among Japanese non-smoking men and women.

The effects of licorice flavonoid oil with respect to increasing muscle mass: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluated the effects of licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) with respect to increasing the muscle mass of elderly populations using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty participants aged 54-90 years (seven men, 43 women), who underwent rehabilitation treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee, were examined and assigned to either the LFO group (n = 26) or the placebo group (n = 24). The LFO group consumed 300 mg LFO day-1 , whereas the placebo group consumed one placebo capsule every day for 16 weeks. We measured muscle mass, body fat percentage and the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure score at baseline and every 4 weeks thereafter. RESULTS: In the LFO group, muscle mass in the body trunk increased significantly after 16 weeks of LFO intake (+0.38 kg, P = 0.02). The trunk muscle mass weight of the LFO group increased significantly compared to that of the placebo group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the body fat percentage and body trunk fat percentage of the LFO group were significantly suppressed compared to that of the placebo group (P = 0.03 and P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of the present trial indicate that LFO supplementation has effects with respect to increasing muscle mass and suppressing the body fat percentage of elderly populations, especially in the body trunk. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Highly efficient aerobic oxidation of various amines using Pd3Pb intermetallic compounds as catalysts.

Intermetallic Pd3Pb supported on Al2O3 can act as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidation of various amines including primary, secondary, aromatic, aliphatic, and cyclic amines.

Long-term branched-chain amino acid supplementation improves glucose tolerance in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related cirrhosis.

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements have mainly been administered as a nutritional intervention for decompensated liver cirrhosis. Several studies have shown that short-term BCAA supplementation improves insulin and glucose tolerance in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the long-term effects of BCAA supplementation on glucose tolerance and in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related liver cirrhosis are unknown. Herein, we report 2 cases of NASH-related liver cirrhosis in which long-term BCAA supplementation improved glycemic control. We conclude that in the absence of an effective conventional therapy for NASH-related liver cirrhosis, BCAA supplementation should be considered as an alternative treatment.