A Clinical Trial Evaluating the Usefulness of Tailored Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Using Rectal-culture Screening Media Prior to Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial.

The aim of this report is to introduce an on-going, multicenter, randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether tailored antimicrobial prophylaxis guided by rectal culture screening prevents acute bacterial prostatitis following transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB). Patients will be randomized into an intervention or non-intervention group; tazobactam-piperacillin or levofloxacin will be prophylactically administered according to the results of rectal culture prior to TRPB in the intervention group whereas levofloxacin will be routinely given in the non-intervention group. The primary endpoint is the occurrence rate of acute bacterial prostatitis after TRPB. Recruitment begins in April, 2021 and the target total sample size is 5,100 participants.

The third national Japanese antimicrobial susceptibility pattern surveillance program: Bacterial isolates from complicated urinary tract infection patients.

The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with complicated urinary tract infections were analyzed using national surveillance data. The data consisted of 881 bacterial strains from eight clinically relevant species. The data were collected for the third national surveillance project from January 2015 to March 2016 by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Disease, and the Japanese Society of Clinical Microbiology. Surveillance was undertaken with the cooperation of 41 medical institutions throughout Japan. Fluoroquinolone required a MIC90 of 2-64 mg/L to inhibit the 325 Escherichia coli strains tested and the proportion of levofloxacin resistant E. coli strains increased to 38.5% from 29.6% in 2011 and 28.6% in 2008. The proportion of levofloxacin resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis decreased from previous reports and the proportion of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae remained low. Among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, strains with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (minimum inhibitory concentration, 2 µg/mL) increased to 14.7% from 5.5%. Bacterial strains that produced extended-spectrum ß-lactamase included E. coli (79 of 325 strains, 24.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9 of 177 strains, 7.7%), and Proteus mirabilis (6 of 55 strains, 10.9%). The proportion of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains increased from previous surveillance reports.

Impact of selective media for detecting fluoroquinolone-insusceptible/extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli before transrectal prostate biopsy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of fluoroquinolone-insusceptible and/or extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli colonizing in the male rectum before transrectal prostate biopsy. METHODS: We carried out a prospective cohort study of men undergoing transrectal prostate biopsy. CHROMagar Orientation originally supplemented with levofloxacin and CHROMagar Orientation/extended-spectrum beta-lactamase were used for detecting fluoroquinolone-insusceptible and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Rectal specimens were collected before prostate biopsy, and the results of cultures in the selective medium were compared with drug susceptibility measured by standard methods. Targeted prophylactic antimicrobials were administered to patients with drug-resistant Escherichia coli and the incidence of postoperative prostatitis was investigated. In the case of prostatitis, pathogens preoperatively isolated from the rectum and those from urine were compared using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Rectal colonization of fluoroquinolone-insusceptible or extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli was detected in 217 of 694 (31.3%) and 85 of 640 (13.3%) participants, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of fluoroquinolone-insusceptible selective media were 96.8% and 88.2%, respectively. A total of 618 participants underwent transrectal prostate biopsy, and postoperative acute prostatitis was observed in four of 618 (0.6%) participants. Escherichia coli strains isolated preoperatively from the rectum and postoperatively from urine were found to be identical. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings showed accuracy and performance of the selective media. Screening cultures before transrectal prostate biopsy using selective media seems to be helpful for guiding antibiotic prophylaxis and thus decreasing the rate of post-biopsy acute prostatitis.

Japanese nationwide surveillance in 2011 of antibacterial susceptibility patterns of clinical isolates from complicated urinary tract infection cases.

To investigate antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of various bacterial pathogens isolated from complicated urinary tract infection (UTI) cases, the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association of Infectious Disease, and the Japanese Society of Clinical Microbiology conducted the second nationwide surveillance from January to September 2011. With the cooperation of 42 medical institutions throughout Japan, 1036 strains belonging to 8 clinically relevant bacterial species were collected. Among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain, the vancomycin (VCM) MIC for 5.5% (3/55) of the strains was 2 µg/mL. Ampicillin, VCM, and linezolid were relatively active against 209 Enterococcus faecalis strains. The proportion of fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant strains was >20%. The MIC90 of FQs against the 382 Escherichia coli strains was 2-64 mg/L and the proportion resistant to FQs was approximately 30%. However, susceptibility of E. coli to sitafloxacin was still high (MIC90 = 2 mg/L). Fifty-eight (15.2%) of 382 E. coli, 6 (4.5%) of 132 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 1 (2.4%) of 41 Klebsiella oxytoca and 4 (6.8%) of 59 Proteus mirabilis strains were suspected of producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase. Of 93 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, the proportions resistant to imipenem, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin were 21.5%, 4.3%, and 20.4%, respectively. Four strains (4.3%) were found to be multidrug-resistant. In complicated UTI cases, all of MRSA and E. faecalis were susceptible to all anti-MRSA agents. Sitafloxacin was active against other FQ-resistant E. coli strains. The isolation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing and multidrug-resistant strains increased.

Ureteroscopic management of chronic unilateral hematuria: a single-center experience over 22 years.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the short and long term safety and efficacy of ureteroscopic evaluation and management of chronic unilateral hematuria. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with chronic unilateral hematuria from 1987 to 2008. The distal to middle ureter was evaluated with a semi-rigid ureteroscope without a guidewire. Subsequently, the flexible ureteroscope was advanced into the upper ureter to the renal pelvis using a low-pressure automated irrigant system (Uromat™). Lesions identified ureteroscopically were treated with diathermy fulguration. RESULTS: One hundred and four (56 male, 48 female) patients were identified, with a median age of 37 (14-80) years and median follow-up of 139 (34-277) months. The median preoperative duration of gross hematuria was 5 (1-144) months. Endoscopic findings included 61 (56%) minute venous rupture (MVR; a venous bleeding without clear abnormalities), 21 (20%) hemangioma (vascular tumor-like structure), 3 (3%) varix (tortuous vein), 1 (1%) calculus and 18 (17%) no lesions. The incidence of "no lesions" was less in the recent 12 years (9%) than the first 10 years (27%), while the incidence of MVR increased from 40 to 66% (p<0.05). All patients were treated endoscopically. Immediate success rate was 96% (100% in the recent 12 years). Long-term recurrent gross hematuria rate was 7%. Six resolved spontaneously and only 1 required ureteroscopy, revealing a different bleeding site. CONCLUSION: Ureteroscopy and diathermy fulguration is highly useful for evaluation and treatment of chronic unilateral hematuria. Sophisticated technique and improved instrumentation contributes to a better outcome.

Efficacy of short-term androgen deprivation with high-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of prostate cancer in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether combining short-term neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (NADT) with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) had a significant benefit in a large population of men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer (CaP). METHODS: We evaluated the records of 530 patients whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at diagnosis was 30 ng/mL or less and whose follow-up period was not less than 12 months, at seven investigational sites. Two hundred seventy patients had received NADT (within 6 months), and 260 had not. The primary outcome measure was disease-free survival according to the combined criteria satisfying the Phoenix definition (less than nadir + 2), negative prostate biopsy, and no findings of distant metastasis after the last HIFU treatment. The significance of the differences of values or the distributions of each parameter between two groups was evaluated with a Mann-Whitney U test, unpaired t test, or chi-square test, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the prognostic relevance of preoperative parameters. RESULTS: Statistical analyses showed that the NADT group had worse disease (higher PSA and risk group) than the HIFU-only group. Variables shown by multivariate analyses to be significant prognostic parameters were pretreatment PSA level, clinical stage, and no use of NADT. Short-term NADT significantly improved the 3-year disease-free survival rate of patients with intermediate-risk and high-risk CaP. During follow-up the frequencies of complications did not differ significantly with or without NADT. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective study suggests that combining short-term NADT with HIFU treatment is of significant clinical benefit to intermediate-risk and high-risk CaP patients without increasing the likelihood of complications.

High-energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: comparative study between 30-and 60-minute single treatments.

We retrospectively evaluated the subjective and objective treatment results of transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and explored the difference in effectiveness between 30- and 60-min single treatments. From June 1997 through March 2003, 58 men with BPH underwent TUMT using the Targis device. Twenty-seven and 31 patients each received a single treatment of 60 or 30 min, respectively. Evaluations after treatment included a clinical determination of the International Prostate Symptom Score, urodynamic assessments by peak flow rate, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the 60-min treatment, the symptom score improved significantly, from 17.9 to 9.5 after 2 months. Similarly, there was a significant improvement in peak flow rate, from 6.7 to 11.2 ml/sec after 2 months. In the 30-min treatment, the symptom score also improved significantly, from 18.4 to 13.4 after 2 weeks. Similarly, there was a significant improvement in the peak flow rate, from 6.4 to 11.7 ml/sec after 1 month. MRI imaging showed necrosis of the prostate gland 2 weeks after either treatment. These results demonstrated that both the 60-min and the 30-min treatments were effective for patients with BPH. Moreover, the 30-min treatment led to quicker improvement than the 60-min treatment. Thus, a 30-min TUMT protocol is considered recommendable for this treatment.

Molecular epidemiological studies of Staphylococcus aureus in urinary tract infection.

In recent years, the increasing incidence of urinary tract infection (UTIs) caused by Staphylococcus aureus has been noted at the urology ward, Okayama University Hospital. We investigated the molecular epidemiological characteristics of 139 UTI isolates, including 45 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and 94 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), collected over a 10-year period from 1990 to 1999. The antibiotic resistance genes ( mecA, aph(3')-III, aac(6')-aph(2"), ant(4')-I) and the toxin genes (tst, sea, seb, and sec) were detected by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Since 1996, the prevalence of the ant(4')-I, tstand secgenes has increased markedly in coagulase type II S. aureus possessing the mecA gene (MRSA). The presence of toxin genes in MRSA was higher than that in MSSA; 66.0% and 26.7% for tst, 7.4% and 4.4% for sea, 24.5% and 8.9% for seb, and 66.0% and 28.9% for sec, respectively. In the review of medical records, it was found that febrile episodes occurred in 12 of 72 patients with monomicrobial UTI caused by S. aureus. For the febrile patients, S. aureus isolates with both the tst and sec genes were found significantly more often (11 of 12; 91.7%) than those without the tst and sec genes ( P = 0.0484). Molecular typing of MRSA isolates, by using random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis, revealed no apparent clonality of these isolates over the 10 years, suggesting that most of the recent MRSA infections are not due to cross-infection in the urology ward.

[A Japanese version of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI, Okayama version) and the clinical evaluation of cernitin pollen extract for chronic non-bacterial prostatitis].

PURPOSE: The chronic prostatitis syndromes are common disorders in urologic practice and present various clinical symptoms. The development of a chronic prostatitis symptom index appropriate for judgment of therapeutic effects is awaited since the pathophysiology and appropriate treatment are not well defined so far. We developed a Japanese version of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptoms Index (NIH-CPSI, Okayama version), and examined its usefulness. In addition, we evaluated clinical effects of Cernilton for chronic nonbacterial prostatitis using this symptom index. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 87 patients including 34 patients with NIH chronic prostatitis category III, 35 patients with BPH and 18 patients for control group who visited the Department of Urology at Okayama University Medical School filled in the questionnaire of our Japanese version of the NIH-CPSI to compare the NIH-CPSI scores among three groups. Twenty-four patients with NIH chronic prostatitis category III (IIIa 16, IIIb 8) were treated with Cernilton and the NIH-CPSI scores were examined before and after its administration. RESULTS: The pain/discomfort domain score was 9.79 (mean) in the chronic prostatitis group, 1.66 in the BPH group and 0.39 in the control group; that of the urinary symptom domain was 3.82, 3.29 and 0.72, respectively; and that of the quality of life (QOL) was 8.21, 4.17 and 1.39, respectively. The pain/discomfort domain score was significantly higher in the chronic prostatitis group than in the other groups; the QOL domain score was higher in the order of the chronic prostatitis group, the BPH group and the control group. In the chronic prostatitis group, there was a significant, positive correlation between the pain/discomfort domain score and that of the QOL, and between the urinary symptom domain score and that of the QOL. These results suggested the usefulness of our Japanese version of the NIH-CPSI as a parameter of the severity of chronic prostatitis. Examination of changes in the NIH-CPSI scores revealed that scores of the items in all domains were significantly lower 4 to 6 weeks after the start of administration of Cernilton than those obtained before the drug administration in patients with chronic prostatitis. CONCLUSIONS: A Japanese version of NIH-CPSI (Okayama version) accurately reflects clinical symptoms and the QOL in patients with chronic prostatitis. It seemed to be a useful and appropriate system for scoring symptoms of chronic prostatitis, indicating further studies on translation, adaptation and validation of the NIH-CPSI in Japan.

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: initial cases at Okayama University Hospital.

We performed laparoscopic prostatectomy in seven cases with organ-confined prostate cancer. In 6 cases, the surgery was completed successfully and the mean operative time was 424 min. Volume of blood loss was 200 to 3,200 ml and catheterization lasted 6 to 37 days. No major complications were observed in 6 of the cases. In one case, open surgical conversion was necessary mainly due to a bladder injury. Although these were the first cases of laparoscopic prostatectomy in our institution, the technical difficulty and complexity of the surgery were moderate. We believe that laparoscopic radical prostatectomy will become a standard option for the treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer.