Efficacy of dupilumab as an alternative to corticosteroids in the treatment of exacerbations of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

The pathogenesis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis involves not only eosinophils but also plasma cells that produce immunoglobulin E. Dupilumab may be an effective alternative to corticosteroids because it inhibits T cell to plasma cell differentiation by blocking IL4.

A pitfall in chest imaging.

The key feature of Poland syndrome is asymmetry in the chest wall. Clinicians should be alert to abnormalities of the chest wall as well as the lungs if there is abnormal chest radiograph lucency.

Airway obstruction due to mochi (sticky rice cake) retrieved with a cryoprobe.

Cryoprobes represent an option for bronchial foreign body removal in cases of bronchial obstruction due to viscous substances such as mochi at body temperature.

Identification rate of Legionella species in non-purulent sputum culture is comparable to that in purulent sputum culture in Legionella pneumonia.

Many Legionella pneumonia patients do not produce sputum, and it is unknown whether purulent sputum is required for the identification of Legionella species. This study aimed to evaluate the identification rate of Legionella species based on sputum quality and the factors predictive of Legionella infection. This study included Legionella pneumonia patients at Kurashiki Central Hospital from November 2000 to December 2022. Sputum quality, based on gram staining, was classified as the following: Geckler 1/2, 3/6 and 4/5. Geckler 4/5 was defined as purulent sputum. The sputa of 104 of 124 Legionella pneumonia patients were cultured. Fifty-four patients (51.9%) were identified with Legionella species, most of which were Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (81.5%). The identification rates of Legionella species according to sputum quality were 57.1% (16/28) in Geckler 1/2 sputum, 50.0% (34/68) in Geckler 3/6 sputum, and 50.0% (4/8) in Geckler 4/5 sputum, which were not significantly different (P = 0.86). On multivariate analysis, pre-culture treatment with anti-Legionella antimicrobials (odds ratio [OR] 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.91), Pneumonia Severity Index class ≥IV (OR 2.57 [95% CI 1.02-6.71]), and intensive care unit admission (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.06-10.09) correlated with the ability to identify Legionella species, but sputum quality did not (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.17-4.41). The identification rate of Legionella species in non-purulent sputum was similar to that in purulent sputum. For the diagnosis of Legionella pneumonia, sputum should be collected before administering anti-Legionella antibiotics and cultured regardless of sputum quality.

A case of asthma revealed to be a much rarer condition.

Asthma is one of the most common diseases. However, in patients with refractory asthma, chest imaging assessment should be performed, bearing in mind the possibility of other diseases.

Imaging in pleural amyloidosis: A diagnostic challenge.

Pleural amyloidosis does not present with specific imaging findings and is difficult to diagnose unless pleural biopsy is performed. However, distinguishing pleural amyloidosis from malignant disease is important and biopsy should be performed wherever possible to establish a treatment plan as early as possible.

A case of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis: 3D-CT Findings led to successful multidisciplinary treatment with dupilumab and cryoprobe.

The present case involved a 78-year-old woman with repeated recurrences of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM) who presented to our outpatient clinic with a chief complaint of dyspnoea with respiratory failure. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed atelectasis of the lower lobes due to mucus plugs. Blood and biochemical tests showed a high peripheral blood eosinophil count (1330/µL) and elevated immunoglobulin E (15,041 IU/mL; normal, < 361 IU/mL). Recurrent ABPM was diagnosed. The patient also showed chronic lower respiratory tract infection associated with Mycobacterium avium complex and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. First, we removed the mucus plug with a cryoprobe to avoid administering corticosteroids. However, subsequent 3-dimensional CT showed residual mucus plugs, so we administered dupilumab as an additional treatment. After initiating dupilumab, mucus plugs disappeared and respiratory failure resolved. We were able to implement multidisciplinary treatment that did not rely on corticosteroids.

Chest drainage, a basic but essential procedure.

Chest drainage is a basic and important procedure in the treatment of pneumothorax. When properly implemented, even the most severely ill patients may be able to be treated without surgical intervention.

Development of a microfluidic device to observe dynamic flow around the villi generated by deformation of small intestinal tissue.

The mucosal immune system in the small intestine is crucial for human health. For the immune response, mutual contact between gut bacteria and intestinal epithelial cells is important because there are unique epithelial cells specialized in gut bacteria sampling on the villi. The travel of gut bacteria to the villi is led by a complex dynamic flow in the small intestine. However, the complex dynamic flow around the villi has not yet been explored at a micro scale. In this study, we proposed a microfluidic device to observe the flow around the villi generated by the dynamic deformation of small intestinal tissue. The microfluidic device had 3 pneumatic actuators to drive small intestinal tissue. The pneumatic actuator with small intestinal tissue achieved a sufficient stroke of 1000 mm and reproducibility. A mouse's immotile small intestinal tissue was driven by the pneumatic actuator, resulting in dynamic flow; the villi dynamics can be explored. The dynamic flow of the villi is observed using 1 µm fluorescent microbeads as markers. Dynamic flow in the small intestinal tissue is classified into three modes based on the bead speed. Among these modes, in transitional flow, the microbeads slow down around the villi, resulting in an increased probability of microbead and villi adhesion. Two further unique flow behaviors are as follows: the fluorescent microbeads float and remain within the gaps of villi under the dynamic deformation of the small intestinal tissue, and a stirring flow occurs in the dent of the small intestinal tissue.

Severe Legionella Pneumonia in Which Serial Testing by Ribotest® Legionella was Useful for the Diagnosis.

A 79-year-old man presented with chest pain, and urinary antigen tests for Legionella pneumophila (ImmunoCatch® Legionella and Ribotest® Legionella) were negative on admission. The next day, rapid respiratory failure suggested Legionella pneumonia, and levofloxacin was added. Since a lung infiltration shadow appeared on the other side as well on day 4, non-infectious diseases were considered, and steroid therapy was started. Urinary antigen tests for Legionella pneumophila became positive on day 5. In the present case, retesting with Ribotest® Legionella, which could be negative early after the disease onset, was useful for diagnosing Legionella pneumonia, which led to the discontinuation of unnecessary steroid treatment.

IgA vasculitis as an immune-related adverse event of durvalumab: A case report.

A 78-year-old man with lung cancer underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by durvalumab for 24 cycles. After 6 months, he presented with anorexia and palpable purpura of the lower extremities, with increased proteinuria, hematuria, and elevated creatinine levels. Skin and kidney biopsies suggested a diagnosis of IgA vasculitis. No evidence of cancer progression was found; moreover, no infection or drug could be identified as the cause. Therefore, he was diagnosed with IgA vasculitis as an immune-related adverse event (irAE) caused by durvalumab. Because immune checkpoint inhibitors can cause vasculitis, clinicians should be cautious during their administration and after their discontinuation.

Incidental diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis by rebiopsy for epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation: A case report.

Cryptococcosis is an invasive fungal infection that can occur in cancer patients. A case of pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient treated with erlotinib + ramucirumab for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R point mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer is presented. During chemotherapy, a new pulmonary nodule was found and considered progressive disease. Examination of the biopsy specimen taken to identify EGFR T790M mutation incidentally led to the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis. Three months after taking fluconazole, chest computed tomography showed that the pulmonary nodule had shrunk. New pulmonary nodules during lung cancer treatment require careful attention, not only because of disease progression, but also because of the possibility of infection in an immunocompromised host.

Pulmonary Cryptococcosis Diagnosed by a Transbronchial Lung Cryobiopsy in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

A 77-year-old woman with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis who was being treated with prednisolone (8 mg/day) and methotrexate (12 mg/week) visited our hospital with an 11-day history of a fever and dyspnea. Chest computed tomography showed infiltration in the right lower lobe. A transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) showed cryptococcal cells, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid later showed growth of Cryptococcus neoformans. She was treated with amphotericin B and flucytosine for about four weeks, and the pulmonary shadows improved. The treatment was then changed to fluconazole as outpatient consolidation and maintenance therapy. A rare case of pulmonary cryptococcosis diagnosed by a TBLC is reported.

Local Microbubble Removal in Polydimethylsiloxane Microchannel by Balancing Negative and Atmospheric Pressures.

Long-term experiments using organoids and tissues are crucial for drug development. Microfluidic devices have been regularly used in long-term experiments. However, microbubbles often form in these devices, and they may damage and starve cells. A method involving the application of negative pressure has been reported to remove microbubbles from microfluidic devices composed of polydimethylsiloxane; however, negative pressure affects the cells and tissues in microfluidic devices. In this study, a local microbubble removal method was developed using a microfluidic device with 0.5 mm thin polydimethylsiloxane sidewalls. The thin sidewalls counterbalanced the negative and atmospheric pressures, thereby localizing the negative pressure near the negatively pressurized chamber. Microbubbles were removed within 5 mm of the negatively pressurized chamber; however, those in an area 7 mm and more from the chamber were not removed. Using the local removal method, a long-term perfusion test was performed, and no contact was confirmed between the bubbles and the simulated tissue for 72 h.

Microfluidic Liquid Cell with Silicon Nitride Super-Thin Membrane for Electron Microscopy of Samples in Liquid.

Microfluidic liquid cells have been developed to visualize nanoscaled biological samples in liquid using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) through an electron-transparent membrane (ETM). However, despite the combination of the high-resolution visualization of SEM and the high experimental capability of microfluidics, the image is unclear because of the scattering of the electron beam in the ETM. Thus, this study developed a microfluidic liquid cell with a super-thin ETM of thickness 10 nm. Because the super-thin ETM is excessively fragile, the bonding of a silicon-nitride-deposited substrate and a polydimethylsiloxane microchannel before silicon anisotropic etching was proposed prevented the super-thin ETM from damage and breakage due to etching. With this protection against etchant using the microchannel, the yield of the fabricated super-thin ETM increased from 0 to 87%. Further, the scattering of the electron beam was suppressed using a microfluidic liquid cell with a super-thin ETM, resulting in high-resolution visualization. In addition, T4 bacteriophages were visualized using a super-thin ETM in vacuum. Furthermore, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 in liquid was visualized using a super-thin ETM, and sub-microscopic structures on the surface were observed.

A 73-Year-Old Man With Refractory Hemoptysis.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old man with fever and fatigue presented to his doctor. He had a history of smoking (52 pack-years) and COPD on home oxygen therapy. The patient had no significant family medical history, illicit drug-use history, or recent alcohol use. Chest CT scan showed a slight infiltrative shadow of the left lower lobe on a background of emphysema. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were administered for community-acquired pneumonia without any clinical or radiologic improvement after 2 weeks of therapy. Additional tests showed rapid deterioration of renal function (creatinine level, which was 0.68 mg/dL 2 years earlier, had worsened to 2.08 mg/dL), BUN level of 49.8 mg/dL (reference range, 8- to 20 mg/dL), myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies 484.0 units/mL (range, 0.0 to 3.4 units/mL), C-reactive protein level of 11.1 mg/dL (range, 0.0 to 0.14 mg/dL), hemoglobin level of 9.0 g/dL (range, 13.7 to 16.8 g/dL), and urinalysis protein 1+ and occult blood 3+. On physical examination, multiple lesions of purpura were observed on the body surface, and hemoptysis was present. No sputum, urine, or blood cultures were done. Based on the examination, the previous doctors suspected microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) rather than an atypical/resistant infectious disease. The patient was treated with high-dose methylprednisolone (500 mg for 2 days and 125 mg for 13 days), but hemoptysis reappeared, and the patient was subsequently transported to our hospital.

Air embolism after transbronchial lung cryobiopsy: A case report.

A 76-year-old woman underwent transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) and transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) for examination of interstitial infiltrates. After the examination, the patient's consciousness became clouded, and head computed tomography showed an air embolus. She was started on 100% oxygen, and her consciousness improved, but she remained hemiplegic on the left side and dysphagic. Vascular air embolism (VAE) is a rare but serious complication. Although cases of VAE have been reported with conventional transbronchial forceps biopsy, cases of VAE after TBLC are quite rare, and thus this case is reported.

Addition of Baricitinib to COVID-19 Treatment Does Not Increase Bacterial Infection Compared to Standard Therapy: A Single-center Retrospective Study.

Objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the world, and the utility of many drugs for treatment has been suggested. However, few studies have examined the efficacy and safety of treatment with baricitinib, remdesivir, and dexamethasone. Methods A retrospective, cohort study of patients who were admitted to Kurashiki Central Hospital in Japan between April 6 and June 29, 2021, was conducted. Differences in patients' background characteristics, clinical outcomes, and safety were investigated in the groups with and without baricitinib treatment. The primary outcome was the bacterial infection rate, and the secondary outcome was the 28-day mortality rate. An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis, including 12 covariates, was used as a propensity score analysis to reduce biases. Results In total, there were 96 patients, including 43 in the baricitinib-containing therapy (BCT) group and 53 in the non-baricitinib-containing therapy (non-BCT) group. In the BCT group, the ordinal scale on admission was 2.3% with 4, 51.1% with 5, 23.3% with 6, and 23.3% with 7. In the non-BCT group, the ordinal scale was 1.9% with 3, 18.9% with 4, 58.5% with 5, 13.2% with 6, and 7.5% with 7. After adjusting by the IPTW analysis, the BCT group did not have an increased bacterial infection rate [odds ratio (OR), 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.36-3.38; p=0.87] or 28-day mortality rate (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.07-1.3; p=0.11) compared with the non-BCT group. Conclusion BCT can be administered without increasing the infection risk compared with non-BCT.