Clinical features relating to pneumococcal colony phase variation in hospitalized adults with pneumonia.

Background. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major causative bacteria of pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD); however, the mechanisms underlying its severity and invasion remain to be defined. Pneumococcal colonies exhibit opaque and transparent opacity phase variations, which have been associated with invasive infections and nasal colonization, respectively, in animal studies. This study evaluated the relationship between the opacity of pneumococcal colonies and the clinical presentation of pneumococcal pneumonia.Methods. This retrospective study included adult patients hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia between 2012 and 2019 at four tertiary medical institutions. Pneumococcal strains from lower respiratory tract specimens were determined for their serotypes and microscopic colony opacity, and the association between the opacity phase and the severity of pneumonia was evaluated. Serotypes 3 and 37 with mucoid colony phenotypes were excluded from the study because their colony morphologies were clearly different.Results. A total of 92 patients were included. Most patients were older adults (median age: 72 years) and males (67 %), and 59 % had community-acquired pneumonia. Of the 92 patients, 41 (45 %), 12 (13 %), and 39 (42 %) patients had opaque, transparent, and mixed variants in their pneumococcal colony, respectively. The opaque and non-opaque pneumococcal variants had no statistically significant difference in patient backgrounds. Although the pneumonia severity index score did not differ between the opaque and non-opaque groups, the rate of bacteremia was significantly higher in the opaque group than in the non-opaque group. Serotype distribution was similar between the groups.Conclusions. Opaque pneumococcal variants may cause pneumonia and invasive diseases in humans. This study could help elucidate IPD, and opacity assessment may serve as a predictor for IPD.

Pulmonary Nocardiosis With Endobronchial Involvement Caused by Nocardiaaraoensis.

We report a rare case of pulmonary nocardiosis with endobronchial involvement caused by Nocardia araoensis. A 79-year-old man with a history of asthma and a previous right upper lobectomy for lung cancer and organizing pneumonia presented with cough and dyspnea. He presented with right bronchial stenosis associated with various mucosal lesions, including ulcerative and exophytic lesions. N araoensis was detected in sputum samples collected via bronchoscopy. The mucosal lesions improved after a 2-week course of meropenem. After a further 6 months of oral sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim treatment, the mucosal lesions completely disappeared. Based on bronchoscopic and pathophysiologic findings, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary nocardiosis with endobronchial involvement. Nocardiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of endobronchial mucosal lesions.

Heterogeneous Tumor-Immune Microenvironments between Primary and Metastatic Tumors in a Patient with ALK Rearrangement-Positive Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma.

Evolution of tumor-immune microenviroments (TIMEs) occurs during tumor growth and dissemination. Understanding inter-site tumor-immune heterogeneity is essential to harness the immune system for cancer therapy. While the development of immunotherapy against lung cancer with driver mutations and neuroendocrine tumors is ongoing, little is known about the TIME of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement-positive lung cancer. We present a case study of a 32-year-old female patient with ALK-rearrangement-positive LCNEC, who had multiple distant metastases including mediastinal lymph-node, bilateral breasts, multiple bones, liver and brain. Multiple biopsy samples obtained from primary lung and three metastatic tumors were analyzed by fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry. Tissue localizations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor nest and surrounding stroma were evaluated. T cell and B cell infiltrations were decreased with distance from primary lung lesion. Although each tumor displayed a unique TIME, all tumors exhibited concomitant regression after treatment with an ALK-inhibitor. This study provides the first evidence of the coexistence of distinct TIME within a single individual with ALK-rearrangement-positive LCNEC. The present study contributes to our understanding of heterogeneous TIMEs between primary and metastatic lesions and provides new insights into the complex interplay between host-immunity and cancer cells in primary and metastatic lesions.

Severe pulmonary alveolar proteinosis with respiratory failure treated by intrapulmonary percussive ventilation.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of surfactant in the alveoli. Whole lung lavage (WLL) is the standard treatment for severe autoimmune PAP (aPAP); however, it is highly invasive. Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) is a non-invasive technique that delivers small bursts of high-flow respiratory gas into the lung and mobilizes secretions. As IPV is beneficial for chronic respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis to reduce sputum, it was hypothesized that IPV will ameliorate aPAP by mobilizing and removing accumulated surfactant and foamy macrophages. Here, we report the case of a 52-year-old female with severe aPAP and progressive respiratory failure. She received intermittent IPV therapy for six months and thereby showed improvement in assessments of chest computed tomography (CT), lung function, and oxygenation. We suggest that IPV should be used as an alternative therapy for patients with aPAP and respiratory failure.

[A Case Report of a Difficult to Diagnose, Extremely Well-Differentiated Stomach Adenocarcinoma Diagnosed by Biopsy].

A Japanese man in his 60s presented with complaints of epigastric pain and weight loss. A gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed multiple gastric ulcers and an irregular mound located on the wall of the lower gastric body along the greater curvature, which was suspected to be cancerous. A biopsy revealed that it was a Group 2 tumor even though the biopsy was repeated 4 times. He was referred to our hospital and 3 biopsies were performed. The final result classified the tumor as Group 4. The patient underwent surgery and the pathological examination revealed an extremely well-differentiated adenocarcinoma( EWDA). An EWDA is characterized by a well-formed mucinous gland with little or no nuclear atypia, which makes preoperative biopsy diagnosis difficult.

Aerosolized tobramycin for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a high mortality and recurrence rate, especially in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Therefore, new therapeutic strategies against severe pneumonia are needed. This study evaluated the efficacy of aerosolized tobramycin for P. aeruginosa VAP in ARDS patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who developed VAP caused by P. aeruginosa during the course of ARDS at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Kumamoto University Hospital. Aerosolized tobramycin inhalation solution (TIS) 240 mg was administered daily for 14 days in addition to systemic antibiotics. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients (TIS group, n = 22; control group, n = 22) were included in the analysis. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of clinical characteristics, including acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score upon ICU admission. The TIS group had significantly lower recurrence of P. aeruginosa VAP (22.7% vs. 52.4%, P = 0.04) and ICU mortality (22.7% vs. 63.6%, P < 0.01) than the control group. Bacterial concentration in tracheal aspirate (mean log 10 cfu/mL ± SD on days 2-5: 1.2 ± 1.3 vs. 5.0 ± 2.3, P < 0.01) decreased more rapidly and markedly in the TIS group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Aerosolized tobramycin was an effective therapeutic strategy for P. aeruginosa VAP patients with ARDS.

In vivo and ex vivo cetuximab sensitivity assay using three-dimensional primary culture system to stratify KRAS mutant colorectal cancer.

In clinic, cetuximab, an anti-EGFR antibody, improves treatment outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC). KRAS-mutant CRC is generally resistant to cetuximab, although difference of the sensitivity among KRAS-mutants has not been studied in detail. We previously developed the cancer tissue-originated spheroid (CTOS) method, a primary culture method for cancer cells. We applied CTOS method to investigate whether ex vivo cetuximab sensitivity assays reflect the difference in sensitivity in the xenografts. Firstly, in vivo cetuximab treatment was performed with xenografts derived from 10 CTOS lines (3 KRAS-wildtype and 7 KRAS mutants). All two CTOS lines which exhibited tumor regression were KRAS-wildtype, meanwhile all KRAS-mutant CTOS lines grew more than the initial size: were resistant to cetuximab according to the clinical evaluation criteria, although the sensitivity was quite diverse. We divided KRAS-mutants into two groups; partially responsive group in which cetuximab had a substantial growth inhibitory effect, and resistant group which exhibited no effect. The ex vivo signaling assay with EGF stimulation revealed that the partially responsive group, but not the resistant group, exhibited suppressed ERK phosphorylation ex vivo. Furthermore, two lines from the partially responsive group, but none of the lines in the resistant group, exhibited a combinatory effect of cetuximab and trametinib, a MEK inhibitor, ex vivo and in vivo. Taken together, the results indicate that ex vivo signaling assay reflects the difference in sensitivity in vivo and stratifies KRAS mutant CTOS lines by sensitivity. Therefore, coupling the in vivo and ex vivo assays with CTOS can be a useful platform for understanding the mechanism of diversity in drug sensitivity.

Immuno-PET Imaging of HER3 in a Model in which HER3 Signaling Plays a Critical Role.

HER3 is overexpressed in various carcinomas including colorectal cancer (CRC), which is associated with poor prognosis, and is involved in the development of therapy resistance. Thus, an in vivo imaging technique is needed to evaluate the expression of HER3, an important therapeutic and diagnostic target. Here, we report successful HER3 PET imaging using a newly generated anti-human HER3 monoclonal antibody, Mab#58, and a mouse model of a HER3-overexpressing xenograft tumor. Furthermore, we assessed the role of HER3 signaling in CRC cancer tissue-originated spheroid (CTOS) and applied HER3 imaging to detect endogenous HER3 in CTOS-derived xenografts. Cell binding assays of 89Zr-labeled Mab#58 using the HER3-overexpressing cell line HER3/RH7777 demonstrated that [89Zr]Mab#58 specifically bound to HER3/RH7777 cells (Kd = 2.7 nM). In vivo biodistribution study in mice bearing HER3/RH7777 and its parent cell xenografts showed that tumor accumulation of [89Zr]Mab#58 in HER3/RH7777 xenografts was significantly higher than that in the control from day 1 to day 4, tending to increase from day 1 to day 4 and reaching 12.2 ± 4.5%ID/g. Radioactivity in other tissues, including the control xenograft, decreased or remained unchanged from day 1 to day 6. Positron emission tomography (PET) in the same model enabled clear visualization of HER3/RH7777 xenografts but not of RH7777 xenografts. CTOS growth assay and signaling assay revealed that CRC CTOS were dependent on HER3 signaling for their growth. In PET studies of mice bearing a CRC CTOS xenograft, the tumor was clearly visualized with [89Zr]Mab#58 but not with the 89Zr-labeled control antibody. Thus, tumor expression of HER3 was successfully visualized by PET with 89Zr-labeled anti-HER3 antibody in CTOS xenograft-bearing mice, a model that retains the properties of the patient tumor. Non-invasive targeting of HER3 by antibodies is feasible, and it is expected to be useful for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Healthy baby delivered vaginally from a brain-dead mother.

Case: A pregnant (20 gestational weeks) 32-year-old woman was found in cardiac arrest. Spontaneous circulation returned after 15 min. She became brain dead on the 13th hospital day. The patient was in stable circulatory condition under nasal desmopressin and 20-30 mg/day of hydrocortisone. On the 92nd hospital day at gestational week 33 + 3 days, natural labor began and a healthy 2,130-g girl (Apgar 6/8) was delivered vaginally with minimum assistance. Outcome: The baby was discharged 40 days after birth and followed up regularly. Conclusion: Brain death remains a hopeless condition for patients, but a brain-dead woman may still be able to naturally deliver a healthy baby.

A validation of presepsin levels in kidney dysfunction patients: four case reports.

Here, we measured presepsins (PSPs) in four patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) and discuss the relationship between PSP and kidney dysfunction. Case 1: an 83-year-old man was admitted to the ICU to manage postoperative respiratory failure with AKI. He had undergone resection for rectal cancer and ileal conduit replacement. On day 1 in the ICU, Escherichia coli (E. coli) was isolated by urine culture. PSP level (pg/ml) on day 2 was 2,745 without elevation of other conventional biomarkers. On day 6, the patient was diagnosed with severe sepsis, and E. coli was isolated by blood culture. By then, PSP had risen to 3,977, along with elevation of other conventional biomarkers. His kidney function recovered gradually after continuous administration of hemodiafiltration; however, PSP continued to rise up to 6,051, along with high systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II values. The patient expired on day 13 due to multiple organ failure. Case 2: a 78-year-old woman with CKD on hemodialysis (HD) was admitted to the ICU after cardiovascular surgery. Continuous HD was administered postoperatively, and PSP ranged from 1,473-1,870 without signs of sepsis. Temporary elevation of other conventional biomarkers was observed postoperatively. Case 3: a 74-year-old woman with CKD on HD was admitted to the ICU after neurosurgery. She underwent intermittent HD postoperatively, and PSP ranged from 1,240-1,935 without sepsis symptoms. Temporary elevation of other conventional biomarkers was observed postoperatively. Case 4: a 62-year-old man with CKD was admitted to the ICU to control gastrointestinal bleeding. PSP was 606 without signs of infection or elevation of other conventional biomarkers. In cases 2, 3, and 4, bacteria were not isolated in blood cultures. Patients' clinical prognoses were good, with low or moderate SIRS and APACHE II scores. PSP in kidney dysfunction patients will be high despite non-infectious conditions. Therefore, evaluation of PSP in kidney dysfunction patients will be difficult. Further investigation is needed to clarify the relationship between PSP and kidney dysfunction.