To determine the influence of “thin”, “normal”, and “obesity” on the motor function and exercise capacity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, as well as whether “obesity” is actually “harmful” for such patients. A total of 103 COPD patients in a stable condition were classified into three groups: a “thin group” (BMI<18.5), an “normal group” (18.5≤BMI<25), and an “obesity group” (BMI≥25). Fourteen patients from each group matched for %FEV_1.0, sex, and age were evaluated. The measurement items were: respiratory function, respiratory muscle strength, lower and upper limb muscle strength, the 30-sec chair-stand test (CS-30), timed up and go test (TUG), 6-minute walking test (6MWT), incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT), Nagasaki university respiratory questionnaire (NRADL), and St. George’s respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ). As a result of comparing the three groups, the %MIP was significantly higher in the obesity compared to thin group (p=0.04). No differences were seen between the groups in the mMRC, %MEP, quadriceps femoris muscle strength (%), CS-30, TUG, 6MWT, ISWT, NRSDL, and SGRQ, but these values showed a tendency to be favorable in the obesity group. The BMI was significantly and positively correlated with the %MIP and NRADL. It was suggested that management of the respiratory muscle strength, exercise tolerance, and ADL when COPD patients are obese rather than thin can be possibly associated with a higher QOL.

Dipylidium caninum is a cosmopolitan parasite of companion animals such as dogs and cats. Accidental infection in humans occur mostly in children. Although considerable number of cases were reported from Europe and the Americas, case reports of this zoonotic disease are rather scarce from Asian countries. The aim of this study is to report the results of literature survey on dipylidiasis cases in humans in Japan. Conclusively, we have found a total of 17 cases since the first case report in from Aichi Prefecture in 1925.

Dipylidium caninum is a cosmopolitan parasite of companion animals such as dogs and cats. Accidental infection in humans occur mostly in children. Although considerable number of cases were reported from Europe and the Americas, case reports of this zoonotic disease are rather scarce from Asian countries. The aim of this study is to report the results of literature survey on dipylidiasis cases in humans in Japan. Conclusively, we have found a total of 17 cases since the first case report in from Aichi Prefecture in 1925.

Dipylidium caninum is a cosmopolitan parasite of companion animals such as dogs and cats. Accidental infection in humans occur mostly in children. Although considerable number of cases were reported from Europe and the Americas, case reports of this zoonotic disease are rather scarce from Asian countries. The aim of this study is to report the results of literature survey on dipylidiasis cases in humans in Japan. Conclusively, we have found a total of 17 cases since the first case report in from Aichi Prefecture in 1925.

Dipylidium caninum is a cosmopolitan parasite of companion animals such as dogs and cats. Accidental infection in humans occur mostly in children. Although considerable number of cases were reported from Europe and the Americas, case reports of this zoonotic disease are rather scarce from Asian countries. The aim of this study is to report the results of literature survey on dipylidiasis cases in humans in Japan. Conclusively, we have found a total of 17 cases since the first case report in from Aichi Prefecture in 1925.

It is commonly believed that prosthetic valve implantation in actively infected patients is to be avoided. After normalization of C-reactive protein and white blood cell counts, and sterilization of blood cultures by treatment with antibiotics, we performed valvular surgery. We performed mitral valve repair in cases where the mitral valve lesion did not involve the annulus. From July 1992 to November 1996, 13 patients (mean age, 50 years) were treated surgically for infective endocarditis (IE) at Kansai Medical University. Twelve of the patients had native valve endocarditis (NVE), and 1 had prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). In 6 patients, the causative organisms were determined. These included: α-Streptococcus in 4 patients, Enterococcus in 1, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in 1. The affected valves were as follows: aortic valve alone in 4 patients, mitral valve alone in 6, aortic and mitral valves in 2, and a prosthetic aortic valve in 1. The PVE was due to a MRSA infection which occurred 9 months after aortic valve replacement. All patients were treated preoperatively for heart failure and the infection. The surgical procedures performed were: aortic valve replacement in 4 patients, mitral valve replacement in 3, mitral repair in 3, double valve replacement in 2, and re-aortic valve replacement in 1. There were no deaths or recurrences of IE in hospital or during follow-up to date. In all of the mitral valve repair cases, the mitral regurgitation on follow-up echocardiograms was grade I. Our results show that surgical treatment of IE after management of preoperative conditions can be successful. Furthermore, despite the absence of laboratory findings indicative of ongoing inflammation or infection, pathologic examination revealed active inflammatory reactions and organisms in 4 cases. In 1 patient, MRSA was culthued from an annular abscess that was resected intraoperatively. We suggest that cessation of antibiotic therapy be regarded with caution and suggest that the infected site must be resected surgically.

BACKGROUND: To identify a new strategy for postoperative pain management, we investigated the analgesic effects of allopregnanolone (Allo) in an incisional pain model, and also assessed its effects on the activities of the primary afferent fibers at the dorsal horn. METHODS: In experiment 1, 45 rats were assigned to Control, Allo small-dose (0.16 mg/kg), and Allo large-dose (1.6 mg/kg) groups (n = 15 in each). The weight bearing and mechanical withdrawal thresholds of the hind limb were measured before and at 2, 24, 48, and 168 h after Brennan's surgery. In experiment 2, 16 rats were assigned to Control and Allo (0.16 mg/kg) groups (n = 8 in each). The degree of spontaneous pain was measured using the grimace scale after the surgery. Activities of the primary afferent fibers in the spinal cord (L6) were evaluated using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: In experiment 1, the withdrawal threshold of the Allo small-dose group was significantly higher than that of the Control group at 2 h after surgery. Intergroup differences in weight bearing were not significant. In experiment 2, intergroup differences in the grimace scale scores were not significant. Substance P release in the Allo (0.16 mg/kg) group was significantly lower than that in the Control group. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic administration of Allo inhibited mechanical allodynia and activities of the primary afferent fibers at the dorsal horn in a rat postoperative pain model. Allo was proposed as a candidate for postoperative pain management.
Animals ; Extremities ; Hyperalgesia ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pregnanolone ; Rats ; Receptors, Neurokinin-1 ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn ; Substance P ; Weight-Bearing

Sparganosis is one of the common zoonotic diseases caused by infection with the larval plerocercoids (spargana) of the cestode genus Spirometra. While this parasite distributes globally in canine and feline hosts, human infection is predominantly reported in East Asia, especially China, Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Maybe related to the behavior and food culture, this zoonotic disease is rather rare in South Asia to the Middle East. In these areas, sporadic case reports have been appeared mostly in the local medical journals. To draw a solid picture of sparganosis in these non-endemic areas of Asia, we made an extensive literature survey to gather sparganosis cases in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

Sparganosis is one of the common zoonotic diseases caused by infection with the larval plerocercoids (spargana) of the cestode genus Spirometra. While this parasite distributes globally in canine and feline hosts, human infection is predominantly reported in East Asia, especially China, Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Maybe related to the behavior and food culture, this zoonotic disease is rather rare in South Asia to the Middle East. In these areas, sporadic case reports have been appeared mostly in the local medical journals. To draw a solid picture of sparganosis in these non-endemic areas of Asia, we made an extensive literature survey to gather sparganosis cases in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

Sparganosis is one of the common zoonotic diseases caused by infection with the larval plerocercoids (spargana) of the cestode genus Spirometra. While this parasite distributes globally in canine and feline hosts, human infection is predominantly reported in East Asia, especially China, Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Maybe related to the behavior and food culture, this zoonotic disease is rather rare in South Asia to the Middle East. In these areas, sporadic case reports have been appeared mostly in the local medical journals. To draw a solid picture of sparganosis in these non-endemic areas of Asia, we made an extensive literature survey to gather sparganosis cases in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.