楠原 康弘

Background: Several epidemiologic studies have reported an inverse association between serum levels of carotenoids and cardiovascular disease risk. However, no studies have reported an association between serum carotenoids and N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the general population. Methods: In this cross-sectional study,we investigated whether serum carotenoids were associated with serum NTproBNP in 1056 Japanese subjects (390 men, 666 women) who attended a health examination. Serum levels of carotenoids were separately determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Serum NT-proBNP level was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results: Serum NT-proBNP was elevated (≥55 pg/ml) in 31.8% of men and 48.2% of women. Multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for confounding factors showed a significant association between the highest quartile of serum a-carotene and elevated NT-proBNP in men (odds ratio [OR]= 0.40, 95% CI = 0.19-0.82, P for trend = 0.005) and women (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39-0.99, P for trend = 0.047). In women, moreover, elevated serum NTproBNP was significantly associated with serum canthaxanthin (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.36-0.90 for highest quartile, P for trend = 0.026) and ß-cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.85 for highest quartile, P for trend = 0.026), after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: Higher levels of serum carotenoids were associated with lower risk of elevated serum NT-proBNP levels after adjusting for possible confounders, which suggests that a diet rich in carotenoids could help prevent cardiac overload in the Japanese population. © 2013 Japan Epidemiological Association.

Here, we carried out a survey to determine the prevalence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in tap-water sources from rivers and water treatment plants located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. A total of 374 raw water samples were collected from 113 sampling points. The samples were filtrated and transferred to non-nutrient agar plates seeded with a heat-killed suspension of Escherichia coli and incubated for 2 to 7 days at 30A degrees C or 42A degrees C. The plates were examined by microscopy to morphologically identify FLA families, and polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis were then performed to define the species of the detected Naegleria and Acanthamoeba isolates. A total of 257 of 374 samples (68.7%) were positive for FLA by microscopy, and among these there were 800 FLA isolates, including Acanthamoeba and Naegleria species. Sequence analysis identified five Acanthamoeba spp. isolates of the known pathogenic T4 genotype and 43 Naegleria australiensis isolates, a reported pathogen to mice and also of concern as a potential pathogen to humans. Our results suggest a wide distribution of FLA, including potential pathogenic species, in tap-water sources of western Japan.

Background Et aims: Few epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between abdominal adiposity and serum levels of carotenoids. This study investigated the relationship between total and abdominal obesity and serum Levels of carotenoids. Methods: Study population consisted of healthy Japanese males (n = 192) and females (n = 398) who attended a health examination screening (age: 49-86 years). Serum carotenoids were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to provide the muttivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of obesity indices for low levels of serum carotenoids. Results: In females, High waist circumference was associated with tow levels of serum canthaxanthin (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.26-3.19) and beta-carotene (BC) (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.23-3.28). High waist hip ratio was also associated with low levels of serum alpha-carotene and BC (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.49-4.03, and OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.20-3.28, respectively). Similar results were obtained when body mass index was added to confounding factors. In mates, however, there were no significant associations between obesity indices and serum levels of carotenoids. Conclusions: Our results suggest that abdominal fat accumulation is associated with oxidative stress as determined by low levels of serum carotenoids in females. In mates, further study excluding the effect of strong confounding factors, including smoking, is needed. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

BACKGROUND: Amebiasis is a parasitic infection with Entamoeba histolytica. Pulmonary amebiasis is rare since the infection is commonly manifested as amebic colitis or liver abscess. Most pleuropulmonary amebiasis is seen in patients with amebic liver abscesses. A pulmonary amebic lesion without either a liver abscess or amebic colitis is extremely rare. Thus, reported cases of sputum cytologic diagnosis of a pulmonary amebic lesion from a patient without a liver abscess are also very rare. CASE: A 53-year-old man presented with a dry cough and mild fever. Chest radiography revealed an abnormal solitary mass lesion in the right upper lung field. The clinical diagnosis was a bacterial lung abscess. Sputum cytologic examination demonstrated many trophozoites of E histolytica. Following sputum cytodiagnosis, serologic tests revealed a slightly high but almost normal titer of IgG antibodies to E histolytica, indicating the possible presence of the pathogen. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using E histolytica-specific primers for DNA extracted from the sputum sample revealed specific DNA product. CONCLUSION. Pulmonary I amebiasis without either a liver abscess or amebic colitis must be distinguished from bacterial abscesses and neoplastic disease. A sputum cytologic examination combined with PCR for DNA extracted from a sputum sample is a good approach to the diagnosis of a pulmonary amebic abscess.

The present study was conducted to assess the relationship between obesity and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), carotenoids, oxidized LDL (oxLDL), oxidized LDL antibodies (oLAB), and leptin in Japanese residents. The subjects were 158 males and 158 females aged 40-79 years, and living in Hokkaido, Japan, who attended a health examination screening. Serum levels of CRP, oxLDL, oLAB, and leptin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and serum carotenoid levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as body weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared and obesity was defined as BMI of 25 or more (kg/m2). Serum levels of CRP and leptin were significantly higher in the obese group than in their non-obese counterparts in both genders. Serum levels of β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin were lower in the obese individuals, especially in females. While values for oxLDL and oLAB did not significantly vary. BMI was positively correlated with logtransformed serum levels of CRP and leptin in both genders (males: r=0.231, p&lt 0.05 females: r=0.305, p&lt 0.001). In females, moreover, BMI was negatively correlated with log-transformed serum levels of β-carotene, zeaxanthin/ lutein, and β-cryptoxanthin (r=-0.244, p&lt 0.01 r=-0.200, p&lt 0.05 r=-0.207, p&lt 0.01, respectively). Significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for high serum levels of CRP (males: OR=2.12 females: OR=3.96) and leptin (males: OR=3.83 females: OR=9.07) were observed in obese versus non-obese men and women, after adjusting for various confounding factors. Significantly lower adjusted odds ratios for high serum levels of α- and β-carotenes (males: OR=0.23, 0.33 females: OR=0.35, 0.39, respectively) were also observed in the obese as compared to the non-obese group. In conclusion, obesity is highly associated with states of oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation in Japanese residents, suggesting that these latter might play an important role in the association between a high BMI and certain cancers as well as coronary heart disease (CHD).

Aichi virus is the type species of a new genus, Kobuvirus, of the family Picornaviridae. In this study, we constructed a full-length cDNA clone of Aichi virus whose in vitro transcripts were infectious to Vero cells. During construction of the infectious eDNA clone, a novel sequence of 32 nucleotides was identified at the 5' end of the genome. Computer-assisted prediction of the secondary structure of the 5' end of the genome, including the novel sequence, suggested the formation of a stable stem-loop structure consisting of 42 nucleotides. The function of this stem-loop in virus replication was investigated using various site-directed mutants derived from the infectious cDNA clone. Our data indicated that correct folding of the stem-loop at the 5' end of the positive strand, but not at the 3' end of the negative strand, is critical for viral RNA replication. The primary sequence in the lower part of the stem was also suggested to be crucial for RNA replication. In contrast, nucleotide changes in the loop segment did not so severely reduce the efficiency of virus replication. A double mutant, in which both nucleotide stretches of the middle part of the stem were replaced by their complementary nucleotides, had efficient RNA replication and translation abilities but was unable to produce viruses. These results indicate that the stem-loop at the 5' end of the Aichi virus genome is an element involved in both viral RNA replication and production of infectious virus particles.

35歳, 女性. オーストラリア旅行中の1月6日右側頭部に疼痛を感じ, 帰国後1月16日に当院を受診した. マダニ咬症と診断し, 周囲の正常皮膚を含めて切除した. マダニはlxodes holocyclusと同定した. 切除2日後, 右顔面の紅斑, 腫脹が増強し, 右顔面神経麻痺や指趾先のしびれ感が出現し, マダニ麻痺症と診断した. 顔面神経麻痺を伴うライム病も完全には否定できず, 抗生物質を投与した. なお, 抗ライム病抗体は陰性であった. 虫体切除後, 約1ヵ月で麻痺症状は完全に消失した. l.holocyclusは唾液腺に神経毒素を有する危険なマダニであり, 時に呼吸筋麻痺により死亡することもあるため, 留意する必要がある.

今回我々は世界一周旅行中にビルハルツ住血吸虫と旋毛虫に重複感染した日本人の症例を経験したので報告する. 患者は33歳男性. 人院時検査で顕著な好酸球増多および著明なIgE値の上昇を認めたため, 寄生虫学的検索を行い, ビルハルツ住血吸虫症ならびに旋毛虫症と診断された. Praziquantei6錠/日, 2日間の投与により尿中虫卵と排尿痛が消失し, さらにmebendazole 3錠/日, 4日間服用/3クールにて入院時強陽性を示した抗旋毛虫抗体価が弱陽性となり, 好酸球数とIgE値はほぼ正常値まで減少した.

Serum concentrations of alpha-carotene (AC), beta-carotene (BC), lycopene (LY), beta-cryptoxanthin (CR), zeaxanthin (including lutein, ZX), canthaxanthin (CX), retinol (RE), and alpha-tocopherol (TO) in healthy persons (618 males and 1196 females) ages 7-86 years were determined by HPLC. Serum concentrations of BC among persons aged 20-49 years were higher with increasing age in females, but not in males. Serum CR concentrations decreased with age ranging from 7 to 39 years, while ZX concentrations rose in the age group of 20 to 59 years for both sexes. In contrast, serum RE concentrations and ratios of RE/BC and RE/CR, especially in males aged 20-49, were higher with age. Serum TO values in both sexes rose with age and were similar.