Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 16. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Infectious Diseases, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address:

Introduction: Biofilm formation is an important issue in the healthcare industry, but conventional disinfectants are not effective for biofilms formed in the hospital environment and on medical instruments. In this study, aim at determine the effectiveness of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on biofilm removal and the disinfection of biofilm-forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Methods: Mucoid and non-mucoid strains were used for biofilm formation. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 16. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Division of Infectious Disease and Hospital Epidemiology, Saga University Medical Center, Saga, Japan; Department of International Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.

The objective of this study was to explore the optimal dosage regimen of daptomycin and to determine the necessity and validity of a high-dose regimen from the perspectives of PK/PD parameters using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in a Japanese clinical setting. The volume of distribution (0.13 ± 0. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.

We herein report a case of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) spondylitis and bacteremia in a 90-year-old man with diabetes mellitus who had undergone sigmoidectomy and had a fecalith. Two months prior to admission, he had received antimicrobial treatment for 2 weeks for K. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of General Medicine and Emergency Care, Toho University School of Medicine, Japan.

Introduction: Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a common viral infection that typically causes fever, pharyngitis, and lymphadenopathy in young patients. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most common cause of IM, followed by cytomegalovirus (CMV). Given that serological testing is associated with limitations regarding its accuracy, availability, and time to receive results, clinical differentiation based on symptoms, signs, and basic tests would be useful. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Molecular Biology Department, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (ICMR), Patna, India. Electronic address:

Influenza virus is a common human pathogenic agent that has caused serious respiratory illness and death over the past century and in recent year. Treatment options against pandemic influenza strain A/H1N1 are very limited and unsatisfactory. Therefore we have developed iron oxide nanoparticles (IO-NPs) with particle size in the range of 10-15 nm against pandemic influenza strain A/H1N1/Eastern India/66/PR8-H1N1. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Kawasaki City Institute for Public Health, Japan.

Background: Even though abnormal behavior related with influenza and neuraminidase inhibitors (NI) has been discussed, the risks of acetaminophen and co-administration of NI and acetaminophen have not been examined. This study assesses those risks.

Materials And Methods: All cases of patients with influenza who present with severe abnormal behavior are reported by physicians of all clinics and hospitals throughout Japan. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Immunology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, 162-8640, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:

Objectives: β-Hemolytic streptococci occasionally cause severe infections such as necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). Here, we conducted a prospective study to investigate the production of cytokines and chemokines in patients with STSS to explore its pathogenesis in survivors and fatal cases.

Methods: From January 2013 through August 2015, all culture results from normally sterile sites were prospectively followed and screened for STSS. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Bacterial peritonitis, an infection of the ascitic fluid, can be classified etiologically as spontaneous or secondary bacterial peritonitis. The former is mainly caused by portal hypertension and its subsequent effects, whereas the latter is caused by the direct dissemination of bacteria into the peritoneal cavity. Previous reports have described some distinguishing features of these two entities. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Division of Cancer Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of a combined regimen of levofloxacin (LVFX) plus isepamicin (ISP) as prophylaxis for transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the prostate (TRUSP-Bx).

Materials And Methods: Overall, 562 patients undergoing TRUSP-Bx were included in the present study. All patients were administered a single-dose of oral LVFX (500 mg) in the morning and intravenous ISP (400 mg) 60 min before biopsy. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Neonatology, Center for Maternal-Neonatal Care, Nagoya University Hospital, Japan.

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is generally a self-limiting disease, but it may become refractory. It is thought that refractory MPP is linked to the excessive immunologic responses of the host. Consequently, the use of adjunctive systemic corticosteroids may have beneficial effects. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan. Electronic address:

Candida blood stream infection (candidemia) is severe systemic infection mainly develops after intensive medical cares. The mortality of candidemia is affected by the underlying conditions, causative agents and the initial management. We retrospectively analyzed mortality-related risk factors in cases of candidemia between April 2011 and March 2016 in five regional hospitals in Japan. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:

In light of the increasing number of clinical cases resistant to traditional monotherapies and the lack of novel antimicrobial agents, combination therapy is an appealing solution for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of anti-MRSA agents, such as vancomycin (VAN), daptomycin (DAP), and linezolid (LZD), in conjunction with 13 beta-lactams and non-beta-lactams. We assessed the in vitro activities of the various combinations against 40 MRSA strains based on the maximum synergistic effect (MSE), an index calculated from the MIC change with a combination agent. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Medicine, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is an opportunistic infection in patients on steroid therapy for connective tissue diseases. The standard agent for primary PCP prophylaxis is trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), although this agent can cause common adverse reactions, including myelosuppression and renal toxicity, that result in cessation. Aerosolized pentamidine and oral atovaquone are alternatives for PCP prophylaxis. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Subspecialties, National Center for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1, Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA. Electronic address:

The significance of anaerobic bacteria as a pathogen in urinary tract infection (UTI) in children is unclear. A two-month-old infant presenting with poor feeding received a diagnosis of polymicrobial anaerobic UTI by next-generation sequencing and was found to have obstructive uropathy. Anaerobic bacteria may be a cause of UTI in children with urinary tract obstruction. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.

Blood cultures are the most valuable tool when bacteremia is clinically suspected. Technical advances have led to the development of automated blood culture systems to detect bacterial infections. Usually positive signals in automated blood culture systems result from the proliferation of microorganisms. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Medical Microbiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address:

Raoultella ornithinolytica is a Gram-negative, non-motile, encapsulated, biofilm producing, facultative aerobic bacillus and is found in natural environment. Human infections with R.ornithinolytica is rare in children with only five cases having been reported previously. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan.

Exophiala dermatitidis is a dematiaceous fungus that is increasingly becoming the cause of fungal infection in immunocompromised patients. However, the risk factors and optimal treatment modality for E. dermatitidis infection are unknown to date. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Hematology Division, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Disseminated adenovirus (ADV) infection is a fatal complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), however, it is rare following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) or chemotherapy alone.

Case: A 66-year-old Japanese female with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) received auto-PBSCT, achieving partial response. To obtain a greater response, pomalidomide/dexamethasone was started on day 28 after auto-PBSCT, but was stopped on day 41 due to thrombocytopenia, fever, and gross hematuria. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.

In this study, we investigated all Clostridioides difficile strains isolated from stool samples in Nagasaki University Hospital between January 2012 and December 2014. Toxin genes (tcdA, tcdB and cdtA/cdtB) were analyzed for multiplex PCR in a total of 213 strains. In the toxin gene-positive strain, PCR ribotyping was conducted using capillary gel electrophoresis-based PCR and the Webribo database. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Pharmaceutical Biomedicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 7008530, Japan; Department of Pharmaceutical Biomedicine, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 7008530, Japan.

The application and clinical impact of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) in the treatment of acute pharyngitis is unknown in Japan. We aimed to examine the proportions of RADT usage to identify Group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) in outpatients with acute pharyngitis and evaluate the association between RADT and antibiotic treatment. We analyzed health insurance claims data from 2013 to 2015. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Tokyo; Department of Infection Control and Prevention, The University of Tokyo.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by severe recurrent infections such as pneumonia, liver and skin infections. However, prostatic abscesses are rare as only two cases have been reported thus far. We present the case of a 41-year-old patient with CGD who was admitted to the hospital with fever and subsequently, Klebsiella pneumoniae was identified on blood culture. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of lower-dose sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim therapy (SMX/TMP) for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases.

Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study, we compared effectiveness and safety of SMX/TMP for the treatment of PCP among patients divided into three groups according to the initial dosage of SMX/TMP: the low, ≤10 mg/kg/day; the intermediate, 10-15 mg/kg/day; and the high and conventional, 15-20 mg/kg/day for TMP dose.

Results: Eighty-one patients, including 22, 30, and 29 patients in the low-, the intermediate- and the high-dose group could be analyzed and the 30-day survival rate were 100%, 93. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 2. Epub 2019 Jan 2.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.

This study investigated the molecular and phenotypic characteristics of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, and identified the risk factors underlying its acquisition. We evaluated K. pneumoniae isolated in Nagasaki University Hospital between January 2009 and June 2015. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Mar 29;25(3):163-169. Epub 2018 Dec 29.

The Promotion Committee for Proper Use of Pediatric Quinolones of Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases and the Japanese Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.

During the period from January to December 2015, 104 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, 129 Haemophilus influenzae strains and 54 Moraxella catarrhalis strains isolated from clinical specimens of pediatric infections in the national 16 institutions, studied susceptibilities of total 28 antibiotics, the capsular serotype for S. pneumoniae, the capsular b type and β-lactamase production capability for H. influenzae, and the β-lactamase production capability for M. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Infection Control Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; Infection Control Science Research Center, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.

Outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have been reported worldwide. Some outbreaks were caused by USA300, which is a community-associated MRSA clone. In 2011, polymerase chain reaction-based open reading frame typing (POT) for the initial MRSA isolates from all inpatients was started at the Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.

We report a pediatric case aged 10 years with Granulicatella adiacens-associated chronic mandibular osteomyelitis. The causative pathogen was uncertain because polymicrobial species were detected from the bacterial culture in bone marrow fluid. In contrast, G. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Dec 21. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of single-dose perioperative antimicrobial therapy as infection prophylaxis in recipients of living-donor renal transplants in the rituximab era.

Patients And Methods: Between 2009 and 2017, 84 recipients underwent living-donor renal transplantation (LDRT) at Okayama University Hospital; 3 with vascular/urinary complications requiring additional surgery were excluded from this analysis. Data including recipient characteristics, antimicrobial prophylaxis and administration of rituximab were retrospectively examined for an association with perioperative infections. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 3;25(2):162. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan. Electronic address:

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 24;25(1):17-21. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Department of Pharmacy, Yamanashi Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamanashi, 400-8506, Japan.

Amikacin (AMK) is used as empiric therapy for severe infections such as sepsis in low birth weight (LBW) infants. AMK administered once daily (OD) in adults is reported to be therapeutically effective and prevent side effects, however, evidence on AMK administration in LBW infants is limited, with no clear indications of effectiveness. We performed therapeutic drug monitoring analysis of 20 infants treated with AMK OD for severe infections such as bacteremia. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Division of Neurology, Sendai City Hospital, 1-1-1 Asutonagamachi, Taihaku-ku, Sendai 982-8502, Miyagi, Japan.

Early neurosyphilis commonly appears in basilar meninges, and its meningeal inflammation can spread to neighboring cranial nerves, resulting in some cranial nerve palsies. Herein, we report a case of a 51-year-old man who presented with right peripheral facial nerve palsy. His symptoms completely disappeared with prednisolone monotherapy without antibiotics use and were not exacerbated during clinical treatment. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 6;25(2):111-116. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Japan Development, MSD K.K., Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:

Tazobactam/ceftolozane, a novel antimicrobial therapy, is active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and most extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. We report the results of the efficacy and safety of tazobactam/ceftolozane in Japanese patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI). A multicenter, open-label, noncomparative study (MK-7625A Protocol 013, ClinicalTrials. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 4;25(2):161. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan. Electronic address:

J Infect Chemother 2019 Mar 4;25(3):182-191. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Department of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Metabolism, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

Tazobactam/ceftolozane is a combination of a β-lactamase inhibitor and a cephalosporin antibiotic, with recommended dosage for patients with normal renal function of tazobactam 0.5 g/ceftolozane 1 g administered as a 1-h intravenous infusion every 8 h. The doses in patients with moderate and severe renal impairment are recommended to be reduced by half and 1/4th, respectively. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Nov 30. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Department of Infection Control Science, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Research Center for Infectious Disease Sciences (RCIDS), Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. Electronic address:

Aspergillus species are a major cause of life-threatening infections in immunocompromised hosts, and the most common pathogen of invasive aspergillosis is Aspergillus fumigatus. Recently, the development of molecular identification has revealed cryptic Aspergillus species, and A. felis is one such species within the Aspergillus section Fumigati reported in 2013. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Nov 30. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; AMR Clinical Reference Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) and candidemia have significant impacts on mortality. Both have important implications for antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). However, there are limited data regarding who should be educated and what components should be considered for the ASPs. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Mar 27;25(3):175-181. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Kawasaki City Institute for Public Health, 3-25-13 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan. Electronic address:

Simple, systematic, and sustainable passive surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) should be useful to quantify the clinical and economic burden in a timely manner with minimum investment. This pilot study evaluated the usefulness of nationwide administrative databases (a hospital-based administrative database and an insurance claims database) for such passive surveillance of children hospitalized for VPDs using rotavirus gastroenteritis (RGE) as an example. Two rotavirus vaccines were launched in November 2011 and July 2012 in Japan. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan.

Introduction: To promote antimicrobial stewardship activity, an understanding of the incidence of antibiotic-associated adverse drug events (ADEs) is essential. In this study, we aimed to describe the occurrence of antibiotic-associated ADEs at our hospital.

Methods: We retrospectively searched the ADE registration system in Osaka University Hospital between 2010 and 2017. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Oct 25. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department I of Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address:

Raoultella planticola is a gram-negative, encapsulated, aerobic bacterium within the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has been primarily described as pathogen in cases with pneumonia and gastrointestinal infections. Here we describe a case of severe pelvic cellulitis in a patient with neutropenia following induction therapy for myeloid sarcoma. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Oct 25. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Japan. Electronic address:

In paediatric patients, β-lactams and macrolides are widely used to treat acute otitis media and sinusitis, which are often caused by either Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae. However, resistant isolates have emerged and are becoming more prevalent. H. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Oct 26. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

An epidemiologic surveillance of non-albicans candidemia for a 6-year period was conducted in Korea. Compared to the published epidemiologic data for the previous 6 years, an increase of C. glabrata (from 21. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Oct 25. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Programa de Mestrado em Fisiopatologia Clínica e Laboratorial, Departamento de Patologia, Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil; Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Microrganismos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Brazil. Electronic address:

mecA-positive oxacillin phenotypically susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (OS-MRSA) is increasingly reported worldwide. This bacterium poses a therapeutic threat, as it can be misidentified as an oxacillin-susceptible organism by phenotypic methods that are routinely used in the majority of clinical microbiology laboratories. Herein, we report the first case of fatal sepsis in a 43-year-old female patient caused by an OS-MRSA SCCmec type IVa/ST1/CC1 in a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil, which highlights the difficulties involved in diagnosing this bacterium. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 22;25(2):83-88. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee of Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japan; Division of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.

J Infect Chemother 2019 Mar 23;25(3):170-174. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.

Therapeutic outcomes for septic arthritis vary greatly depending on the span of time between disease-onset and surgery. The most important factor is making an early and definitive diagnosis; however, some cases may be difficult to diagnose. We investigated presepsin, a biomarker of sepsis, to determine whether or not presepsin in synovial fluid would be useful for the diagnosis of septic arthritis. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 15;25(2):129-136. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Emergency Department, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China. Electronic address:

Background: Influenza is frequently complicated by bacterial co-infection, causing additional hospitalization and mortality. We determined the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of patients with influenza-associated community-acquired bacterial co-infection.

Method: This was a retrospective, observational study. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a life-threatening renal infection characterized by the formation of gas within the renal parenchyma and collecting duct system, as well as perinephric tissues. We herein report a case of bilateral EPN accompanied by the urinary tract infection caused by spherical growth of Candida albicans in a patient with underlying diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer. The diagnosis was assisted by computed tomography, urography, and gram staining. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 14;25(2):117-123. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Mycobacterium Reference and Research, The Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-tuberculosis Association, Kiyose, Japan; Basic Mycobacteriosis, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.

The drug susceptibility of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) varies among isolates. Treatment strategies similarly differ depending on the isolate, and for some, no clear strategy has been identified. This complicates clinical management of RGM. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 10;25(2):124-128. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Division of Pharmacy, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan.

Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening condition. Vancomycin (VCM) is one of the antibiotics used as empirical therapy for bacterial meningitis. It is essential to maintain an adequate concentration of VCM in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to treat bacterial meningitis effectively. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 10;25(2):96-103. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Aomori, Japan.

Diaporhte species are plant pathogens rarely involved in human diseases, especially eye diseases. We report our findings in two undescribed Diaporhte species. Both were identified by their morphological characteristics and by DNA sequence analyses. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Feb 9;25(2):104-110. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Japan Development, MSD K.K., Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:

We report efficacy and safety results for a combination of a novel cephalosporin class antibiotic and a β-Lactamase inhibitor, tazobactam/ceftolozane (1:2) at a dose of 1.5 g intravenously every 8 h in Japanese patients with uncomplicated pyelonephritis and complicated urinary tract infection. This study design was a nonrandomized, multicenter, open-label trial, and the treatment period was 7 days. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Jan 7;25(1):45-49. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

National Hospital Organization Chiba-East Hospital, Department of Respiratory Medicine, 673 Nitona-cho, Chuoh-ku, Chiba 260-8712, Japan.

Cured or completed cases in newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is 47.7% in Japan in 2016. Aging of TB patients and their underlying conditions could affect treatment outcome. Read More