Kenji Hibiya

BACKGROUND: Legionella pneumophila pneumonia often exacerbates acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells is considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ALI and ARDS. In this study, we investigated the precise mechanism by which A549 alveolar epithelial cells induced by L. pneumophila undergo apoptosis. We also studied the effect of methyl prednisolone on apoptosis in these cells.

METHODS: Nuclear ...

AIM: To investigate the utility of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining with an antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) for the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis (TB).

METHODS: We retrospectively identified 10 patients (4 males and 6 females; mean age = 65.1 ± 13.6 years) with intestinal TB. Clinical characteristics, including age, gender, underlying disease, and symptoms were obtained. Chest radiograph and laboratory tests, including sputum Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, ...

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection in HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-infected patients who have started highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is well known to be one scenario of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). We encountered the first case in Japan of an HIV-infected patient with pulmonary Mycobacterium parascrofulaceum infection as IRIS. A 34 year-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was receiving highly active antiretroviral ...

BACKGROUND: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is known to be involved in the resolution of pulmonary inflammation and repair of acute lung injury. Legionella pneumonia is sometimes complicated by acute lung injury. Our study aimed to determine the role of serum HGF levels in Legionella pneumonia.

METHODS: Sera from patients with Legionella pneumonia (42 cases), other bacterial pneumonia (33 cases), pulmonary tuberculosis (19 cases), and normal controls (29 cases) were collected. The serum ...

Genotyping of Legionella strains is important for the epidemiologic survey of Legionnaires' disease infections. In this study, we investigated the potential of repetitive element-polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) for differentiating various isolates of Legionella spp. We used 38 Legionella pneumophila isolates (collected in clinics all over Japan between 1980 and 2007), 19 environmental Legionella anisa isolates (collected in Okinawa, Nara, Osaka, and Hyogo prefecture between 1987 and ...

The aim of this study was to classify the histopathological features of pigs infected with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). We used slaughtered pig organs systemically infected with MAC. The results showed granulomatous lesions which were observed predominantly in the digestive organs and regional lymph nodes rather than respiratory organs. The histological picture showed a wide range of granulomatous stages from exudative to fibrotic reactions to the MAC infection. Eosinophils and ...

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) caused by mycobacterium in patients with AIDS is often experienced in clinical practice. There is, however, a paucity of data documenting the histopathological findings and the pathogenesis. We determined the immunopathological characteristics of IRIS associated with Mycobacterium parascrofulaceum infection in an AIDS patient. A patient presented with pulmonary lymphadenitis and involvement of the pulmonary lingular segment. Portions of ...

Mycobacterium avium causes systemic infections through primary intestinal lesions in pigs. However, its pathogenesis is not well understood. The aim of this study was to confirm the effects on swine after enteral infection. One hundred and twelve pigs with hepatic lesions infected with M. avium were used in this study. We investigated the involvement of other organs and the distribution of hepatic lesions in the lobular structure. Most lesions involved the mesenteric lymph nodes. Hepatic ...

Quantitative assessment of mycobacterial antigens is very important to determine the surgical indication, as well as the area of resection for pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infectious disease. However, at present, pathological assessment is only possible as a postoperative examination. We performed quantitative evaluation of mycobacterial antigens using lung tissues with MAC pulmonary infection obtained from surgical resection. The distribution of mycobacterial antigens was ...

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is an opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients and pigs, and causes dissemination through primary intestinal lesions. However, its pathogenesis is not well understood. In this article, we hypothesize that pigs can provide a suitable experimental model of disseminated MAC disease. We compared the initial route of infection, the characteristics of the pathogenic strains, the immunological status of the hosts, and the histological characteristics. The route ...

Recent genetic studies have revealed that several epidemiological factors affect Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection in pig populations. However, mechanisms underlying the spread of MAC infection among hog farms have not been clarified. In consideration of this situation, we cross-sectionally investigated the mechanisms underlying the spread of MAC on the island of Okinawa. Pigs slaughtered (n=706,763) and 331 hog farms on Okinawa were surveyed during the years 2002-2004. Two ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the chest computed tomographic (CT) findings of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia.

METHODS: CT scans obtained from 23 sporadic cases of L. pneumophila pneumonia were retrospectively reviewed. Chest CT findings were analyzed with regard to the patterns and distributions of pulmonary abnormalities. We also analyzed the histopathology of lungs from guinea pigs with experimentally induced L. pneumophila pneumonia.

RESULTS: Consolidation and ground-glass opacity (GGO) ...

Liver diseases associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have become the major cause of mortality in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection since the introduction of highly active anti-retroviral therapy. HCV-related liver disease is more severe in HIV-infected patients than in non-HIV-infected patients, but the standard therapies used to treat chronic hepatitis C in HCV/HIV coinfected patients are the same as those for patients infected with HCV alone. HIV ...

It is well established that diffuse interstitial shadows are observed in human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carriers. However, the pathological pattern of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) has rarely been reported. Here, we describe the clinical features of four patients with histologically proven NSIP and HTLV-1 infection. The patients, one woman and three men, had a median age of 59.5 years. High-resolution computed tomography of the lungs was performed in all ...