Unique characteristics of community-onset healthcare- associated bloodstream infections: a multi-centre prospective surveillance study of bloodstream infections in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of bloodstream infections (BSIs) is valuable for their diagnosis, treatment and prevention. However, limited data are available in Japan. AIM: To investigate the characteristics of patients with bacteraemia in Japan. METHODS: This study was conducted in five hospitals from October 2012 to September 2013. Clinical, demographic, microbiological and outcome data for all blood-culture-positive cases were analysed. FINDINGS: In total, 3206 cases of BSI were analysed: 551 community-onset healthcare-associated (CHA)-BSIs, 1891 hospital-acquired (HA)-BSIs and 764 community-acquired (CA)-BSIs. The seven- and 30-day mortality rates were higher in patients with CHA- and HA-BSIs than in patients with CA-BSIs. The odds ratios (ORs) for seven-day mortality were 2.56 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48-4.41] and 2.63 (95% CI 1.64-4.19) for CHA- and HA-BSIs, respectively. The ORs for 30-day mortality were 2.41 (95% CI 1.63-3.57) and 3.31 (95% CI 2.39-4.59) for CHA- and HA-BSIs, respectively. There were 499 cases (15.2%) of central-line-associated BSI and 163 cases (5.0%) of peripheral-line-associated BSI. Major pathogens included coagulase-negative staphylococci (N = 736, 23.0%), Escherichia coli (N = 581, 18.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (N = 294, 9.2%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (N = 263, 8.2%). E. coli exhibited a higher 30-day mortality rate among patients with HA-BSIs (22.3%) compared with patients with CHA-BSIs (12.3%) and CA-BSIs (3.4%). K. pneumoniae exhibited higher 30-day mortality rates in patients with HA-BSIs (22.0%) and CHA-BSIs (22.7%) compared with patients with CA-BSIs (7.8%). CONCLUSION: CHA- and HA-BSIs had higher mortality rates than CA-BSIs. The prognoses of E. coli- and K. pneumonia-related BSIs differed according to the category of bacteraemia.

Effector mechanism and clinical response of BAK (BRM-activated killer) immuno-cell therapy for maintaining satisfactory QOL of advanced cancer patients utilizing CD56-positive NIE (neuro-immune-endocrine) cells.

A new type of immuno-cell therapy called BRM-activated killer (BAK) therapy using non-MHC-restricted lymphocytes, CD56-positive cells, was devised. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were selected by immobilization with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody and cultured for 2 weeks in the presence of IL-2. Thereafter, they were reactivated by 1,000 U/ml of IFN-alpha for 15 min. Twenty-six outpatients with cancer whose performance status were over 80% on Karnofsky scale were selected for this study. About 6 x 10(9) BAK cells were returned by intravenous drip infusion, at one month intervals at an outpatient clinic to each of 20 advanced cancer patients in whom many metastatic lesions were found postoperatively, and to 6 patients with no postoperatively detectable metastases. The proportion of CD56-positive cells increased from 20% to 50% with culture. CD56-positive cells have strong cytotoxic activity and produced 20 ng/10(9) cells of beta-endorphin, an intracerebral hormone. During the course of BAK therapy, we adopted the Face scale as a QOL indicator. The QOL of all patients remained satisfactory or improved. Beta-endorphin is thought to make patients feel well and maintains good QOL because of its potent analgesic, sedative activity. From that facts that CD56 is a neural cell adhesion molecule and a member of the Ig superfamily, and that the CD56-positive cell produces beta-endorphin, we concluded that the CD56-positive cell is a multifunctional, integrated NIE (neuro-immune-endocrine) cell. Administration of BAK cells allowed all 20 advanced cancer patients with metastases to survive for over one year. All 6 patients receiving the same therapy for prevention of postoperative metastasis have been recurrence-free for one to five years.

Development of a gel formulation of formic acid for control of parasitic mites of honey bees.

Formic acid has been used in various countries for the control of parasitic mites of honey bees (Apis mellifera), particularly the Varroa mite (Varroa jacobsoni) and the tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi). Its corrosivity and consequent fear of liability have precluded commercial interest in the United States, and its rapid vaporization requires frequent reapplication. We have developed a gel formulation of formic acid which provides controlled release over 2-3 weeks and improves the convenience and safety of handling of formic acid. The strong acidity of formic acid restricts the choice of gelling agents; vegetable gellants such as agar are destroyed, and bentonite clay derivatives do not gel, even with high-shear mixing. Polyacrylamides lead to viscous liquids lacking thixotropic properties. High-molecular-weight poly(acrylic acids) and fumed silicas provided gels with suitable physical characteristics. The poly(acrylic acid) gels were difficult to mix and gave slower and nonlinear release behavior, while the fumed silica gels were easy to prepare and linear in formic acid vaporization.

Bee health and international trade.

The international trade in bee products is a complex issue as a result of the diverse uses of these products. This is especially true with regard to honey. In most cases, honey is imported for human consumption: the high purchase and shipping costs preclude the use of honey as feed for bees. For these reasons, the risk of transmitting disease through honey is minimal. However, this risk should not be ignored, especially in those countries where American foulbrood is not known to occur. The importation of pollen for bee feed poses a definite risk, especially since there are no acceptable procedures for determining whether pollen is free from pathogens, insects and mites. Routine drying of pollen would reduce the survival of mites and insects, but would not have any impact on bacterial spores. Phytosanitary certificates should be required for the importation of honey and pollen when destined for bee feed. The declaration on the phytosanitary certificate should include country of origin, and should state whether the following bee diseases and parasitic mites are present: American foulbrood disease, European foulbrood disease, chalkbrood disease, Varroa jacobsoni and Tropilaelaps clareae.