[A case report of active infectious endocarditis caused by MRSA with chronic renal failure].

A 62-year-old female, who had chronic renal failure treated by HD, was admitted to our hospital with fever. MRSA was identified by blood culture examination. Echocardiography revealed vegetations attached to the mitral valve. Mitral abscess was detected during operation. Mitral valve replacement was performed. We used ECUM and HD for the chronic renal failure during peri- and postoperative days. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful.

Clinical evaluation of a teleradiology system utilizing personal computers and public telephone line.

Practical usefulness of a teleradiology system using CCD camera, personal computer and telephone line was evaluated in a daily clinical practice. Image quality of this system is diagnostic for the majority of abnormalities on radiological images including plain radiographs. Radiological consultation between hospitals in the same city as well as between distant cities using this moderately priced system was thought to be useful in 90% of cases. Teleradiology using compact systems like ours is expected to be useful in the urban clinical environment as well as in distant areas.

[Successful cholecystectomy in a patient with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria].

We report a case of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and review the literature regarding transfusion of red blood cells in PNH patients. A 42-year-old woman with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) complaining of right hypochondralgia and high fever was admitted to the hospital for acute cholecystitis with gall stone. Blood examination revealed bicytopenia (leukocytes, 1,700/microliters and hemoglobin, 8.5 g/dl) and bone marrow examination showed normocellular but hypererythroid bone marrow and dyshematopoiesis, which suggested MDS. Laboratory data revealed obstructive jaundice and hemolytic anemia. Positive sucrose and Ham tests, which were compatible with the diagnosis of PNH. Cholecystectomy was successful, and the patient showed no postoperative complications of increased hemolysis or thrombosis. As hemoglobin level gradually decreased for the first two postoperative weeks, filtrated white cell-depleted red blood cells (total, 1,000 ml) were transfused instead of washed red blood cells. No side effects of the transfusion were noted. On the basis of findings in this case and those reported in the literature, it is concluded that in some case of PNH, the use of washed red blood cells is unnecessary, and that the use of white cell-depleted red blood cells is indicated.

Megakaryocytopoiesis in polycythemia vera: characterization by megakaryocytic progenitors (CFU-Meg) in vitro and quantitation of marrow megakaryocytes.

Megakaryocytopoiesis in polycythemia vera (PV) was characterized by in vitro growth of marrow megakaryocytic progenitors (CFU-Meg) and quantitation of megakaryocyte numbers in marrow biopsy specimens in 14 patients with PV. Megakaryocyte numbers and CFU-Meg numbers in the 14 patients were variable, with values from the control range to markedly increased numbers. Nine of the 14 patients showed spontaneous CFU-Meg growth, and the presence or absence of spontaneous CFU-Meg growth was found to be related to the degree of marrow megakaryocyte increase, i.e., those with spontaneous CFU-Meg had higher megakaryocyte numbers. None of the plasmas from the PV patients contained detectable levels of megakaryocyte colony-stimulating activity (Meg-CSA), assayed using the culture with nonadherent normal marrow cells and tested plasma without phytohemagglutinin-stimulated leukocyte-conditioned medium as an exogenous source of Meg-CSA. Increased megakaryocyte numbers and resultant thrombocytosis in PV are likely based on the abnormal population of CFU-Meg.

The establishment of an intestinal microflora in developing goldfish (Carassius auratus) of culture ponds.

The bacterial flora in the intestinal tract of goldfish (Carassius auratus) was investigated at different stages of fish development. The floras of the diets and the water and sediment of a culture pond were also analyzed. The total counts in the intestine ranged from 2.2 × 10(6)-2.1 × 10(8) cells g(-1) wet weight.Aeromonas hydrophila, A. punctata, Pseudomonas, Bacteroidaceae andClostridium species were the common components in the intestinal tract of goldfish from larvae to adult stage.Bacteroides type A appeared at 44 days with a density of 10(3) cells g(-1) and then predominated with densities of 10(5)-10(7) cells g(-1). The intestinal microflora of goldfish become relatively stable after 67 days of hatching. These observations suggest that the intestinal microflora of adult goldfish becomes established approximately 2 months after hatching.

[Incidence of trauma in a breeding and rearing colony of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)].

A statistical survey was performed in 1982 to ascertain the incidence of various diseases, especially trauma, in the cynomolgus monkey colony at Tsukuba Primate Center for Medical Science. In total, 1,029 cases of disease, occurred of which 866, 89 and 74 were surgical, internals and reproductive disease cases, respectively (Table 1). Among the 866 surgical cases, trauma (746 cases) was most often observed (Table 2). It was shown that trauma occurred most frequently during the group feeding of juvenile monkeys (Table 3). Analysis of the factors influencing the incidence of trauma during group feeding was carried out. As a result, it was revealed that the number of days after beginning group feeding and the age at which group feeding was begun had marked influences on the incidence of trauma (Figs. 1 and 2). However, there was no significant relationship between the incidence of trauma and the number of animals per group or the sex-ratio in a group (Tables 4 and 5). From the present survey results, a prospective rearing system should be established to reduce the incidence of trauma in the cynomolgus breeding and rearing colony.