Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis]
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Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis] · Mar 2007
[Improvement of routine works and quality control in mycobacterial laboratory].
Many new methods have been introduced into routine laboratory works in microbiology since 1990. Molecular biology, in particular, opened a new era and promoted a technician's skill much. PCR and hybridization technique have been ordinary one in many laboratories. ⋯ The teaching of patients has improved the rate of P1 samples from 21.5% to 36.6% by Miller and Jones visual score of sputum. The teaching has also improved the rate of smear positive P1 samples from 11.4% to 28.8%. To teach each patient how to get good sputa seems useful for keeping the laboratory quality high.
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Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis] · Feb 2007
[Treatment of non-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with new anti-fungal drugs].
Pulmonary aspergilloma is characterized radiographically by the presence of a fungal ball. However, this disease proscess begins from a considerably earlier date. X-ray findings can detect the early stages of this disease better than any other inspective methods. ⋯ This disease is configured with each different sequential stage. The clinical terms of "Pulmonary aspergilloma" or "Semi Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis" describes only a limited phase of this chronic and prolonged disease. We consider that the term of "Chronic Necrotizing Pulmonary Aspergillosis" is more suitable expression for this disease entity, if the original definition could be re-defined.
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Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis] · Dec 2006
Review[Development of antituberculous drugs: current status and future prospects].
Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) remains the most frequent and important infectious disease causing morbidity and death. One-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the etiologic agent of TB. The World Health Organization estimates that about eight to ten million new TB cases occur annually worldwide and the incidence of TB is currently increasing. ⋯ The studies, however, were performed only in animal models, the further investigations and evaluations in human are required for practical use. 4. Adjunctive immunotherapy of mycobacterial infections: Toshiaki SHIMIZU, Katsumasa SATO, Haruaki TOMIOKA (Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shimane University School of Medicine) There is an urgent need to develop new antimicrobials and protocols for the administration of drugs that are potently efficacious against intractable mycobacterial infections. Unfortunately, development of the new drugs for solving this problem is not progressing. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
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CDC and ACET in U. S. A. reported that novel vaccines instead of BCG are required for the protection against infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis worldwide. ⋯ This challenge dose normally causes death from acute respiratory infection within 4-6 months. In this particular experiment, monkeys vaccinated with HSP 65 + hIL-12/HVJ induced HSP 65-specific T-cell proliferation and improvement of chest X-P findings, resulting in an increased survival for over a year, superior to BCG group. Thus, we are taking advantage of the availability of multiple animal models (mouse, guinea pig, and monkey) to accumulate essential data of the HVJ-liposome DNA vaccine, including the vaccine efficacy and safety, for up-coming Phase I clinical trials.
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Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis] · Nov 2006
Review[Characteristics of a diagnostic method for tuberculosis infection based on whole blood interferon-gamma assay].
It is assumed that about 10% of individuals infected with M. tuberculosis (Mtb) develop tuberculosis (Tb), and the remaining 90% suppress contain Mtb through their immune systems, but have a latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). To effectively control Tb, it is essential to detect individuals with LTBI in a Tb outbreak and provide chemoprophylaxis for them. Until recently, the tuberculin skin test (TST) has been the only diagnostic method for LTBI. ⋯ The behavior of QFT-2G in infants or children is not understood either. Especially in infants, the problem of the blood volume required for the QFT-2G test is the major issue. We are working on these issues to provide more appropriate directions for QFT-2G users, and hope that we can contribute to Tb control.