Identification of the causative microorganism is important in the management of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO). The aim of this study was to investigate whether culture positive rates differ between needle biopsy sites in patients with PVO, and which tissues are best for microbiological diagnosis. Between January 2005 and December 2013, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of PVO patients who had soft-tissue abscesses (paraspinal or psoas abscesses) and who received needle biopsy for microbiological diagnosis. Needle biopsy sites were classified into two anatomical categories: vertebral bodies, or soft tissues (intervertebral discs, paraspinal abscesses, or psoas abscesses). A generalized estimating equation model was developed to identify factors associated with tissue-culture positivity. During the study period a total of 136 tissues were obtained by needle biopsy from 128 PVO patients with soft-tissue abscesses. The culture positive rates of vertebral bodies and soft tissues were 39.7% (29/73), and 63.5% (40/63), respectively (p < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, male gender (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.24, 95% CI 1.00-5.02), higher C-reactive protein (aOR 1.07, 95% Cl 1.01-1.15), positive blood culture (aOR 2.57, 95% CI 1.01-6.59), and soft tissues as biopsy site compared with vertebral bodies (aOR 2.28, 95% CI 1.08-4.78) were independent factors associated with tissue culture positivity. Soft tissues were the best sites for microbiological diagnosis in PVO patients undergoing needle biopsy. Clinical Microbiology and Infection (C) 2015 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

catheter-related blood stream infection rates (CR-BSIs) are a substantial problem in the intensive care unit.

Neurilemmoma of the glans penis is rare, and no imaging findings have been reported. A case of neurilemmoma of the glans penis is presented. Ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined small mass in the glans penis. The mass appeared hypoechoic on gray-scale US and hypervascular on color Doppler US. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed high signal intensity of the mass on a T2-weighted image and strong enhancement on a contrast-enhanced T1-weighted image.

We compared the antimicrobial resistance and clonal relationships among the community-acquired (CA) and hospital-acquired (HA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains that were isolated from blood cultures in a university hospital over a 4-year period. A total of 131 MRSA isolates, including 28 CA-MRSA and 103 HA-MRSA strains, were identified; antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated that the CA-MRSA isolates were more susceptible to erythromycin (21% vs 6%; P=0.02), clindamycin (46% vs 12%; P=0.01), ciprofloxacin (43% vs 11%; P=0.01), and gentamicin (43% vs 6%; P=0.01) than were the HA-MRSA isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing and antimicrobial resistance profiles separated the 20 CA-MRSA isolates into 14 and 10 different patterns, respectively, and the 53 HA-MRSA isolates were separated into 24 and 7 different patterns, respectively. Twenty-one (40%) of the 53 HA-MRSA isolates belonged to two predominant PFGE types, and most of them showed multi-drug resistant patterns. Four (20%) of the 20 CA-MRSA and 10 (19%) of the 53 HA-MRSA isolates fell into two common PFGE patterns, and each of them showed the same multi-drug resistant pattern. This study suggests that, although the CA-MRSA blood isolates showed diverse PFGE and antimicrobial resistance patterns, some of these isolates may have originated from the HA-MRSA strains.

Objective: To characterize the imaging features on gray-scale and contrast-enhanced color Doppler US images which differentiate renal ischemia from renal infarction.Materials and Methods: The segmental renal arteries of eight healthy rabbits were surgically ligated. In four of these rabbits, the ligated renal artery was released 60 minutes after arterial occlusion to cause transient ischemia. In the remaining four rabbits, the arterial ligation was retained to cause a permanent infarction. The gray-scale and contrast-enhanced color Doppler US imaging features of the involved renal parenchyma of both ischemia and infarction groups were compared with respect to the presence or absence of parenchymal swelling, echogenicity changes, tissue loss and perfusion defects.Results: Parenchyma swelling, echogenic changes, tissue loss and perfusion defects were found to be more extensive in the infarction than the ischemia group. The hyperechoic areas reperfused with blood flow recovered normal echogenicity and perfusion, whereas the hyperechoic areas without reperfusion became renal infarcts.Conclusion: Gray-scale and contrast-enhanced color Doppler US showed that the hyperechoic areas with reperfusion may reverse to normal parenchyma and allow the differentiation of renal ischemia from renal infarction.

Using 9-12-month-old Lewis rats, our laboratory performed consecutive organ transplantations to assess the technical feasibility and observe the histopathologies of prolonged transplants and implants over a rat's life span. This study includes a total of 688 cases of consecutive syngeneic organ transplantation, including pancreaticoduodenum (PD), en-bloc liver-pancreaticoduodenum-spleen-stomach (LPdSpSt), and spleen bearing ovary or testicle. A 52-month-old consecutively transplanted pancreas showed normal acini and islet cells. Consecutively transplanted LPdSpSt cases at 25-28 months preserved normal histology. After 26.5 months of ovarian follicle implantation into the spleen, the pathology of the organ exhibited typical dysgerminoma. However, 29.5-month-old infantile testicle implants in the spleen showed seminoma. Our studies suggest that transplanted organs can be reusable and retransplanted, and we hope this could be one of the clues to solve donor-organ shortages in the future.

ABSTRACT We tested the in vitro susceptibilities of 603 enterococcal isolates from eight tertiary-care hospitals in Korea. The quinupristin-dalfopristin resistance rate in Enterococcus faecium was very high (25 isolates, 10.0%). It was suggested that both clonal spread and the sporadic emergence of quinupristin-dalfopristin-resistant isolates may explain the high prevalence of quinupristin-dalfopristin resistance in Korea.

To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of ceftriaxone+vancomycin+rifampicin (CVR) in the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis caused by a multidrug-resistant strain, single-drug regimens (ceftriaxone 100mg/kg, rifampicin 15mg/kg, or vancomycin 20mg/kg), double-drug regimens (ceftriaxone+vancomycin [CV] and ceftriaxone+rifampicin [CR]) and a triple-drug combination (CVR) with or without dexamethasone were compared in a rabbit meningitis model. Meningitis was induced by a highly penicillin-resistant (MIC 2mg/l) and ceftriaxone-resistant (MIC 4mg/l) pneumococcal strain. Final therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by the bacterial concentration at 24h, and the bacterial killing rate was also evaluated. All combination regimens were superior to ceftriaxone or vancomycin single-drug regimens with regard to sterilisation of CSF and bacterial killing rate. Rifampicin was as effective as combination regimens. Regardless of dexamethasone, therapeutic efficacy of CVR and CR were superior to that of CV. CVR showed comparable therapeutic efficacy to CR. Data suggested that CVR would not have additional therapeutic benefit over CR during the initial 24h of treatment.

Seventeen clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae showing reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (MIC >/= 4 micro g/ml) collected from eight different Asian countries were analyzed by antimicrobial susceptibility, serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and DNA sequencing of the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) in gyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE. All isolates but one showed more than one amino acid alteration in QRDRs of four responsible genes. Ile460 --> Val in parE was the most common mutation. Data suggest that Lys137 --> Asn in parC may be a primary step in the development of high-level and multiple FQ resistance. An additional mutation of Ser81 --> Phe in gyrA resulted in high-level resistance to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and gatifloxacin, whereas Ser79 --> Phe in parC may exert an important role in the development of moxifloxacin resistance. Two novel amino acid changes in gyrB, Ala390 --> Val and Asn423 --> Thr, were found. Data from PFGE suggest an introduction and local spread of multiple resistant Spain(23F)-1 clone in Hong Kong, but isolates from other Asian countries were not related to this clone.

Objectives: To characterize mechanisms of macrolide resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae from 10 Asian countries during 1998-2001.Methods: Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolates and their resistance mechanisms.Results: Of 555 isolates studied, 216 (38.9%) were susceptible, 10 (1.8%) were intermediate and 329 (59.3%) were resistant to erythromycin. Vietnam had the highest prevalence of erythromycin resistance (88.3%), followed by Taiwan (87.2%), Korea (85.1%), Hong Kong (76.5%) and China (75.6%). Ribosomal methylation encoded by erm(B) was the most common mechanism of erythromycin resistance in China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Korea. In Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, efflux encoded by mef(A) was the more common in erythromycin-resistant isolates. In most Asian countries except Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, erm(B) was found in >50% of pneumococcal isolates either alone or in combination with mef(A). The level of erythromycin resistance among pneumococcal isolates in most Asian countries except Thailand and India was very high with MIC(90)s of >128 mg/L. Molecular epidemiological studies suggest the horizontal transfer of the erm(B) gene and clonal dissemination of resistant strains in the Asian region.Conclusion: Data confirm that macrolide resistance in pneumococci is a serious problem in many Asian countries.

ABSTRACT A total of 685 clinical Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from patients with pneumococcal diseases were collected from 14 centers in 11 Asian countries from January 2000 to June 2001. The in vitro susceptibilities of the isolates to 14 antimicrobial agents were determined by the broth microdilution test. Among the isolates tested, 483 (52.4%) were not susceptible to penicillin, 23% were intermediate, and 29.4% were penicillin resistant (MICs ≥ 2 mg/liter). Isolates from Vietnam showed the highest prevalence of penicillin resistance (71.4%), followed by those from Korea (54.8%), Hong Kong (43.2%), and Taiwan (38.6%). The penicillin MICs at which 90% of isolates are inhibited (MIC 90 s) were 4 mg/liter among isolates from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. The prevalence of erythromycin resistance was also very high in Vietnam (92.1%), Taiwan (86%), Korea (80.6%), Hong Kong (76.8%), and China (73.9%). The MIC 90 s of erythromycin were >32 mg/liter among isolates from Korea, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Isolates from Hong Kong showed the highest rate of ciprofloxacin resistance (11.8%), followed by isolates from Sri Lanka (9.5%), the Philippines (9.1%), and Korea (6.5%). Multilocus sequence typing showed that the spread of the Taiwan 19F clone and the Spain 23F clone could be one of the major reasons for the rapid increases in antimicrobial resistance among S. pneumoniae isolates in Asia. Data from the multinational surveillance study clearly documented distinctive increases in the prevalence rates and the levels of antimicrobial resistance among S. pneumoniae isolates in many Asian countries, which are among the highest in the world published to date.

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of pneumococcal pneumonia caused by antibiotic-resistant strains in Asian countries, we performed a prospective observational study of 233 cases of adult pneumococcal pneumonia in 9 Asian countries from January 2000 to June 2001. Among 233 isolates, 128 (55%) were not susceptible to penicillin (25.3% were intermediately susceptible, and 29.6% were resistant). Clinical severity of pneumococcal pneumonia was not significantly different between antibiotic-resistant and antibiotic-susceptible groups. Mortality rates among patients with pneumococcal pneumonia caused by penicillin-, cephalosporin-, or macrolide-resistant strains were not higher than those with antibiotic-susceptible pneumococcal pneumonia. Bacteremia and mechanical ventilation were significant risk factors for death, but any kind of antibiotic resistance was not associated with increased mortality due to pneumococcal pneumonia. Outcome of pneumococcal pneumonia was not significantly affected by drug resistance, and current antimicrobial regimens are mostly effective in the treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia, despite the widespread emergence of in vitro resistance.

ABSTRACT pbp2b gene alterations were analyzed in 102 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae (30 penicillin susceptible, 23 intermediate, and 49 resistant) from Korea. On the basis of PBP2B amino acid sequences, penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates of S. pneumoniae belonged to six groups, and 76% of the isolates in groups I to IV showed the same divergent block of amino acid alterations. Thirteen isolates (group II) also possessed a divergent block that was identical to that of Streptococcus oralis . The pbp2b genes of most Korean isolates showed novel mosaic mutations due to horizontal gene transfer. The Thr252→Ala substitution, previously thought to be associated only with penicillin-nonsusceptible strains, was also found in three penicillin-susceptible strains. On the basis of their pbp2b nucleotide sequences, all penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates can be detected by multiplex PCR, which can be used as a novel method for detection of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal strains in clinical specimens.

There have been conflicting data about the interactions between vancomycin and beta-lactam agents against Staphylococcus aureus strains with heterogeneous resistance to vancomycin. We evaluated the efficacy of these combinations against Mu 3 and heterogeneously vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (hetero-VRSA) strains which were isolated from Korean patients using a population analysis method. Antagonistic effects were observed when less than 1 g/mL of beta-lactam antibiotics was combined with vancomycin, whereas synergistic effects were noticed with more than 4 microgram/mL of beta-lactam antibiotics. The antagonistic effects at low concentrations of beta-lactams were most prominent at 2 microgram/mL of vancomycin, which were the vancomycin MICs of tested hetero-VRSA strains. This study showed the variable effects of vancomycin- beta-lactam combinations depending on the concentrations of beta-lactam antibiotics and this property could be used to develop screening methods for hetero-VRSA strains.

ABSTRACT The original screening test and one-point population analysis (OPPA) were compared for the detection of hetero-vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , and the influence of osmolarity on those tests was evaluated. The positivity rates and the reproducibilities were similar for both tests. The addition of NaCl increased the MIC as well as the positivity rates for both tests and the reproducibility of OPPA.

Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa is not generally considered as a cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, several cases of diarrhea caused by P. aeruginosa have been reported. We experienced seven cases of nosocomial diarrhea presumably caused by P. aeruginosa, which was the predominant organism isolated from stool cultures. Clostridium difficile toxin was also positive in one patient. No other potential or recognized enteropathogens were identified from stools. All patients had underlying diseases and had been receiving antibiotics before the diarrheal onset. All of the seven P. aeruginosa isolates were resistant to previously given antibiotics. Diarrhea stopped three days after withdrawal of probable offending antibiotics without specific treatment in two patients. The other five patients having continuous diarrhea despite withdrawal of probable offending antibiotics, were successfully treated with antipseudomonal agents. The median duration of diarrhea after the initiation of treatment was 6.3 days. These data suggest that P. aeruginosa can be a potential cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Further investigations are warranted to evaluate the possible etiologic role of P. aeruginosa in antibiotic-associated diarrhea.