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Katsura Hayakawa,1 Tetsuo Yamaguchi,2 Daisuke Ono,2 Hajime Suzuki,1 Jiro Kamiyama,1 Shigemasa Taguchi,1 Kazuya Kiyota1 1Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan; 2Department of Microbiology and Infection Diseases, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JapanCorrespondence: Katsura Hayakawa Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Saitama Red Cross Hospital, 1-5 Shintoshin, Chu-o-Ku, Saitama City 330-8553, JapanTel +81-48-852-1111Fax +81-48-852-3120Email gene1982jp@gmail.comIntroduction: Staphylococcus aureus produces numerous toxins, such as toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) and Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL). We isolated community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains producing both TSST-1 and PVL isolated from severe necrotizing pneumonia cases in a Nepali family. Detection of these CA-MRSA strains is rare in the world, and infection with these strains can take a rapidly progressive and lethal course. In this study, we traced the clinical course of this case and conducted a genetic analysis of the isolated strains.Case Report: We described 2 familial cases (a 20-year-old male and 61-year-old female) of severe necrotizing pneumonia caused by CA-MRSA with the TSST-1 and PVL genes. A 20-year-old Nepalese male was admitted to our hospital after a 3-day history of high fever and coughing. Despite resuscitation efforts, he died of multiple organ failure. A 61-year-old Nepalese female was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of high fever and dyspnea for 1 day. She was the grandmother of the male subject and mostly stayed at his residence in Japan. We administered intravenous antibiotics, including anti-MRSA antibiotics, and she improved in 2 weeks. The sequence type of the isolates was ST22/SCCmec type IVa, and the spa type was t005. The virulence genes detected were as follows: PVL gene (lukSF-pv), TSST-1 gene (tst-1), sec, seg, sei, sel, sem, sen, seo, and seu. ST22 was not the dominant CA-MRSA clone type in Japan. Some of the reports demonstrated that PVL-/TSST-1-positive ST22-MRSA strains are prevalent in Nepal. Therefore, the MRSA strains were thought to be acquired from Nepal.Conclusion: These cases highlight the emergence of TSST-1- and PVL-positive CA-MRSA infection and its association with life-threatening community-acquired necrotizing pneumonia. Clinicians should note the possibility of introducing MRSA strains from abroad and be aware of this illness to initiate appropriate treatment.Keywords: community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, CA-MRSA, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, TSST-1, Panton–Valentine leukocidin, PVL, necrotizing pneumonia

Toshihiko Taguchi,1 Ataru Igarashi,2 Stephen Watt,3 Bruce Parsons,3 Alesia Sadosky,3 Kazutaka Nozawa,4 Kazuhiro Hayakawa,4 Tamotsu Yoshiyama,4 Nozomi Ebata,4 Koichi Fujii4 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan; 2Department of Drug Policy and Management, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 3Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA; 4Pfizer Japan, Inc., Tokyo, Japan Objective: To evaluate the impact of pregabalin on sleep, pain, function, and health status in patients with chronic low back pain with accompanying neuropathic pain (CLBP-NeP) under routine clinical practice. Methods: This prospective, non-interventional, observational study enrolled Japanese adults (≥18 years) with CLBP-NeP of duration ≥3 months and severity ≥5 on a numerical rating scale (0= no pain, 10= worst possible pain). Treatment was 8 weeks with pregabalin (n=157) or usual care alone (n=174); choice of treatment was determined by the physician. The primary efficacy outcome was change from baseline to 8 weeks in pain-related interference with sleep, assessed using the Pain-Related Sleep Interference Scale (PRSIS; 0= did not interfere with sleep, 10= completely interferes with sleep). Secondary endpoints were changes in PRSIS at week 4, and changes at weeks 4 and 8 in pain (numerical rating scale), function (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire), and quality of life (EuroQol 5D-5L); global assessments of change were evaluated from the clinician and patient perspectives at the final visit. Results: Demographic characteristics were similar between cohorts, but clinical characteristics suggested greater disease severity in the pregabalin group including a higher mean (standard deviation) pain score, 6.3 (1.2) versus 5.8 (1.1) (P

Takahiro Suzuki, Kenji Hayakawa, Yoshihiro Nakagawa, Hiromi Onouchi, Masafumi Ogata, Kenji KawaiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, JapanBackground: The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively the efficacy of a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor in macular edema after vitrectomy.Methods: Forty patients were included, all of whom had undergone vitrectomy combined with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation for epiretinal membrane. Twenty eyes from 40 patients received topical 2% dorzolamide three times a day. The patients were followed up for at least 3 months. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dorzolamide on visual acuity, intraocular pressure, central macular thickness, and aqueous flare.Results: Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) best-corrected visual acuity preoperatively and 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery was 0.48 ± 0.23, 0.60 ± 0.16, 0.40 ± 0.29, and 0.24 ± 0.32, respectively, in the treatment group, and 0.40 ± 0.09, 0.44 ± 0.12, 0.32 ± 0.10, and 0.16 ± 0.09, respectively, in the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups. Mean central macular thickness preoperatively and at 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery was 572.6, 427.2, and 333.4 µm, respectively, in the treatment group, and 571.4, 485.2, and 388.4 µm, respectively, in the control group. Mean aqueous flare preoperatively, and 1 month and 3 months after surgery was 8.6, 34.2, and 23.5 photon counts per millisecond (pc/ms), respectively, in the treatment group, and 9.7, 24.7, and 23.4 pc/ms, respectively, in the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed between data from the two groups. However, statistically significant (P < 0.05) differences in mean central macular thickness at 1 month and mean aqueous flare at 2 weeks after surgery were found between the treatment group (358.8 µm, 36.8 pc/ms) and the control group (467.8 µm, 64.0 pc/ms). Differences in mean intraocular pressure preoperatively and at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery were not statistically significant between the two groups. Intraocular pressure never exceeded 21 mmHg.Conclusion: Topical dorzolamide significantly reduced mean central macular thickness at 1 month and mean aqueous flare at 2 weeks after surgery for epiretinal membrane compared with controls. Although further investigation of more cases and longer follow-up are needed, this study suggests that topical dorzolamide can be efficacious in reducing macular edema in the early phase after vitrectomy via its anti-inflammatory effect.Keywords: macular edema, dorzolamide, epiretinal membrane, vitrectomy, anti-inflammatory