We have previously reported that the Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from clinical failure cases treated with cefdinir and aztreonam, ␤-lactams exhibited high MICs. These resistant isolates were clearly separated from the isolates exhibiting a low level of resistance to ␤-lactams as shown by the MIC distribution of cefozopran. Restriction fragment length polymorphism DNA typing revealed that the outbreak of cefozopran-resistant isolates in Kitakyushu, Japan, occurred as a result of clonal spread.As a result of the absence of strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistant to the expanded spectrum of cephems, the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) (8) has not defined the breakpoint MICs of expanded-spectrum cephems such as cefixime (CFM), cefpodoxime (CPD), cefepime (FEP), etc. A previous study reported the incidence of clinical failures in gonococcal urethritis treated with cefdinir (CDR) or aztreonam (ATM) (1). For the N. gonorrhoeae isolates from such clinical failure cases, high-level MICs of CDR, ATM, and other ␤-lactams were observed. In order to investigate the prevalence of these resistant isolates in Kitakyushu, Japan, we examined 54 N. gonorrhoeae isolates from different cases occurring during 1999 for susceptibility to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Forty of 54 strains were isolated from male patients with gonococcal urethritis, while the remaining isolates were from female patients with gonococcal cervicitis. Identification of N. gonorrhoeae and testing for production of ␤-lactamase were performed by ID-test-HN-20 Rapid (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) using colonies cultured on Thayer-Martin Agar Base, Modified (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co.). The MICs of various antimicrobials were determined by the twofold serial agar dilution method on BBL GC Agar Base (Becton Dickinson and Co., Cockeysville, Md) with 1% BBL IsoVitalX enrichment (Becton Dickinson Europe, Meylan, France) according to the guidelines of the NCCLS (8). The antimicrobial agents used in this study were purchased from or provided by the corresponding companies.The MIC distribution of cefozopran (CZO) for N. gonorrhoeae isolates was divided into two groups. The MICs for the high-level resistance group (8 to 16 g/ml) were more than 16 times greater than the MICs for the susceptible and low-level resistance groups (Ͻ0.5 g/ml). The MICs of CZO were correlated with those of CDR, CPD, cefpirome (CPI), FEP, ATM, cefuroxime, cefotiam, ceftizoxime (ZOX), CFM, and cefcapene (CPN). The MICs of CZO correlated poorly with those of penicillin (PEN), cefmetazole, flomoxef, and cefodizime (CDZ) despite the fact that all 17 CZO-resistant isolates for these four agents belonged to the high-level MIC group. CFM, CDZ and ceftriaxone (CRO) exhibited lower MICs but the resistant isolates belonged to the group with reduced susceptibility to these three agents. These new resistant strains were clearly divided into two groups by the MIC distribution of CZO, with all of the CZO-resistant isolates exhibiting either resistance or ...

The Japanese surveillance committee conducted the first nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens responsible for female acute uncomplicated cystitis at 43 hospitals throughout Japan from April 2009 to November 2010. In this study, the causative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents were investigated by isolation and culturing of bacteria from urine samples. In total, 387 strains were isolated from 461 patients, including E. coli (n = 301, 77.8 %), S. saprophyticus (n = 20, 5.2 %), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 13, 3.4 %), and Enterococcus faecalis (n = 11, 2.8 %). S. saprophyticus was significantly more common in premenopausal women (P = 0.00095). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 19 antibacterial agents used for these strains were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute manual. At least 87 % of E. coli isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins, and 100 % of S. saprophyticus isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. The proportions of fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli strains and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains were 13.3 % and 4.7 %, respectively. It is important to confirm the susceptibility of causative bacteria for optimal antimicrobial therapy, and empiric antimicrobial agents should be selected by considering patient characteristics and other factors. However, the number of isolates of fluoroquinolone-resistant or ESBL-producing strains in gram-negative bacilli may be increasing in patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Japan. Therefore, these data present important information for the proper treatment of UTIs and will serve as a useful reference for future surveillance studies.

This study was conducted by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and is the first nationwide study on bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with urinary tract infections at 28 hospitals throughout Japan between January 2008 and June 2008. A total of 688 bacterial strains were isolated from adult patients with urinary tract infections. The strains investigated in this study are as follows: Enterococcus faecalis (n = 140), Escherichia coli (n = 255), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 93), Proteus mirabilis (n = 42), Serratia marcescens (n = 44), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 114). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 39 antibacterial agents used for these strains were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) manual. All Enterococcus faecalis strains were susceptible to ampicillin and vancomycin. Although a majority of the E. faecalis strains were susceptible to linezolid, 11 strains (7.8%) were found to be intermediately resistant. The proportions of fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and S. marcescens strains were 35.7%, 29.3%, 18.3%, and 15.2%, respectively. The proportions of E. coli, P. mirabilis, K. pneumoniae, and S. marcescens strains producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase were 5.1%, 11.9%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. The proportions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains resistant to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones were 9.2%, 4.4%, and 34.8%, respectively, and among them, 2 strains (1.8%) were found to be multidrug resistant. These data present important information for the proper treatment of urinary tract infections and will serve as a useful reference for periodic surveillance studies in the future.

Background : The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of a polymorphism of the candidate metabolic enzyme N -acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2) in Japanese prostate cancer patients and Japanese non-cancer controls, in order to determine if an association exists between NAT2 genotype and the occurrence, clinical stage and grade of prostate cancer. Methods : In the present case-control study, 111 patients with prostate cancer and 152 controls were genotyped for the NAT2 polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The NAT2 genotypes (slow or rapid acetylator genotype) were determined by the combination of three known NAT2 mutant alleles (M1, M2, M3) and the wild-type allele.Results : The NAT2 slow acetylator genotype was statistically higher among prostate cancer patients (17.1%) compared with controls (8.6%) (Odds ration (OR) = 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-4.69; P = 0.0289). In addition, there was a statistically increased risk of prostate cancer among smokers with the NAT2 slow genotype (OR = 3.78: 95% CI, 1.48-9.66; P = 0.0041). Furthermore, the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype was significantly higher among prostate cancer patients with locally advanced and metastatic disease (22.7%) compared with controls (8.6%) (OR = 3.14; 95% CI, 1.40-7.06; P = 0.0051). Lastly, the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype was significantly higher among prostate cancer patients with high-grade tumors (31.4%) compared with controls (8.6%) (OR = 4.90; 95% CI, 1.97-12.20; P = 0.0010).Conclusion : These data demonstrate that the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype plays an important role in determining the risk of developing prostate cancer in Japanese men and is also associated with more clinically advanced and pathologically aggressive disease. Furthermore, a possible interaction between the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype and smoking status was suggested.

Background: N-acetyltransferase (NAT) is known to metabolize the carcinogen arylamine. The polymorphism of the NAT2 gene is an important determinant of individual susceptibility to bladder cancer. There are significant interethnic differences in NAT2 allele frequencies. The relationship between NAT2 genotypes and bladder cancer in a Japanese population was investigated. Methods: A case control study on 85 bladder cancer patients and 146 control subjects was conducted. NAT2 alleles were differentiated by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods using originally created PCR primers and genomic DNA extracted from peripheral white blood cells. The NAT2 genotypes were determined by the combination of three known NAT2 mutant type alleles (M1, M2, M3) and the wild type allele. Results: NAT2 slow genotypes were associated with bladder cancer risk (odds ratio adjusted for age and gender, 4.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76-10.81). Among those with NAT2 slow genotypes/smoker, there was a significantly increased risk of 7.80 (95% CI, 1.66-57.87) when the NAT2 rapid genotypes/non-smoker were considered the reference group. This suggested a possible interaction between NAT2 slow genotypes/smoking status and bladder cancer risk. It was also shown that bladder cancer patients with NAT2 slow genotypes were more likely to have a high grade tumor (G3) or an advanced stage tumor (< pT2-pT4). However, no association between NAT2 genotypes and the survival rate of invasive bladder cancer patients was recognized. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that the NAT2 slow acetylation genotype is an important genetic determinant for bladder cancer in a Japanese population.