Background: Selection of test-negative controls takes less time and costs less than traditional control selection for evaluating vaccine effectiveness (VE). Here, rotavirus VE was evaluated using ...hospital controls and compared with test-negative controls to determine whether using the latter can substitute for the former. Methods: We recorded gastroenteritis in children from 2 months to 2 years of age at six medical facilities in Saga City between January 4th and May 31st, 2014. Stools from all identified acute gastroenteritis patients were tested for rotavirus using immunochromatography. Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) cases had test-positive stool, whereas test-negative controls had gastroenteritis but no rotavirus infection; hospital controls were outpatients visiting the same facility for indications other than gastroenteritis. Vaccination status was verified by inspecting maternal and child health records, and demographic data were obtained from a questionnaire completed by the patients’ guardians or from the medical records. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for possible confounding factors. Results: Sixty-four RVGE cases, 260 test-negative controls, and 589 hospital controls were enrolled. The characteristics of the two control groups, including RV vaccination history, were similar. The RVGE cases were more likely to have used daycare services than children from either of the two control groups. The VE against RVGE estimated using hospital controls was 86.6% (95% confidence interval CI, 55.9–96.0%), very similar to the VE using test-negative controls (84.9% 95% CI, 49.6–95.5%). Conclusions: The estimated VE using test-negative controls and hospital controls is similar. Therefore, test-negative controls are considered appropriate for establishing VE.
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FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Objective
GABRA1 mutations have been identified in patients with familial juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, sporadic childhood absence epilepsy, and idiopathic familial generalized epilepsy. In ...addition, de novo GABRA1 mutations were recently reported in a patient with infantile spasms and four patients with Dravet syndrome. Those reports suggest that GABRA1 mutations are associated with infantile epilepsy including early onset epileptic encephalopathies. In this study, we searched for GABRA1 mutations in patients with infantile epilepsy to investigate the phenotypic spectrum of GABRA1 mutations.
Methods
In total, 526 and 145 patients with infantile epilepsy were analyzed by whole‐exome sequencing and GABRA1‐targeted resequencing, respectively.
Results
We identified five de novo missense GABRA1 mutations in six unrelated patients. A p.R112Q mutation in the long extracellular N‐terminus was identified in a patient with infantile epilepsy; p.P260L, p.M263T, and p.M263I in transmembrane spanning domain 1 (TM1) were identified in three unrelated patients with West syndrome and a patient with Ohtahara syndrome, respectively; and p.V287L in TM2 was identified in a patient with unclassified early onset epileptic encephalopathy. Four of these mutations have not been observed previously.
Significance
Our study suggests that de novo GABRA1 mutations can cause early onset epileptic encephalopathies, including Ohtahara syndrome and West syndrome.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Japan's National Immunization Program does not cover rotavirus vaccine and no government subsidies are available. This study aimed to measure the uptake of and determinants that influenced self-paid ...rotavirus vaccination, including socioeconomic status and relative poverty. We conducted a cross-sectional study at health check-ups for all children aged 18 months in Kanazawa, Japan, between December 2017 and July 2018. Community nurses collected information on self-paid vaccination history, parents' perceptions of and recommendations for rotavirus vaccine, and socioeconomic status in interviews using a unified questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess vaccine uptake and possible determinants. In total, 1282 participants were enrolled. The estimated rotavirus vaccine coverage was 72.9%. Perceptions that rotavirus gastroenteritis was serious and that the rotavirus vaccine was effective, pediatricians' recommendations, information from the city office, magazine and Internet articles, and higher parental education level were associated with higher rotavirus vaccine uptake. Lower household income was associated with decreased rotavirus vaccine uptake. Vaccine expense, fear of adverse reactions to the vaccine, number of household members and siblings, and children's characteristics were not correlated with rotavirus vaccination. Poverty was associated with decreased rotavirus vaccine uptake, even after adjustment for other determinants (adjusted odds ratio 0.49, 95% confidence interval: 0.26-0.90). Parents' perceptions, socioeconomic status, relative poverty, and pediatricians' recommendations are determinants of vaccination. This study suggests that appropriate information about rotavirus vaccine, subsidies for those of lower socioeconomic status, and national recommendations are necessary to achieve higher coverage.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
: To evaluate changes in the visual field (VF) after Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) in eyes with advanced glaucoma and previous trabeculectomy.
: Changes in VF, ...best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and number of glaucoma medications were analyzed before and after DSAEK in 19 eyes. The VFs were evaluated using the 10-2 program of the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) and/or Goldmann perimetry (GP).
: In nine eyes, the MD improved from -22.24 ± 6.5 dB to -18.36 ± 5.1 dB in HFA. In five out of nine eyes, postoperative MD improved >1 dB compared to preoperative MD. In GP testing, 10 out of 15 eyes showed an improvement, that is, greater than 20° in VF enlargement by the isopter of I-4e and/or new detection of a smaller or darker isopter. Overall, improvement in VF with the HFA and/or GP test was observed in 12/19 (63.2%) eyes after DSAEK. Postoperative BCVA improved by more than two lines in logMAR VA in 18 of 19 (94.7%) eyes. There were no significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative IOP and the number of glaucoma medications.
: DSAEK may produce subjective improvement in the visual field as well as improved visual acuity, even in advanced glaucomatous eyes.
Rotavirus gastroenteritis is a highly contagious, acute viral disease that imposes a significant health burden worldwide. In Japan, rotavirus vaccines have been commercially available since 2011 for ...voluntary vaccination, but vaccine coverage and effectiveness have not been evaluated. In the absence of a vaccination registry in Japan, vaccination coverage in the general population was estimated according to the number of vaccines supplied by the manufacturer, the number of children who received financial support for vaccination, and the size of the target population. Patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis were identified by reviewing the medical records of all children who consulted 6 major hospitals in Saga Prefecture with gastroenteritis symptoms. Vaccination status among these patients was investigated by reviewing their medical records or interviewing their guardians by telephone. Vaccine effectiveness was determined using a screening method. Vaccination coverage increased with time, and it was 2-times higher in municipalities where the vaccination fee was supported. In the 2012/13 season, vaccination coverage in Saga Prefecture was 14.9% whereas the proportion of patients vaccinated was 5.1% among those with clinically diagnosed rotavirus gastroenteritis and 1.9% among those hospitalized for rotavirus gastroenteritis. Thus, vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 69.5% and 88.8%, respectively. This is the first study to evaluate rotavirus vaccination coverage and effectiveness in Japan since vaccination began.
To classify secondary corneal amyloidosis (SCA) by its clinical appearance, to analyze the demographics of the patients, and to determine the involvement of lactoferrin.
Retrospective, observational, ...noncomparative, multicenter study.
Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients diagnosed with SCA by corneal specialists at 9 ophthalmologic institutions in Japan were studied.
The clinical appearance of SCA was determined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and was classified into 3 types. The demographics of the patients, for example, age, gender, and the duration of the basic disease (trichiasis, keratoconus, and unknown), were determined for each clinical type. Surgically excised tissues were stained with Congo red and antilactoferrin antibody. The postoperative prognosis also was determined.
Clinical appearance of the 3 types of SCA, along with the gender, age, and duration of the basic diseases were determined.
Classification of SCA into 3 types based on clinical appearance found 21 cases with gelatinous drop-like dystrophy (GDLD)-like appearance (GDLD type), 3 cases with lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD)-like appearance (LCD type), and 5 cases with the combined type. Patients with the GDLD type were younger (average age: 40.9 years for the GDLD type, 74.3 years for the LCD type, and 46.8 years for the combined type), predominantly women (85.7% for the GDLD type, 33.3% for the LCD type, and 60% for the combined type), and had the basic disease over a longer time (average duration: 22.1 years for the GDLD type, 14.0 for the LCD type, and 11.4 for the combined type). The distribution of the basic diseases (trichiasis vs. keratoconus vs. unknown) was not significantly different for each type. Surgical treatments, for example, phototherapeutic keratectomy, lamellar keratoplasty, and simple keratectomy, resulted in a good resolution in all surgically treated cases. One subject dropped out of the study. Spontaneous resolution was seen in one subject after epilation of the cilia. Amorphous materials in the excised tissues showed positive staining results by Congo red and by antilactoferrin antibody.
Secondary corneal amyloidosis can be classified into 3 clinical types based on its clinical appearance. Larger numbers of females and lactoferrin expression were seen in all 3 types.
The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
To describe the clinical features of corneal ulcers with non-infectious appearance due to nasolacrimal disease in a retrospective case series.
Eight eyes of 8 patients (aged 74.4 ± 11.1 years) with ...corneal disease due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction or canaliculitis, who were treated between October 2013 and December 2020 at 3 hospitals were included. Patient background, anterior ocular findings, organisms in secretion, and time course during treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The corneal findings were peripheral ulcers (5 cases), phlyctenular keratitis (1 case), and paracentral perforation with slight cellular infiltration (2 cases). All cases were suspected as autoimmune disease-related-corneal ulcers because of the pathogenic region and clinical appearance and later diagnosed as corneal disorders derived from nasolacrimal duct obstruction or canaliculitis. The autoimmune disease-like appearance and purulent secretion connecting the punctum with/without swelling were characteristic. The most common microorganism detected in the purulent secretions was Streptococcus spp.. The resolution of corneal lesions needed steroid eye drops with antibiotic eye drops. Two patients required a superficial corneal transplantation. The extraction of nasolacrimal calculus, punctal tube insertion, or dacryocystorhinostomy was necessary for complete healing of ocular surface disease.
Nasolacrimal duct diseases cause corneal disorders without bacterial colonization and growth. When corneal ulcers resemble autoimmune disease in shape and are not accompanied by systemic disease, attention should be paid to nasolacrimal duct obstruction or canaliculitis.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
ObjectiveWe conducted a feasibility study to verify the effectiveness of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene analysis using the nanopore sequencer MinION for identifying causative bacteria in several types ...of ocular infections.Methods and AnalysisFour cases of corneal ulcers, one case of endophthalmitis and one case of a conjunctival abscess were included in this study. DNA was extracted from corneal scraping, vitreous samples and secretions from the conjunctival abscess. We conducted 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using MinION and metagenomic DNA analysis. The efficacy of bacterial identification was verified by comparing the conventional culture method with smear observations.Results16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis with MinION identified the causative organisms promptly with high accuracy in approximately 4 hours, from ophthalmic specimens. The results of the conventional culture method and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were consistent in all cases. In four of the six cases, a greater variety of organisms was found in the 16S rRNA gene analysis than in bacterial culture.ConclusionUsing our workflow, 16S rRNA gene analysis using MinION enabled rapid and accurate identification possible in various kinds of bacterial ocular infections.
Leukoplakia is the term given to a white patch or plaque that is found mainly on the oral mucus membrane. It can occasionally be seen on the corneal surface. We report our clinical and ...histopathological findings in a case of unilateral corneal leukoplakia.
A 26-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of a white patch on her right cornea that continued to expand. She first noticed the white patch when she was 20 years old, and the white patch had expanded to cover the pupillary area affecting her vision. After plastic surgery on both eyelids for bilateral entropion to alleviate the pain caused by the eyelashes rubbing the cornea, the white corneal patch decreased in size. Because of this reduction, we performed surgery to remove the patch with microforceps under topical anesthesia. The plaque was removed easily and completely, and submitted for histopathological examination.
Histopathological examination showed that the specimen had characteristics of epidermis with a basal cell layer, spinous cell layer, granular cell layer, and horny layer with hyperkeratosis. She was diagnosed with leukoplakia of the corneal surface. The basic structure of the squamous cell layer was preserved, and there were no signs of metaplasia. Six months after the removal of the leukoplakia, no recurrence was seen and her corrected decimal visual acuity recovered to 1.0.
Our case of unilateral corneal leukoplakia without limbal involvement was most likely caused by chronic irritation of the cornea by the eyelashes. Although it was totally removed with good recovery of vision, we continue to follow the patient because of the potential of malignant transformation.
Exposure keratopathy often progresses even with conventional various treatments and needs plastic surgery. However, plastic surgery of eye lid is often difficult in cases with poor general condition ...by cerebrovascular disorders. We will propose a novel method using synthetic rubber sheet to manage the exposure keratopathy under poor general conditions.
We treated with synthetic rubber sheet on 9 eyes of 9 patients who suffered from refractory exposure keratopathy due to cerebrovascular disorders. Sheets cut from sterile surgical gloves made of synthetic rubber (SR sheets) were placed directly onto the ocular surface with antibiotic ointment and fixed with gauze and tape. Severity of the exposure keratopathy was scored before and after the application of SR sheet. Covered ocular surface with SR sheet could keep an adequate moist environment and exposure keratopathy was improved in all the cases with no adverse effects during an average observation period of 166.2 days.
Sterile synthetic rubber sheet cut from surgical gloves is an effective, safe, easy, and economical material to maintain better condition of ocular surface and especially useful for refractory exposure keratopathy under poor general condition.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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