Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is produced mainly by phytoplankton and bacteria. It is relatively abundant and ubiquitous in the marine environment, where bacterioplankton make use of it readily as both carbon and sulfur sources. In one transformation pathway, part of the molecule becomes dimethylsulfide (DMS), which escapes into the atmosphere and plays an important role in the sulfur exchange between oceans and atmosphere. Through its other dominant catabolic pathway, bacteria are able to use it as sulfur source. During the past few years, a number of genes involved in its transformation have been characterized. Identifying genes in taxonomic groups not amenable to conventional methods of cultivation is challenging. Indeed, functional annotation of genes in environmental studies is not straightforward, considering that particular taxa are not well represented in the available sequence databases. Furthermore, many genes belong to families of paralogs with similar sequences but perhaps different functions. In this study, we develop in silico approaches to infer protein function of an environmentally important gene (dmdA) that carries out the first step in the sulfur assimilation from DMSP. The method combines a set of tools to annotate a targeted gene in genome databases and metagenome assemblies. The method will be useful to identify genes that carry out key biochemical processes in the environment.

暂无摘要。

A 61-year-old female was referred to our hospital presenting with micturition pain and urinary frequency, which was not relieved by antibiotics. A cystoscopic examination revealed an erosion, reddening and edematous lesion in the left bladder wall. Pathological examination of transurethral biopsy showed erosion and cystitis. After biopsy, micturition pain and urinary frequency became worse. The pathological examination was reviewed, and the diagnosis of eosinophilic cystitis was made. Administration of a corticosteroid had provided a short duration of relief, but her symptoms recurred within the five weeks of treatment. Therefore, she was treated with a combination of corticosteroid and suplatast tolilate, followed by monotherapy with suplatast tolilate. The relief of the symptoms by suplatast to lilate therapy continued for five months. However, the symptoms relapsed. Re-administration of steroidal agents was considered, but the patient suffered from uncontrolled diabetes. Therefore, she was treated with a combination of suplatast tosilate, anti-allergic drugs and mirabegron. Fourteen months after treatment with suplatast tosilate, no disease progression was noted.

A 51-year-old woman with a chief complaint of micturition pain and sensation of incomplete voiding was suspected of suffering from a bladder tumor, according to the findings of cystoscopy and ultrasonography. Transurethral punch biopsy of the submucosa of the bladder wall revealed eosinophilic infiltration without malignancy. Conservative treatment with corticosteroids resulted in excellent relief of symptoms and objective remission of the bladder lesions. However, her symptoms recurred 11 weeks after finishing the treatment. She was then treated with a combination of corticosteroid and suplatast tosilate, followed by monotherapy with suplatast tosilate. The treatment was effective for the improvement of symptoms, and serum immunoglobulin E and blood eosinophil levels were reduced. No disease progression was noted after the treatment with suplatast tosilate. To our knowledge, this is the first case of eosinophilic cystitis treated with suplatast tosilate.

We report a case of eosinophilic pneumonia that was successfully treated with suplatast tosilate. A 72-year-old woman with hypertension and diabetes, who did not smoke and did not have pets, consulted a physician with the chief complaints of cough, sputum, and slight fever. Chest X-ray films revealed a permeation shadow in the bilateral upper lobes. She visited a hospital because her symptoms did not improve. Pulmonary tuberculosis was suspected because of an elevated inflammatory reaction, and anti-tuberculosis treatment was started. Afterwards, eosinophilia appeared in the peripheral blood. Although daily drugs (nicardipine hydrochloride, pentoxifylline, and ticlopidine hydrochloride) were stopped, eosinophilia did not improve and was detected in a sputum sample. She was diagnosed with pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia syndrome and hospitalized. Physical examination revealed neither rhonchus nor cardiac murmurs on auscultation. Laboratory findings showed a leukocyte count of 21,300/microl, with eosinophils accounting for 66.3% of cells. A diagnosis of eosinophilic pneumonia was made after a lung biopsy specimen was examined under a bronchial fiberscope. After suspension of anti-tuberculosis drugs and administration of suplatast tosilate 300 mg/day for 4 weeks, symptoms subsided, eosinophilia improved to within normal ranges, eosinophils in sputum disappeared, and the permeation shadow disappeared on chest X-ray films.

暂无摘要。

A case is a 62 years old woman who consulted her family physicion with pollakiuria and sharp pain at the time of urinary bladder distention. Since anti-H1-antagonist but not antibiotics was partially effective against the symptoms and some specific food ingestion appeared to increase the bladder pain, she was referred to our hospital. Treatment with spulatast tosilate and elimination of food products that revealed the presence of specific IgE antibodies and positive skin reactiont resulted favorable clinical response. Cystoscopic examination showed reduction in bladder capacity, mucosal injection and vascularization, besides pinpoint submucosal hemorrage and linear ulcer by hydrodistension. The diagnosis of interstitial cystitis was established by those evidences and histological findings. The patient got apparent remission after the bladder hydrodistension and is now in steady state with an addition of suplatast tosilate, a Th2 cytokine inhibitor, on the treatment mentioned above. Interstitial cystitis is a very rare disease which is characterized by cystitis-symptoms with normal urinary finding and non-effectiveness of antibiotics. The pathogenesis of the disease is unclear but considered as allergic inflammation. We report a case of interstitial cystitis accompanied by food allergy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to document the presence of dimethyl sulfide in mouth air as the predominant volatile sulfur compound (VSC) in an asthmatic patient who was regularly taking suplatast tosilate.
METHODS: The patient was a 33-year-old woman who complained of bad breath. She had been diagnosed as having asthma and was receiving periodical medical examinations once a month. VSC in her mouth air were measured with a gas chromatograph. Oral physiotherapy was also carried out to remove any oral malodor of which the source was intraoral.
RESULTS: With the improvement in oral hygiene and periodontal conditions, the level of VSC was reduced but dimethyl sulfide still remained as the predominant VSC.
CONCLUSIONS: Dimethyl sulfide metabolized from suplatast tosilate may be a potential cause of halitosis.

暂无摘要。

We encountered a 44-year-old woman with acute eosinophilic myocarditis that showed positive immunostaining for interleukin-4 in the area of marked infiltration of eosinophils into the myocardium. When prednisolone alone proved ineffective, supplementary treatment with suplatast tosilate, an antiallergic selective Th2 cytokine inhibitor, improved the patient\'s inflammation, reduced the level of cardiac enzymes, and allowed for a reduction in corticosteroid dosage without any adverse effects.