| Project/Area Number |
09672368
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Laboratory medicine
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| Research Institution | Nihon University School of Medicine |
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Principal Investigator |
KUMASAKA Kazunari Nihon University, medicine, associate professor, 医学部, 助教授 (20096803)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KATO Kimitoshi Nihon University, medicine, assistant, 医学部, 助手 (90204461)
ARASHIMA Yasutomo Nihon University, medicine, assistant, 医学部, 助手 (10167231)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1998
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1998)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
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| Keywords | zoonosis / O fever / Coxiella burnetii / Nested PCR / nonspecific symptoms / cord blood / minocycline |
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| Research Abstract |
The nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for direct species-specific detection of Coxiella burnetii in blood samples from 58 patients with chronic nonspecific symptoms followed at the departments of internal medicine in Nihon University Itabashi hospital between April 1996 and December 1998. Single blood samples, obtained from 67 healthy controls who had received annual examinations at the Nihon University Health Science Center, were also examined. Amprimers for nested PCR were designed from the nucleotide sequence of the C.burnetii corm 1 gene encoding outer membrane protein by Prof. K.Hirai of Gifu University. Nineteen (33 %) of 58 patients showed evidence of C.burnetii infection by nested PCR, and 94 % of positive patients reported close contact with animals. In contrast, five (7.5 %) of 67 samples from healthy adult controls. Our results show a high prevalence of C.burnetii infection among patients as compared with healthy controls. Therfore, the existence of Q fever as
… More
a zoonosis must be considered in cases with nonspecific symptoms, especially those living in close contact with animals. Furthermore, we have found short term treatment with minocycline to improve these nonspecific symptoms in many PCR positive patients. Some of them who improved on minocycline became negative for C.burnetii DNA by PCR with improving these symptoms. Long term treatment and further study must be considered. The possible role of C.burnetii infection in nonspecific symptoms remains to be elucidated. Furthermore, 70 cord blood samples taken immediately after delivery in Nihon University Itabashi hospital and one private clinic, were tested. Nearly all cord blood samples (97 %) were negative for C.burnetii. To our knowledge, these are the first tests of cord blood samples for C.burnetii employing PCR.Our findings support the concept that human C.burnetii infection is acquired and provide a rationale for investigating whether vertical infection occurs through the placenta of infected parturient woman. Less
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