title: Clinical study of Japanese spotted fever and its aggravating factors.
abstract: Twenty-eight patients with Japanese spotted fever were clinically investigated. The diagnosis was determined by confirming an increase of specific antibody. All patients were treated with minocycline, and all recovered, excluding one patient with a fulminant course. Fever and exanthema were observed in all patients, and an eschar was pointed out in 20 (71%) patients. The platelet count was 10 x 10(4)/microl or lower in 8 (28%) patients. The fibrin degradation product (FDP)-level was abnormally high, 10 microg/ml or more, in 16 (57%) patients. The creatine kinase (CK) value was high in 14 of 22 patients, suggesting the presence of myositis. The leukocyte count, FDP, C-reactive protein, and soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL2-R) levels were significantly higher in severe cases. In the group without concomitant steroid therapy, mean times of 54.7 h and 101.4 h were required to reduce the temperature to 38 degrees C and 37 degrees C or lower, respectively, after the initiation of tetracycline treatment. There were 6 severe cases: 1 with disseminated intravascular coagulation, 2 with multiorgan failure, 1 with acute respiratory distress syndrome, and 2 with meningoencephalitis. These severe cases formed a group that required 6 or more days to initiate therapy after the onset (P < 0.005 vs non-severe group), showing that delay in diagnosis and therapy is the major cause of aggravation. In the 2 patients complicated by multiorgan failure, the sIL2-R level, produced by activated lymphocytes, was 10,000 U/ml or higher, suggesting that an sIL2-R level of more than 10,000 U/ml can be used as a marker of poor prognosis. It may be better that moderate to severe cases are treated with minocycline plus short-term steroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo Prefectural Awaji Hospital, Sumoto, Hyogo 656-0013, Japan. kodama@awaji-hosp.sumoto.hyogo.jp
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Senba
authors.forename: Hayato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Tetsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chikahira
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008911:Minocycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000209:etiology*; D012281:Rickettsia; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D008911:Minocycline