Publications (52)96.41 Total impact
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Article: Necessity of early intervention for IgG4-related disease--delayed treatment induces fibrosis progression.
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ABSTRACT: Objective. Despite ongoing research, the clinical and histopathological natural history of immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) remains unclear and the optimal time to initiate treatment is unknown. A focus on clinical symptoms rather than image finding is recommended for therapeutic initiation in autoimmune pancreatitis, but evidence for this approach is lacking. We aimed to retrospectively analyse disease duration, efficacy of treatment with glucocorticoids and results of histopathological examination of submandibular gland specimens to clarify the necessity for early intervention in IgG4-RD.Methods. Salivary secretions were assessed before and after treatment in 26 cases of IgG4-related Mikulicz's disease (IgG4-MD). Relationships between disease duration, amount of salivary secretion before treatment, improvement of salivary secretion and ratios of areas of residual acini, fibrosis and lymphoid follicles in the involved submandibular gland specimens were analysed.Results. Salivary secretions were significantly reduced in cases with illness of >2 years (P < 0.05). An inverse correlation was seen between improved amount of salivary secretion and amount of salivary secretion before treatment (r = -0.60). Improved amount of salivary secretion was also associated with each histological factor (acini, r = 0.29; fibrosis, r = -0.23; lymphoid follicles, r = -0.31), which showed interrelationships (acini and lymphoid follicles, r = -0.23; acini and fibrosis, r = 0.42; lymphoid follicles and fibrosis, r = 0.30).Conclusion. Salivary secretion can be improved even in cases with lower levels of salivary secretion before treatment in IgG4-RD, but improvements in the amount of salivary secretion decrease with histological changes with delayed therapeutic intervention. These data suggest that early intervention is needed to improve outcomes in patients with IgG4-MD.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 12/2012; · 4.24 Impact Factor -
Article: Clinical practice in immunoglobulin G4-related disease.
The Israel Medical Association journal: IMAJ 10/2012; 14(10):640-1. · 1.02 Impact Factor -
Article: Recommendations for the nomenclature of IgG4-related disease and its individual organ system manifestations.
Arthritis & Rheumatism 06/2012; 64(10):3061-7. · 7.87 Impact Factor -
Article: Consensus statement on the pathology of IgG4-related disease.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease is a newly recognized fibro-inflammatory condition characterized by several features: a tendency to form tumefactive lesions in multiple sites; a characteristic histopathological appearance; and-often but not always-elevated serum IgG4 concentrations. An international symposium on IgG4-related disease was held in Boston, MA, on 4-7 October 2011. The organizing committee comprising 35 IgG4-related disease experts from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Holland, Canada, and the United States, including the clinicians, pathologists, radiologists, and basic scientists. This group represents broad subspecialty expertise in pathology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, allergy, immunology, nephrology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, and surgery. The histopathology of IgG4-related disease was a specific focus of the international symposium. The primary purpose of this statement is to provide practicing pathologists with a set of guidelines for the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease. The diagnosis of IgG4-related disease rests on the combined presence of the characteristic histopathological appearance and increased numbers of IgG4(+) plasma cells. The critical histopathological features are a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, a storiform pattern of fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. We propose a terminology scheme for the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease that is based primarily on the morphological appearance on biopsy. Tissue IgG4 counts and IgG4:IgG ratios are secondary in importance. The guidelines proposed in this statement do not supplant careful clinicopathological correlation and sound clinical judgment. As the spectrum of this disease continues to expand, we advocate the use of strict criteria for accepting newly proposed entities or sites as components of the IgG4-related disease spectrum.Modern Pathology 05/2012; 25(9):1181-92. · 4.79 Impact Factor -
Article: Relapse patterns in IgG4-related disease.
Annals of the rheumatic diseases 05/2012; 71(10):1755. · 8.11 Impact Factor -
Article: Adult-onset Still’s disease in pregnancy
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ABSTRACT: KeywordsAdult-onset Still’s disease–Hemophagocytic syndrome–PregnancyModern Rheumatology 04/2012; 22(1):163-165. · 1.58 Impact Factor -
Article: The immunobiology and clinical characteristics of IgG4 related diseases.
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ABSTRACT: Having the characteristic features of elevated serum IgG4 levels and prominent infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells with fibrosis in lesions, Mikulicz's disease (MD) has been recognized as an IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). Although incidence of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), one of the organ characteristics of IgG4-RD, has been internationally reported, there are only a few such reports of IgG4-related MD. The limited number of reports might be attributable to the low recognition of IgG4-related MD as a clinical entity as well as its misdiagnosis as Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Thus, we compared several clinical features of MD with SS to improve proper clinical diagnosis of MD in the clinical setting. A total of 70 SS and 70 MD cases evaluated at Sapporo Medical University Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. In SS patients, sicca symptoms were the most frequent (87%), followed by articular symptoms (23%), while lacrimal and salivary gland swelling were a rare (10%) and transient manifestation. In contrast, lacrimal or salivary gland swelling was observed in all patients with MD. Although nearly 60% of MD patients complained of sicca syndrome, skin rash and arthralgia were rare symptoms. Hypergammaglobulinemia was recognized in both SS and MD patients, but the occurrence of autoantibodies in patients with IgG4-related MD was low. Extraglandular organ involvement, often involving the retroperitoneum, pancreas, kidney and lung, was often discovered at the time of IgG4-related MD diagnosis. Although corticosteroid therapy tended to delay the hypofunction of salivary gland in SS patients, recovery of decreased function of salivary glands were observed in IgG4-related MD patients. These results suggest the beneficial effect of aggressive corticosteroid intervention in patients with IgG4-related MD. Although SS and MD are both chronic inflammatory diseases affecting the lacrimal and salivary glands, their clinical features and corticosteroid responsiveness are different. Thus, differential diagnosis of these conditions is warranted.Journal of Autoimmunity 02/2012; 39(1-2):93-6. · 7.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Comprehensive diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), 2011.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a novel clinical disease entity characterized by elevated serum IgG4 concentration and tumefaction or tissue infiltration by IgG4+ plasma cells. Although IgG4-RD is not rare and is clinically important, its clinical diagnostic criteria have not been established. Comprehensive diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RD, including the involvement of various organs, are intended for the practical use of general physicians and nonspecialists. Two IgG4-RD study groups, the Umehara and Okazaki teams, were organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Japan. As IgG4-RD comprises a wide variety of diseases, these groups consist of physicians and researchers in various disciplines, including rheumatology, hematology, gastroenterology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology, odontology, pathology, statistics, and basic and molecular immunology throughout Japan, with 66 and 56 members of the Umehara and Okazaki teams, respectively. Collaborations of the two study groups involved detailed analyses of clinical symptoms, laboratory results, and biopsy specimens of patients with IgG4-RD, resulting in the establishment of comprehensive diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RD. Although many patients with IgG4-RD have lesions in several organs, either synchronously or metachronously, and the pathological features of each organ differ, consensus has been reached on two diagnostic criteria for IgG4RD: (1) serum IgG4 concentration >135 mg/dl, and (2) >40% of IgG+ plasma cells being IgG4+ and >10 cells/high powered field of biopsy sample. Although the comprehensive diagnostic criteria are not sufficiently sensitive for the diagnosis of type 1 IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis (IgG4-related AIP), they are adequately sensitive for IgG4-related Mikulicz's disease (MD) and kidney disease (KD). In addition, the comprehensive diagnostic criteria, combined with organ-specific diagnostic criteria, have increased the sensitivity of diagnosis to 100% for IgG4-related MD, KD, and AIP. Our comprehensive diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RD are practically useful for general physicians and nonspecialists.Modern Rheumatology 01/2012; 22(1):21-30. · 1.58 Impact Factor -
Article: Immunohistochemical Characteristics of IgG4-Related Tubulointerstitial Nephritis: Detailed Analysis of 20 Japanese Cases.
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ABSTRACT: Although tubulointerstitial nephritis with IgG4+ plasma cell (PC) infiltration is a hallmark of IgG4-related kidney disease (IgG4-RKD), only a few studies are available about the minimum number of IgG4+ PC needed for diagnosis along with IgG4+/IgG+ PC ratio in the kidney. In addition, the significance of the deposition of IgG or complement as a reflection of humoral immunity involvement is still uncertain. In this study, we analyzed 20 Japanese patients with IgG4-RKD to evaluate the number of IgG4+ PCs along with IgG4+/IgG+ PC ratio and involvement of humoral immunity. The average number of IgG4+ PCs was 43.8/hpf and the average IgG4+/IgG+ or IgG4+/CD138+ ratio was 53%. IgG and C3 granular deposits on the tubular basement membrane (TBM) were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy in 13% and 47% of patients, respectively. Nine patients had a variety of glomerular lesions, and 7 of them had immunoglobulin or complement deposition in the glomerulus. In conclusion, we confirmed that infiltrating IgG4+ PCs > 10/hpf and/or IgG4/IgG (CD138)+ PCs > 40% was appropriate as an item of the diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RKD. A relatively high frequency of diverse glomerular lesions with immunoglobulin or complement deposits and deposits in TBM may be evidence of immune complex involvement in IgG4-related disease.International Journal of Rheumatology 01/2012; 2012:609795. -
Article: Tophaceous gout in the cervical spine.
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ABSTRACT: A 58-year-old woman with a three-year progressive history of chronic arthritis, had become disabled due to general malaise and fever. Her laboratory data revealed hyperuricemia and elevated levels of C-reactive protein. Neither rheumatoid factor nor anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies were present. We diagnosed her with tophaceous gout with uric crystalline revealed by the arthrocentesis of the elbow. (99m)Tc scintigraphy also disclosed a significant uptake in the cervical spine. The CT of the patient's cervical spine revealed significant bone erosion and destruction. We diagnosed the cervical involvement of gout based on the exclusion of infections and sarcoidosis. Rheumatologists should be aware of this rare association.Internal Medicine 01/2012; 51(3):325-8. · 0.94 Impact Factor -
Article: IgG4-related disease and malignancy.
Internal Medicine 01/2012; 51(4):349-50. · 0.94 Impact Factor -
Article: [Usefulness of measuring serum IgG4 level as diagnostic and treatment marker in IgG4-related disease].
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease is a chronic disorder, which is characterized with elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G4 and abundant infiltration of IgG4-positive plasmacyte and storiform fibrosis in the enlarged organs. It includes Mikulicz's disease (IgG4-related dacryoadenitis and sialadenitis), autoimmune pancreatitis type I, and so on. In Japan, we have been able to measure the IgG4 levels in our clinic since 2010, and we knew that various diseases except IgG4-related disease, also presented with elevated levels of serum IgG4. Eosinopihic disorders, such as Chrug-Strauss syndrome, a part of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis can present with high levels of serum IgG4. So the confusion is seen in some clinicians, but we have to recognize that only serological findings cannot lead to the correct diagnosis in IgG4-related disease. The pathological and image findings also are needed. With regard of the treatments for IgG4-related disease, the levels of serum IgG4 often reflected with the therapeutic response, and were also the markers, which predicted the relapse. We describe herein the significance of measuring serum IgG4 levels in the diagnosis and during the treatment for IgG4-related disease.Japanese Journal of Clinical Immunology 01/2012; 35(1):30-7. -
Article: Evaluation and Clinical Validity of a New Questionnaire for Mikulicz's Disease.
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ABSTRACT: Objectives. The characteristic features of Mikulicz's disease (MD) are diffuse enlargement of the lacrimal and submandibular glands, elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G4, and abundant infiltration of IgG4-positive plasmacytes into both glands. No disease index is available to properly evaluate MD, so we developed a functional assessment of MD, the Mikulicz's disease activity questionnaire (MAQ), and evaluated its clinical efficacy. Methods. We selected 18 patients who were either being treated for MD or who had presented with recurrence. The patients completed a self-assessment and were scored according to the MAQ sheet during each visit between December 2009 and August 2011. Assessment items were in regard to increases or decreases in lacrimal and salivary gland enlargement and severity of sicca symptoms. Results. On the first visits, MAQ scores were high, but scores decreased rapidly as treatment progressed. When doses of glucocorticoid were reduced, some patients showed increased scores. Dry-symptom scores increased initially. MAQ scores for patients with recurrent MD gradually increased over several months before relapse. However, some patients displayed no elevation in MAQ scores due to relapses at other sites. Conclusion. MAQ score can be used to quantify flares and treatment response and is useful for functional assessment of MD.International Journal of Rheumatology 01/2012; 2012:283459. -
Article: Cutoff Values of Serum IgG4 and Histopathological IgG4+ Plasma Cells for Diagnosis of Patients with IgG4-Related Disease.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease is a new disease classification established in Japan in the 21st century. Patients with IgG4-related disease display hyper-IgG4-gammaglobulinemia, massive infiltration of IgG4+ plasma cells into tissue, and good response to glucocorticoids. Since IgG4 overexpression is also observed in other disorders, it is necessary to diagnose IgG4-related disease carefully and correctly. We therefore sought to determine cutoff values for serum IgG4 and IgG4/IgG and for IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cells in tissue diagnostic of IgG4-related disease. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed serum IgG4 concentrations and IgG4/IgG ratio and IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cell ratio in tissues of 132 patients with IgG4-related disease and 48 patients with other disorders. Result. Serum IgG4 >135 mg/dl demonstrated a sensitivity of 97.0% and a specificity of 79.6% in diagnosing IgG4-related disease, and serum IgG4/IgG ratios >8% had a sensitivity and specificity of 95.5% and 87.5%, respectively. IgG4+cell/IgG+ cell ratio in tissues >40% had a sensitivity and specificity of 94.4% and 85.7%, respectively. However, the number of IgG4+ cells was reduced in severely fibrotic parts of tissues. Conclusion. Although a recent unanimous consensus of all relevant researchers in Japan recently established the diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related disease, findings such as ours indicate that further discussion is needed.International Journal of Rheumatology 01/2012; 2012:580814. -
Article: Value of serum IgG4 in the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease and in differentiation from rheumatic diseases and other diseases.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a novel disease entity that includes Mikulicz's disease, autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), and many other conditions. It is characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels and abundant IgG4-bearing plasmacyte infiltration of involved organs. We postulated that high levels of serum IgG4 would comprise a useful diagnostic tool, but little information is available about IgG4 in conditions other than IgG4-RD, including rheumatic diseases. Several reports have described cutoff values for serum IgG4 when diagnosing IgG4-RD, but these studies mostly used 135 mg/dL in AIP to differentiate from pancreatic cancer instead of rheumatic and other common diseases. There is no evidence for a cutoff serum IgG4 level of 135 mg/dL for rheumatic diseases and common diseases that are often complicated with rheumatic diseases. The aim of this work was to re-evaluate the usual cutoff serum IgG4 value in AIP (135 mg/dL) that is used to diagnose whole IgG4-RD in the setting of a rheumatic clinic by measuring serum IgG4 levels in IgG4-RD and various disorders. We therefore constructed ROC curves of serum IgG4 levels in 418 patients who attended Sapporo Medical University Hospital due to IgG4-RD and various rheumatic and common disorders. The optimal cut-off value of serum IgG4 for a diagnosis of IgG4-RD was 144 mg/dL, and the sensitivity and specificity were 95.10 and 90.76%, respectively. Levels of serum IgG4 were elevated in IgG4-RD, Churg-Strauss syndrome, multicentric Castleman's disease, eosinophilic disorders, and in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, chronic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis. The usual cut-off value of 135 mg/dL in AIP is useful for diagnosing whole IgG4-RD, but high levels of serum IgG4 are sometimes observed in not only IgG4-RD but also other rheumatic and common diseases.Modern Rheumatology 09/2011; 22(3):419-25. · 1.58 Impact Factor -
Article: Proposal for diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related kidney disease.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease has attracted wide attention recently. It is characterized by a high level of serum IgG4 and dense infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells into multiple organs, with the kidney being one representative target. Although several sets of diagnostic criteria for autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) are available and renal lesion is recognized as an extra-pancreatic manifestation of AIP, it is difficult to differentiate IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) without AIP from other types of TIN. To clarify the entity of IgG4-related kidney disease (IgG4-RKD) and support in-depth studies, the Japanese Society of Nephrology has established a working group to prepare diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RKD. The working group analyzed 41 patients with IgG4-RKD, and collected the following data to devise a diagnostic algorithm and diagnostic criteria for IgG4-RKD: clinical features including extra-renal organ involvement, urinalysis and serological features including serum IgG4 levels, imaging findings demonstrated by computed tomography (CT), renal histology with IgG4 immunostaining, and response to steroid therapy. The conditions for criteria are as follows. (1) Presence of some kidney damage, as manifested by abnormal urinalysis or urine marker(s) and/or decreased kidney function with either elevated serum IgG level, hypocomplementemia, or elevated serum IgE level. (2) Kidney imaging studies showing abnormal renal imaging findings, i.e., multiple low density lesions on enhanced CT, diffuse kidney enlargement, hypovascular solitary mass in the kidney, and hypertrophic lesion of the renal pelvic wall without irregularity of the renal pelvic surface. (3) Serum IgG4 level exceeding 135 mg/dl. (4) Renal histology showing two abnormal findings: (a) dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with infiltrating IgG4-positive plasma cells >10/high power field (HPF) and/or ratio of IgG4-positive plasma cells/IgG positive plasma cells >40%. (b) Characteristic 'storiform' fibrosis surrounding nests of lymphocytes and/or plasma cells. (5) Extra-renal histology showing dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with infiltrating IgG4-positive plasma cells >10/HPF and/or ratio of IgG4-positive plasma cells/IgG-positive plasma cells >40%. The diagnosis is classified into 3 stages of definite, probable and possible according to the combinations of the above conditions. Thirty-nine cases (95.1%) were diagnosed with IgG4-RKD according to the criteria. The provisional criteria and algorithm appear to be useful for clarifying the entity of IgG4-RKD and seeking underlying IgG4-RKD cases; however, further experience is needed to confirm the validity of these criteria.Clinical and Experimental Nephrology 09/2011; 15(5):615-26. · 1.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Risk of malignancies in IgG4-related disease.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is considered a systemic, chronic, and inflammatory disorder that is characterized by the enlargement of involved organs, elevated levels of IgG4, and abundant infiltration of plasmacytes with IgG4 and fibrosis in involved organs. It is necessary to differentiate IgG4-RD from malignant tumors. Recently we have looked at case reports of IgG4-RD with malignancy that was discovered at systemic screening. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between IgG4-RD and malignancies. The study subjects were 106 patients with IgG4-RD who had been referred to our hospital since April 1997. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of IgG4-RD patients who had cancer that was observed upon the initial diagnosis of IgG4-RD or that occurred during an average follow-up period of 3.1 years. Using data from national cancer registries that monitor cancer incidence in Japan, we evaluated the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for malignancies in IgG4-RD. Malignancies were observed in 11 of the IgG4-RD patients (10.4%). The malignancies were all different and included lung cancer, colon cancer, and lymphoma. With the exception of the age at which the IgG4-RD diagnosis was made, there were no common features in patients with cancer and those without. The SIR for these malignancies in IgG4-RD was 383.0, which was higher than that for the general population. We should be cognizant of the possible existence of malignancies in patients with IgG4-RD at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up care.Modern Rheumatology 09/2011; 22(3):414-8. · 1.58 Impact Factor -
Article: A novel clinical entity, IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD): general concept and details.
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ABSTRACT: IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD) is a novel clinical disease entity characterized by elevated serum IgG4 concentration and tumefaction or tissue infiltration by IgG4-positive plasma cells. IgG4RD may be present in a certain proportion of patients with a wide variety of diseases, including Mikulicz's disease, autoimmune pancreatitis, hypophysitis, Riedel thyroiditis, interstitial pneumonitis, interstitial nephritis, prostatitis, lymphadenopathy, retroperitoneal fibrosis, inflammatory aortic aneurysm, and inflammatory pseudotumor. Although IgG4RD forms a distinct, clinically independent disease category and is attracting strong attention as a new clinical entity, many questions and problems still remain to be elucidated, including its pathogenesis, the establishment of diagnostic criteria, and the role of IgG4. Here we describe the concept of IgG4RD and up-to-date information on this emerging disease entity.Modern Rheumatology 09/2011; 22(1):1-14. · 1.58 Impact Factor -
Article: Adult-onset Still's disease in pregnancy.
Modern Rheumatology 07/2011; 22(1):163-5. · 1.58 Impact Factor -
Article: [IgG4-related disease].
Arerugī = [Allergy] 06/2011; 60(6):687-91.
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Institutions
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2003–2012
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Sapporo Medical University
- • School of Medicine
- • Division of Internal Medicine II
- • Department of Otolaryngology
Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido, Japan
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2009
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Teine Keijinkai Hospital
Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido, Japan
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