Hitoshi Takahashi

Publications (14)29.47 Total impact

• Article: Serum Gliadin Monitoring Extracts Patients with False Negative Results in Challenge Tests for the Diagnosis of Wheat-Dependent Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis.

  Kunie Kohno, Hiroaki Matsuo, Hitoshi Takahashi, Hiroyuki Niihara, Yuko Chinuki, Sakae Kaneko, Tsutomu Honjoh, Tatsuya Horikawa, Shoji Mihara, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Background: Challenge testing with wheat plus exercise and/or aspirin is a gold standard for the diagnosis of wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA); however, the test may often yield false-negative results. Our previous study suggested that an increase in serum wheat gliadin levels is required to induce allergic symptoms in patients with WDEIA. Based on this knowledge, we sought to extract the patients with false negative results in the challenge tests of WDEIA. Methods: Thirty-six patients with suspected WDEIA were enrolled. First, group categorizations -Group I, challenge tests were positive; Group II, challenge tests were negative and serum gliadin were undetectable; Group III, challenge tests were negative and serum gliadin were detectable- were given according to the results of wheat plus exercise and/or aspirin challenge testing and serum gliadin levels. Second, diagnoses were made using retests and/or dietary management in Group II and III. Results: Positive results for wheat plus exercise and/or aspirin challenge tests gave a diagnosis of definite WDEIA in 17 of 36 patients (Group I). Of the remaining 19 challenge negative patients, serum gliadin was undetectable in ten patients (Group II). Of the ten patients (Group II), three of them were diagnosed as definite WDEIA by retesting and six of them were diagnosed as probable WDEIA using a wheat elimination diet, whereas one patient was non-WDEIA. In the rest of the nine challenge negative patients, serum gliadin was detectable (Group III). No allergic episodes with a normal diet provided a diagnosis of non-WDEIA in seven of the nine patients, whereas the remaining two patients were probable WDEIA or had another food allergy because of repeated episodes. Conclusions: Our study revealed that serum gliadin monitoring during challenge testing is useful.
  Allergology International 04/2013;
• Article: Recent advances of in vitro tests for the diagnosis of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

  Eishin Morita, Yuko Chinuki, Hitoshi Takahashi
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  ABSTRACT: Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is a special form of IgE-mediated food allergy and exhibits allergic symptoms in combination of causative food-intake and triggers such as exercise. As the causative foods and the condition of triggers vary among patients, diagnosis of FDEIA is not always easy. Serum food-specific IgE tests, which are widely used in the diagnosis of FDEIA, have rather low sensitivity, because the tests mostly utilize crude extracts of foods. Concept of using defined allergen molecules has been proposed as the term "component-resolved diagnostics" for diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergy. Use of purified allergens such as recombinant omega-5 gliadin turned out to highly improve its sensitivity and specificity of the tests in the diagnosis of wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA). Recently, CD203c expression-based basophil activation test (BAT) is reported to be useful in identifying adult patients with WDEIA and predicting causative allergens in WDEIA, when combined with appropriate allergens. Detection of serum allergen levels possibly gives useful information whether food challenge tests have been performed with sufficient strength.
  Journal of dermatological science 04/2013; · 3.71 Impact Factor
• Article: Higher allergenicity of high molecular weight hydrolysed wheat protein in cosmetics for percutaneous sensitization.

  Yuko Chinuki, Hitoshi Takahashi, Itaru Dekio, Sakae Kaneko, Reiko Tokuda, Mizuho Nagao, Takao Fujisawa, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Background Wheat protein derivatives are used in a variety of products worldwide. Gluten is commercially used 'as is' or with modifications such as hydrolysis, which is carried out to overcome its insolubility. Several cases of contact urticaria following exposure to hydrolysed wheat protein (HWP) in cosmetics or of anaphylaxis caused by deamidated gluten in food or non-food products have been described. Objectives To evaluate the types of HWP that have higher allergenicity for percutaneous sensitization. Methods We enrolled 7 patients with wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis who had been sensitized to HWP primarily through the percutaneous and/or the rhinoconjunctival route by using facial soap containing HWP. Reaction to wheat proteins was confirmed by IgE immunoblotting and basophil CD203c expression with six HWP variants. Results The IgE of all the patients reacted to HWPs composed of large polypeptide aggregates. High molecular weight (MW) HWPs were also found to induce significant enhancement of basophil CD203c expression. Conclusions HWPs composed of large polypeptide aggregates possibly induce sensitization to a greater degree than lower-MW HWPs. Basophil surface CD203c expression is useful for evaluating the allergenicity of HWPs.
  Contact Dermatitis 12/2012; · 3.51 Impact Factor
• Article: Interleukin-8 Content in the Stratum Corneum as an Indicator of the Severity of Inflammation in the Lesions of Atopic Dermatitis.

  Tseveendorj Amarbayasgalan, Hitoshi Takahashi, Itaru Dekio, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by both acute and chronic eczema. Various markers are used to clinically evaluate the severity of AD. In order to identify a marker of local severity of AD, we measured IL-8, IL-18, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) levels in the stratum corneum (scIL-8, scIL-18, scVEGF and scTGF-α) and evaluated the correlation between the levels of these cytokines and the clinical severity scores of localized skin lesions. Methods: Stratum corneum samples were collected from the skin lesions of 50 patients with AD using the tape-stripping technique, and the scIL-8, scIL-18, scVEGF and scTGF-α levels were evaluated using the ELISA method. The trans-epidermal water loss and skin water content of the lesions were also measured prior to tape stripping. Results: The levels of scIL-8, scIL-18, scVEGF and scTGF-α were significantly higher in patients with AD than in healthy controls. Additionally, the levels of scIL-8, scIL-18 and scVEGF significantly correlated with the severity of AD. Conclusions: Among these cytokines, scIL-8 showed the highest correlation with the severity scores of lesions in AD as well as other parameters. Our results also suggest that measuring cytokines in the stratum corneum by using ELISA combined with tape stripping is a convenient method to evaluate the severity of skin lesions in AD.
  International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 09/2012; 160(1):63-74. · 2.40 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Itaru Dekio

  Article: CD203c expression-based basophil activation test for diagnosis of wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

  Yuko Chinuki, Sakae Kaneko, Itaru Dekio, Hitoshi Takahashi, Reiko Tokuda, Mizuho Nagao, Takao Fujisawa, Eishin Morita
  The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 03/2012; 129(5):1404-6. · 9.17 Impact Factor
• Article: Prevalence of wheat allergy in Japanese adults.

  Eishin Morita, Yuko Chinuki, Hitoshi Takahashi, Tohru Nabika, Masayuki Yamasaki, Kuninori Shiwaku
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  ABSTRACT: Wheat is one of the most common causes of food allergies. The exact prevalence of wheat allergy has not been well delineated in Japanese adults. We enrolled 935 adults in a cohort study established by Shimane University in order to examine the determinants of lifestyle-related diseases. A screening was conducted by a questionnaire-based examination and a detection of serum omega-5 gliadin-specific IgE. Subjects who tested positive in the questionnaire-based examination and/or the serum omega-5 gliadin-specific IgE test were further examined by detailed interviews and skin prick tests. A total of 22 subjects were picked up by the screening process, and 17 of these were further examined by secondary testing. Only two subjects were conclusively identified as having wheat allergy. The prevalence of wheat allergy in Japanese adults was found to be 0.21% by using a combination of questionnaire-based examination, skin prick test and serum omega-5 gliadin-specific IgE test.
  Allergology International 03/2012; 61(1):101-5.
• Article: Content of vascular endothelial growth factor in stratum corneum well correlates to local severity of acute inflammation in patients with atopic dermatitis.

  Tseveendorj Amarbayasgalan, Hitoshi Takahashi, Itaru Dekio, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease, characterized by existence of both acute and chronic eczema. Various markers are used to clinically evaluate the severity of AD as a whole. However, little is known regarding markers that can efficiently indicate the severity of a localized lesion. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent activator of vascular permeability, is known to be increased in AD lesions. In order to establish whether the VEGF content in the stratum corneum (scVEGF) can be used as a marker to evaluate severity of AD lesions, we evaluated the association between scVEGF and symptom scores of localized lesions. Fifty patients with AD and 12 healthy subjects were enrolled. Skin lesions were evaluated and transepidermal water loss and skin water content of the lesions were measured. Stratum corneum samples were collected from the skin of back, neck and arm by the tape stripping technique. The scVEGF were evaluated using a VEGF-specific ELISA method after extracting protein from the scales. The scVEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with AD than in healthy controls. Moreover, the scVEGF levels highly correlated with the manifestation scores of erythema and edema/papulation, and weakly correlated with the scores of excoriation, xerosis and itch. They also correlated significantly with transepidermal water loss and skin water content. The scVEGF levels correlated well with the severity of clinical conditions, especially erythema and edema/papulation. scVEGF level is considered to be a useful marker to evaluate acute inflammatory conditions in individual AD lesions.
  International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 01/2012; 157(3):251-8. · 2.40 Impact Factor
• Article: Usability of Fag e 2 ImmunoCAP in the diagnosis of buckwheat allergy.

  Kimiko Tohgi, Kunie Kohno, Hitoshi Takahashi, Hiroaki Matsuo, Satoshi Nakayama, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Currently, the detection of crude buckwheat extract-specific IgE by ImmunoCAP (f11) (Phadia AB, Uppsala, Sweden) is widely used to diagnose buckwheat allergy. However, the results of this test do not always correlate with the development of allergic symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of specific IgE antibody titers for the major buckwheat allergens Fag e 1 and Fag e 2. Specific IgE antibodies were determined using the ImmunoCAP method for native Fag e 1 and Fag e 2, recombinant Fag e 1 and Fag e 2, and crude buckwheat extract (f11) in 10 buckwheat allergy patients, 14 atopic dermatitis patients, and 15 healthy subjects. All buckwheat allergy patients showed positive results for native Fag e 1- and Fag e 2-specific IgE tests and for ImmunoCAP (f11). In contrast, the rates of atopic dermatitis patients with positive results for native Fag e 1- and Fag e 2-specific IgE tests were 64.2% (9/14) and 57.1% (8/14), respectively. The sensitivities of the test using recombinant proteins were lower than those of the test using native proteins. The area under the curve (AUC) as determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was the largest for the native Fag e 2-specific IgE test (0.967), with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 89.6% (cut-off: 2.74 kUa/L). Thus, the native Fag e 2-specific IgE antibody titer obtained using the ImmunoCAP method is more reliable than the buckwheat ImmunoCAP (f11) value for predicting buckwheat allergy.
  Archives for Dermatological Research 04/2011; 303(9):635-42. · 2.28 Impact Factor
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  Available from: medicaljournals.se

  Article: Identification of a major yolk protein as an allergen in sea urchin roe.

  Ayako Yamasaki, Hiromi Higaki, Keiko Nakashima, Osamu Yamamoto, Kyaw Zaw Hein, Hitoshi Takahashi, Yuko Chinuki, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Anaphylaxis after eating sea urchin roe has been reported. However, its major allergens have not yet been identified. The aim of this study was to identify the major allergens of sea urchin roe. Proteins of sea urchin roe were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). An immunoglobulin (Ig)E-binding protein was detected by immunoblotting using the patient's serum. An allergen isolated from 2DE-gel was identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Immunoblot analysis of sea urchin extracts showed that a 160-kDa protein at pI 6-7 was recognized by the patient's IgE. Peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed that the protein was the major yolk protein (152 kDa, pI 6.9) of sea urchins. The results show that a major allergen of sea urchin roe is the major yolk protein.
  Acta Dermato-Venereologica 05/2010; 90(3):235-8.
• Source

  Available from: Hiroaki Matsuo

  Article: Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis -importance of omega-5 gliadin and HMW-glutenin as causative antigens for wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis-.

  Eishin Morita, Hiroaki Matsuo, Yuko Chinuki, Hitoshi Takahashi, Jörgen Dahlström, Akira Tanaka
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  ABSTRACT: Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is a special form of food allergy where a food-intake alone does not induce any symptoms. However, allergic symptoms are elicited when triggering factors such as exercise or aspirin-intake are added after ingestion of the causative food. The most frequent causative foodstuff in Japan is wheat. The triggering factors, both exercise and aspirin-intake, facilitate allergen absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in allergic symptoms in the patients with wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA). Analysis using purified wheat proteins revealed that approximately 80% of the patients with WDEIA have IgE reacting to omega-5 gliadin and the remaining of the patients to high molecular weight glutenin (HMW-glutenin). Simultaneous measurement of specific IgE to omega-5 gliadin and HMW-glutenin was found to be highly useful in diagnosing WDEIA compared with the routine diagnostic system for wheat.
  Allergology International 10/2009; 58(4):493-8.
• Article: [Immunobiology of wheat allergen and allergic disease].

  Hitoshi Takahashi, Eishin Morita
  Arerugī = [Allergy] 12/2008; 57(11):1094-101.
• Article: Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on serum allergen levels after wheat ingestion.

  Hiroaki Matsuo, Sakae Kaneko, Yoshio Tsujino, Sakae Honda, Kunie Kohno, Hitoshi Takahashi, Shoji Mihara, Michihiro Hide, Kenichi Aburatani, Tsutomu Honjoh, Eishin Morita
  Journal of Dermatological Science 11/2008; 53(3):241-3. · 3.72 Impact Factor
• Article: Evaluation of the antihistamine effects of olopatadine, cetirizine and fexofenadine during a 24 h period: a double-blind, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled comparison in skin responses induced by histamine iontophoresis.

  Hitoshi Takahashi, Yan Zhang, Eishin Morita
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  ABSTRACT: Potency of the antihistamine effects of olopatadine, cetirizine and fexofenadine in standard-dose application were compared from 11.5 to 24 h after application. The test was designed in a double-blind, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study of ten healthy volunteers on histamine-induced flare and wheal response using an iontophoresis technique. The suppressive effect of olopatadine on the wheals induced by a 0.1-mA histamine iontophoresis lasted for 24 h after dosing. Fexofenadine administered using the same regimen was the least effective among three drugs tested. Suppression of the wheal response by cetirizine, taken once-daily, decreased with time. Olopatadine completely suppressed even the wheal response induced by a 0.2-mA histamine iontophoresis, although fexofenadine and cetirizine were less effective on the wheals induced by the same histamine challenge. There were no significant differences in subjective drowsiness and objective cognitive function between drug- and placebo-treated subjects. These results demonstrate that olopatadine is the most potent antihistamine among the three H(1)-blockers when administered in a standard dosage.
  Archives for Dermatological Research 08/2008; 300(6):291-5. · 2.28 Impact Factor
• Article: Involvement of CHOP, an ER-stress apoptotic mediator, in both human sporadic ALS and ALS model mice

  Yasushi Ito, Mitsunori Yamada, Hirotaka Tanaka, Kazunari Aida, Kazuhiro Tsuruma, Masamitsu Shimazawa, Isao Hozumi, Takashi Inuzuka, Hitoshi Takahashi, Hideaki Hara
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  ABSTRACT: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced neuronal death may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, whether CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP), an ER-stress apoptotic mediator, is involved in the pathogenesis of ALS is controversial. Here we demonstrate the expression levels and localization of CHOP in spinal cords of both sporadic ALS patients and ALS transgenic mice by immunohistochemistry. In the spinal cords of sporadic ALS patients, CHOP was markedly up-regulated but typically expressed at low levels in those of the control. Likewise, CHOP expression increased at 14 (symptomatic stage) and 18 to 20 weeks (end stage) in ALS transgenic mice spinal cords. Furthermore, localizations of CHOP were merged in motor neurons and glial cells, such as oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia. These results indicate that the up-regulation of CHOP in motor neurons and glial cells may play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of ALS.
  Neurobiology of Disease.