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ABSTRACT: Thymus-and-activation-regulated chemokine (TARC; CCL17) is related to both allergy and pregnancy, but the relationships of maternal and umbilical cord blood CCL17 to atopic dermatitis (AD) development have not yet been examined. Objective Seventy paired full-term and normal vaginal delivery newborns and their mothers were enrolled in this study.
To elucidate the pathogenesis and fetomaternal inheritance of AD in infancy, CCL17, IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 kDa (IP-10; CXCL10), soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G), IgE and eosinophil counts were examined using sera from 70 paired umbilical cord and maternal blood samples.
Serum CCL17 (r(s) =0.340, P<0.001) and sHLA-G (r(s) =0.600, P<0.001) levels showed high correlations between umbilical cord and maternal blood. Umbilical cord serum levels of CCL17 from neonates destined to develop AD in infancy were higher than in those from neonates who showed no signs of AD during infancy (median 1586.9 vs. 819.6 pg/mL, P<0.001). Serum levels of CCL17 were higher in mothers with AD than in those without AD (median 909.6 vs. 214.1 pg/mL, P<0.001). High umbilical cord serum levels of CCL17 were associated with infantile AD development even in 62 neonates born to mothers without AD (median 1514.4 vs. 740.6 pg/mL, P<0.001) and 38 neonates born to mothers with no allergies (median 1624.2 vs. 740.6 pg/mL, P<0.001). The summary estimates for umbilical cord serum CCL17 in the diagnosis of infantile AD were: sensitivity 85.7% (95% confidence interval: 72.8-98.7), specificity 73.8% (60.5-87.1), positive predictive value 68.6% (53.2-84.0) and negative predictive value 88.6% (78.0-99.1).
These findings suggest that the umbilical cord blood CCL17 may be involved in the pathogenesis of infantile AD and in fetomaternal inheritance. Serum levels of CCL17 from umbilical cord blood may be a predictive marker for AD in infancy.
Clinical & Experimental Allergy 11/2010; 41(2):186-91. · 5.03 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Gammadelta T cells have been described as one of immune regulators in patients with infection, malignancy, and allergy.
To elucidate the ability of gammadelta T cells as an allergen immunotherapy candidate, the effectiveness of human gammadelta T cells in allergen-specific T-helper type 2 (Th2)-type T cells was evaluated in vitro.
House dust mite-specific Th2-type T cell clones, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-specific Th1-type T cell clones, and gammadelta T cell lines were established from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of two patients with allergic rhinitis. The effectiveness of gammadelta T cells and BCG-specific Th1-type T cell clones in the modulation of allergen-specific Th2 cells in terms of their cytokine productions was evaluated.
In response to cognate antigens, the gammadelta T cell lines demonstrated a proliferation and production of IFN-gamma that exceeded that of BCG-specific Th1-type T cell clones (mean stimulation index: 14.5 vs. 2.8, mean IFN-gamma: 130.5 vs. 10.0 pg/mL). When the gammadelta T cell lines and mite-allergen-specific Th2 clones were co-cultured with each other, only the levels of IL-4 (mean, -87%) decreased, but not the levels of IL-5 and IL-13, with an increasing concentration of gammadelta T cell antigen and IFN-gamma production (mean, +730%).
These results demonstrated that gammadelta T cells derived from allergic patients might thus have a partial ability to modulate allergen-specific Th2-skewed immunity.
Clinical & Experimental Allergy 12/2007; 37(11):1681-7. · 5.03 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A patient with non-Fukuyama type merosin-positive congenital muscular dystrophy (nonFCMD) who had severe muscle weakness leading to early death was reported. He was the first product of epileptic mother who had been placed on phenobarbital and phenytoin. The patient had severe respiratory failure and muscle weakness at the neonatal period, and died at 4 months of age. Multiple joint contractures were also noted at birth. Serum creatine kinase was within normal limits (123 IU/l). Electromyography showed a myogenic pattern. Brain computed tomographic (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were normal without white matter lucency or pachygyria. Muscle biopsy revealed dystrophic changes and type 2C fiber predominance. Dystrophin, dystrophin-associated glycoproteins and merosin were all positively demonstrated. Although patients with merosin-positive nonFCMD have relatively mild clinical course, our patient had severe muscle weakness with fatal outcome. Defect in muscle fiber maturation and differentiation, such as an increase of undifferentiated type 2C fibers, may be a major factor to influence muscle symptoms in non FCMD.
No to hattatsu. Brain and development 08/1995; 27(4):309-14.
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ABSTRACT: Two patients with Sotos syndrome showed very intractable and prolonged status epilepticus, resulting in poor outcomes. Clinical seizures and EEG abnormalities in patients with Sotos syndrome are sometimes noted, but they are usually mild. These two patients showed hypoplasia of corpus callosum on MRI. We considered the mechanism of intractable seizures, and emphasized the importance of careful management for their seizures and EEG abnormalities.
No to hattatsu. Brain and development 02/1995; 27(1):29-34.
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ABSTRACT: Using a software program for measuring surface area, we quantified the relative size of four parts of the lateral ventricles, including the body, the trigone, the anterior horn and the occipital horn, compared to the hemispheres in the axial plane of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in neonates. In 44 neonates without any neurological disorders from 26 to 41 weeks of gestational age (GA), MRI was performed between 12 and 124 postnatal days. The mean of the relative size of the ventricle compared to the hemisphere (RSVH) among the subjects showed a significant left-right asymmetry that was observed only in the occipital horn. However, in the body, the anterior horn and the occipital horn, the percentage of neonates with a larger left RSVH compared to the right RSVH was significantly higher than the percentage of neonates with a larger right RSVH compared to the left RSVH. The RSVH of the body and the occipital horn increased according to the number of postnatal days and decreased according to GA. Measuring RSVH was useful in assessing the size of the ventricle in the axial plane of neonatal MRI. It clarified the fact that normative asymmetry, GA of subject, and the number of postnatal days should be considered in assessing the size of ventricle.
No to hattatsu. Brain and development 02/1995; 27(1):10-6.
