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ABSTRACT: Elderly persons have a high incidence of lethal infections by encapsulated bacteria. However, mechanisms involved in their poor defense and maintenance of immunological memory have been poorly understood. The present study characterized the population of B cells known as IgM memory B cell compartment and their response by pneumococcal vaccine in elderly people. CD27+ memory B cells, particularly IgD+IgM+CD27+ IgM memory B cells, had dramatically declined in the aged. Their Ig syntheses by B cells and the differentiation into plasma cells were diminished in vitro compared with those in adults. A rise of anti-pneumococcal IgM in sera of elderly persons was found with lower levels compared with those in adults after pneumococcal vaccination. Although diminished function itself of aged B cells surely exist, decline of the IgM memory B cell pool is expected to result in a poor humoral immunity against pneumococcal infection in elderly people.
The Journal of Immunology 10/2005; 175(5):3262-7. · 5.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We report a 29-year-old man with a rare left lumbar subcutaneous cold abscess complicated by tuberculous spondylitis during the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Pulmonary tuberculosis was rapidly improved by anti-tuberculous drugs, however curative operation for tuberculous spondylitis was necessary after 18 months because tuberculous spondylitis was overlooked. Imaging techniques are important in helping to establish a diagnosis of tuberculous spondylitis. It should be stressed that a high clinical index of suspicion for tuberculosis is needed to correctly diagnose this disease.
Internal Medicine 05/2004; 43(4):319-22. · 0.94 Impact Factor
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The Lancet 10/2002; 360(9338):977. · 38.28 Impact Factor
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Akihiro Tsukadaira, Yoshio Okubo,
Takashi Kobayashi,
Toshihide Wakamatsu,
Mari Sasabayashi,
Junichi Hotta,
Kenji Tsushima,
Shuji Takashi,
Yoshitaka Yamazaki,
Shinji Yamaguchi,
Masayuki Hanaoka,
Tomonobu Koizumi,
Keisaku Fujimoto,
Siro Horie,
Keishi Kubo
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ABSTRACT: Typical Klebsiella pneumonia with mucous sputum is known as an opportunistic nosocomial infection. However, computed tomographic study of limiting in Klebsiella pneumonia is rare. We report three types of chest computed tomography (CT) findings for Klebsiella pneumonia. Case 1 shows typical lobar pneumonia (Friedlander pneumonia), Cases 2 and 3 show acute bronchopneumonia with subclinical aspiration, and Case 4, chronic Klebsiella pneumonia with typical cavitary lung abscesses. Of these four cases of Klebsiella pneumonia, three developed in the right lung, as determined radiologically, but esophagogastroduodenoscopy indicated that the lesions of Case 3 had developed in the left lingula and upper lobe.
Nihon Kokyūki Gakkai zasshi = the journal of the Japanese Respiratory Society. 07/2002; 40(6):530-5.
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ABSTRACT: Intravascular lymphomatosis (IVL) is a unique, disseminated type of malignant lymphoma. However, no detailed comparative study limited to the chromosomal aberrations of IVL has been reported, because IVL is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose while the patient is alive. We present here a case of IVL, and compare its karyotype with those of five cases of previously reported IVL. The accumulation of structural aberrations in chromosomes 1, 6, and 18, especially 1p (4 of 6 cases) and trisomy 18 (4 of 6 cases), were found in our comparative study of the B-cell lineage typical IVL. These chromosomal rearrangements must provide important information regarding the characteristics of cytogenetically associated with the cellular genetics of IVL.
American Journal of Clinical Oncology 05/2002; 25(2):178-81. · 2.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Growing evidence obtained from human genomic analysis and antigen-challenged transgenic mice suggests that interleukin-9 (IL-9) is a candidate factor in immunoglobulin E (IgE) production and thus is thought to be associated with bronchial inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). To evaluate the expression of the IL-9 receptor and its effect on the IL-9 human bronchial cell line BEAS-2B cells, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemical investigation, and chemotaxis assay were performed. The components of the IL-9 receptor, consisting of IL-9 receptor alpha (CD129) and IL-2 receptory ((1)132), were expressed on BEAS-2B cells as determined by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. BEAS-2B cells exposed to IL-9 released neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA) in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and the presence of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was also detected. This factor is primarily involved in NCA for the measurement of cytokines and in the inhibition assay of neutrophil chemotaxis. These findings suggest that bronchial epithelial cells may express IL-9 receptors, and that IL-9 may induce airway inflammation through the release of G-CSF from bronchial epithelial cells.
Experimental Lung Research 04/2002; 28(2):123-39. · 1.22 Impact Factor
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Akihiro Tsukadaira, Yoshio Okubo,
Shuji Takashi,
Shiro Horie,
Satoshi Kashiwazaki,
Hiroyuki Hirose,
Hiroaki Hata,
Noriko Aragaki,
Michio Koide,
Atsushi Saito,
Keishi Kubo
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ABSTRACT: A 60-year-old diabetic man who had had a coronary artery bypass graft operation was admitted to Okaya Enrei Hospital because of coughing, high fever and dyspnea. Chest high-resolution computed tomography scans revealed bilateral pleural effusions and left-sided alveolar shadows and ground glass opacity. These infiltrations in the left lung field showed rapid growth. Legionella pneumonia was diagnosed because of a high titer for Legionella pneumophila antigen in the urine. He was treated with 600 mg per day of parenteral ciprofloxacin for two weeks and 10 mg per day of oral prednisolone for the second week, resulting in improvement of the clinical findings.
Nihon Kokyūki Gakkai zasshi = the journal of the Japanese Respiratory Society. 04/2002; 40(3):245-8.
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ABSTRACT: A 56-year-old man was hospitalized because of swelling of the right upper extremity and anemia. A diagnosis of superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome caused by lymphogenous metastasis was made after chest computed tomography (CT) scan and biopsy of cervical lymph nodes were carried out. Standard examinations, such as abdominal CT scan and endoscopies of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, failed to find the primary lesion. However, selective angiography of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) showed a clear stain of bleeding vessels in the small intestine. Laparotomy was performed, and immunohistochemical findings revealed sarcomatoid carcinoma in the small intestine (a rarely seen neoplasm). This aggressive carcinoma, which showed negative reactivity with CD34, CD117 (c-kit), and S-100 was clearly distinguished from other mesenchymal tumors, such as malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH).
Journal of Gastroenterology 02/2002; 37(6):471-5. · 4.16 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Histamine and serotonin are important inflammatory mediators in the pathophysiology of asthma, and asthmatic patients have higher plasma histamine and serotonin levels than nonasthmatic control subjects. Eotaxin, a potent eosinophil-specific chemotactic factor, is increased in the lower respiratory tract of allergic patients. Recently, lung fibroblasts have been reported to produce eotaxin and are suggested to be the major cellular source of eotaxin. We postulated that lung fibroblasts might release eotaxin in response to histamine or serotonin. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the potential of histamine or serotonin to induce the release of eotaxin by the human fetal lung fibroblast cell line, HFL-1. HFL-1 released eotaxin in response to histamine and serotonin in a dose- and time-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Histamine or serotonin treatment of HFL-1 augmented the expression of eotaxin mRNA. Eosinophil chemotactic activity by HFL-1 supernatant fluids was inhibited by anti-human eotaxin-neutralizing antibody. These findings lead to the hypothesis that lung-fibroblast-derived eotaxin may in part be responsible for the eosinophil infiltration observed in allergic disease of the airways.
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 01/2002; 128 Suppl 1:12-7. · 2.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The mechanism of hypergammaglobulinemia in patients infected with HIV has remained unclear in spite of the identification of a reduction of CD4+ T cells. The amounts of CD27+ memory B cells were remarkably reduced in the peripheral blood and immunoglobulin (Ig) production was diminished in HIV-infected patients. Some of the freshly isolated patients' T cells expressed the CD70 (CD27 ligand) on the surface and the CD70 expression on both of the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was greatly enhanced by various stimuli. It was also striking that plasmacytosis was observed in patients' bone marrow. Thus, our findings suggest that CD70 expressed spontaneously or by activation on T cells of HIV-infected patients stimulates memory B cells via CD27 and promotes their differentiation into plasma cells, resulting in the elevation of serum Ig levels and the elimination of circulating memory B cells in HIV-infected patients.
Clinical Immunology.
