Interleukin-17A is a potential therapeutic target predicted by proteomics for systemic sclerosis patients at high risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

We explored effective therapeutic targets for systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with high risk for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by plasma proteomics analysis. A total of fifty-seven patients with SSc were enrolled in the study and the prevalence of PAH was 19.3%.

Untying relaxed circular DNA of hepatitis B virus by polymerase reaction provides a new option for accurate quantification and visualization of covalently closed circular DNA.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small hepatotropic DNA virus that replicates via an RNA intermediate. After entry, the virus capsid carries relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) into the nucleus where the viral genome is converted into covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as the template for all viral transcripts. To monitor cccDNA levels, preprocessing methods to eliminate rcDNA have emerged for quantitative PCR, although Southern blotting is still the only method to discriminate cccDNA from other DNA intermediates.

Exposure to air pollution and meteorological factors associated with children's primary care visits at night due to asthma attack: case-crossover design for 3-year pooled patients.

Objective: We examined the association of outdoor air pollution and meteorological parameters with primary care visits (PCVs) at night due to asthma attack.

Setting: A case-crossover study was conducted in a primary care clinic in Himeji City, Japan.

Participants: Participants were 1447 children aged 0-14 years who visited the clinic with an asthma attack from April 2010 until March 2013.

Association between PM2.5 and primary care visits due to asthma attack in Japan: relation to Beijing's air pollution episode in January 2013.

Aim: In January 2013, extremely high concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) were observed around Beijing, China. In Japan, the health effects of transboundary air pollution have been a matter of concern.

Association of ambient air pollution and meteorological factors with primary care visits at night due to asthma attack.

Aim: The association of outdoor air pollution and meteorological elements with primary care visits at night due to asthma attack was studied.

Methods: A case-crossover study was conducted in a primary care clinic in Himeji City, Japan. The subjects were 956 children aged 0-14 years who visited the clinic with an asthma attack between the hours of 9 p.

Risk factors for wheezing, eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis in the previous 12 months among six-year-old children in Himeji City, Japan: food allergy, older siblings, day-care attendance and parental allergy history.

Background: The aim of this study was to clarify whether some environmental and genetic factors (food allergy, older siblings, early day-care attendance and parents' allergy history) are related to the development of allergic symptoms (wheezing in the previous 12 months [WP], eczema symptoms in the previous 12 months [EP], and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms in the previous 12 months [RP]) in Japanese children.

Methods: Using the modified version of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISSAC) questionnaire, we studied the prevalence of WP, EP and RP among six-year-old children attending 72 primary schools throughout Himeji City, Japan, during the two years from 2005 to 2006.

Results: Food allergy and parents' history of allergy showed a significant relationship with the prevalence of WP, EP and RP.

Small GTPase Rho signaling is involved in beta1 integrin-mediated up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand on osteoblasts and osteoclast maturation.

We assessed the characteristics of human osteoblasts, focusing on small GTPase Rho signaling. Beta1 Integrin were highly expressed on osteoblasts. Engagement of beta1 integrins by type I collagen augmented expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL) on osteoblasts.

Y-40138, a multiple cytokine production modulator, protects against D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatitis.

Acute and fulminant liver failure induced by viral hepatitis, alcohol or other hepatotoxic drugs are associated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production. D-Galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury is an experimental model of fulminant hepatic failure. In this model, TNF-alpha plays a central role in the pathogenesis of D-GalN/LPS-induced liver injury in mice.

Therapeutic administration of Y-40138, a multiple cytokine modulator, inhibits concanavalin A-induced hepatitis in mice.

Concanavalin A-induced hepatitis is often used as a model of liver injury. In this model, plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) level increased in concanavalin A-injected mice. Prophylactic treatment with Y-40138, N-[1-(4-[4-(pyrimidin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl]methyl phenyl)cyclopropyl] acetamide.

Small GTP-binding protein Rho-mediated signaling promotes proliferation of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts.

Rho is a major small GTP-binding protein that is involved in the regulation of various cell functions, including proliferation and cell migration, through activation of multiple signaling molecules in various types of cells. We studied its roles in synovial fibroblasts (SFs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and clarified its relevance to RA synovitis, with the following results. 1)We found that the thrombin receptor was overexpressed on RA synovial fibroblasts (RA SFs) and that thrombin induced a marked proliferation and progression of the cell cycle to the S phase in these cells.