Publications by authors named "Etsuko Kitagami"

Background: The effect of the timing of additional doses and the long-term persistence of lyophilized inactivated tissue culture hepatitis A (HA) vaccine (Aimmugen®) on antibodies is unknown.

Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in collaboration with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, whose personnel were immunized with Aimmugen® when deployed to endemic areas. Patients who consented to this study after a medical examination with blood sampling between June 2022 and February 2023 were included; HA-IgG level in the residual serum was measured using the chemiluminescent immunoassay method.

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With the development of laser technology in the 1960s, a technique was developed to inject intradermal vaccines immediately after irradiating the skin with laser light to elicit an adjuvant effect, referred to as "laser adjuvant." We have been investigating the mechanism of laser adjuvant in influenza mouse models using noninvasive continuous-wave (CW) near-infrared (NIR) light mainly at a wavelength of 1064 nm, and have shown that the production of reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) in the skin and mast cells in the skin tissue plays an important role in the laser adjuvant effect. The new wavelength of 1270 nm NIR light is characterized by its ability to elicit the same vaccine adjuvant effect as other wavelengths at a lower energy, and may be suitable for clinical applications.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is being studied as a potential target for new vaccines, but the levels of naturally acquired antibodies (IgG) across different age groups and clades have not been fully explored.
  • A study analyzed 397 serum samples from individuals aged 0 to over 70 to measure the concentrations of anti-PspA IgG by clade and age, finding distinct patterns in antibody levels across different age ranges.
  • Results indicated that antibody levels peaked in childhood, plateaued in adults, and gradually declined in older adults, suggesting that natural exposure to PspA occurs primarily during early life.
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