Myosin light chains 9 and 12 are functional ligands for CD69 that regulate airway inflammation.

Recent decades have witnessed a rapid worldwide increase in chronic inflammatory disorders such as asthma. CD4 T helper 2 cells play critical roles in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation, and CD69 expression on activated CD4 T cells is required to induce allergic inflammation in tissues. However, how CD69 mechanistically controls allergic inflammation remains poorly defined.

Persistent nasal symptoms and mediator release after continuous pollen exposure in an environmental challenge chamber.

Background: Immediate- and late-phase reactions are associated with nasal symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis.

Objective: To examine the symptoms and mediators released after continuous allergen exposure in an environmental challenge chamber (ECC).

Methods: Fifteen patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis were enrolled in this study and continuously exposed to cedar pollen at a concentration of 8,000 grains/m(3) for 3 hours in an ECC.

Thy1+IL-7+ lymphatic endothelial cells in iBALT provide a survival niche for memory T-helper cells in allergic airway inflammation.

Memory CD4(+) T helper (Th) cells are central to long-term protection against pathogens, but they can also be pathogenic and drive chronic inflammatory disorders. How these pathogenic memory Th cells are maintained, particularly at sites of local inflammation, remains unclear. We found that ectopic lymphoid-like structures called inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) are formed during chronic allergic inflammation in the lung, and that memory-type pathogenic Th2 (Tpath2) cells capable of driving allergic inflammation are maintained within the iBALT structures.

Interleukin-25 and mucosal T cells in noneosinophilic and eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a heterogeneous disease of uncertain pathogenesis. Memory T cells acquire additional functions during the secondary response and play important roles in chronic inflammation.

Objective: To investigate characteristics of tissue memory CD4(+) T cells obtained from patients with noneosinophilic CRSwNP (NECRS) and eosinophilic CRSwNP (ECRS) by focusing on the influence of interleukin (IL)-25.

The interleukin-33-p38 kinase axis confers memory T helper 2 cell pathogenicity in the airway.

Memory CD4(+) T helper (Th) cells provide long-term protection against pathogens and are essential for the development of vaccines; however, some antigen-specific memory Th cells also drive immune-related pathology, including asthma. The mechanisms regulating the pathogenicity of memory Th cells remain poorly understood. We found that interleukin-33 (IL-33)-ST2 signals selectively licensed memory Th2 cells to induce allergic airway inflammation via production of IL-5 and that the p38 MAP kinase pathway was a central downstream target of IL-33-ST2 in memory Th2 cells.

Characteristics of the Chiba environmental challenge chamber.

Background: An environmental challenge chamber (ECC), which we refer to as the α-chamber, was built at Chiba University in 2008. The aim of this study was to validate the functionality of the ECC.

Methods: The stability of the pollen distribution and concentration in the ECC and symptoms of patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis induced by cedar pollen exposure were examined.

Randomized double-blind study of prophylactic treatment with an antihistamine for seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background: The efficacy of prophylactic treatment before the start of pollen dispersal for prevention of aggravation of symptoms is unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of prophylactic treatment with an antihistamine for seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) using an environmental challenge chamber (ECC).

Methods: The study was performed in a randomized double-blind manner with a 3-way crossover design.

Comparison of nasal steroid with antihistamine in prophylactic treatment against pollinosis using an environmental challenge chamber.

Environmental challenge chambers (ECC) have been used to expose people to pollen allergens within a stable atmosphere and to examine the efficacy of treatment. Although pollinosis is one of the typical IgE-mediated type I allergic diseases, allergic inflammation is thought to contribute to the fundamental pathogenesis and prophylactic treatment may reduce exacerbations of pollinosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of prophylactic treatment with nasal steroid (mometasone furoate nasal spray) or an antihistamine (fexofenadine) in the control of cedar pollinosis using the ECC.

The onset of allergic rhinitis in Japanese atopic children: a preliminary prospective study.

Conclusion: This preliminary prospective study suggests that background factors may differ among allergic diseases. The beneficial interventions for reducing development of allergic rhinitis (AR) are also effective for the prevention of subsequent onset of bronchial asthma (BA).

Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with onset of AR in atopic children in a prospective study.

Immunological parameters associated with the development of allergic rhinitis: a preliminary prospective study.

Background: Many subjects are sensitized to Japanese cedar pollen but do not develop allergic rhinitis (AR). The aim of this study was to examine the immunologic parameters related to the development of AR in sensitized subjects.

Methods: The subjects were 33 adults who were sensitized to Japanese cedar pollen, but had not developed as of 2007.

Hoarseness in pellagra.

A 67-year-old woman with chronic alcoholism was referred to our hospital with a 3-month history of progressive weakness in all four extremities and a 5-day history of hoarseness. On admission, she presented with glossitis and laryngitis. Neurological examination revealed weakness in all extremities and nerve conduction studies showed polyneuropathy.

Present situation of cedar pollinosis in Japan and its immune responses.

Recent observations have suggested significant worldwide increase in the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and cedar pollinosis. In Japan, Japanese cedar (Cryptometria japonica) and Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) pollens are considered to be the major unique allergens and their extent of dispersal is quite large, travelling more than 100km and thus causing serious pollinosis. Cedar pollinosis is a typical type 1 allergic disease by an adaptive immune response that occurs through the induction of allergen-specific effector T cells from naïve T cells.

Combination therapy of in vitro-expanded natural killer T cells and alpha-galactosylceramide-pulsed antigen-presenting cells in patients with recurrent head and neck carcinoma.

The aim of this clinical trial was to investigate the feasibility of intra-arterial infusion of in vitro-expanded Valpha24 natural killer T (NKT) cells combined with submucosal injection of alpha-galactosylceramide (KRN7000; alphaGalCer)-pulsed antigen-presenting cells (APC). A phase I clinical study was carried out in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients with locally recurrent HNSCC refractory to standard therapy were eligible.

A phase I-II study of alpha-galactosylceramide-pulsed IL-2/GM-CSF-cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with advanced and recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

To evaluate the safety, immune responses, and antitumor responses after the administration of alpha-galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer) KRN7000-pulsed PBMC cultured with IL-2 and GM-CSF (IL-2/GM-CSF-cultured PBMCs), a phase I-II study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer was conducted. Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer or recurrent lung cancer refractory to the standard therapy were eligible. alphaGalCer-pulsed IL-2/GM-CSF-cultured PBMCs (1 x 10(9)/m(2)) were i.

[Lowered effectiveness of immunotherapy for cypress pollinosis by using Japanese cedar pollen extract].

Background: Japanese cedar and cypress pollen share a common antigen. The cedar pollen season is followed by the cypress pollen season. However, both the clinical significance and involvement of cypress pollinosis in the treatment of the cedar pollinosis have not yet been clarified.

Phase I study of alpha-galactosylceramide-pulsed antigen presenting cells administration to the nasal submucosa in unresectable or recurrent head and neck cancer.

Background: Human Valpha24 natural killer T (NKT) cells are activated by the specific ligand, alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), in a CD1d-dependent manner. Potent anti-tumor activity of activated NKT cells has been previously demonstrated.

Methods: We conducted a phase I study with alpha-GalCer-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs) administered in the nasal submucosa of patients with head and neck cancer, and evaluated the safety and feasibility of such a treatment.