Publications by authors named "K Kitahara"
Background: Despite global rotavirus vaccination efforts, rotavirus remains a leading cause of childhood deaths from acute gastroenteritis. Post-vaccination studies in India, particularly in eastern India, have been limited, despite high prevalence of rotavirus in this region prior to vaccine introduction. This study was conducted to assess the impact of rotavirus vaccine on the epidemiology of rotavirus and other enteric viruses, as well as the changes in the diversity of rotavirus strains among children (≤5 years) with acute gastroenteritis.
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- Gum arabic is important in the food industry for its ability to stabilize and emulsify, and it also supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria like Bifidobacterium.
- The two types of gum arabic, Acacia senegal and A. seyal, both have a protein component called arabinogalactan protein (AGP), but they differ in their structure.
- This research identifies a new enzyme that breaks down specific components of A. seyal gum, revealing its structure and showing how Bifidobacterium catenulatum can use these sugars for growth.
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- Cholera cases have surged in various regions, particularly in Kolkata, aiming to identify hotspots and understand the influence of sociodemographic factors and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on cholera distribution from 2021 to 2023.
- The study utilized advanced spatial analysis techniques to detect cholera clusters, revealing significant clustering in specific Kolkata wards and a median distance of about 188 meters between cases, indicating localized transmission patterns.
- A case-control study demonstrated that males are at a higher risk of contracting cholera, with a significant adjusted odds ratio of 2.4, highlighting the importance of addressing gender-specific factors in cholera prevention efforts.
species are the most common pathogens responsible for foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide. India is a region with frequent diarrheal infections and a high level of infection incidence, but the detailed genomic information is limited. This study aimed to characterize 112 isolates of from diarrhea patients at two hospitals in Kolkata, West Bengal, by whole genome analysis.
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- Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease, involving cartilage breakdown and inflammation, with recent findings indicating that neutrophil extracellular vesicles (EVs) can help reduce inflammation and support cartilage health.
- Research involved isolating these EVs from neutrophils under different conditions to analyze their effects on chondrocytes (cartilage cells) and the underlying molecular mechanisms through mouse models of OA.
- The study revealed that EVs from neutrophils stimulated with TGF-β significantly inhibit harmful factors in chondrocytes, with the protein SFRP5 identified as a key player in these protective effects, suggesting potential avenues for OA treatment.