Pollen augments the influence of desert dust on symptoms of adult asthma patients.

Background: East Asian desert dust storms that occur during mainly spring are called Asian dust storms (ADS). Our objective was to study the association of pollen and ADS with symptoms of adult asthma patients in Japan.

Methods: We designed a telephone survey to investigate the upper and lower respiratory, ocular, and skin symptoms of asthma patients during ADS in February, March, and December on 2009.

Difference of health-care associated pneumonia between large hospitals and small hospitals in Japan.

Objective: Health-care associated pneumonia (HCAP) is a new category of pneumonia. We investigated differences of epidemiology, pathogens, and outcomes between HCAP patients in large hospitals and those in small hospitals.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of patients hospitalized with HCAP from December 2009 to March 2010.

Correlation between Asian dust storms and worsening asthma in Western Japan.

Background: Severe wind storms during spring in East Asia, called Asian dust storms (ADS), have been assessed in the past for their effect on health in Asian countries. Our objective was to study the ADS association with asthma symptoms in adult patients in Japan.

Methods: We designed a telephone survey to assess ADS influence on upper and lower respiratory, ocular and cutaneous symptoms in 98 patients with adult asthma from April to May 2007.

Diverse activation states of RhoA in human lung cancer cells: contribution of G protein coupled receptors.

Rho GTPases play an essential role in the control of various cellular functions. Accumulating evidence suggests that RhoA overexpression contributes to human cancer development. However, the activation states of RhoA are poorly defined in cancer cells.

Measurement of Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug efflux pumps by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Multidrug efflux pumps contribute to multiple antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pump expression usually has been quantified by Western blotting. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction has been developed to measure mRNA expression for genes of interest.

Down-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase by lysophosphatidic acid in human respiratory epithelial cells.

Viral infection generally results in the activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS2) in respiratory epithelial cells by inflammatory cytokines. Activated NOS2 catalyzes synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), which in excess can cause cellular injury. On the other hand, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a lipid mediator released from epithelial cells, platelets, and fibroblasts in injured tissue, functions in repair of cell injury.