Complications associated with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration: a nationwide survey by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy.

Background: With the recent widespread use of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA), there have been occasional reports on complications associated with its use. Previous reviews on EBUS-TBNA have been limited to studies by skilled operators, thus the results may not always be applicable to recent clinical practice. To assess the safety of EBUS-TBNA for the staging and diagnosis of lung cancer in Japan, a nationwide survey on its current usage status and complications associated with its use was conducted by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy (JSRE).

Activation of human synovial mast cells from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis patients in response to aggregated IgG through Fcγ receptor I and Fcγ receptor II.

Objective: Substantial evidence suggests that human synovial mast cells (MCs) are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A plausible pathway for the activation of synovial MCs is through IgG receptors, given the prevalence of circulating IgG isotype autoantibodies and synovial immune complexes in patients with RA. However, IgG receptor expression on human synovial MCs remains uncharacterized.

Bronchoscopic practice in Japan: a survey by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy in 2010.

Background And Objective: To ensure the safety of bronchoscopic practice, the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy conducted a national survey to investigate the current state of procedure for this technique.

Methods: A questionnaire survey about procedures carried out during the whole of the year 2010 was mailed to 538 facilities accredited by the society.

Results: Responses were obtained from 511 facilities (95.

Omalizumab inhibits acceleration of FcεRI-mediated responsiveness of immature human mast cells by immunoglobulin E.

Background: A large body of evidence has demonstrated that treatment with omalizumab is clinically effective for the management of moderate to severe allergic asthma, emphasizing the importance of IgE in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. We hypothesized that IgE accelerates FcεRI-mediated responsiveness of "immature" human mast cells (MCs) and that omalizumab downregulates the acceleration.

Objectives: To examine when MC progenitors acquired the ability to degranulate following FcεRI aggregation, whether IgE accelerates the responsiveness of immature MCs following FcεRI aggregation, and whether omalizumab regulates such an acceleration.

Deaths and complications associated with respiratory endoscopy: a survey by the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy in 2010.

Background And Objective: In order to survey the current status of the use and complications associated with respiratory endoscopy, the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy conducted a nationwide postal questionnaire survey.

Methods: The survey was mailed to all 538 facilities certified by the society. The subjects were patients who underwent respiratory endoscopy in 2010.

Treatment strategies for chronic expanding hematomas of the thorax.

Purpose: To investigate retrospectively the treatment strategies for chronic expanding hematoma (CEH) of the thorax.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of six patients treated for CEH of the thorax at our institution between October 1996 and October 2006.

Results: All of the patients had a history of thoracic surgery or tuberculosis with a latent period of 12-55 years before onset.

Cause and management of recurrent primary spontaneous pneumothorax after thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy.

Background: As the number of patients treated by thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy increased, the postoperative recurrence rate had risen unexpectedly. We retrospectively investigated the cause and management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax recurrence after thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy.

Methods: From March 1992 to the end of December 2006, thoracoscopic stapler blebectomy was performed in 357 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax at the Nihon University Itabashi Hospital.

Mature cystic teratoma with malignant transformation to adenocarcinoma.

An anterior mediastinal tumor had been found in a 65-year-old woman 10 years previously, and she had been followed-up under the diagnosis of a mature cystic teratoma. Changes in the structure of the inside of the mediastinal cystic tumor were observed on a chest computed tomography image, and she was referred to our hospital for surgical intervention. The tumor was removed and was determined to be a mature teratoma.

Thoracoscopic resection of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts in adults.

Objective: The aim of this study was to discuss the diagnosis and determine the optimal thoracoscopic surgical treatment of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts.

Methods: From May 1996 to April 2008, 13 consecutive patients with mediastinal bronchogenic cysts underwent thoracoscopic surgery at our institution. There were eight men and five women aged 16-74 years (mean age, 41.

Surgical treatment of catamenial pneumothorax.

Objective: To discuss the aetiology and determine the optimal surgical treatment of catamenial pneumothorax.

Methods: Between January 1980 and December 2007, 17 patients with catamenial pneumothorax were treated at our institution. Regarding the surgical approach, thoracotomy was performed until 1991, and thoracoscopic surgery was performed from 1992 onward.

Activation of human mast cells through the platelet-activating factor receptor.

Background: In human subjects platelet-activating factor (PAF) concentrations are markedly increased in the plasma after anaphylactic reactions, and these correlate strongly with the severity of the response. The mechanism for the systemic spread of mast cell (MC) activation in anaphylaxis is often assumed to relate to the hematogenous spread of allergen, but this is implausible, and amplification mechanisms need to be considered.

Objective: We have investigated the ability of PAF to induce human MC degranulation using skin, lung, and peripheral blood (PB)-derived cultured MCs and the signaling pathways activated in PB-derived MCs in response to PAF.

Hyperexpression of NOD2 in intestinal mast cells of Crohn's disease patients: preferential expression of inflammatory cell-recruiting molecules via NOD2 in mast cells.

NOD2, an intracellular sensor of bacteria-derived muramyl dipeptide (MDP) has been implicated as a key player in intestinal immune health and disease. Mast cells (MCs) have been reported to be increased in the gut of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, NOD2 expression and its role in human primary MCs are unknown.

[A case of resection of esophageal cancer infiltrating the left main bronchus following preoperative chemo-radiotherapy and resection of metachronous lung metastasis].

We herein report a case of T4 esophageal carcinoma, which was resected after chemo-radiation therapy. In addition, the metachronous lung metastasis was also resected. A 59-year-old female with esophageal carcinoma, which invaded the left main bronchus, underwent chemo-radiation therapy (the combination of systemic chemotherapy of 5-FU/CDDP and external radiation therapy) from January 2004.

Staple line reinforcement with fleece-coated fibrin glue (TachoComb) after thoracoscopic bullectomy for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: We investigated the cause of pneumothorax recurrence after thoracoscopic surgery and the effectiveness of staple line reinforcement with fleece-coated fibrin glue (TachoComb) in the prevention of postoperative pneumothorax recurrence.

Methods: From April 3, 1992 to the end of December 2005, thoracoscopic bullectomy was performed on 499 patients of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The causes of recurrence were investigated on 39 patients on the basis of surgical observations, preoperative chest computed tomography, and so on.