Anti-varicella-zoster virus antibody titers and seroprotection status from before the first dose of varicella vaccination to before entering elementary school in one region in Japan.

Objective: We aimed to examine changes in anti-varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody titers and seroprotection status from before the first dose of vaccination to before 7 years old entering elementary school in children who received the routine two-dose varicella vaccination.

Methods: Participants were 37 healthy children who received the routine two-dose varicella vaccination at our hospital. A total of five serum samples per child were collected immediately before and 4-6 weeks after each dose of the vaccination and in the year before entry to elementary school.

An Investigation of Japanese Neonatal and Maternal Antibody Status against Pertussis.

To clarify the pertussis immune status of the Japanese population, we investigated levels of serum pertussis toxin (PT)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody in infants and mothers between April 2016 and March 2018. A total of 206 infants (n = 22, < 32 weeks of gestational age [wGA]; n = 70, 32-36 wGA; n = 114, ≥ 37 wGA) and 170 mothers were enrolled. The maternal seroprevalence and antibody geometric mean titer (GMT) were 52.

[Results of Booster Vaccination in Children with Primary Vaccine Failure after Initial Varicella Vaccination].

In October 2014, the varicella vaccination policy in Japan was changed from a single voluntary inoculation to two routine inoculations. This paper reports the results of booster vaccination in children who did not show seroconversion after initial vaccination (i.e.

A Novel IgM-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant Vag8 fusion protein for the accurate and early diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis infection.

An ELISA that measures anti-PT IgG antibody has been used widely for the serodiagnosis of pertussis; however, the IgG-based ELISA is inadequate for patients during the acute phase of the disease because of the slow response of anti-PT IgG antibodies. To solve this problem, we developed a novel IgM-capture ELISA that measures serum anti-Bordetella pertussis Vag8 IgM levels for the accurate and early diagnosis of pertussis. First, we confirmed that Vag8 was highly expressed in all B.

Role of matrix metalloproteinases in the pathogenesis of childhood gastroenteritis.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal diseases, such as rotavirus gastroenteritis (GE). Kinetics of these biomarkers were examined in paired serum samples collected from bacterial enteritis patients with Campylobacter (n = 2) and Salmonella (n = 4) and viral GE patients with rotavirus (n = 27), norovirus (n = 25), and adenovirus (n = 11). At the time of hospital admission, all viral GE patients demonstrated increased MMP-9 and decreased MMP-2 and TIMP-2 serum levels.

Evaluation of varicella zoster virus-specific cell-mediated immunity by using an interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Background: Administration of the varicella vaccine induces both varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI).

Objective: To assess VZV-CMI, we developed an interferon γ enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IFN-γ ELISA) that measures the quantity of total IFN-γ in culture supernatants of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Study Design: We evaluated this method by comparing the pre- and post-vaccination immune response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 30 healthy children who were administered an initial varicella vaccination at Konan Kosei hospital.

Clinical manifestations of children with microbiologically confirmed pertussis infection and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated strains in a regional hospital in Japan, 2008-2012.

We conducted a retrospective study in 57 children (median age, 3.5 years; range, 1 month-14.5 years) with microbiologically confirmed pertussis infection over a recent 4-year period in a regional hospital in Japan.

Assessment of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia.

Rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is required for timely treatment with effective antibiotics; however, PCR-based methods are often too expensive and technologically intensive for general use in clinical practice. In this study, the efficacy of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia in clinical practice was prospectively evaluated.

[Immunogenicity of additional varicella vaccination 3-5 years after the initial vaccination].

Additional varicella vaccination was carried out targeting 16 subjects who had immune adherence hemagglutination (IAHA) seroconversion following the initial varicella vaccination and did not contract breakthrough varicella after the initial vaccination. The median ages at the initial and additional vaccination were 2.1 (1.

Plasma viral microRNA profiles reveal potential biomarkers for chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Background: Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection has high mortality and morbidity, and biomarkers for disease severity and prognosis are required. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, and EBV encodes multiple miRNAs. Because plasma contains sufficiently stable miRNAs, circulating EBV-associated miRNA profiles were investigated as novel biomarkers in CAEBV infection.

[A study for the necessity of virus titer of varicella vaccine presently used].

Recently available varicella vaccine titers are several dozen times higher than the formulation standard in accompanying information, i.e., > or = 1,000 PFU/dose.

Application of flow cytometric in situ hybridization assay to Epstein-Barr virus-associated T/natural killer cell lymphoproliferative diseases.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects various types of lymphocytes and is associated with not only B cell-origin lymphoma, but also T or natural killer cell lymphoproliferative diseases (T/NK LPD). Recently, we established a novel assay to identify EBV-infected cells using FISH. Using this assay, dual staining with antibodies to both surface antigens and an EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) probe can be performed.

Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay and serology in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia.

Rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is required for treatment with effective antimicrobial agents without delay; however, this capacity has not yet been established in clinical practice. Recently, a novel nucleic acid amplification method termed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been used to rapidly diagnose various infectious diseases. In this study, we prospectively evaluated the efficacy of the LAMP assay to rapidly diagnose M.

EBV-associated T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative diseases in nonimmunocompromised hosts: prospective analysis of 108 cases.

EBV-associated T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disease (T/NK-LPD) is defined as a systemic illness characterized by clonal proliferation of EBV-infected T or NK cells. We prospectively enrolled 108 nonimmunocompromised patients with this disease (50 men and 58 women; median onset age, 8 years; age range, 1-50 years) evidenced by expansion of EBV(+) T/NK cells in the peripheral blood; these were of the T-cell type in 64 cases and of the NK-cell type in 44, and were clinically categorized into 4 groups: 80 cases of chronic active EBV disease, 15 of EBV-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, 9 of severe mosquito bite allergy, and 4 of hydroa vacciniforme. These clinical profiles were closely linked with the EBV(+) cell immunophenotypes.

Antitumor activities of valproic acid on Epstein-Barr virus-associated T and natural killer lymphoma cells.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which infects B cells, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells, is associated with multiple lymphoid malignancies. Recently, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been reported to have anticancer effects against various tumor cells. In the present study, we evaluated the killing effect of valproic acid (VPA), which acts as an HDAC inhibitor, on EBV-positive and -negative T and NK lymphoma cells.

Replication of Epstein-Barr virus primary infection in human tonsil tissue explants.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may cause a variety of virus-associated diseases, but no antiviral agents have yet been developed against this virus. Animal models are thus indispensable for the pathological analysis of EBV-related infections and the elucidation of therapeutic methods. To establish a model system for the study of EBV infection, we tested the ability of B95-8 virus and recombinant EBV expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to replicate in human lymphoid tissue.

[Phases 3 and 4 immunization immunogenicity with combined measles-rubella vaccine].

A two-phase combined measles-rubella vaccine (MR) immunization schedule was introduced for age 1 and prior to primary school entry in Japan in April 2006. Further immunization was also introduced for 13 (Phase 3) and 18-year-old (Phase 4) cohorts for the 5-year period from April 2008 to March 2013. We surveyed Phases 3 and 4 MR immunization immunogenicity and safety.

Bortezomib induces apoptosis in T lymphoma cells and natural killer lymphoma cells independent of Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which infects not only B cells, but also T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, is associated with multiple lymphoid malignancies. Recently, the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib was reported to induce apoptosis of EBV-transformed B cells. We evaluated the killing effect of this proteasome inhibitor on EBV-associated T lymphoma cells and NK lymphoma cells.

Effectiveness and safety of inactivated influenza vaccination in pediatric liver transplant recipients over three influenza seasons.

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for pediatric liver transplant recipients, who are at high risk of influenza-related complications. However, effectiveness and safety of vaccination may differ among influenza seasons in this population and have not been fully evaluated. Subjects comprised 38 pediatric liver transplant recipients with or without influenza vaccination through the 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 influenza seasons.

Comparison of the levels of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA and cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of children with HHV-6 encephalopathy.

Primary human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection is a common cause of acute sporadic encephalopathy in Japanese children. Occasionally, HHV-6 is not detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with encephalopathy, for example, in those with focal viral encephalitis, such as herpes simplex viral encephalitis. This indicates that HHV-6 encephalopathy is caused by an indirect mechanism, although this is not fully understood.

Immunologic and virologic analyses in pediatric liver transplant recipients with chronic high Epstein-Barr virus loads.

Background: Long-term Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) monitoring for potentially life-threatening posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) has identified asymptomatic patients who maintain high EBV loads over long periods.

Methods: Thirty-one pediatric liver transplant recipients were designated as 11 chronic high EBV load carriers (EBV DNA level >5000 copies/mL of whole blood for >6 months) and 20 control recipients. Serial quantification of EBV DNA, measurement of interleukin 10 (IL-10) concentrations, EBV-specific tetramer staining, and relative quantification of EBV gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were performed.