Publications by authors named "Kotaro Kumano"

Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare disease of unknown aetiology that causes recurrent episodes of diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH). A male patient in his 50s had repeatedly experienced hemoptysis for the past 6 years, along with a decrease in the pulmonary diffusing capacity and chronic respiratory failure. After a 6-year follow-up, the patient experienced sudden exacerbation of hemoptysis and respiratory failure, and he was hospitalised.

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Reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) occurs during intensive immunosuppressive therapies. However, the influence of CMV reactivation on prognosis in patients with immunosuppressive therapies for collagen-vascular diseases (CVD) is not fully understood. To determine whether CMV reactivation affects the prognosis of patients with CVD and to identify risk factors of CMV reactivation, we reviewed, retrospectively, the medical records of 109 CVD patients who were treated with glucocorticoid (prednisolone ≥20 mg/day) and were tested for CMV antigen (CMV-Ag).

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Autoantibody against platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) has been reported in scleroderma (SSc). However, it remains unknown whether anti-PDGFRs antibody exists in collagen vascular diseases other than SSc. To answer the question, we developed an ELISA system and examined sera from patients with SLE (n = 75), SSc (n = 31), RA (n = 25) and control individuals.

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We report the case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who first revealed hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS), which was treated successfully with glucocorticoid and intravenous cyclophosphamide. The patient then demonstrated refractory thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) with normal a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS)-13 activity that responded well to rituximab. After rituximab treatment, the patient showed a flare of HPS that was controlled by additional intravenous cyclophosphamide treatment.

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Human parvovirus B19 infection causes erythema infectiosum in child, aplastic crisis in patients with chronic hemolytic anemia, chronic pure red cell aplasia in immunocompromised patients and hydrops fetalis. Human parvovirus B19 causes arthritis and acute glomerulonephritis due to immunological mechanism. Other disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis and thrombotic microangiopathy, are linked in human parvovirus B19 infection.

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Recent studies with gene knockout mice have demonstrated that T helper 2 (Th2) cell-derived cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, play important roles in causing allergic airway inflammation. In addition to Th2 cytokines, IgE-dependent activation of mast cells has been suggested to play a role in allergic airway inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the role of IgE in Th2 cell-mediated allergic airway inflammation.

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