Association with Ambient Air Pollutants and School Absence Due to Sickness in Schoolchildren: A Case-Crossover Study in a Provincial Town of Japan.

The effect of ambient air pollutants and Asian dust (AD) on absence from school due to sickness has not been well researched. By conducting a case-crossover study, this study investigated the influence of ambient air pollutants and desert sand dust particles from East Asia on absence from school due to sickness. From November 2016 to July 2018, the daily cases of absence due to sickness were recorded in five elementary schools in Matsue, Japan.

Nivolumab-induced cholangitis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: Case series and a review of literature.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including nivolumab, have exhibited substantial benefits in the treatment of several types of cancers. However, treatment with ICIs is often accompanied by immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and a clear understanding of the precise indications and management of irAEs is important for harnessing the full potential of these agents. While skin- or gastrointestinal-associated irAEs have been relatively well studied, there are few reports regarding nivolumab-induced cholangitis.

Association of short-term ozone exposure with pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in schoolchildren:A panel study in a western Japanese city.

The average annual ozone levels have been increasing in Japan, even though the high ozone levels have decreased in recent years. There is limited information on the relationship between ozone exposure, pulmonary function, and respiratory symptoms in schoolchildren in Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of short-term ozone exposure on pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in Japanese schoolchildren.

Bronchodilator Reversibility Occurring during the Acute Phase of Paragonimiasis westermani Infection.

A 43-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with peripheral blood hypereosinophilia and abnormal chest X-ray findings. Her pleural effusion revealed hypereosinophilia and a low glucose level. She was diagnosed with pulmonary paragonimiasis based on an elevated antibody level of Paragonimiasis westermani.

Ozone augments interleukin-8 production induced by ambient particulate matter.

Background: Experimental and controlled human exposure studies have demonstrated additive effects of ambient particulate matter and ozone on health. A few epidemiological studies have suggested that ambient particulate matter components are important for the combined effects of ambient particulate matter and ozone on health. However, few studies have examined whether ozone changes the effects of ambient particulate matter on pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

A Muscarinic Antagonist Reduces Airway Inflammation and Bronchoconstriction Induced by Ambient Particulate Matter in a Mouse Model of Asthma.

Ambient particulate matter (PM) can increase airway inflammation and induce bronchoconstriction in asthma. This study aimed to investigate the effect of tiotropium bromide, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist, on airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction induced by ambient PM in a mouse model of asthma. We compared the effect of tiotropium bromide to that of fluticasone propionate and formoterol fumarate.

Estimation of the effects of heavy Asian dust on respiratory function by definition type.

Background: The adverse effects of Asian dust (AD) on health have been demonstrated in earlier studies, but there is no standardized definition for heavy-AD. This study aimed to examine which definition of heavy-AD has the most adverse effect on respiratory function.

Methods: One-hundred-and-thirty-seven adults with asthma, and 384 school children self-measured their morning peak expiratory flow (PEF).

Relationship between Oxidative Stress, Physical Activity, and Vitamin Intake in Patients with Asthma.

Background: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Antioxidant nutrition and supplementation have been used to reduce oxidative stress. However, a clinical trial with antioxidant supplementation showed no beneficial effects in patients with asthma.

Association between transported Asian dust and outdoor fungal concentration during winter in a rural area of western Japan.

Background: Recently, Asian dust (AD) has become a serious health problem and several studies have clearly proven that AD can aggravate asthma. However, it remains unclear as to which components of AD have a strong effect on the asthma exacerbation caused by AD exposure. Outdoor fungi can increase emergency department visits and hospitalization for asthma exacerbation and can aggravate asthma symptoms.

Concurrent Double Fungal Infections of the Skin Caused by Phialemoniopsis endophytica and Exophiala jeanselmei in a Patient with Microscopic Polyangiitis.

is missing (Short communication).

Association of Short-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter with Skin Symptoms in Schoolchildren: A Panel Study in a Rural Area of Western Japan.

Numerous studies have unmasked the deleterious effects of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM) on health. However, epidemiologic evidence focusing on the effects of PM on skin health remains limited.

γ-Tocotrienol Inhibits TGF-β1-Induced Contractile Phenotype Expression of Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells.

Background: Tocotrienols, members of the vitamin E family, exist in four different isoforms (α, β, γ and δ tocotrienol) that have can be protective against brain damage, as well as having anticancer effects and . We have shown that γ-tocotrienol inhibits human airway smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB by suppressing RhoA activation. In this study, we tested whether γ-tocotrienol modulates transforming growth factor (TGF) -β-induced induction of human airway smooth muscle (ASM) into a contractile phenotype and concomitant synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins.

A novel mutation in a patient with pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis.

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in and characterized by intra-alveolar accumulation of microliths. We diagnosed a case of PAM in a 27-year-old Japanese female and identified a novel mutation in (c.1390 G>C [G464R] in exon 12).

Effects of Asian Dust Particles on the Early-Stage Antigen-Induced Immune Response of Asthma in NC/Nga Mice.

Asian dust (AD) can aggravate airway inflammation in asthma, but the association between AD and the development of asthma remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AD on the early stage of antigen sensitization using a mouse model of asthma, as well as the role of leukotrienes (LTs) in antigen-induced airway inflammation potentiated by AD particles. NC/Nga mice were co-sensitized by intranasal instillation of AD particles and/or (Df) for five consecutive days.

Effects of Short-Term Exposure to Particulate Air Pollutants on the Inflammatory Response and Respiratory Symptoms: A Panel Study in Schoolchildren from Rural Areas of Japan.

The relationship between particulate air pollutants and respiratory symptoms in children has not been consistent among studies, potentially owing to differences in the inflammatory response to different particulate air pollutants. This study aimed to investigate the effect of particulate air pollutants on respiratory symptoms and the inflammatory response in schoolchildren. Three hundred-and-sixty children were included in the study.

The Effect of Seasonal Variations in Airborne Particulate Matter on Asthma-Related Airway Inflammation in Mice.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of winter and spring particulate matter (PM) on airway inflammation and allergies in a mouse asthma model. PM was collected during 7-28 February 2013 (winter) and during 7-28 April 2013 (spring) in Yonago, Japan. NC/Nga mice were co-sensitized using intranasal instillation of the PMs and Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) for 5 consecutive days, and were subsequently challenged using intranasal Df at 7 days after the last sensitization.

A panel study of airborne particulate matter composition versus concentration: Potential for inflammatory response and impaired pulmonary function in children.

Background: The relationship between airborne particulate matter (PM) and pulmonary function in children has not been consistent among studies, potentially owing to differences in the inflammatory response to PM, based on PM types and sources. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of airborne PM on pulmonary function in schoolchildren and its potential for an inflammatory response.

Methods: Daily morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured in 339 schoolchildren in February 2015.

Association between Outdoor Fungal Concentrations during Winter and Pulmonary Function in Children with and without Asthma.

Outdoor fungi are important components of airborne particulate matter (PM). However, the associations between pulmonary function and outdoor fungi are less well known compared to other airborne PM constituents. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between outdoor fungi and pulmonary function in children.

Prevalence of allergic rhinitis based on the SACRA questionnaire among Japanese nursing professionals with asthma.

Although adult asthma is attributable to occupational factors and asthma and rhinitis are related, relatively few studies have investigated the prevalence of occupational rhinitis based on occupation, and knowledge of occupational rhinitis in Japan is currently limited. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among Japanese nursing professionals with asthma. A postal survey was conducted from October to December 2013 using translated versions of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey for the prevalence of asthma and State of the Impact of Allergic Rhinitis on Asthma Control questionnaire for the prevalence of rhinitis.

Prevalence of asthma and wheezes among snow crab workers in western Japan: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Few reports are available concerning the prevalence of asthma among snow crab workers in Japan. The object of this study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma and wheezes among Japanese snow crab workers and their associations with exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and YKL-40.

Methods: Forty-nine snow crab workers enrolled in this study, which was cross-sectional by design and was conducted using a translated version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire.

Differences in the effects of Asian dust on pulmonary function between adult patients with asthma and those with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome.

Background: Asian dust (AD) exposure exacerbates pulmonary dysfunction in patients with asthma. Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS), characterized by coexisting symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is considered a separate disease entity. Previously, we investigated the effects of AD on pulmonary function in adult patients with asthma.

Asthma and Wheeze Prevalence among Nursing Professionals in Western Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Although adult asthma is attributable to occupational factors, few reports are available on asthma prevalence among health care workers in Japan. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma and wheeze among Japanese nursing professionals. A cross-sectional study was conducted by postal survey using a translated version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire from April to June 2013.

Association between pulmonary function and daily levels of sand dust particles assessed by light detection and ranging in schoolchildren in western Japan: A panel study.

Background: An important aspect of sand dust emissions in association with respiratory disorders is the quantity of particulate matter. This is usually expressed as particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.

Effect of Asian dust on pulmonary function in adult asthma patients in western Japan: A panel study.

Background: Asian dust (AD) has become a major health concern. The concentration of AD is typically expressed in particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.

Variation in the Effect of Particulate Matter on Pulmonary Function in Schoolchildren in Western Japan and Its Relation with Interleukin-8.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of particulate matter (PM) on pulmonary function in schoolchildren, as well as the relationships of these effects with interleukin-8. Morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured daily in 399 children during April-May 2012, and in 384 of these children during March-May 2013. PEF's association with the daily levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and PM < 2.