Association of isometric quadriceps strength with stride and knee kinematics during gait in community dwelling adults with normal knee or early radiographic knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Identifying indicators of early knee osteoarthritis is important for preventing the onset and/or progression of the disease. Although low quadriceps strength and changes in stride and knee kinematics during gait have been suggested as possible indicators, their relevance and relationships have not been fully examined. This study aimed to analyze the association of quadriceps strength with stride and knee kinematics during gait in adults with normal knee or early knee osteoarthritis.

Management of Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in Athletes.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a phenomenon observed in asthma but is also seen in healthy individuals and frequently in athletes. High prevalence rates are observed in athletes engaged in endurance sports, winter sports, and swimming. The pathophysiology of EIB is thought to be related to hyperventilation, cold air, and epithelial damage caused by chlorine and fine particles in inspired air.

Cysteinyl Leukotriene Synthesis via Phospholipase A2 Group IV Mediates Exercise-induced Bronchoconstriction and Airway Remodeling.

It is well known that the prevalence of asthma is higher in athletes, including Olympic athletes, than in the general population. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction by using animal models of athlete asthma. Mice were made to exercise on a treadmill for a total duration of 1 week, 3 weeks, or 5 weeks.

Phenotypic analysis of asthma in Japanese athletes.

Background: Asthma in athlete populations such as Olympic athletes has various pathogeneses. However, few reports are available on the features of asthma in the athlete population in clinical practice. In this study, we focused on classifying asthma in Japanese athlete population.

Three-dimensional dynamic analysis of knee joint during gait in medial knee osteoarthritis using loading axis of knee.

We recently developed a new method for three-dimensional evaluation of mechanical factors affecting knee joint in order to help identify factors that contribute to the progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This study aimed to verify the clinical validity of our method by evaluating knee joint dynamics during gait. Subjects were 41 individuals (14 normal knees; 8 mild KOAs; 19 severe KOAs).

Effect of inhaled corticosteroids on bronchial asthma in Japanese athletes.

Background: Asthma has a higher prevalence in athlete populations such as Olympic athletes than in the general population. Correct diagnosis and management of asthma in athletes is important for symptom control and avoidance of doping accusations. However, few reports are available on asthma treatment in the athlete population in clinical practice.

Benefits of a 12-week lifestyle modification program including diet and combined aerobic and resistance exercise on albuminuria in diabetic and non-diabetic Japanese populations.

Background: Albuminuria is a biomarker for chronic kidney disease and an independent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. A recent meta-analysis concluded that these risks increase with urinary albumin concentration, even when below the microalbuminuria threshold. Thus, minimizing urinary albumin may be a valuable therapeutic goal regardless of disease status.

Depression's influence on the Asthma Control Test, Japanese version.

Background: Depression has been linked to poorer asthma control in asthmatic patients. Although the Japanese version of the Asthma Control Test (ACT-J) is frequently used as a simple, practical evaluation tool in clinical care settings in Japan, knowledge regarding its efficacy for assessing asthma control in asthmatic patients with depression is limited. Thus, we retrospectively investigated cut-off values of the ACT-J for well-controlled asthma, and explored depression's influence on the test with a questionnaire survey.

Analysis of the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic infection in Japanese asthmatic patients: using a questionnaire-based survey.

Background: Influenza infection is known to be an exacerbating factor in the control of asthma, therfore its prevention is critical in managing asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the influenza A H1N1 2009 pandemic virus (H1N1 pdm09) infection in adult asthmatic patients.

Methods: Data were obtained from a questionnaire-based survey of asthmatic patients conducted from September to October 2010 in Niigata Prefecture.

The Asthma Control Test, Japanese version (ACT-J) as a predictor of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline-defined asthma control: analysis of a questionnaire-based survey.

Background: The 2006 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2006) guidelines emphasize the importance of evaluating the control rather than the severity of asthma. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is well known to be an excellent tool for evaluating asthma control in the clinical setting. This study aimed to evaluate the ACT, Japanese version (ACT-J) as a predictor of asthma control as defined by the GINA 2006 guidelines in actual clinical practice.

The Asthma Control Test, Japanese Version (ACT-J) as a Predictor of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Guideline-Defined Asthma Control: Analysis of a Questionnaire-Based Survey.

Background: The 2006 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2006) guidelines emphasize the importance of evaluating the control rather than the severity of asthma. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is well known to be an excellent tool for evaluating asthma control in the clinical setting. This study aimed to evaluate the ACT, Japanese version (ACT-J) as a predictor of asthma control as defined by the GINA 2006 guidelines in actual clinical practice.

Efficacy of using the Japanese version of the asthma control test for determing the level of asthma control in clinical settings.

Background: The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is frequently used for the evaluation of asthma control in clinical care setting because it does not require the use of pulmonary function tests, which can be difficult for general practitioners to use. However, few large-scale studies have investigated the efficacy of the Japanese version ACT (J-ACT) in actual use during clinical care.

Methods: The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of the J-ACT in a clinical care setting.

Influence of underweight on asthma control.

Background: Although the association between asthma control and body mass index (BMI) has been thoroughly investigated, most of this work has focused on the influence on asthma incidence or the effect of obesity on asthma control. To date, there have been no published studies on the influence of underweight on asthma control.

Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of underweight, as defined by the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO), on asthma control in Japanese asthmatic patients.

Analysis of depression in asthmatic patients using the Japanese version of Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

Background: Previous studies show that depression plays an important role in asthma. However, the association between asthma control and severity, and depression is inconclusive.

Methods: To investigate the association between asthma control and severity, and depression, we assessed differences in asthma control and asthma severity between groups with various grades of depressive state as defined by the PHQ-9 score using data from the Japanese version of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (J-PHQ-9) and a questionnaire survey including the Asthma Control Test (ACT).

Asthma control and management changes in Japan: questionnaire survey.

Background: Despite the advances of asthma management and the accompanying improved asthma control, many problems related to asthma management still remain. The Niigata Asthma Treatment Study Group has been regularly collecting information via surveys since 1998 using a questionnaire, on problems related to asthma management; various studies on asthma management have been reported using data from the questionnaire.

Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in asthma control and management for every two-year period using the data from 1998 to 2008; future problems requiring resolution were extracted and discussed.

Assessment of bone status in inhaled corticosteroid user asthmatic patients with an ultrasound measurement method.

Background: The effect of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) on the bone status of asthmatic patients is still uncertain, because it can differ by race and because there have been few cases in Japan. In this study, the bone status of ICS users with asthma was evaluated in an actual clinical setting in Japan.

Methods: In 7 participating hospitals, ICS users with asthma and control subjects were age- and gender-matched and recruited into this study.

Effect of ciclesonide on bronchial asthma in athletes.

Background: Although it is well established that the incidence of bronchial asthma is higher in the athlete population than in the general population, little information exists about the efficacy of treatment of bronchial asthma in the athlete population.

Objectives: We conducted this study with the objective of determining the efficacy of treatment of bronchial asthma in an athlete population living in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of bronchial asthma in an athlete population.

Pulmonary function analysis of Japanese athletes: possibly even more asthmatics in the field.

Background: The prevalence of bronchial asthma (BA) in youth is increasing in Japan, but very few athletes are reported to be affected with BA. The aim of this study is to analyze pulmonary function test (PFT) in athletes from the aspect of BA retrospectively.

Methods: Medical history questionnaires of 2111 athletes (male: 1549, female: 562) were reviewed.

An analysis of factors that exacerbate asthma, based on a Japanese questionnaire.

Background: It is known that a wide variety of factors exacerbate asthma; however, few studies have investigated the factors that exacerbate asthma from a patient's perspective. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors that exacerbate asthma, based on a questionnaire completed by asthma patients in Niigata Prefecture.

Methods: Based on questionnaires given to 3085 patients who visited the medical institutes in the Niigata Prefecture monthly from September through October 2006, groups stratified by sex, age, disease type and disease severity, were analyzed for factors contributing to asthma exacerbation, as described in the guideline of the Japanese Society of Allergology.

Analysis of inhaled corticosteroid selection in patients with bronchial asthma using a questionnaire survey--effects of age, gender, and disease severity.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) has played an important role in the management of asthma. Although several kinds of ICSs are currently available, there is no established strategy for ICS selection.

Methods: Using the data from the 2004 questionnaire surveys by the Niigata Asthma Treatment Study Group, we analyzed relationships between each patient and the ICS employed on the basis of patient background, asthma control and treatment, and indicated characteristics of ICS selection by the physician.

A nephropathy presenting the microparticles in the glomerular basement membrane in a patient of hepatitis B viral infection.

We report here unique electron microscopy findings showing clusters of deposition of spherical and tubular microparticles in a glomerular basement membrane (GBM) of a 46-year-old Japanese male with membranous nephropathy. Another distinct feature was the deep infolding of podocyte membranes into the GBM. Light microscopy showed the ladder formation of the GBM suggesting membranous nephropathy, while the immunofluorescent examination was atypical for the absence of the global capillary deposition of IgG and C3.

Analysis of perimenstrual asthma based on questionnaire surveys in Japan.

Background: Perimenstrual asthma (PMA) has been documented in 30% to 40% of asthmatic women; the characteristics of PMA have also been well described. However, there have been few epidemiological investigations of PMA in practice. In this study, we analyzed PMA based on a questionnaire survey carried out in Japan and compared the results with those of studies reported previously.