Publications by authors named "Masahiro Ikesue"

Article Synopsis
  • Expansion of autoreactive follicular helper T (Tfh) cells is controlled to prevent autoimmune diseases, and DR6 is a key immune regulator linked to Tfh cell expansion in lupus-like conditions in mice.
  • Syndecan-1, found on autoreactive germinal center B cells, interacts with DR6, promoting immunosuppressive functions and correlating with Tfh cell growth and disease severity.
  • Targeting the DR6/syndecan-1 interaction may offer new therapeutic strategies for treating autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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The environmental factors such as aging, smoking, and alcohol consumption have been reported to influence DNA methylation (DNAm). However, the versatility of DNAm measurement by DNAm array systems is low in clinical use. Thus, we developed the MethyLight assay as a simple method to measure DNAm.

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Aureobasidium pullulans-derived β-glucan (AP-PG) consisting of a β-(1,3)-linked glucose main chain and β-(1,6)-linked glucose branches is taken as a supplement to improve health. This study demonstrates that oral administration of AP-PG is effective to prevent the development of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced fatty liver in mice. Here, C57BL/6N mice were fed with a normal diet or HFD, and AP-PG diluted in drinking water was administered orally.

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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs of 18-23 nucleotides that regulate gene expression. Recently, plasma miRNAs have been investigated as biomarkers for various physiological and pathological conditions. The present study details the conserved miRNA expression profiles of tubular tissues, and discusses whether they could be used to distinguish between proximal tubule injury, diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI), and the early-stage renal tubular dysfunction.

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Objective: Syndecan 4 has been implicated as a critical mediator of inflammatory responses because of its functions as a coreceptor and reservoir for growth factors and chemokines. Although syndecan 4 is known to be expressed on B cells, its role in immune responses remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of syndecan 4 to the development of immune arthritis in murine models.

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Objective: Interleukin(IL)-17A, an inflammatory cytokine, has been implicated in atherosclerosis, in which inflammatory cells within atherosclerotic plaques express IL-17A. However, its role in the development of atheroscelrosis remains to be controversial.

Methods And Results: To directly examine the role of IL-17A in atherosclerosis, we generated apolipoprotein E (ApoE)/IL-17A double-deficient (ApoE(-/-)IL-17A(-/-)) mice.

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The interaction between matricellular proteins such as tenascin-C (TN-C) and osteopontin (OPN) and integrins has been implicated in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis in which Th17 cells are recognized as primary pathogenic cells. The differentiation of Th17 cells is tightly regulated by cytokines derived from APCs, receiving various signals including TLR stimuli. In this study, we used a collagen-induced arthritis model and found that increased numbers of α(9) integrin-positive conventional dendritic cells and macrophage were detectable in the draining lymph node (dLN) shortly following first immunization, and these cells produced both TN-C and OPN, ligands for α(9) integrin.

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Rationale: Syndecan-4 (Syn4), a cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan, has been detected in the infarct region after myocardial infarction (MI), but its functional significance has not been elucidated.

Objective: We examined whether and how Syn4 regulates the cardiac healing process after MI.

Methods And Results: Although the heart in Syn4-deficient (Syn4(-/-)) mice was morphologically and functionally normal, Syn4(-/-) mice exhibited impaired heart function and increased mortality rate as a result of cardiac ruptures after MI.

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Objective: Syndecan-4 (Syn4) is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan and works as a coreceptor for various growth factors. We examined whether Syn4 could be involved in the development of neointimal formation in vivo.

Methods And Results: Wild-type (WT) and Syn4-deficient (Syn4-/-) mice were subjected to wire-induced femoral artery injury.

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Osteopontin (OPN) is a T helper type 1 immunoregulatory cytokine that plays a critical role in various inflammatory disorders. OPN exerts proinflammatory reactions through interaction with integrin receptors. OPN function can be modulated by protease digestion.

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By representational difference analysis, we previously identified the rat Erc (Expressed in renal carcinoma) gene that was more abundantly expressed in the renal carcinoma tissues of Eker rats than in the rat normal kidney. In this study, we raised antibodies against the amino-terminal portion of the rat Erc, and demonstrated the existence of a approximately 30-kDa secretory form in the supernatant of cultured cells derived from rat renal carcinoma. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system using these antibodies detected high concentrations of this form in the sera of Eker rats bearing renal carcinomas, and in the sera of rats transplanted with mesothelioma cells.

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