Background: Human astrovirus (HAstV) infection is one of the leading causes of acute gastroenteritis in young children. The present study reports the outbreak of HAstV in children with acute gastroenteritis in Kyoto, Japan, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021.
Methods: A total of 61 stool samples were collected from children with acute gastroenteritis who visited a pediatric outpatient clinic in Maizuru city, Kyoto, Japan from July to October, 2021.
Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) is a pleiotropic growth factor playing various roles in the human body including cell growth and development. More functions of TGF-β1 have been discovered, especially its roles in viral infection. TGF-β1 is abundant at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy and plays an important function in immune tolerance, an essential key factor for pregnancy success.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The COVID-19 vaccine is effective in preventing severe cases of COVID-19. For women, gynecological adverse events, such as menstrual irregularities and irregular bleeding, could be a concern after COVID-19 vaccination. In this study, we investigated gynecological adverse events in the vaccinated Japanese female population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Zika virus (ZIKV) is well known for causing congenital Zika syndrome if the infection occurs during pregnancy; however, the mechanism by which the virus infects and crosses the placenta barrier has not been completely understood. In pregnancy, TGF-β1 is abundant at the maternal-fetal interface. TGF-β1 has been reported to enhance rubella virus binding and infection in human lung epithelial cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs), which are a type of placental stem cell, express stem cell marker genes and are capable of differentiating into all three germ layers under appropriate culture conditions. hAECs are known to undergo TGF-β-dependent epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, the impact of EMT on the stemness or differentiation of hAECs has not yet been determined. Here, we first confirmed that hAECs undergo EMT immediately after starting primary culture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe recently published an article about myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-independent rubella infection of keratinocytes in vitro, in which first-trimester trophoblast cells were shown as rubella virus (RuV)-resistant. Given an incident rate as high as 90% of congenital rubella syndrome in the first eight weeks of pregnancy, the RuV infection of first-trimester trophoblasts is considered key to opening the gate to transplacental transmission mechanisms. Therefore, with this study, we aimed to verify the susceptibility/resistance of first-trimester trophoblast cell lines, HTR-8/SVneo and Swan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the promotion of vaccination is important. However, adverse reactions following vaccination remain a concern. To investigate adverse events in the vaccinated Japanese population, we conducted a survey-based study among health care workers, including medical doctors and nurses; other medical staff; and medical university faculty, staff, and students in a single medical school and affiliated hospital in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial infection, including bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic, is a common human disease leading to various cell stresses [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCongenital rubella syndrome (CRS) results from maternal rubella virus infection in early pregnancy. Abnormal neuroimaging findings have been analyzed in a small number of CRS patients in the past; however, their clinical significance has been poorly addressed. Therefore, we have investigated the neuroimaging findings of 31 patients with CRS from previous studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirus-host cell interactions in rubella virus (RuV) are of great interest in current research in the field, as their mechanism is not yet well understood. By hypothesizing that the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play a role in RuV infection, this study aimed to investigate the influence of TGF-β1-induced EMT of human lung epithelial A549 cells on the infectivity of RuV. A549 cells were cultured and treated with TGF-β1 for 1 to 2 days prior to virus infection (with a clinical strain).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA total of 972 stool samples were collected from infants and children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in pediatric clinics encompassing six localities (Hokkaido, Tokyo, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, and Saga) in Japan during the 2-year period from July 2014 to June 2016. Sixty six of the samples (6.8%) were found to be positive for human parechovirus (HPeV) by multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and subjected to genotyping based on viral protein 1 (VP1) sequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem: The functions of vaginal lactobacilli in susceptibility to infectious diseases as regards epithelial barrier integrity and wound healing remain incompletely understood.
Method Of Study: Lactobacillus crispatus, one of the most common Lactobacillus species in the vagina and among the most protective against sexually transmitted infections, was cocultured with an immortalized human vaginal epithelial cell line (MS74), and a scratch assay was performed to evaluate re-epithelialization. The concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Of 972 stool samples collected from infants and children with acute gastroenteritis in six different regions (Hokkaido, Tokyo, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, and Saga) of Japan during 2-year period from July 2014 to June 2016, 63 samples (6.5%) determined to be positive for enterovirus by multiplex RT-PCR were subjected to genotype determination based on the partial VP1 region using the CODEHOP method. Sixty-two strains were succeeded in genotyping and seventeen EV types were identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRubella virus (RuV), which belongs to the family and genus , causes systemic infection in children and young adults and congenital rubella syndrome in developing fetuses if the infection occurs during pregnancy. The mechanisms of fetal infection by RuV are not completely understood. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is reported to be a cellular receptor for RuV; however, it is mainly expressed in the central nervous system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Delayed wound healing reduces the quality of life (QOL) of patients. Thus, understanding the mechanism of wound healing is indispensable for better management. However, the role of innate immunity in wound healing is thus far unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Infection with Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are recognized as the major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans.
Methods: A total of 310 fecal samples collected from Thai adult patients with diarrhea in 2008 were screened for the presence of Campylobacter by PCR.
A total of 29 Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli strains were isolated from Thai and Japanese children with diarrhea using the Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification method. The samples were evaluated for mutations in gyrA and 23S rRNA in order to assess resistance against fluoroquinolones and macrolides, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCampylobacter species are common causes of bacterial diarrhea, and Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli are known as the predominant causative agents in humans. Recent studies suggested that loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is an efficient and practical tool for rapid detection of C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA total of 89 blood samples collected from HIV-infected infants and children from provinces of southern Vietnam who were hospitalized at Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, during the 1-year period from October 2004 to September 2005 were submitted to serological screening for IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies against Chlamydophila pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae). The presence of this microorganism was also evaluated by PCR.
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