Impact of visceral fat on the prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019: an observational cohort study.

Background: Clarification of the risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity is strongly warranted for global health. Recent studies have indicated that elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with unfavorable progression of COVID-19. This is assumed to be due to excessive deposition of visceral adipose tissue (VAT); however, the evidence investigating the association between intra-abdominal fat and COVID-19 prognosis is sparse.

Differences in the spectrum of respiratory viruses and detection of human rhinovirus C in exacerbations of adult asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Viral respiratory infections are a common cause of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and asthma. We conducted a multicenter prospective study to determine the differences in the spectrum of viruses between adults with asthma exacerbations and AECOPD and assessed the prevalence and impact of human rhinovirus (HRV)-C in adults, which is more pathogenic in children with asthma than other HRV species.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal and serum samples and clinical information were collected from 64 outpatients with adult asthma exacerbations and 44 outpatients with AECOPD between April 2018 and March 2020.

Exercise-induced anaphylaxis unrelated to food ingestion and with hyperleukotrieneuria during challenge testing.

Background: Exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA) is a rare and potentially life-threatening disorder that can develop independently without food ingestion. Cold drinks can also trigger symptoms in some patients with cold-induced anaphylaxis. We present a case of a patient with EIA that was diagnosed on the basis of positive exercise loading test with hyperleukotrieneuria.

Physical growth and neurodevelopment during the first year of life: a cohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Background: The association between a slower physical growth and poorer neurodevelopment has been established in infants born preterm or small for gestational age. However, this association is inconsistent in term-born infants, and detailed investigations in infancy, when intervention is most beneficial for improving outcomes, are lacking. We therefore examined this association separately by sex during the first year of life in term-born infants.

Overlapping Features in Kawasaki Disease-Related Arthritis and Systemic-Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Nationwide Study in Japan.

Arthritis may occur after the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD). Most cases are self-limiting; however, some patients require prolonged treatment. To characterize KD-related arthritis, 14 patients who required arthritis treatment within 30 days after the diagnosis of KD were recruited from the 23rd KD survey in Japan.

Genome-wide association study reveals an association between the HLA-DPB102:01:02 allele and wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

Wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is a life-threatening food allergy triggered by wheat in combination with the second factor such as exercise. The identification of potential genetic risk factors for this allergy might help high-risk individuals before consuming wheat-containing food. We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with WDEIA.

Airflow limitation and tongue microbiota in community-dwelling elderly individuals.

Numerous oral indigenous microorganisms are constantly introduced into the stomach the laryngopharynx, and a portion of these microorganisms irregularly reaches the lower airways and lungs. This study investigated the association between airflow limitation and the status of tongue microbiota, which is a primary source of ingested oral bacterial populations. The study population consisted of 484 community-dwelling adults aged 70-80 years inhabiting Hisayama town, Japan, who underwent a regular health examination including dental examination and spirometry test in 2016.

Association of serum antibodies against the Mycobacterium avium complex and hemoptysis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Hemoptysis is very common and can be life threatening in clinical practice for nontuberculous mycobacteria. The serum antibody against the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC-Ab), the majority of nontuberculous mycobacteria species, is well known to reflect the activity of MAC lung disease; however, there is no study investigating the association between the MAC-Ab and hemoptysis in MAC patients. Therefore, we assessed whether the MAC-Ab is a good biomarker for hemoptysis among subjects with MAC lung disease.

Nintedanib treatment for pulmonary fibrosis after coronavirus disease 2019.

A 78-year-old Japanese woman with no smoking history suffered from near-fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) requiring four-week invasive mechanical ventilation, with subsequent radiological features of pulmonary fibrosis. Although methylprednisolone gradually improved her respiratory condition, her oxygenation and exercise tolerance had drastically deteriorated, necessitating high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy. In parallel with tapering systemic steroid, the patient was treated with nintedanib.

lung disease in a patient with nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Although tuberculosis is a major underlying cause of pulmonary mycetoma due to , little is known about coinfection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and . A 67-year-old man with NTM presented with recurrent haemoptysis. Computed tomography of the chest revealed pulmonary mycetoma in the left upper lobe of the lung, and culture of bronchial washing fluid yielded .

Effectiveness of four doses of pertussis vaccine during infancy diminished in elementary school age: A test-negative case-control study in Japan.

Objective: The Japanese national immunization program recommends that children receive 4 doses of acellular pertussis vaccine between 3 months and 2 years of age. Nevertheless, the number of pertussis cases is increasing in elementary school children aged 6-12 years. Therefore, a test-negative case-control study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine program.

Effect of Climate Change on Allergenic Airborne Pollen in Japan.

In Japan, the representative allergenic airborne pollen-related allergic diseases include Cupressaceae in early spring, the birch family and grass in spring and mugwort in autumn. As a result of a long- term survey the past 27 to 33 years, an increasing in the amount of conifer airborne pollen and an earlier start dispersal were observed, related climate change. In addition, an increase in the number of patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis and the severity has been observed.

Effect of age on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children and adolescents with asthma.

Objective: The relationship between exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and exertional dyspnea in children and adolescents is yet to be fully established. This study examined whether indicators of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) percent predicted at baseline, and dyspnea are useful for predicting children and adolescents with EIB.

Methods: We enrolled 184 children and adolescents diagnosed with asthma (mean age 11.

Rise in nocturnal respiratory rate during CPAP may be an early sign of COVID-19 in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

A middle-aged man with obstructive sleep apnea who had been treated with continuous positive airway pressure developed COVID-19. An analysis of airflow records from the continuous positive airway pressure machine revealed a rise in his respiratory rate on the night before the onset of COVID-19-related symptoms, while his nocturnal respiratory rate had been stable during the 18-month period prior to the presently reported episode. The present case suggests that a rise in respiratory rate detected using continuous positive airway pressure machine data could be an important sign of impending acute illness, such as COVID-19.

Possible association between early formula and reduced risk of cow's milk allergy: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Background: Despite evidence for the protective effects of early regular exposure to peanut and egg proteins against allergies, the optimal timing of cow's milk (CM) protein exposure is unknown.

Objective: We aimed to determine when during the first year of life CM-based formula consumption becomes associated with lower CM allergy (CMA) risk.

Methods: We used the data set of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a nationwide birth cohort involving over 100 000 mother-child pairs.

Effect of Asian dust on respiratory symptoms among children with and without asthma, and their sensitivity.

There has been little study on the effect of Asian dust exposure on respiratory symptoms among children who are vulnerable to environmental factors. In this panel study, we investigated the effect of Asian dust on respiratory symptoms among children with and without asthma, and their sensitivity. Children attending two elementary schools (137 total), and 23 children with asthma from cooperating medical institutions in Fukuoka prefecture were recruited.

Delayed Development of Coronary Artery Aneurysm in Patients with Kawasaki Disease Who Were Clinically Responsive to Immunoglobulin.

Objective: To clarify the frequency and characteristics of discrepant outcomes of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) between fever and coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) in patients with Kawasaki disease.

Study Design: This study included 325 patients who responded to oral aspirin and IVIG alone. The main outcome was CAA 4 weeks after disease onset.

[EVALUATION OF ADRENAL CORTICAL FUNCTION USING SALIVARY CORTISOL MEASUREMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA].

Background: When corticosteroids are used for a long time in patients with bronchial asthma, a decrease in adrenal cortex function occurs. We investigated the use of salivary cortisol measurements as a simple, noninvasive method for the evaluation of the adrenal cortex function in pediatric asthmatic patients.

Methods: Plasma and salivary cortisol levels were measured from 8:00 am to 10:00 am in 248 pediatric asthmatic patients aged 0-18 years that were under long-term care management at the National Hospital Organization Fukuoka National Hospital in 2011-2013.

Annual changes in the prevalence of asthma may be related to air pollution in Fukuoka: 29 years of observation.

The relationship between the annual changes of the prevalence of bronchial asthma (BA) and that of concentrations of air pollutants has not been reported. We studied the annual prevalence of BA, remission of BA, and wheeze in children at the same five elementary schools in Fukuoka city, Japan, in October to November from 1988 to 2016 by the same methods using the same questionnaire. Annual changes in the prevalence of asthma among boys were related to changes in the air concentrations of NO (r=0.

pleuritis with multiple nodules in the pleura.

As opposed to tuberculosis, pleurisy hardly develops in patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. In spite of increasing prevalence of NTM infection, little is known about thoracoscopic or pathological findings of the NTM-infected pleura. We now report the first case of NTM pleuritis with multiple granulomatous nodules in the pleura.

Hyperferritinemia and acute kidney injury in pediatric patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) often occurs in pediatric patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We evaluated the risk and effect of HCT-related AKI in pediatric patients.

Methods: We retrospectively studied the survival and renal outcome of 69 children 100 days and 1-year posttransplant in our institution in 2004-2016.

The prevalence of oral symptoms caused by Rosaceae fruits and soybean consumption in children; a Japanese population-based survey.

Background: Pollen food Syndrome (PFS) to Rosaceae fruits and soybean, related to Bet v 1 homologue sensitization has been reported increasingly throughout Japan, possibly due to the wide distribution of alder.

Methods: In 2015, we conducted a school-based questionnaire survey among two age groups; students in primary school (Years 1-2) and secondary school (Years 8-9) from each of the 47 prefectures of Japan. We analyzed the prevalence, demographic and clinical characteristics of children with oral symptoms to Rosaceae fruits/soybean; defined as oral symptoms occurring shortly after ingesting apple, peach, cherry or soybean.

[THREE CASES OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS CHILDREN WITH INTRACTABLE PRURIGO NODULARIS].

Background: Prurigo nodularis is a chronic disease characterized by a hard dome-like or wart-like nodule which is solitary and does not fuse. Prurigo nodularis presents as one of the symptoms of atopic Dermatitis (AD).

Cases: We present three cases of AD children with intractable prurigo nodularis.

Homeostatic Milieu Induces Production of Deoxyribonuclease 1-like 3 from Myeloid Cells.

DNase 1-like 3 (DNase1L3), which belongs to DNase1 family, was originally identified as one of apoptosis- and necrosis-related endonucleases that fragmentate intranucleosomal DNA. A loss-of-function mutation has been reported in murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in familial SLE patients. These reports suggest DNase1L3 plays an important role in the prevention of developing SLE; however, expression and function of DNase1L3 in human immune systems have been largely unclarified.