[Measurement of airborne cladosporium spp antigens by aeroallergen immnoblotting and the seasonal fluctuation].

Background: Airborne Cladosporium spp (Clad) antigens were measured by aeroallergen immnoblotting, and analyzed the seasonal fluctuation of the antigens.

Methods: Airborne Clad antigens (Clad) were transferred onto nitrocellulose membrane and treated with anti-Clad rabbit antiserum, then alkaline phosphatase-conjugated rabbit IgG. Finally, the spots from Clad antigens were visualized with BCIP/NBT substrate.

Stability of the seven hexon hypervariable region sequences of adenovirus types 1-6 isolated in Yamagata, Japan between 1988 and 2007.

Seven hexon hypervariable regions (HVRs) of adenoviruses (Ads) were identified by comparing the regions among different serotypes; however, no one has compared HVR sequences among the identical serotypes, except for adenovirus type 3 (Ad3). To examine a variability between the HVRs for each serotype, we compared the sequences of Ad1-6 isolates, respectively, isolated between 1988 and 2007 in Yamagata, Japan. We selected 23-43 isolates randomly and sequenced 894-987 bp regions.

[Simultaneous determination of aconitine analogues in Aconitum plants and foods that caused food poisoning by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry].

A simple method for the simultaneous determination of four aconitine analogues (AC; aconitine, HA; hypaconitine, MA; mesaconitine, JA; jesaconitine) in Aconitum plants (Aconitum subcuneatum NAKAI) and a food that caused food poisoning was developed, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Aconitine analogues were extracted with 1 mmol/L HCl and then cleaned up with an Oasis HLB cartridge. The LC separation was performed with an octadecylated silica column (Develosil ODS-HG-5, 2.

Analysis of monthly isolation of respiratory viruses from children by cell culture using a microplate method: a two-year study from 2004 to 2005 in yamagata, Japan.

Although well over 200 viral agents have been implicated in acute respiratory infections (ARIs) among children, no system able to detect such a wide range of viruses has been established. Between January 2004 and December 2005, a modified microplate method, including HEF, HEp-2, Vero E6, MDCK, RD-18S, and GMK cell lines (HHVe6MRG plate), was adopted to isolate viruses. A total of 1,551 viruses were isolated, representing both outbreaks and sporadic cases, from 4,107 nasopharyngeal specimens, at monthly isolation rates of 22.

Relationship between airborne Cry j 1 and the onset time of the symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis patients.

Background: Some patients with Japanese cedar (JC) pollinosis already show pollinosis symptoms before the first day of the pollen season as determined by microscopic pollen counts.

Methods: Airborne pollen allergen (Cry j 1) levels were measured by electron spin resonance radical immunoassay, a highly-sensitive method for Cry j 1 with a sensitivity 10-100-fold higher than conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The symptom data from patients with JC pollinosis were collected from a mobile phone site, "pollen check sheet", and the onset times of the patients' symptoms were analyzed.

Outbreak of human metapneumovirus detected by use of the Vero E6 cell line in isolates collected in Yamagata, Japan, in 2004 and 2005.

A number of epidemiological studies have shown human metapneumovirus (hMPV) to be one of the most important viral agents associated with acute respiratory infections in humans. However, due to the difficulty in growing the virus, all epidemiological studies of hMPV infection have been performed on the basis of the molecular method. Thus, the development of a cell line suitable for the isolation of hMPV from clinical specimens is a crucial step for further research.

[Outcomes and problems of DOTS strategy in Japan].

The DOTS strategy promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) was applied in 183 countries in 2004. The DOTS coverage, defined as the percentage of the population living in areas where health services have adopted DOTS, was 83% globally in 2004, but it was 71% in Japan. The global 2005 targets for tuberculosis (TB) control are to detect at least 70% of infectious TB cases and cure 85% of those cases detected.

Prolonged norovirus shedding in infants

Background: Noroviruses (NV) are one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis in young children; however, the duration of NV shedding in young children is not well known.

Methods: Fecal specimens were collected from children with acute gastroenteritis at a pediatric clinic during the period from November to December 2002 and tested for NV by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Of 71 children infected with NV, 60 (84.

A slow spread of adenovirus type 7 infection after its re-emergence in Yamagata, Japan, in 1995.

We have continued the epidemiological study on adenovirus type 7 (Ad7), which re-emerged in 1995 in Yamagata, Japan. Between 1999 and 2004, we isolated only four strains from 10,778 throat swab specimens among children with acute respiratory infections. A serological survey of 303 specimens revealed the antibody-positive rate against Ad7 to be 0-7.

[Development of the simple method for measurement the content of Cry j 1 in the air by latex agglutination test].

Background: In order to develop an easy method for measure the airborne C. japonica pollen allergen (Cry j 1) without any utensils or a special apparatus, we examined latex agglutination test for the purpose.

Methods: The latex beads were reacted with the anti-Cry j 1 polyclonal antibody, and the beads were blocked with bovine serum albumin (sensitized beads).

Frequent importation of enterovirus 71 from surrounding countries into the local community of Yamagata, Japan, between 1998 and 2003.

Phylogenetic analysis of 45 enterovirus 71 (EV71) isolates for 6 years in Yamagata, Japan, clarified that the annual outbreak of hand-foot-and-mouth disease was due to four genetically distinct subgenogroups, including a novel "B5." Our results suggest that the importation of EV71 from surrounding countries has had a major epidemiological impact on the local community used in our study.

An outbreak of measles virus infection due to a genotype D9 at a junior high school in Yamagata, Japan in 2004.

We investigated a measles virus (MV) outbreak that occurred at a junior high school in Yamagata, Japan between January and February, 2004. We received throat swab specimens from three patients at this school and carried out virus isolation with Vero/hSLAM cells and virus genome detection by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. As a result, we isolated the virus from one patient and succeeded in amplifying the MV genome from the others.

Epidemics of two Victoria and Yamagata influenza B lineages in Yamagata, Japan.

We attempted to predict epidemics of influenza B, focusing on B/Victoria/2/87-like (V) and B/Yamagata/16/88-like (Y) lineages, in Yamagata, Japan. We collected 9624 nasopharyngeal swabs for virus isolation from patients with respiratory infections between 1996 and 2003 and 237 sera for seroepidemiological analysis by haemagglutination-inhibition test in 2001. We isolated 424 V-lineage and 246 Y-lineage viruses during the study period.

Re-emergence of echovirus type 13 infections in 2002 in Yamagata, Japan.

Objectives: To analyze the prevalence of echovirus type 13 (Echo13) in Yamagata, Japan.

Methods: Virus isolation was performed from 6514 clinical specimens using six cell lines between January 1999 and December 2002. We also carried out a seroepidemiological study against Echo13, using 234 serum samples collected in 2001.

Enterovirus isolation from children with acute respiratory infections and presumptive identification by a modified microplate method.

Objective: To evaluate a modified microplate method, utilizing HEF, HEp-2, Vero, MDCK and newly introduced RD-18S and GMK cell lines, for virus isolation.

Methods: From June to October 2001, 723 throat swab specimens taken from children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were inoculated onto these cells. To analyze cell sensitivity, we also inoculated 20 serotypes of stocked enteroviruses.

A rare appearance of influenza A(H1N2) as a reassortant in a community such as Yamagata where A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) co-circulate.

To find a new influenza subtype A(H1N2), 383 isolates identified as H1 by hemagglutination inhibition test between the 1998-1999 and 2001-2002 seasons in Yamagata, Japan, were screened by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. As a result, 3 strains from the 1999-2000 season were identified as possibly being A(H1N2). Although several of their clones were found to be A(H1N2), A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), we could not confirm the origin of the A(H1N2) clones without the original specimens.

[Identification of airborne pollen and airborne particles with pollen allergen (Cry j 1, Dac g) by aeroallergen immunoblotting technique].

After collection of airborne particles with a seven-day recording volumetric spore trap (Burkard model) using optically clear, pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive tapes, a dry PVDF membrane was pressed down firmly onto the adhesive tape, antigen-antibody reaction was performed in full contact with the tapes and PVDF membrane. Dark purple spots from airborne pollen allergens were examined under a light microscope to evaluate the form of pollens and particles wit h the antigenicity. It is clarified that identification of the form of pollens with the antigencity is possible not only pollens with the antigenicity but a pollen has already lost its shape, and it is also clarified that some airborne particular matters have the pollen antigencity.

Effect of methanol extract from flower petals of Tagetes patula L. on acute and chronic inflammation model.

The methanol extract of the florets of Tagetes patula (MEFTP) inhibited acute and chronic inflammation in mice and rats. MEFTP significantly suppressed hind-paw oedema induced by gamma-carrageenin in mice. Furthermore, MEFTP not only inhibited the hind-paw oedema induced by various acute phlogogens, such as histamine, serotonin, bradykinin and prostaglandin E1, but also suppressed the increase of vascular permeability by acetic acid, indicating that it primarily acts at the exudative stage of inflammation.

[Real-time measurement of airborne pollen allergen applied the surface plasmon resonance (SPR)].

To examine the possibility of real-time measurement system for the concentration of airborne pollen allergens, Cry j 1 was chosen as an example to establish the system. Airborne pollen allergens were collected using Cyclone sampler from Burkard Co. Ltd.

[Comparison between real-time pollen monitor KH-3000 and Burkard sampler].

Special apparatus capable of instantly measuring airborne Cryptomeria japonica pollen grains were recently appeared on the market. We examined one of them called real-time pollen monitor KH-3000 (Yamato Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

[A new prediction method for the total pollen counts of Cryptomeria japonica based on variation in annual summertime temperature].

In order to predict the total pollen counts of Cryptomeria japonica, we examined the difference of summertime temperature between the previous year and the year before the previous. Correlation coefficients of nine points throughout Japan exceeded more than r = 0.84 when compared the total pollen counts obtained from prediction and those from observation.

[Forecast of the beginning day of Japanese cedar pollen release using variation pattern in air temperature].

It is important to forecast the beginning day of Japanese cedar pollen release for taking the preventive medical measure. We analyzed the relation between the beginning day of pollen release and the changing pattern of daily air temperature. A simple and practical method for forecasting the beginning day of pollen release is suggested.

[Effects of global climate change on Japanese cedar pollen concentration in air--estimated results obtained from Yamagata City and its surrounding area].

The effects of global warming on Japanese cedar pollen concentration in air were examined. There was a significant increase in total pollen count in years where small or average values of pollen dispersion were observed and where summertime temperatures were postulated to have risen from 2 to 5 degrees C. There were no remarkable differences in total pollen count in years where large values of pollen dispersion were observed.

[Pollen information of airborne Japanese cedar pollen using a simulation method].

We have developed a simulation method of airborne Cryptomeria japonica pollen distribution on a map displayed visually on a TV screen. Each patient can be available the information where the place he or she lives. The pollen season in 1995, we served the information about airborne pollen distribution on a map and C.

[Protracted (lasting) presence of Japanese cedar pollen allergen (Cry j I) in house dust].

We investigated the relationship between the amounts of Cry j I in house dust and airborne Cryptomeria japonica pollen in the same location. Cry j I was still detected in house dust collected two weeks after airborne C. japonica pollen had disappeared.