好塩基球からのヒスタミン遊離に関する研究. 1 自動分析装置による全血からのヒスタミン遊離の測定

Histamine released from whole blood was determined by an automated fiuorometric histamine analysis system. The increased release of histamine from basophils by anti-IgE was observed in ten healthy subjects and 12 extrinsic asthma patients, while the release in 11 intrinsic asthma patients was significantly less as compared to that in healthy and extrinsic asthma subjects. House dust extract caused a significant increase in the histamine release from basophils of the extrinsic asthma patients who are sensitive to house dust. It was concluded from this study that histamine released from basophils could be easily determined by an automated analysis system and that the method is useful for the diagnosis and study of allergy.ヒスタミン自動分析装置により,健康人10名,気管支喘息23例の全血からのヒスタミン遊離を測定した. 抗ヒトIgEを添加した際のヒスタミン遊離は,健康人および外因性気管支喘息症例では有意の増加傾向を示したが,一方内因性喘息症例では遊離増加はほとんどみられなかった. ハウスダスト抗原添加では,ハウスダストが抗原である気管支喘息症例においてのみ全血からの有意のヒスタミン遊離の増加が観察された. 以上の結果より,ヒスタミン自動分析装置による全血からの遊離ヒスタミンの測定は,気管支喘息の病態解明の1手段として極めて有用であると考えられる

好塩基球からのヒスタミン遊離に関する研究. 2. ハウスダスト抗原および抗ヒトIgEによるヒスタミン遊離

IgE-mediated release of histamine from whole blood was examined in two healthy and four asthmatic subjects by dose-dependent fashion. The significantly increased amount of histamine was released from basophils of both healthy and asthmatic subjects by a limited concentration of anti-IgE. Antigen (house dust) caused histamine release only from basophils of asthmatics who are sensitive to house dust. Basophils from one patients with asthma released no significant amount of histamine by anti-IgE.好塩基球からのIgE-mediated histamine releaseの機序を,健康人(2名)および気管支喘息(4例)それぞれの代表例で比較検討した. 抗ヒトIgEの添加濃度別検討では,健康人および外因性喘息例いずれも有意のヒスタミン遊離の増加をしめしたが,Max. % histamine releaseをひきおこす抗ヒトIgEの濃度は比較的限られた範囲内にある傾向がみられた. 一方内因性喘息例では,いずれの抗ヒトIgE濃度でも有意のヒスタミン遊離はみられなかった. ハウスダスト抗原の添加濃度別検討では,ハウスダストが抗原である気管支喘息症例においてdose-dependentなヒスタミン遊離が観察されたが,使用された抗原濃度の範囲ではMax. % releaseをひきおこす至適濃度は明らかでなかった

A case study on the rainfall distribution over the Japan Islands associated with the approach of Ty0423 in late October (Comparison with that for Ty0418)

Rainfall distribution in the Japan Islands associated with the approach of Typhoon No.23 around 20 October 2004 (referred to Ty0423, hereafter) showed considerably different features from those in late summer of this year. The present study examined the detailed rainfall features around the Japan Islands brought by Ty0423 and the atmospheric processes based on the operational observation data by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), comparing with those in association with Ty0418 around 7 September 2004. During the stage when Ty0423 was approaching or landing on the western part of the Japan Islands, the areal mean precipitation from Kyushu to Kanto District attained much larger than that for Ty0418, with wider extension of the area with the large amount of precipitation. It is interesting that, although the intense rainfall was observed only at the upstream side of the mountain range from Kyushu to Honshu District for Ty0418 except for the area near its center, strong rainfall with 10~30 mm/h persisted in wider regions from the western to the eastern part of the Japan Islands, resulting in the considerably large total rainfall for Ty0423. As for the case for Ty0423, the surface front with stable frontal surface was located just to the east of the Ty0423 center just before its landing at the Japan Islands. Thus, the huge moisture inflow mainly in the eastern region from the typhoon center seems to be redistributed widely over the Japan Islands area associated with the large-scale convergence around the stable frontal surface. In late October, the colder air associated with the high pressure system in the eastern Siberia can cover the northern part of the Japan Sea area as the seasonal march. Such basic field might be favorable for sustaining the synoptic-scale front just around the southern coast of the Japan Islands, even when the strong southerly wind invades associated with the typhoon approach there

Numerical changes in blood monocytes in bronchial asthma.

Numerical changes in peripheral blood monocytes were examined in 125 patients with bronchial asthma using a new direct method of counting blood monocytes. The number of monocytes in non-attack stages of bronchial asthma was similar to that of healthy controls. The monocyte count observed in overall cases showed a significantly higher value both in pre-attack and attack stages than in non-attack stages. Changes in the number of monocytes in an individual spontaneous asthmatic cycle tended to increase in pre-attack stages, increase more markedly during asthma attacks, then to decrease after the attack was alleviated. Monocytes in cases with a positive test for bronchial challenge to house dust extract changed in almost the same manner as for spontaneous asthma attacks. The number of monocytes did not change during bronchospasm provoked by inhalation of acetylcholine. Exercise-induced asthma patients exhibited indefinite changes of monocytes; that is, some cases showed a significant increase in the number of monocytes related to the asthma cycle, but other cases did not show any appreciable change. These findings suggest that the number of monocytes in the peripheral blood may change in close relation to asthma attacks elicited by allergic reactions.</p

Clinical effects of HC 20-511 (ketotifen) in bronchial asthma and its inhibitory effect on antigen-induced morphological changes of basophils

Sixty-four patients with confirmed bronchial asthma were treated with HC 20-511 (Ketotifen). HC20-511 was evaluated to be very effective in 6.3%, effective in 50.0% and slightly effective in 10.9% of these patients. The appearance of reactive basophils was inhibited by HC 20-511 in 5 out of 6 cases of reaction to house dust, in all three cases with buckwheat allergy to their allergen and in 7 out of 11 cases to anti-IgE. These results confirm that HC 20-511 inhibits type I allergic reactions induced by specific allergen and IgE.</p

Clinical problems of long-term steroid regimen for bronchial asthma, with reference to steroid-dependent cases

Adverse side effects of steroid therapy were investigated in 32 asthmatic patients. Thirty-two patients were classified into three groups according to steroid therapy for the past five years; group 1 has been treated with continuous steroid therapy, group 2 with occasional steroid therapy and group 3 without steroid therapy. The results were as follows. 1. Group 1 showed a low level of serum cortisol at 8-9 a. m. The serum concentration of cortisol in patients with daily steroid regimen was lower as compared to that in patients with alternateday steroid therapy. 2. The daily profile of serum cortisol was low in the steroid dependent asthmatic patients, and little increase of serum cortisol level after the administration of prednisolone was shown in group 1. 3. Serum IgG and IgM levels were significantly low in steroid dependent asthmatic patients. 4. The level of serum potassium was low in group 1

Id2-, RORγt-, and LTβR-independent initiation of lymphoid organogenesis in ocular immunity

The eye is protected by the ocular immunosurveillance system. We show that tear duct–associated lymphoid tissue (TALT) is located in the mouse lacrimal sac and shares immunological characteristics with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALTs), including the presence of M cells and immunocompetent cells for antigen uptake and subsequent generation of mucosal immune responses against ocularly encountered antigens and bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Initiation of TALT genesis began postnatally; it occurred even in germ-free conditions and was independent of signaling through organogenesis regulators, including inhibitor of DNA binding/differentiation 2, retinoic acid–related orphan receptor γt, lymphotoxin (LT) α1β2–LTβR, and lymphoid chemokines (CCL19, CCL21, and CXCL13). Thus, TALT shares immunological features with MALT but has a distinct tissue genesis mechanism and plays a key role in ocular immunity

Studies on Basophil Reactivity Part I. Observations of reactive basophils by a smear method

Morphological changes of basophils stimulated by anti-IgE and anti-IgG were observed in 73 asthmatic and 10 healthy subjects by smear specimen. Basophil reactivity to both anti-IgE and anti-IgG was low in the healthy subjects. Basophils from atopic asthmatics reacted to anti-IgE more strongly than the cells from the healthy subjects, while the basophil response to anti-IgG was low. Basophil reactivity of intractable asthmatics to anti-IgG was higher than the reactivity to anti-IgE. Basophils from asthmatic subjects with a high serum IgE level reacted to anti-IgE strongly, while the cells from subjects with a low serum IgE level (less than 100IU/ml) showed a high response to anti-IgG. In the cases with a basophil ratio of less than 0.5, basophils released a large amout of histamine by stimulation with anti-IgE. The release of histamine induced by anti-IgE was low in the cases with low reactive basophils. These results suggest that observation of morphological changes of basophils stimulated by anti-IgE and anti-IgG is useful for the clinical study of bronchial asthma

Studies on Basophil Reactivity Part II. Observations of reactive basophils by a direct counting method

Morphological changes of basophils stimulated by anti-IgE, anti-IgG and an specific antigen were observed in 62 asthmatic and 7 healthy subjects by direct counting. The percentage of anti-IgE induced reactive basophils determined by the direct counting method was similar to that by the smear method. Basophil reactivity to both anti-IgE and anti-IgG was low in the healthy subjects. Basophils from asthmatic subjects with a high serum IgE level reacted strongly to anti-IgE. The optimal concentration of house dust for observing reactive basophils was a 10(2)-fold dilution of the extract. The percentage of reactive basophils induced by house dust correlated with the skin end point, the RAST score and the bronchial challenge test in asthmatic subjects sensitive to the corresponding antigen. These results suggest that observation of morphological changes by the direct counting method is useful for in vitro detection of specific antigens