ヒト血清中の抗β-グルカン抗体に関する研究

In this study, we found that anti-β-glucan IgG antibodies were present in sera from the peripheral blood (PB) of normal adult donors and the umbilical cord blood (UCB) of neonates using a novel enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) developed in our laboratories. The titers of anti-β-glucan IgG antibodies from the PB of normal adult donors were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those from the UCB of neonates. These findings suggest that anti-β-glucan IgG antibodies in sera from the UCB of neonates may be transferred from the mothers to the neonates via the placenta. The reactivity of serially diluted purified IgG antibody prepared from the serum of a normal adult donor (human purified IgG antibody) was also positive against β-glucan in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, a standard rabbit anti-β-glucan IgG antibody completely blocked the reactivity of human purified IgG antibody to β-glucan in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these findings show that human sera contain specific anti-β-glucan IgG antibodies and suggest that these anti-β-glucan IgG antibodies may have unique actions in various immunological responses

A study on obstacle avoidance toward fall prevention : adaptability in stepping-over behavior

本研究では、障害物回避行動のひとつである跨ぎ越え動作のダイナミクスを明らかにするため、障害物の高さの変化に伴い、跨ぎ越え動作がどのように変化するかを検討する。本稿では、若年健常者を対象に行った予備実験の結果を報告する。跨ぎ越える際の爪先と障害物との距離であるクリアランスの標準偏差について、バー高さを要因とした１要因分散分析を行った結果、有意差は認められなかった。この結果について、サンプル数の問題と、今回の実験参加者の間での個人差の問題が考察された。今後、身体特性である脚の長さについて事前の標準化、他の分析指標の導入の検討が求められる。本実験によって、跨ぎ越え動作にて行動が安定化／不安定化する条件が明らかになれば、安全な障害物回避行動について理解が深まるであろう。そのため、本研究の知見は、将来的には、高齢者や運動機能障害者の転倒予防のための効果的で安全な訓練方法の提案などにつながる。論

Spectral evolution of GRB 060904A observed with Swift and Suzaku -- Possibility of Inefficient Electron Acceleration

We observed an X-ray afterglow of GRB 060904A with the Swift and Suzaku satellites. We found rapid spectral softening during both the prompt tail phase and the decline phase of an X-ray flare in the BAT and XRT data. The observed spectra were fit by power-law photon indices which rapidly changed from $\Gamma = 1.51^{+0.04}_{-0.03}$ to $\Gamma = 5.30^{+0.69}_{-0.59}$ within a few hundred seconds in the prompt tail. This is one of the steepest X-ray spectra ever observed, making it quite difficult to explain by simple electron acceleration and synchrotron radiation. Then, we applied an alternative spectral fitting using a broken power-law with exponential cutoff (BPEC) model. It is valid to consider the situation that the cutoff energy is equivalent to the synchrotron frequency of the maximum energy electrons in their energy distribution. Since the spectral cutoff appears in the soft X-ray band, we conclude the electron acceleration has been inefficient in the internal shocks of GRB 060904A. These cutoff spectra suddenly disappeared at the transition time from the prompt tail phase to the shallow decay one. After that, typical afterglow spectra with the photon indices of 2.0 are continuously and preciously monitored by both XRT and Suzaku/XIS up to 1 day since the burst trigger time. We could successfully trace the temporal history of two characteristic break energies (peak energy and cutoff energy) and they show the time dependence of $\propto t^{-3} \sim t^{-4}$ while the following afterglow spectra are quite stable. This fact indicates that the emitting material of prompt tail is due to completely different dynamics from the shallow decay component. Therefore we conclude the emission sites of two distinct phenomena obviously differ from each other.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in PASJ (Suzaku 2nd Special Issue

Real-world management of treatment-naïve diabetic macular oedema : 2-year visual outcome focusing on the starting year of intervention from STREAT-DMO study

Background/aims To investigate the yearly change of real-world outcomes for best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after 2-year clinical intervention for treatment-naïve diabetic macular oedema (DMO). Methods Retrospective analysis of aggregated, longitudinal medical records obtained from 27 retina specialised institutions in Japan from Survey of Treatment for DMO database. A total of 2049 treatment-naïve centre involving DMO eyes of which the initial intervention started between 2010 and 2015, and had been followed for 2 years, were eligible. As interventions, antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents, local corticosteroids, macular photocoagulation and vitrectomy were defined. In each eye, baseline and final BCVA, the number of each intervention for 2 years was extracted. Each eye was classified by starting year of interventional treatment. Results Although baseline BCVA did not change by year, 2-year improvement of BCVA had been increased, and reached to +6.5 letters in the latest term. There is little difference among starting year about proportions of eyes which BCVA gained >15 letters, in contrast to those which lost >15 letters were decreased by year. The proportion of eyes receiving anti-VEGF therapy was dramatically increased, while those receiving the other therapies were gradually decreased. The proportion of eyes which maintained socially good vision of BCVA>20/40 has been increased and reached to 59.0% in the latest term. Conclusion For recent years, treatment patterns for DMO have been gradually but certainly changed; as a result, better visual gain, suppression of worsened eyes and better final BCVA have been obtained. Anti-VEGF therapy has become the first-line therapy and its injection frequency has been increasing

Real-world management of treatment-naïve diabetic macular oedema in Japan : two-year visual outcomes with and without anti-VEGF therapy in the STREAT-DME study

Background/Aims To investigate real-world outcomes for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after 2-year clinical intervention for treatment-naïve, centr-involving diabetic macular oedema (DME). Methods Retrospective analysis of longitudinal medical records obtained from 27 institutions specialising in retinal diseases in Japan. A total of 2049 eyes with treatment-naïve DME commencing intervention between 2010 and 2015 who were followed for 2 years were eligible. Interventions for DME included anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, local corticosteroid therapy, macular photocoagulation and vitrectomy. Baseline and final BCVA (logMAR) were assessed. Eyes were classified by the treatment pattern, depending on whether anti-VEGF therapy was used, into an anti-VEGF monotherapy group (group A), a combination therapy group (group B) and a group without anti-VEGF therapy (group C). Results The mean 2-year improvement of BCVA was −0.04±0.40 and final BCVA of >20/40 was obtained in 46.3% of eyes. Based on the treatment pattern, there were 427 eyes (20.9%) in group A, 807 eyes (39.4%) in group B and 815 eyes (39.8%) in group C. Mean improvement of BCVA was −0.09±0.39, –0.02±0.40 and −0.05±0.39, and the percentage of eyes with final BCVA of >20/40 was 49.4%, 38.9%, and 52.0%, respectively. Conclusion Following 2-year real-world management of treatment-naïve DME in Japan, BCVA improved by 2 letters. Eyes treated by anti-VEGF monotherapy showed a better visual prognosis than eyes receiving combination therapy. Despite treatment for DME being selected by specialists in consideration of medical and social factors, a satisfactory visual prognosis was not obtained, but final BCVA remained >20/40 in half of all eyes

Development of a ubiquitous healthcare monitoring system combined with non-conscious and ambulatory physiological measurements and its application to medical care

The demand for ubiquitous healthcare monitoring has been increasingly raised for prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, acute life support or chronic therapies for inpatients and/or outpatients having chronic disorder and home medical care. From these view points, we developed a non-conscious healthcare monitoring system without any attachment of biological sensors and operations of devices, and an ambulatory postural changes and activities monitoring system. Furthermore in this study, in order to investigate those applicability to the ubiquitous healthcare monitoring, we have developed a new healthcare monitoring system combined with the non-conscious and the ambulatory measurements developed by us. In patients with chronic cardiovascular disease or stroke, the daily health conditions such as pulse, respiration, activities and so on, could be continuously measured in the hospital, the rehabilitation room and subject\u27s own home, using the present system. The results demonstrated that the system appears useful for the ubiquitous healthcare monitoring not only at medical facility, but also during daily living at home. © 2011 IEEE

Inhalation of a steam-mixed gas containing hydrogen gas enhances the salivary titers of immunoglobulin A against pathogenic hemagglutinin antigens derived from influenza virus strains in healthy volunteers

　水素発生装置（スイソニア）から発生する水素ガス（濃度0.1%～ 0.3%）を含む蒸気混合ガスXENを鼻カニューラで吸入した。吸入後、A型およびB型インフルエンザウイルス由来のhemagglutinin（HA）抗原に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価を自主開発の酵素免疫測定法で解析した。その結果、XEN吸入15分後、A型インフルエンザウイルス株（A/California/7/2009/H1N1とA/Hong Kong/4801/2014/H3N2）由来のHA抗原に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価は、吸入前と比較して有意に増加した（P=0.028およびP=0.047）。さらに、XEN吸入15分後、A型とB型インフルエンザウイルス株（A/Singapore/GP1908/2015/H1N1、A/HongKong/4801/2014/H3N2、B/Texas/2/2013/Victoria system、B/Phuket/1307/2013 /Yamagata system）由来のHA抗原（ワクチンタイプ）に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価も吸入前と比較して有意に増加した（P=0.039）。以上の結果から、XENにはHA抗原に対する唾液中IgA2抗体価の増強作用があることがわかった。In a previous study, we demonstrated a significant increase in the salivary interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levelsfollowing the administration, via inhalation, of a steam-mixed gas containing hydrogen gas (designated asXEN) in healthy volunteers. In this study, we examined the salivary titers of immunoglobulin A2 (IgA2)directed against pathogenic hemagglutinin (HA) antigens derived from influenza virus strains(hereinafter, shortened to IgA2) after XEN administration by inhalation via a nasal cannula for 15 min inhealthy volunteers. The salivary titers of IgA2 directed against HA antigens were measured using anoriginally constructed enzyme immunoassay system. The results indicated significant increases of thesalivary IgA2 directed against the HA antigens derived from the following influenza virus strains after15 min of XEN inhalation, as compared to the titers recorded prior to the inhalation: A/California/7/2009/H1N1 (P = 0.028), A/Hong Kong/4801/2014/H3N2 (P = 0.047), vaccine-type containingHA antigens derived from influenza virus strains, A/Singapore/GP1908/2015/H1N1, A/HongKong/4801/2014/H3N2, B/Texas/2/2013/Victoria system, and B/Phuket/1307/2013 /Yamagata system(P = 0.039). Taken together, XEN rapidly enhanced the salivary titers of IgA2 directed against HAantigens derived from influenza viruses, which may imply a role in the protection against influenza virusinfection by activation of humoral immunity (IgA2 action) in the whole body via the nasal mucosalimmune system

Development of a ubiquitous healthcare monitoring system combined with non-conscious and ambulatory physiological measurements and its application to medical care.

The demand for ubiquitous healthcare monitoring has been increasingly raised for prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, acute life support or chronic therapies for inpatients and/or outpatients having chronic disorder and home medical care. From these view points, we developed a non-conscious healthcare monitoring system without any attachment of biological sensors and operations of devices, and an ambulatory postural changes and activities monitoring system. Furthermore in this study, in order to investigate those applicability to the ubiquitous healthcare monitoring, we have developed a new healthcare monitoring system combined with the non-conscious and the ambulatory measurements developed by us. In patients with chronic cardiovascular disease or stroke, the daily health conditions such as pulse, respiration, activities and so on, could be continuously measured in the hospital, the rehabilitation room and subject\u27s own home, using the present system. The results demonstrated that the system appears useful for the ubiquitous healthcare monitoring not only at medical facility, but also during daily living at home