Associations Between Metal Levels in Whole Blood and IgE Concentrations in Pregnant Women Based on Data From the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Background: Metal exposures could possibly affect allergic responses in pregnant women, although no studies have yet shown a clear relationship between the two, and such exposures might also affect the development of allergic diseases in children. Methods: We investigated the relationship between metal concentrations in whole blood and immunoglobulin E (IgE; total and specific) in 14,408 pregnant women who participated in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. The subjects submitted self-administered questionnaires, and blood samples were collected from them twice, specifically, during the first trimester and again during the second=third trimester. Concentrations of the metals Cd, Pb, Hg, Se, and Mn, as well as serum total and allergen-specific IgEs for egg white, house dust-mites (HDM), Japanese cedar pollen (JCP), animal dander, and moth, were measured. Allergen-specific IgE(s) were divided based on concentrations <0.35 or ≥0.35UA=mL, and the metal levels were divided into quartiles. Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between HDM- and animal dander-specific IgEs and Hg and Mn concentrations. Conversely, there was a significant positive relationship between JCP-specific IgE and Hg and Se concentrations. Conclusions: Metal exposures may be related to both increases and decreases in allergen-specific IgEs in pregnant women.This work was supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.Supplementary data related to this article can be found at https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20180098

Genetic Characterization of Hantaviruses Transmitted by the Korean Field Mouse (Apodemus peninsulae), Far East Russia

In an epizootiologic survey of 122 rodents captured in Vladivostok, Russia, antibodies positive for hantavirus were found in Apodemus peninsulae (4/70), A. agrarius (1/39), and Clethrionomys rufocanus (1/8). The hantavirus sequences identified in two seropositive A. peninsulae and two patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) from the Primorye region of Far East Russia were designated as Solovey and Primorye, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of the Solovey, Primorye, and Amur (obtained through GenBank) sequences were closely related (>92% identity). Solovey and Primorye sequences shared 84% nucleotide identity with the prototype Hantaan 76-118. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated a close relationship between Solovey, Primorye, Amur, and other viruses identified in Russia, China, and Korea. Our findings suggest that the Korean field mouse (A. peninsulae) is the reservoir for a hantavirus that causes HFRS over a vast area of east Asia, including Far East Russia

エリンギ(Pleurotus eryngii)の子実態における糖質および糖質分解酵素の特徴

Carbohydrate components and their related carbohydrate activities in a homogenized preparation of the fruit body of king oyster mushroom (eryngii), Pleurotus eryngii, were studied in detail. The low-molecular weight fractions contained a significant amount of trehalose compared with other constituents of mono-saccharides, and its concentration was 18.7% of the dry weight. Polysaccharides in the high-molecular weight fraction were separated into four fractions, A~D, which were analyzed for the yields and sugar components. The polysaccharide fractions were also analyzed by the ion-exchange and gel-filtration column chromatography, and enzymatic hydrolysis. The results suggested that typical polysaccharide components in the fruit body of eryngii might be β-glucan and galactan, corresponding to the known results obtained by the liquid-cultured eryngii. A crude enzyme solution was prepared from the fruit body of eryngii, and various carbohydrase activities were measured using 27 substrates at pH 5.2, 6.5 and 7.8. A higher enzyme activity was detected for the substrates of laminarin and trehalose. Occurrence of trehalase activity correlated with the high concentration of trehalose in the fruit body of eringii

A study of the pituitary prolactin reserve in normal children

下垂体prolactin(以下PRLと略す)は魚類からヒトにいたるまで,広くみとめられる系統発生学的に古いホルモンであり,その生理作用として魚類での電解質代謝,滲透圧調節,両生類での変態促進,爬虫類での成長促進,鳥類でのチーズ様嗉嚢乳の形成,哺乳類での乳腺発育などが知られている1).ヒトではPRLと成長ホルモンとの分離が困難であったが,1972年,Friesenら2)により初めてPRLが抽出純化され,その測定法としてradioimmunoassay法が確立された.以来ヒトにおけるPRLの作用機序に関する多数の研究が報告され, PRLには乳汁分泌作用の他に,性腺機能維持あるいは胎児肺の成熟促進作用3)などもあることが次第に解明されてきた.また,成人ではthyrotropin releasing hormone(以下TRHと略す)負荷によるPRLの分泌反応に関する多数の研究が報告され,性腺機能障害の診断のみならず,視床下部一下垂体系の障害部位の診断にも応用されるようになった(4)).一方,小児科学領域では,PRLの作用機序に関して,詳細な研究は,いまだ報告されておらず,PRLの成長あるいは性成熟などに及ぼす生理的意義についても不明の点が多い.本研究では,小児期におけるPRLの基礎値とTRH負荷による下垂体のPRL分泌予備能とを測定し,またこれと平行してluteinizing hormone releasing hormone(以下LH-RHと略す)の負荷による下垂体のluteinizing hormone(以下LHと略す)分泌予備能を測定し,小児の発育および思春期の性成熟に対するPRLの分泌動態について検討した.In order to assess the change in the pituitary prolactin (PRL) reserve during development, serum prolactin response to TRH and serum LH response to LH-RH were studied in 247 normal children aged from 1 to 18years. The basal PRL level, of which the geometric mean (-1SD and +1SD) was 7.1 (4.6-11.0) ng/ml, was not affected by bone age or sex. The maximum increment in serum PRL above the baseline level (max.⊿PRL) correlated well both with the integrated secretion of PRL (p<0.001) and with the serum PRL releasing value per minute computed from the mathematical model of Okuno et al. (1977): C=α/β-α•Q(0)/V(e-αt-e-βt)+C(0e)-βt[α: rate constant for PRL release, β: rate constant for PRL elimination, Q(0)/V: serum PRL releasing value per minute]. Hence, max. ⊿PRL can serve as a reliable index of the pituitary PRL reserve. The max. ⊿PRL increased with advancing age until early puberty in both sexes. Thereafter, however, the max. ⊿PRL decreased in doys, while it continued to increase in girls. In parallel with the increase in max. ⊿PRL, the pituitary LH reserve increased with advancing age until early puberty in boys and until late puberty in girls. In each of the individuals, studied, the rise in the LH reserve always preceded that in the PRL reserve. It seemed likely that in prepubertal children the pituitary PRL reserve was modulated by LH-RH, but aftre puberty by testosterone and estrogen as well

A study of the pituitary prolactin reserve in normal children

下垂体prolactin(以下PRLと略す)は魚類からヒトにいたるまで,広くみとめられる系統発生学的に古いホルモンであり,その生理作用として魚類での電解質代謝,滲透圧調節,両生類での変態促進,爬虫類での成長促進,鳥類でのチーズ様嗉嚢乳の形成,哺乳類での乳腺発育などが知られている1).ヒトではPRLと成長ホルモンとの分離が困難であったが,1972年,Friesenら2)により初めてPRLが抽出純化され,その測定法としてradioimmunoassay法が確立された.以来ヒトにおけるPRLの作用機序に関する多数の研究が報告され, PRLには乳汁分泌作用の他に,性腺機能維持あるいは胎児肺の成熟促進作用3)などもあることが次第に解明されてきた.また,成人ではthyrotropin releasing hormone(以下TRHと略す)負荷によるPRLの分泌反応に関する多数の研究が報告され,性腺機能障害の診断のみならず,視床下部一下垂体系の障害部位の診断にも応用されるようになった(4)).一方,小児科学領域では,PRLの作用機序に関して,詳細な研究は,いまだ報告されておらず,PRLの成長あるいは性成熟などに及ぼす生理的意義についても不明の点が多い.本研究では,小児期におけるPRLの基礎値とTRH負荷による下垂体のPRL分泌予備能とを測定し,またこれと平行してluteinizing hormone releasing hormone(以下LH-RHと略す)の負荷による下垂体のluteinizing hormone(以下LHと略す)分泌予備能を測定し,小児の発育および思春期の性成熟に対するPRLの分泌動態について検討した.In order to assess the change in the pituitary prolactin (PRL) reserve during development, serum prolactin response to TRH and serum LH response to LH-RH were studied in 247 normal children aged from 1 to 18years. The basal PRL level, of which the geometric mean (-1SD and +1SD) was 7.1 (4.6-11.0) ng/ml, was not affected by bone age or sex. The maximum increment in serum PRL above the baseline level (max.⊿PRL) correlated well both with the integrated secretion of PRL (p<0.001) and with the serum PRL releasing value per minute computed from the mathematical model of Okuno et al. (1977): C=α/β-α•Q(0)/V(e-αt-e-βt)+C(0e)-βt[α: rate constant for PRL release, β: rate constant for PRL elimination, Q(0)/V: serum PRL releasing value per minute]. Hence, max. ⊿PRL can serve as a reliable index of the pituitary PRL reserve. The max. ⊿PRL increased with advancing age until early puberty in both sexes. Thereafter, however, the max. ⊿PRL decreased in doys, while it continued to increase in girls. In parallel with the increase in max. ⊿PRL, the pituitary LH reserve increased with advancing age until early puberty in boys and until late puberty in girls. In each of the individuals, studied, the rise in the LH reserve always preceded that in the PRL reserve. It seemed likely that in prepubertal children the pituitary PRL reserve was modulated by LH-RH, but aftre puberty by testosterone and estrogen as well

Effects of hydrodynamic interactions on a coil-globule transition of a single polymer(Poster session 2, New Frontiers in Colloidal Physics : A Bridge between Micro- and Macroscopic Concepts in Soft Matter)

この論文は国立情報学研究所の電子図書館事業により電子化されました。ソフトマターは,系の内部に溶媒を含んでいるため,流体を介した相互作用がそのダイナミクスに大きく影響している.本研究では,この流体力学的相互作用を取り入れたシミュレーション手法を用いて,流体が高分子鎖のコイル-グロビュール転移において果たす役割について明らかにすることを目的とする.我々は,様々な慣性半径を持つ初期配置からの凝縮ダイナミクスを扱った.その結果,高分子鎖の初期配置によって流体は,大きく分けて2つの働きをすることがわかった.A polymer immersed in a solvent begins to collapse from an expanded to a compact globule state, when the solvent quality changes from good to poor. This phenomenon is known as a coil-globule transition. The static property of this transition has been well understood theoretically and experimentally. Because of experimental difficulties, however, its dynamics is less understood. Since a coil-globule transition is regarded as a model of a protein folding, the understanding of the transition is also highly desired from the viewpoint of biophysics

A pseudotype vesicular stomatitis virus containing Hantaan virus envelope glycoproteins G1 and G2 as an alternative to hantavirus vaccine in mice

We examined whether a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudotype bearing the hantavirus envelope glycoproteins (GPs) G1 and G2 (VSVÎ G*HTN) could be used as a safe and effective alternative to native hantavirus. Mice were immunized with purified particles of VSVÎ G*HTN. After the second immunization, all mice produced anti-GP antibody as detected in ELISA and a neutralization test. After the third immunization, the mice were challenged with Hantaan virus. Neither anti-NP antibody production nor Hantaan virus-specific CD8 T-cell reactions were detected in these mice. The present study demonstrated the potential of using a pseudotype VSV system as a tool for developing a hantavirus vaccine

Prevalence of childhood wheeze and modified DNA methylation at 7 years of age according to maternal folate levels during pregnancy in the Hokkaido Study

Background A high dose of folic acid during pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma, wheezing, and respiratory disease in childhood. Folate acid can modify inflammation and immune susceptibility of offspring with some epigenetic differentiation, including DNA methylation. This study evaluated associations between maternal folate levels during pregnancy and childhood wheezing; furthermore, the study assessed whether maternal folate-modified DNA methylation is related to asthma. Methods Participants in the current study were 6651 mother-child pairs who had complete data on characteristics and who had completed at least one of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaires when the child was 1, 2, 4, and 7 years of age. Moreover, a case-control study to assess DNA methylation at 7 years of age was conducted among 136 children who experienced wheezing and a control group of 139 children with no history of allergies. Results The median of maternal serum was 16.76 nmol/L, assayed by chemiluminescent immunoassay. We found significantly increased adjusted odds ratios of childhood wheezing at 2 years age according to maternal folate levels, compared with the lowest folate quartile (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = highest; 1.27 [1.03, 1.56], and second, 1.27 [1.05, 1.55]); however, no changes were observed at 1, 4, and 7 years of age. In a case-control study, no association of maternal folate levels with DNA methylation was observed. Conclusion Our results suggest that maternal folate did not affect persistent wheezing in school-aged children, or DNA methylation of gasdermin B, orosomucoid-like 3, and Ikaros family zinc finger 3 at 7 years of age