Galectin-10 as a Potential Biomarker for Eosinophilic Diseases

Galectin-10 is a member of the lectin family and one of the most abundant cytoplasmic proteins in human eosinophils. Except for some myeloid leukemia cells, basophils, and minor T cell populations, galectin-10 is exclusively present in eosinophils in the human body. Galectin-10 forms Charcot-Leyden crystals, which are observed in various eosinophilic diseases. Accumulating studies have indicated that galectin-10 acts as a new biomarker for disease activity, diagnosis, and treatment effectiveness in asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, atopic dermatitis, and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. The extracellular release of galectin-10 is not mediated through conventional secretory processes (piecemeal degranulation or exocytosis), but rather by extracellular trap cell death (ETosis), which is an active cell death program. Eosinophils undergoing ETosis rapidly disintegrate their plasma membranes to release the majority of galectin-10. Therefore, elevated galectin-10 levels in serum and tissue suggest a high degree of eosinophil ETosis. To date, several studies have shown that galectin-10/Charcot-Leyden crystals are more than just markers for eosinophilic inflammation, but play functional roles in immunity. In this review, we focus on the close relationship between eosinophils and galectin-10, highlighting this protein as a potential new biomarker in eosinophilic diseases

Protocol for a multicentre, prospective, cohort study to investigate patient satisfaction and quality of life after immediate breast reconstruction in Japan: the SAQLA study

Introduction The aim of breast reconstruction (BR) is to improve patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Therefore, measuring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) would clarify the value and impact of BR on a patient's life and thus would provide evidence-based information to help decision-making. The Satisfaction and Quality of Life After Immediate Breast Reconstruction study aimed to investigate satisfaction and HRQOL in Japanese patients with breast cancer who undergo immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). Methods and analysis This ongoing prospective, observational multicentre study will assess 406 patients who had unilateral breast cancer and underwent mastectomy and IBR, and were recruited from April 2018 to July 2019. All participants were recruited from seven hospitals: Okayama University Hospital, Iwate Medical University Hospital, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Showa University Hospital, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Osaka University Hospital and Yokohama City University Medical Center. The patients will be followed up for 36 months postoperatively. The primary endpoint of this study will be the time-dependent changes in BREAST-Q satisfaction with breast subscale scores for 12 months after reconstructive surgery, which will be collected via an electronic PRO system. Ethics and dissemination This study will be performed in accordance with the Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Subjects published by Japan's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the modified Act on the Protection of Personal Information and the Declaration of Helsinki. This study protocol was approved by the institutional ethics committee at the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, on 2 February 2018 (1801-039) and all other participating sites. The findings of this trial will be submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal

Effects of Solar Radiation on Leaf Development and Yield of Tuberous Roots in Multilayered Sweet Potato Cultivation

The purpose of this study was to develop a novel method to dramatically improve the production efficiency of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) by elucidating the effect of solar radiation stress on the growth of sweet potato in a multilayer cultivation system. Twenty-five pots planted with sweet potato vine seedlings were arranged in three layers and cultivated for 160 days while supplying liquid fertilizer to the root zone. While solar radiation in the middle and lower layers decreased to 69% and 45% of that in the upper layer, respectively, the yield of tuberous roots was 0.89 kg/pot in the upper layer, 0.79 kg/pot in the middle layer, and 0.66 kg/pot in the lower layer. As a result, the productivity of tuberous roots reached 10.5 kg/m2, 4.4 times that of conventional farming. On the other hand, the amounts of leaves and stems increased in the lower layer than in the upper layer, and the biomass energy yield (photosynthetic efficiency) was 2.8% in the upper layer, 3.7% in the middle layer, and 5.1% in the lower layer. Leaves in the lower layer with less solar radiation had a lower polyphenol content and increased the amounts of low-brightness leaves. In contrast, the upper leaves were found to contain more polyphenols and have brighter, smaller leaves. These results suggest that the yield can be further increased by optimizing solar radiation stress by using the multilayer cultivation method