Hyper-IgG4 disease: report and characterisation of a new disease

BACKGROUND: We highlight a chronic inflammatory disease we call 'hyper-IgG4 disease', which has many synonyms depending on the organ involved, the country of origin and the year of the report. It is characterized histologically by a lymphoplasmacytic inflammation with IgG4-positive cells and exuberant fibrosis, which leaves dense fibrosis on resolution. A typical example is idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, but the initial report in 2001 was of sclerosing pancreatitis. METHODS: We report an index case with fever and severe systemic disease. We have also reviewed the histology of 11 further patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis for evidence of IgG4-expressing plasma cells, and examined a wide range of other inflammatory conditions and fibrotic diseases as organ-specific controls. We have reviewed the published literature for disease associations with idiopathic, systemic fibrosing conditions and the synonyms: pseudotumour, myofibroblastic tumour, plasma cell granuloma, systemic fibrosis, xanthofibrogranulomatosis, and multifocal fibrosclerosis. RESULTS: Histology from all 12 patients showed, to varying degrees, fibrosis, intense inflammatory cell infiltration with lymphocytes, plasma cells, scattered neutrophils, and sometimes eosinophilic aggregates, with venulitis and obliterative arteritis. The majority of lymphocytes were T cells that expressed CD8 and CD4, with scattered B-cell-rich small lymphoid follicles. In all cases, there was a significant increase in IgG4-positive plasma cells compared with controls. In two cases, biopsies before and after steroid treatment were available, and only scattered plasma cells were seen after treatment, none of them expressing IgG4. Review of the literature shows that although pathology commonly appears confined to one organ, patients can have systemic symptoms and fever. In the active period, there is an acute phase response with a high serum concentration of IgG, and during this phase, there is a rapid clinical response to glucocorticoid steroid treatment. CONCLUSION: We believe that hyper-IgG4 disease is an important condition to recognise, as the diagnosis can be readily verified and the outcome with treatment is very good

Comparison of competing models and multi-group analysis of organizational culture, knowledge transfer, and innovation capability: An empirical study of the Taiwan semiconductor industry

[[abstract]]This study proposes a theoretical model to examine the relationships between organizational culture (OC), knowledge transfer (KT), and innovation capability (CI) in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Structural equation modelling is employed to discuss the degree of influence on each construct. In order to recognize what the better model and whether the model will be moderated for different industry chain positions (upstream, midstream, and downstream), this study uses competing models and multi-group analysis. A total of 433 valid responses were collected from 10 Taiwan semiconductor firms’ R&D departments. Through the competing models, we find that supportive culture is better than bureaucratic and innovative culture. Findings also reveal that managers should shape a supportive culture and encourage KT to promote CI in the semiconductor industry supply chain. KT is a partial mediator between OC and CI. In addition, after multi-group analysis, the results show that culture has significantly different relationships with KT and CI.[[notice]]補正完畢[[incitationindex]]SSCI[[booktype]]紙本[[booktype]]電子