The Japanese classification of computed tomography for pneumoconioses with standard films: comparison with the ILO international classification of radiographs for pneumoconioses

Computed tomography (CT) has recently come to be used for personal diagnosis of pneumoconioses and preliminarily for epidemiological purposes. This study aimed to compare the diagnosis of pneumoconioses b y t h e J a p a n e s e C l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f C T f o r Pneumoconioses (Hosoda-Shida Classification) with that by the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses (ILO 1980 standard). The Hosoda-Shida Classification is also described in this article. Subjects and Methods: CT and chest posterior-anterior X-ray (CXR) were performed in 21 subjects with an occupational history of mining, and 6 subject without exposure to any risk of pneumoconiosis. Three radiologists independently described the findings of CT and CXR according to both the Hosoda-Shida Classification and the ILO 1980 standard, respectively. Results: At least two of the three readers agreed in determining both the profusion and the type of small rounded opacities in 96% (26/27) of the CT films. The inter-reader agreement of profusion was satisfactory Received May 25, 2000; Accepted Oct 3, 2000 Correspondence to: N. Suganuma, Department of Environmental Health, Fukui Medical University School of Medicine, Fukui 910-1193 with the Cohen's weighted kappa value of 0.57 to 0.71. The weighted kappa for CXR and CT in describing the profusion and the type of small rounded opacities were 0.70 and 0.77, respectively. Conclusion: The HosodaShida Classification for pneumoconioses is shown to be reliable and compatible with the ILO 1980 standard in describing the profusion and the type of small opacities. (J Occup Health 2001; 43: 24-31

Work-related allergy in medical doctors: atopy, exposure to domestic animals, eczema induced by common chemicals and membership of the surgical profession as potential risk factors

Purpose To investigate the risk factors associated with work-related allergy-like symptoms in medical doctors. Methods Self-administered questionnaire survey and CAP test were conducted among medical school students in the 4th grade of their 6-year medical course in 1993–1996 and 1999–2001. Follow-up questionnaires were sent in 2004 to the graduates. These questionnaires enquired into personal and family history of allergic diseases, lifestyle, history of allergy-like symptoms including work-relatedness and occupational history as medical doctors. Relationships between allergy-like symptoms and relevant factors were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Of 261 respondents at the follow-up survey, 139 (53.3%) and 54 (20.7%) had a history of any allergy-like symptoms and any work-related allergy-like symptoms, respectively. Female gender and family history of allergic diseases were signiWcantly associated with any allergy-like symptoms. Personal history of allergic disease, exposure to domestic animals, eczema caused by rubber gloves, metallic accessories, or cosmetics during schooling days, and membership of the surgical profession were signiW- cant risk factors for work-related allergy-like symptoms. On the contrary, to work-related allergy-like symptoms, gender, age, and smoking status were not signiWcantly related, and consumption of prepared foods was inversely related. Conclusions Personal history of atopy and eczema induced by common goods and the history of keeping domestic animals may be predictors of work-related allergy-like symptoms in doctors. After graduation from medical school, physicians start with exposure to various allergens and irritants at work, which relate to work-related allergy-like symptoms, especially for surgeons

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Effect of Platinum Coordination Complex (PtCx) onCitrate Uptake by Rat Renal Brush Border Membrane Vesicles (BBMV): Direct Effect of Carboplatin

Inhalation of platinum, as soluble salts, is known to cause respiratory distress and severedermatitis in workers. Platinum coordination complexes are widely used in the treatment of a varietyof solid tumors. However, the clinical use of cisplatin (CDDP) (the most useful agent) is limited bythe development of nephrotoxicity. High dose accidental exposure to soluble platinum in platinumrefineries and pharmaceutical factories could induce occupational nephrotoxicity. Carboplatin(CBDCA), a second-generation platinum coordination complex, is highly effective against a varietyof malignancies at doses five- to ten-times higher than CDDP. At therapeutic doses, CBDCA is lessnephrotoxic than CDDP. Additionally, urinary citrate is freely filtered at the glomerulus, and itsreabsorption in the proximal tubule is the major determinant of the rate of renal excretion. In ourprevious study, the preincubation of rat renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) with 5 mMcisplatin for 4 and 8 hours significantly inhibited the citrate uptake compared with that of the controlBBMV. In this study, we exposed BBMV to 100 mM carboplatin (twenty-times higher concentrationthan cisplatin) and examined the citrate uptake characteristics to clarify the toxic mechanism ofplatinum coordination complexes. The preincubation of BBMV with 100 mM carboplatin for 8hours also significantly inhibited the citrate uptake compared with that of the control BBMV, but the alterations were not as severe as those with 5 mM cisplatin

Public preventive awareness and preventive behaviors during a major influenza epidemic in Fukui, Japan

Background: As an influenza epidemic poses a serious public health threat, it is important for the public to adopt behaviors that effectively prevent influenza infection. Methods: In the winter of 2009, by using a structured questionnaire, we conducted an Internet survey with respect to residents (n = 2788) in Fukui prefecture, Japan. The main aim is to obtain information about effective prevention, factors related to preventive awareness and behaviors during the influenza epidemic. A factor analysis and linear regression models were used in the analysis. Results: Three types of preventive awareness were identified by factor analysis: “avoidance of influenza infection,” “awareness of the benefits of mask use,” and “awareness of the need for a rapid diagnosis.” Gender, age, residence, being medical person and being vaccinated were related to these preventive awareness and behaviors. Avoidance of influenza Infection was related to all preventive behavior, awareness of the benefits of mask use was related to hand disinfectant use, and awareness of the need for a rapid diagnosis was related to avoidance of face touch, gargling and attention to health care, respectively. Conclusion: Three types of preventive awareness during the influenza epidemic were emerged, and were related to preventive behaviors against influenza infection. Keywords: Infection, Influenza, Epidemic, Preventive awareness, Preventive behavio