Measles Outbreak Response Activity in Japan, and a Discussion for a Possible Strategy of Outbreak Response Using Cycle Threshold Values of Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR for Measles Virus in Measles Elimination Settings.

Measles is a highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable disease caused by the measles virus (MeV). Although the administration of two doses of measles vaccines is the most effective strategy to prevent and eliminate measles, MeV continues to spread worldwide, even in 2022. In measles-eliminated countries, preparedness and response to measles outbreaks originating from imported cases are required to maintain elimination status. Under these circumstances, real-time reverse transcription (RT) PCR for MeV could provide a diagnostic method capable of strengthening the subnational capacity for outbreak responses. Real-time RT-PCR can detect MeV RNA from patients with measles at the initial symptomatic stage, which can enable rapid public health responses aimed at detecting their contacts and common sources of infection. Furthermore, low cycle threshold (Ct) values (i.e., high viral load) of throat swabs indicate high infectiousness in patients with measles. The high basic reproduction number of measles suggests that patients with high infectiousness can easily become super-spreaders. This opinion proposes a possible strategy of rapid and intensive responses to counter measles outbreaks caused by super-spreader candidates showing low Ct values in throat swabs. Our strategy would make it possible to effectively prevent further measles transmission, thereby leading to the early termination of measles outbreaks.

Introducing activities of the Archives of Infectious Diseases History (AIDH) project: Historical epidemiology.

The AIDH is a project as a historical epidemiology. The AIDH aims to collect, maintain, and manage past epidemiological materials and to offer these materials to persons who are interested in the history and in the fields of tropical medicine and global health. In this paper, we introduce our purpose and activities and show a hypothesis about lymphatic filariasis with Brugia malayi in Japan as a case of historical epidemiology. We hope to build fruitful ties between historians and scholars of tropical medicine and global health workers through an interdisciplinary approach to the history of control of infectious diseases.

Basic fibroblast growth factor regulates expression of heparan sulfate in human periodontal ligament cells.

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan is a widely distributed biological molecule that mediates a variety of physiological responses in development, cell growth, cell migration, and wound healing. We examined the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), which is known to modulate extracellular matrix (ECM) production of various cell types, on the production of HS proteoglycan by human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells. We also examined the effects of FGF-2 on the expression of syndecans, a major family of membrane-bound HS proteoglycans. Treatment of HPDL cells with FGF-2 for 72 h resulted in a pronounced increase in the level of HS in the culture supernatant in a dose-dependent manner. However, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction data (RT-PCR) revealed that FGF-2 marginally reduced the gene expression of syndecan-1, -2, and -4, and did not alter the level of syndecan-3 mRNA. Furthermore, FGF-2 did not have an effect on the mRNA expression of enzymes associated with HS biosynthesis. Interestingly, FACS analysis revealed that the syndecan family displayed diverse alterations in response to FGF-2. FGF-2 barely altered the expression of syndecan-1, but decreased the expression of syndecan-2 and -4 on HPDL cells. Moreover, dot blot analysis showed that FGF-2 did not alter the level of syndecan-1 and -2, but enhanced the level of syndecan-4 in culture supernatants of FGF-2-stimulated HPDL cells. These results suggest that the FGF-2-activated increase in the level of HS in conditioned medium may be a result of shedding of syndecan-4 from the HPDL cell surface. Taken together, FGF-2 may differentially regulate the expression of HS proteoglycans in a HS-proteoglycan-subtype-dependent manner. The diversity of the expression patterns of HS proteoglycans may be associated with the FGF-2-induced biological functions of HPDL cells.

Fibroblast growth factor-2 stimulates hyaluronan production by human dental pulp cells.

Hyaluronan (HA), is a high molecular mass extracellular matrix constituting connective tissue and plays a critical role in not only homeostasis but also inflammatory and wound-healing responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 on the production of HA by human dental pulp cells (HDPC). An inhibition binding-protein assay showed that FGF-2 increased HA production by HDPC. In addition, expression of mRNA of hyaluronan synthase (HAS) 1 and HAS 2, both of which are related to the production of high molecular mass of HA, but not HAS 3, was enhanced in FGF-2-stimulated HDPC. These results provide new evidence for the involvement of FGF-2 in the regulation of HA production by HDPC possibly through HAS 1 and HAS 2.

Fibroblast growth factor-2 regulates the synthesis of hyaluronan by human periodontal ligament cells.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) can enhance biological potentials of periodontal ligament cells and its topical application induces considerable periodontal tissue regeneration in vivo. In this study, we examined the effect of FGF-2 on the production of hyaluronan (HA), an extracellular matrix playing important roles in homeostasis and inflammatory/wound healing responses, by human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells. An inhibition binding-protein assay revealed that FGF-2 significantly increased HA production by HPDL cells in a dose dependent manner. Analysis by HPLC revealed that in conditioned medium of FGF-2-treated HPDL cells HA had a higher molecular mass, compared to that of untreated HPDL cells. RT-PCR analysis revealed the enhancement of mRNA expression of hyaluronan synthase (HAS) 1 and HAS 2, both of which contribute to the production of HA with a high molecular mass, but not HAS 3 in the FGF-2-treated HPDL cells. In contrast, three isoforms of hyaluronidase (HYAL) transcript were unchanged in the FGF-2-treated HPDL cells. These results provide new evidence for the possible involvement of FGF-2 in the regulation of HA production and its appreciable roles in not only homeostasis but also regeneration of periodontal tissues.