CD69 Signaling in Eosinophils Induces IL-10 Production and Apoptosis via the Erk1/2 and JNK Pathways, Respectively.

INTRODUCTION: Eosinophils contribute to the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. We previously reported that human tissue eosinophils have high CD69 expression compared to blood eosinophils, and its expression is correlated with disease severity and the number of infiltrated eosinophils. However, biological CD69 signaling activity in eosinophils remains unclear. METHODS: CD69 expression on lung tissue eosinophils obtained from mice with ovalbumin-induced asthma was measured using flow cytometry. CD69 crosslinking was performed on eosinophils purified from the spleen of IL-5 transgenic mice to investigate CD69 signaling and its function in eosinophils. Then, qPCR, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and survival assay results were analyzed. RESULTS: Surface CD69 expression on lung tissue eosinophils in the asthma mice model was 2.91% ± 0.76%, whereas no expression was detected in the healthy group. CD69-expressed eosinophils intrinsically have an upregulation of IL-10 mRNA expression. Moreover, CD69 crosslinking induced further pronounced IL-10 production and apoptosis; these responses were mediated via the Erk1/2 and JNK pathways, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that CD69+ eosinophils play an immunoregulator role in type 2 inflammation, whereas activated tissue eosinophils contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma.

Identification of Risk Factors for Mortality and Prolonged Hospitalization in Patients Treated With Surgical Drainage for Otogenic Intracranial Complications: A Nationwide Study Using a Japanese Inpatient Database.

OBJECTIVE: Data on risk factors for otogenic intracranial complications including cerebral abscess have been limited. Using a nationwide database, the aim was to identify the factors related to mortality and delayed discharge. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: Nationwide database using the Diagnostic Procedure Combination database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data of 145 patients were extracted from a Japanese inpatient database between 2012 and 2020. The main outcome was survival at discharge. In a subgroup analysis of the 137 surviving patients, the second outcome was delayed discharge. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 5.5% (8 of 145). Logistic regression analyses identified intracerebral complications (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.09) and more than 2-day delay of the first surgery after admission (adjusted OR, 4.68) as risk factors for mortality. Specifically, consciousness level evaluated by the Japan Coma Scale (JCS) was significantly related to prolonged hospitalization or mortality: JCS I (adjusted OR, 3.40) and JCS ≥II (adjusted OR, 25.1). CONCLUSIONS: Although otogenic intracranial complications are rare, and their mortality is decreasing because of the progress in imaging and clinical strategies, they remain the most severe complications of suppurative otitis media and/or cholesteatoma. Consciousness level at admission, comorbid diabetes mellitus, and a greater than 2-day delay of surgical intervention were related to prolonged hospitalization or mortality.

Effect of the Alumina Particle Filler Structure and Particle Size on the Dielectric Constant and Dielectric Loss in the Millimeter-Wave Band.

The sixth-generation communication system (6G) is the next-generation communication system and is expected to be operational in 2030. The following areas will use 6G: the frequency band employed in 6G is expected to be 100 GHz or higher, necessitating additional reduction of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss in the substrate material. In this study, we examined the effects of compounding various phases of alumina with different shapes and crystal phases on the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) compounds. It was confirmed that the smaller the particle size, the higher the effect on the dielectric loss. The dielectric loss decreased from 1.6 × 10-3 of COP to 1.2 × 10-3 when the smallest filler was added at 30 wt %.

Omalizumab is effective for a patient with pollen-food allergy syndrome who experienced intractable lip edema.

Pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS) is an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic reaction caused when patients with pollen allergy ingest food having cross-reactivity with pollen. To date, no effective treatment method for this has been established. Here we report the case of a patient with PFAS who experienced lip edema, causing difficulties in treatment. This report describes the case of a 12-year-old boy with perennial allergic rhinitis since the age of 8 years. After ingesting fresh fruits and raw vegetables at the age of 11 years, he started to experience lip edema repeatedly. Thus, the patient was referred to our department. Based on the results of serum antigen-specific IgE, prick-to-prick, and allergen component tests, he was diagnosed with PFAS. He has been instructed to avoid causative food. Furthermore, the treatment using an antihistamine and antileukotriene receptor antagonist was initiated for pollen allergy. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for Japanese cedar pollen was initiated because the patient experienced severe nasal allergy symptoms during the dispersal season of this pollen. These treatments alleviated the nasal symptoms; however, the lip edema persisted. Omalizumab administration improved the lip edema. The combination of SLIT and omalizumab may be an effective treatment option for patients with PFAS.

Long-term sublingual immunotherapy provides better effects for patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis.

OBJECTIVE: Japanese cedar pollinosis is an endemic disease affecting a large proportion of Japan's population. Five seasons have passed since sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for Japanese cedar pollinosis was included in the public insurance coverage in Japan. In this study, we evaluated the clinical effects of long-term SLIT for Japanese cedar pollinosis on upper respiratory symptoms primarily represented by nasal symptoms and inflammation of the respiratory tract in the 2019 season, in which considerable amount of cedar pollen was dispersed. METHODS: This study involved 95 patients who were undergoing SLIT for Japanese cedar pollinosis after the initiation at some point between 2014 and 2018, and this group of patients was compared with a control group comprising 21 patients receiving preseasonal prophylactic treatment (with a second-generation antihistaminic drug). We evaluated the patients' nasal/eye symptoms, total nasal symptom and medication score (TNSMS), and quality of life according to relevant guidelines. In addition, the levels of peripheral blood eosinophils, serum total IgE, Japanese cedar antigen-specific IgE, Cryj1-specific IgG4, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) were measured as objective indices. RESULTS: From the fourth season (SLIT4), nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal obstruction symptoms, and TNSMS significantly decreased compared with those in the preseasonal prophylactic treatment and SLIT1 groups. In the patients suspected to have eosinophilic airway inflammation (with a baseline FENO ≥25 ppb), the interannual variability of FENO levels significantly reduced after 5 years of treatment. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of SLIT was noted from the first year of treatment, even in a year when pollen profusely dispersed. Thus, long-term continuous treatment with SLIT may alleviate nasal symptoms as well as eosinophilic airway inflammation.

Improving the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites using a combustion-synthesized aggregated ß-Si3N4 filler with randomly oriented grains.

Electrically insulating and thermally conductive polymer matrix composites are desirable for industry applications as they improve the reliability of high-performance electronic devices, particularly via heat dissipation in devices loaded with several electronic components. In this study, an aggregated ß-Si3N4 filler with randomly oriented grains was produced via combustion synthesis to improve the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites. The thermal conductivities of the prepared composites were investigated as a function of the filler content, and the values were compared to those of composites loaded with commercial ß-Si3N4 (non-aggregated). Negligible difference was observed in the thermal conductivities of both types of composites when the Si3N4 content was below 40 vol%; however, above 40 vol%, the aggregated ß-Si3N4 filler-loaded composites showed higher thermal conductivities than the commercial ß-Si3N4-loaded composites. The aggregated ß-Si3N4 filler-loaded composites exhibited isotropic thermal conductivities with a maximum value of 4.7 W m-1 K-1 at 53 vol% filler content, which is approximately 2.4 times higher than that of the commercial ß-Si3N4-loaded composites, thereby suggesting that the morphology of the aggregated filler would be more efficient than that of the commonly used non-aggregated filler in enhancing the thermal conductivity of a polymer matrix composite.

Anionic surfactant enhanced phosphate desorption from Mg/Al-layered double hydroxides by micelle formation.

Desorption of interlayer hydrogen phosphate (HPO4) from hydrogen phosphate intercalated Mg/Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH-HPO4) by anion exchange with surfactant anions has been investigated under controlled conditions. Three types of surfactant, Dodecylbenzenesulphonate (DBS), Dodecylsulphate (DS) and 1-Octanesulphonate (OS), anions were used for intercalation experiments over a range of concentrations, and for all solutions, it was shown that the desorption of hydrogen phosphate is enhanced at concentrations close to the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Intercalation of the surfactant anions into LDH-HPO4 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). More than 90% removal of the hydrogen phosphate was achieved at CMC. Repeat adsorption tests to investigate recyclability showed that desorption with 0.005 M DBS improved subsequent phosphate re-adsorption, allowing around 90% of the original adsorption over three cycles. This is much higher than when desorption was conducted using either Na2CO3 or NaCl-NaOH solutions, even at much higher concentrations. This study suggests potential economic and environmental advantages in using these surfactants in improving the cycling performance of LDH materials as absorbents for clean-up of water systems.