[Viewpoint: Skill Certifications for Japanese Medical Technologists].

With the development of medicine, the field of clinical laboratory medicine evolves rapidly, and it will be more specialized in the near future. Medical technologists are required to hone their skills and knowledge, in order to keep up with the evolution. In recent years, board certifications by several medical societies are considered to indicate the skills of medical technologists. The number of board-certified medical technologists in populated areas such as Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, and Fukuoka is greater than in less populated areas such as Kyusyu and Tohoku. The rate of certified medical technologists among prefectures is the highest in Mie (10.1%), followed by Nagasaki (8.8%). Tokyo, Ishikawa, Kyoto, and Osaka have acquisition rates greater than 7%. In contrast, prefectures of Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Yamanashi, and Akita have low acquisition rates of less than 4%. Being certified is not only an opportunity for personal career advancement, but also a chance to improve the laboratory. More technologists are being certified in our laboratory, and we are encouraging a future increase in their number. However, there are some problems to be overcome. Assignment of competent staff and long-term and premeditated rotation are considered to be important for staff to find the work rewarding, and the laboratory to be trusted by physicians.

EG2 expressed by eosinophils as a clinically useful indicator of asthma.

The monitoring of airway inflammation is mandatory for the improved control of bronchial asthma. We previously reported that intracellular EG2 levels of eosinophils, a marker of bronchial asthma increased in asthma patients. In this study, we hypothesized that eosinophil EG2(+) expression increases during airway inflammation in asthmatic individuals. Eosinophil EG2(+) and percentage eosinophil EG2(+) with whole blood flow cytometry, eosinophil counts, serum total IgE, serum eosinophil cationic protein, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, and percent of forced expiratory volume in 1 second/force vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) were measured in 33 asthmatic patients and 22 healthy volunteers. The relationships between these markers were evaluated. Comparisons were made on EG2(+) expression between attack and asymptomatic periods in six asthmatic patients. EG2(+) expression was significantly greater in the asthmatic patients than in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the EG2(+) expression showed a significant increase during attacks. EG2(+) expression inversely correlated with the FEV(1)/FVC. These results suggest that EG2(+) expression may be a useful clinical marker of airway inflammation in asthma.