Effects on asthma and induction of interleukin-8 caused by Asian dust particles collected in western Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Asian dust storms (ADS) contain various airborne particles that may augment airway inflammation by increasing the level of interleukin-8. The objective of the study was to investigate the association of exposure to an ADS with worsening of symptoms of adult asthma and the effect of ADS particles on interleukin-8 transcriptional activity. METHODS: The subjects were 112 patients with mild to moderate asthma who recorded scores for their daily upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms and measured morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) from March to May 2011. Interleukin-8 transcriptional activity was assessed in THP-G8 cells that were exposed to airborne particles collected during days of ADS exposure. RESULTS: Of the 112 patients, 31 had comorbid allergic rhinitis (AR) and/or chronic sinusitis (CS), and had worsened scores for upper respiratory tract symptoms on ADS days compared to non-ADS days. Scores for lower respiratory tract symptoms during ADS days were higher than non-ADS days in all patients. Three patients also had unscheduled hospital visits for exacerbation of asthma on ADS days. However, there was no significant difference in daily morning PEF between ADS and non-ADS days. Airborne particles collected on ADS days induced interleukin-8 transcriptional activity in THP-G8 cells compared to the original soil of the ADS. CONCLUSION: Exposure to an ADS aggravates upper and lower tract respiratory symptoms in patients with adult asthma. ADS airborne particles may increase airway inflammation through enhancement of interleukin-8 transcriptional activity.

[A case of pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium chelonae treated by lobectomy after a long course of oral antimicrobial agents].

Small nodular shadows were pointed out in right upper lobe and middle lobe on the chest radiograph of a 60-year-old woman in 1992. Mycobacterium chelonae was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in 1994. Long term antimicrobial chemotherapy with rifampicin, ethambutol, clarithromycin and quinolone antibiotics was then started. The chest radiograph, however, revealed infiltration in the right upper and middle lobes and the isolated strain was found to be resistant to antimicrobials in 2000. She therefore underwent right upper and middle bilobectomy. She had no relapse of infection postoperatively. Surgical treatment should be considered for pulmonary infection due to Mycobacterium chelonae resistant to multiple antimicrobial chemotherapy.

Dynamics of dendritic cell migration and the subsequent induction of protective immunity in the lung after repeated airway challenges by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae outer membrane protein.

To determine the dynamics of dendritic cell (DCs) migration and their role in recurrent infections by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), the migration of mature DC into pulmonary lymph nodes (LN) and the development of a P6-specific immune response and bacterial clearance in the lung were examined after repeated airway challenges with outer membrane protein (OMP) at 1-week intervals in mice. Although the migration of mature DC into the pulmonary LN is attenuated after repeated airway challenge with OMP, the in vitro P6-specific T cell proliferation in the cultured pulmonary LN cells was enhanced and was subsequently linked to the development of P6-specific IgA production and the development of protective immunity in the airway of mice.