Biomedical subjects

Takuji Kumagai

Publications and source records attributed to Takuji Kumagai.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Efficacy of inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine in alleviating the febrile illness of culture-confirmed influenza in children in the 2000-2001 influenza season.

During the 2000/2001 influenza season in Japan, children ranging in age from 6 months to 13 years with fever exceeding 37.5 degrees C were recruited. Vaccine efficacy was evaluated by comparing the rates of pre-seasonal vaccination between groups stratified by fever severity. Seven hundred and sixty one patients (33.1%), culture positive for influenza were enrolled for analysis. The numbers of patients for A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 were insufficient for statistical analysis. For influenza B the odds ratio for vaccinated children to have a maximum fever exceeding 39.5 degrees C was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.30-0.92) Our findings suggest modest impact of influenza vaccination on limiting severity of disease symptoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

A comparative study of the incidence of aseptic meningitis in symptomatic natural mumps patients and monovalent mumps vaccine recipients in Japan.

To compare the incidence of aseptic meningitis associated with symptomatic natural mumps infection and in mumps vaccine recipients, we conducted a prospective comparative study. Consecutive samples of 1051 children with mumps were enrolled by 10 pediatricians and 21,465 vaccine recipients by 143 pediatric primary care practitioners, from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2003. Parents used a daily diary to record symptoms during the period of illness (15 days) or 30-day period following immunization. Mumps infection was confirmed by virus isolation and/or detection of mumps virus genome in salivary and CSF samples. The incidence of aseptic meningitis was 13/1051 (1.24%) in patients with symptomatic natural mumps infection and was estimated to be 0.7-1.1% of overall infection in considering asymptomatic infection, and 10/21,465 (0.05%) in vaccine recipients. Although aseptic meningitis is a clear side effect of the mumps vaccine, the incidence is considerably lower than among those with symptomatic natural infection. Our results provide an informative data for consideration to resume mumps vaccine as a part of routine immunization schedule for Japanese children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Time course characteristics of human herpesvirus 6 specific cellular immune response and natural killer cell activity in patients with exanthema subitum.

The time-course of cell-mediated immunity in exanthema subitum is not well documented. The lymphoproliferative response to purified human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) antigen and to phytohemagglutinin was measured and natural killer (NK) cell activities determined in three consecutive specimens obtained biweekly from 18 young children and infants with exanthema subitum. Virus isolation and PCR detection of virus DNA and determination of neutralization antibody to HHV-6 and -7 were also carried out. The magnitude of the HHV-6 specific lymphoproliferative response varied; however, in most cases the time course kinetics revealed a low response in the acute phase with a subsequent gradual increase. In contrast, NK cell activities were high in the acute phase and declined gradually during convalescence. The lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin did not show a consistent trend in kinetics of time; however, dynamic changes in activity were observed in patients during the acute and convalescent periods. The results suggest that NK cells play a major role in resolving acute phase infection while specific lymphocyte activity develops later. The cause of the delayed development of HHV-6 specific lymphoproliferative response is unknown. The lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin ratios implied that HHV-6 infection has some impact on host T-cell immunity during the course of exanthema subitum.

Cell Proliferation↗

PubMed2004

Poor immune responses to influenza vaccination in infants.

Twenty-two and 37 infants and young children received two doses of influenza HA vaccine before the 2001-2002 influenza season and before the 2002-2003 season, respectively. Two or three serial specimens were obtained, before and 1 month after the first vaccination as well as 1 month after the second vaccination. Infants showed a significantly poor HI antibody rise and lymphocyte response compared with young children aged > or =12 months. Time kinetics of the lymphoproliferative responses to influenza antigen among young children varied whereas their activities in infants were typically negative before immunization and increased after vaccination. Infants responded poorly to HA influenza vaccine compared with young children.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Molecular epidemiology of mumps virus in Japan and proposal of two new genotypes.

We isolated 872 strains of mumps virus from naso-pharyngeal secretions in seven different districts of Japan from January 2000 to July 2001. Among them, 57 strains were geno-typed by nucleotide sequencing in part of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and small hydrophobic (SH) protein regions. Four different genotypes (B, G, K, and L) of mumps virus were co-circulating in Japan and the distribution of genotypes varied in geographically different districts. Two new clusters designated as genotypes K and L had more than 7% nucleotide variation in the SH gene. Among the 57 strains, 11 were classified as B, 35 as G, three as K, and eight as L, which was mainly isolated in Tokyo. We also examined 104 stains isolated in a clinic in Mie prefecture from 1993 to 2003. Genotype B was the indigenous strain and genotype K was introduced in 1994. Genotypes B and K co-circulated in the 1990s and were replaced by genotype G in 2000. There was no significant change in neutralizing test antibody titers against genotypes B, G, K, and L using seven post-vaccination sera with Hoshino strain (genotype B) and these four genotypes had a different antigenicity from genotype A. We should continue to watch on mumps virus molecular epidemiology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Gelatin allergy.

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Anaphylaxis↗