1.Comparative Study of the Safety Information in the Private Import through the Internet of the Melatonin from which a Classification between Drugs and Food Differs in Japan and the United States
Kuniko Otsuka ; Yasuyuki Nomura ; Naoki Uchida ; Hajime Yasuhara ; Shinichi Kobayashi
Japanese Journal of Social Pharmacy 2014;33(1):21-29
Classification of food and pharmaceutical products are different. In the proper use of pharmaceutical products, it is essential for a medical consumer to receive the drug information about effectiveness, safety and quality of it. On the other hand, since legal classification between medicines and dietary supplements was based their cultures, the classification of each drug is different in each country. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland and used for improvement of the jet lag. We searched melatonin product information of Japan and the United States by using Internet search mainly and investigated the relationship between amount of product information and product classification. Melatonin is classified as a dietary supplement in the United States, the product information of efficacy and safety is displayed as “Supplement Facts” and the use of melatonin in children is not recommended. On the other hand, melatonin is classified as a pharmaceutical product in Japan, but is not produced in Japan. Therefore, it is difficult to have it for Japanese customers, and then they personally import using the Internet with their self-responsibility. However it is difficult to obtain its appropriate information for consumers, because of the regulation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. It has been reported that the poisoning accident by the excessive intake of melatonin already. It will increase the risk of the health problem to purchase melatonin through the Internet more. Therefore, we concluded that Internet purchase of Medicines had a high risk for Japanese customers since there was not sufficient drug information.
2.Survey on allergic symptoms and their pathogenesis in chrysanthemum growers.
Atsushi UEDA ; Koji AOYAMA ; Yasuyuki FUJITA ; Tadako UEDA ; Fumi MANDA ; Toshio MATSUSHITA ; Shigeru NOMURA
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 1986;35(1):55-66
An epidemiological survey on allergic conditions of 58 male (aged 38.6±11.8yrs) and 47 female (aged 42.2 ± 9.6yrs) farmers engaged in growing chrysanthemums.
Among the subjects, 47% of males and 62% of females had complaints of at least one of inquired allergic symptoms associated with the work. The immediate type of allergic reaction on nasal and/ or upper respiratory system raised in the process of sorting flowers in the working room and delayed ype of contact dermatitis in pinching the lateral bud of chrysanthemums or spraying agricultural chemicals in the field were the main complaints of those farmers.
Incidence of positive reaction for patch testing to six kinds of chrysanthemums was 5% for males and 17% for females and that of eight kinds at agricultural chemicals was 34% and 45% for each sex. And relatively high incidence was also observed in those subjects from other immunological tests such as determination of serum immunoglobulin, prick testing and calculation of eosinophil in blood and rhinorrhoea.
There were 39 (67%) males and 36 (77%) females who had at least one of the abnormal finding of those test items above mentioned. However, not the particular kind of Chrysanthemum cultivated in that area was found to be strong causative allergen for the observed allergic conditions.
From these results, it is indicated that relatively high incidence of allergic disorders may be found in the chrysanthemum growers due to inhalation and/or contact of some kinds of allergens introduced from the process of growing to forwarding, such allergen as Chrysanthemum itself, agricultural chemicals and other elements.
3.A unique leukoencephalopathy accompanied by palmoplantar pustulosis with identical pathological feature of helper T cell accumulation
Ryo Sasaki ; Yoshio Omote ; Koh Tadokoro ; Namiko Matsumoto ; Emi Nomura ; Mami Takemoto ; Nozomi Hishikawa ; Toru Yamashita ; Yasuyuki Ohta ; Koji Abe
Neurology Asia 2020;25(3):415-418
Palmoplantar pustulosis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease involving the palms and soles where
mild accumulation of helper T cells and neutrophils in the dermis histologically are observed.
Leukoencephalopathy is a brain disease affecting white matter but is rarely accompanied by skin lesion.
Here we report a unique case of leukoencephalopathy accompanied by palmoplantar pustulosis with
identical pathological feature of helper T cell accumulation in both the brain and skin, suggesting a
possible link in the pathogenesis.