No abstract available.
Eosinophils ; Tacrolimus ; Vasculitis

Oral infection with Porphyromonas (P.) gingivalis causes periodontitis that is manifested by the destruction of gingival connective tissues. Although a few types of antibiotics are effective against the infection, its use induces the appearance of drug-resistant bacteria. The present study shows that the fermented product of Aspergillus (A.) oryzae S-03, cultivated on the fat-removed soybean, inhibits the cell growth of the P. gingivalis. Likewise, the fermented product of the S-03 strain cultured for 26~42 h displays an inhibitory activity to gingipain as a virulence factor of P. gingivalis. The activity is not lost even with heat treatment at 100degrees C for 15 min. We also demonstrate that the S-03 strain exhibits high protease activity. In addition, the strain does not produce aflatoxin because of the loss of a regulatory gene, aflR, necessary for the toxin biosynthesis.
Aflatoxins ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspergillus ; Aspergillus oryzae* ; Bacteria ; Connective Tissue ; Genes, Regulator ; Hot Temperature ; Oryza ; Periodontitis ; Porphyromonas ; Porphyromonas gingivalis* ; Soybeans ; Virulence*

BACKGROUND: Patients may receive negative results from a specific IgE (sIgE) test such as the ImmunoCAP (CAP) despite a documented history of systemic reaction to a Hymenoptera sting. Thus, further testing may be required using another serological method or venom skin prick tests to confirm allergy diagnosis and correct species. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sensitivity and the specificity of CAP and IMMULITE 3gAllergy (IMMULITE) for detecting sIgE to Paper wasp (WA) and Yellow Jacket (YJ) venoms using patient clinical history as the comparator. METHODS: Sera from 70 participants with a history of systemic reactions (SR) to WA and/or YJ stings were tested using CAP and IMMULITE. Fifty participants from this group had negative results on CAP. To assess specificity, sera from 71 participants who had never experienced either a WA or YJ sting were tested using CAP and IMMULITE. Fifty participants from this group tested positive using CAP. RESULTS: In participants with a history of systemic reaction to a Hymenoptera sting, yet who tested negative for WA and/or YJ sIgE according to CAP, the positivity rate according to IMMULITE was 20-42% using 0.10 IUA/mL as the limit of detection (LoD), per the manufacturer's specification. When the LoD for CAP (0.35 IUA/mL) was applied to the IMMULITE results, positivity according to IMMULITE was 14-26%. Overall, sensitivity, specificity, and agreement with SR were greater for IMMULITE than for CAP. For YJ: sensitivity (IMMULITE:CAP), 42.8%:28.5%; specificity, 53.5%:39.4%; agreement, 48.2%:34%. For WA, sensitivity (IMMULITE:CAP), 58.6%:28.5%; specificity, 49.3%:47.8%; agreement, 43.9%:38.3%. CONCLUSION: The IMMULITE performed well for detecting sIgE to Hymenoptera venom
Bites and Stings ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hymenoptera ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Venoms ; Wasps

We would like to report the following errata in Table 4, and request that these items be revised appropriately.

Students in all years, including those in lower years, were prohibited from coming to campus because of COVID-19, which began to spread in January 2020. However, we believed that a hospital tour and observership would be important practical training for first and second year medical students as part of the early exposure program, which aims to increase student motivation. Thus, we decided to conduct a virtual hospital tour and a virtual observation of medical doctors’ work. We used Zoom to conduct a virtual hospital tour for first-year students in June, and a virtual observation of physicians’ work for second-year students in December. Although this offered less of an opportunity to experience the reality of the clinic, there have been benefits in terms of increased learning content, fairness of learning opportunities delivered, and the promotion of independent learning. With regard to a “Hospital Tour” and the “Observation of Medical Doctors’ Work” , we believe that hybrid forms, which are able to skillfully combine the strengths of the two methods, would be effective.