IMMUNO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY FOR JAPANESE CEDAR POLLINOSIS

2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 18590608
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public health/Health science
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: OZASA Kotaro Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR (20204191)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAKENAKA Hiroshi OSAKA MEDICAL COLLEGE, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, PROFESSOR (40137162) ; HAMA Takemitsu KYOTO PREFECTURAL UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (90315953)
• Project Period (FY): 2006 – 2007
• Keywords: Japanese cedar pollinosis / Immunity / Allergic diseases / Epidemiology / IgE antibody

Research Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis among schoolchildren in a small rural town in Kyoto prefecture during 1994-2007. Diagnosis was determined using a self-administered questionnaire and measuring serum antigen-specific IgE. Prevalence of being positive to Japanese cedar pollen antigen (>1 of CAP score) was around 40% to 60% according to the amount of dispersed pollen. Those to house dust mite was around 40% to 50%. Japanese cedar pollinosis was defined as being positive to Japanese cedar pollen and having any nasal or conjunctival symptom (sneeze, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, itching of nasal mucosa, itching of eye conjunctiva, watering eyes, or eye irritation) lasting 3 week or longer in March or April. Prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis was around 15% to more than 20% according to the dispersion. Those who having the symptoms not lasting 3 weeks were 16% to 21 % of the subjects, and the prevalence was scarcely associated with the dispersion, so those symptoms seemed to be non-specific.
Disease-specific scale of quality of life (QOL) was measured since 2001. The scale was strongly related to the level of Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE concentration. Using the over-the-counter medicine, mask, or goggles seemed to be slightly effective to release the symptoms, and medicines prescribed at medical clinics seemed to be well effective.
An individually longitudinal observation of association between amount of dispersed pollen and individual fluctuation of antigens-specific IgE level to house dust mite during these 14 years showed that exposure to Japanese cedar pollen produced the other antigen-specific IgE antibody in addition to Japanese cedar pollen. This tendency was stronger among those who were strongly sensitized to Japanese cedar pollen.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] A 13-year study of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis in Japanese Schoolchildren (2008)
  • Author(s): Ozasa K, Hama T, Dejima K, Watanabe Y, Hyo S, Terada T, Araki N, Takenaka H
  • Journal Title: Allergol Int 57 Pages: 175-180
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A 13-year study of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Japanese schoolchildren (2008)
  • Author(s): Ozasa, K., Hama, T., Dejima, K., Watanabe, Y., Hyo, S., Terada, T., Araki, N., Takenaka, H
  • Journal Title: Allergology International 57 Pages: 175-180
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Presentation] スギ花粉飛散量がスギ花粉以外の抗原特異的IgE抗体価に与える影響 (2008)
  • Author(s): 小笹 晃太郎、浜 雄光、竹中 洋, 他
  • Organizer: 第18回日本疫学会学術総会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京
  • Year and Date: 2008-01-25
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Presentation] Influence of exposure to Japanese cedar pollen on production of the other antigen-specific IgE antibody in addition to Japanese cedar pollen (2008)
  • Author(s): Ozasa, K., Hyo, S., Terada, T., Mitani, S., Hayashi, K., Watanabe, Y., Dejima, K., Hama, T., Araki, N., Takenaka, H
  • Organizer: The 18th Scientific Meeting of Japan Epidemiological Association
  • Place of Presentation: Tokyo
  • Year and Date: 2008-01-25
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Presentation] スギ花粉症への疫学的縦断的解析の試み (2007)
  • Author(s): 小笹 晃太郎
  • Organizer: 第3回京都気道疾患研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 京都
  • Year and Date: 2007-10-13
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Presentation] スギ花粉症への疫学的アプローチ (2007)
  • Author(s): 小笹 晃太郎
  • Organizer: 第27回日本医学会総会
  • Place of Presentation: 大阪
  • Year and Date: 2007-04-07
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Presentation] Epidemiological approach to Japanese cedar pollinosis (2007)
  • Author(s): Ozasa, K
  • Organizer: The 27th General Assembly of the Japan Medical Congress
  • Place of Presentation: Osaka
  • Year and Date: 2007-04-07
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Presentation] スギ花粉特異的IgE抗体および症状発現に関わる要因 (2007)
  • Author(s): 小笹 晃太郎、浜 雄光、竹中 洋, 他
  • Organizer: 第17回日本疫学会学術総会
  • Place of Presentation: 広島
  • Year and Date: 2007-01-26
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Presentation] Factors associated with production of Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE antigen and symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis (2007)
  • Author(s): Ozasa, K., Mitani, S., Hayashi, K., Watanabe, Y., Dejima, K., Hama, T., Araki, N., Takenaka, H
  • Organizer: The 17th Scientific Meeting of Japan Epidemiological Association
  • Place of Presentation: Hiroshima
  • Year and Date: 2007-01-26
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Presentation] Association of Japanese cedar pollinosis and expression of FcERIa, IL-13 mRNA (2006)
  • Author(s): Honda ,T., Terada, T., Nakagawa, T., Ozasa, K., Tanak, K., Takenaka, H
  • Organizer: The 56th Autumn-Scientific Meeting of Japanese Society of Allergology
  • Place of Presentation: Tokyo
  • Year and Date: 2006-11-03
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より