An IgE-dependent histamine-releasing factor (HRF p23; also known as translationally controlled tumor protein or p23) stimulates the release of histamine, IL-4, and IL-13 from a subpopulation of highly allergic donor basophils. It has also been shown to act as a chemoattractant for eosinophils. To elucidate novel functions of HRF p23 in airway inflammation, we examined the effects of human recombinant HRF p23 (hrHRF) on bronchial epithelium and found that hrHRF stimulated the secretions of IL-8 and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor by both primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells and BEAS-2B cells. In response to hrHRF, these cells induced IL-8 mRNA expression within 4 h. H2O2, but not IL-1 beta or tumor necrosis factor-alpha, stimulated secretion of HRF p23 by BEAS-2B cells, suggesting that oxidative stress may trigger the release of HRF p23 from bronchial epithelial cells. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from healthy volunteers contained only trivial or undetectable amounts of HRF p23. Significantly higher amounts of HRF p23 were recovered from BAL fluid taken from asthmatic patients, and the amounts of HRF p23 were further elevated in patients with idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia. Our results demonstrate for the first time that HRF p23 can stimulate nonimmune epithelium. HRF p23 derived from bronchial epithelial cells may regulate complex cytokine networks in eosinophil-dependent inflammation of the human airway.

Background: Interleukin-15 (IL-15), which shares many functional activities of IL-2, is proposed as a potential modulator of T and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated inflammatory diseases. Since IL-15 gene is expressed in various cell types including epithelial cells, we examined how proinflammatory modulators affect IL-15 gene expression in both freshly isolated human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) and the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Methods: HBECs were obtained from 25 patients with primary lung cancer by bronchial brushing under bronchofiberscopy. The expressions of IL-15 and its receptor were examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Northern blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: IL-15 mRNA was constitutively expressed in the cells and was upregulated by several proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and lipopolysaccharide. In addition, IFN-γ but not other cytokines induced the synthesis and secretion of IL-15 protein. Investigation of IL-15 receptor expression using RT-PCR showed that IL-15Rα and IL-2Rβ chains but not IL-2Rα or γ chain were constitutively expressed in these cells. Conclusions: Bronchial epithelial cells may contribute to T and NK cell-mediated airway inflammation through IL-15 production.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of malignancy-related death worldwide. In the present study, we reviewed the epidemiologic and clinical features of lung cancer in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Between January 1999 and December 2009, 2,183 patients with lung cancer were enrolled in this study. One thousand five hundred ninety-one (73%) patients were male and 592 (27%) patients were female. Median age was 70 years, with a range of 15-93 years. Seventy-six percent of patients had smoking history. One thousand nine hundred five (87%) patients were non-small cell lung cancer and the predominant histological type was adenocarcinoma (51%). Among all 2,183 patients, 702 (32%) belonged to elderly population. Four hundred seventy-one (22%), 213 (10%), 24 (1%), 116 (5%), 238 (11%), 370 (17%) and 678 (31%) patients had stage IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IV lung cancer, respectively. In Tokushima University Hospital, 516 (29%), 191 (11%), 58 (3%), 755 (43%) and 216 (12%) patients were initially treated with chemotherapy, chemo-radiotherapy, thoracic radiotherapy, operation and best supportive care, respectively. The median time to progression (TTP) and the median survival time (MST) of patients treated with chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy were 3.5 months, 13.0 months and 7.0 months, 18.0 months, respectively. The median TTP and the MST of 33 elderly patients treated with chemotherapy were 3.3 months and 18.0 months, respectively, which were comparable with those of total population. These results indicated the benefit of chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced lung cancer by proper selection.

Summary One of the physical indices for evaluating the image quality of digital radiography is the contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR). The CNR was reported to simulate human perception. Thus, the CNR is a variable index for evaluating detectability in digital radiography. However, it is difficult to evaluate the CNR in a nonuniform image area. In this study, we have devised a new method for measuring the CNR in a nonuniform image area on digital radiography using the top‐hat transform. Furthermore, we investigated the radiation dose dependence of CNR in the digital image of an anthropomorphic breast phantom containing a simulated calcification. We have shown that the CNR in a nonuniform image area can be analyzed with high accuracy by the devised method for measuring the CNR. As for the radiation dose dependence of the CNR, the CNR increased with the mAs values and fell depending on the increase in the density of mammary glands in the anthropomorphic breast phantom. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 96(7): 32–41, 2013; Published online in Wiley Online Library (http://wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.11416

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