Keio University · Medicine
Professor Ho Namkoong's research lab focuses on respiratory immunology and host genetic factors in infectious and inflammatory lung diseases, with a particular emphasis on pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease (NTM), severe COVID-19, and post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) lung complications. The lab integrates clinical epidemiology, host genomics, and translational immunology to uncover genetic susceptibility and immune mechanisms underlying severe respiratory conditions. Key research directions include genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in East Asian populations, the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in infection and inflammation, and the immunomodulatory effects of macrolide antibiotics. The lab also investigates unique post-HSCT lung disorders with restrictive physiology and characteristic radiographic features.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
To the Editor: Incidence of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease (PNTMD) is reportedly increasing globally (1,2). Although such an increase is expected in Japan (3,4), the epidemiologic situation is unclear. The most recent survey, which used the 1997 American Thoracic Society diagnostic criteria, reported that the incidence rate for PNTMD in 2007 was 5.7 cases per 100,000 personyears (5). To update the data, we performed a nationwide hospital-based survey in Japan.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is spreading globally and poses a major public health threat. We reported a case of influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. As the number of COVID-19 cases increase, it will be necessary to comprehensively evaluate imaging and other clinical findings as well as consider co-infection with other respiratory viruses.
Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge<sup>1-5</sup>. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2,393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3,289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65
Macrolides are used to treat various inflammatory diseases owing to their immunomodulatory properties; however, little is known about their precise mechanism of action. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of the expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC)-like CD11b+Gr-1+ cells in response to the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin (CAM) in mouse models of shock and post-influenza pneumococcal pneumonia as well as in humans. Intraperitoneal administration of CAM ma
We identified rs109592 in the <i>CHP2</i> locus as a susceptibility marker for pulmonary MAC disease.
Severe restrictive lung defect could develop in selected cases in the late-phase after HSCT and could be a unique clinical entity with specific radiographical findings.
Obesity is a risk factor for disease severity in individuals with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the increased susceptibility of this population to COVID-19 is unclear. We outline several underlying mechanisms that may explain the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity. Obesity has an adverse effect on respiratory physiology because increased intra-abdominal adipose tissue can interfere with lung expansion, resulting in reduced lung compliance. Further, fat accumulation in
Thrice weekly intravenous AMK administration in outpatient settings is effective and safe for patients with M. abscessus pulmonary disease.
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