Kyoto University · Medicine
Professor Hajime Yoshifuji's research lab specializes in autoimmune and systemic inflammatory diseases, with a focus on identifying novel biomarkers and developing targeted therapies for conditions such as polymyositis/dermatomyositis, lupus nephritis, IgG4-related disease, and large vessel vasculitides. The lab investigates the pathogenic roles of autoantibodies, cytokines like IL-6, and proteolytic enzymes such as calpain and osteopontin in disease progression and treatment response. A central theme is translating basic immunological findings into clinical applications, particularly through biologic agents and corticosteroid-sparing strategies.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
In the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM/DM), the complication of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an important prognostic factor. It has been reported that autoantibodies against aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARS) are strongly associated with ILD. The aim of this study is to examine the correlation between anti-ARS and the clinical course of ILD. We investigated 41 cases of PM/DM with ILD. The response of ILD to corticosteroids (CS) was determined according to the change in resp
Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) affect mainly large- and medium-sized arteries. In refractory cases, vascular remodeling progresses and leads to serious outcomes. Studies have demonstrated that cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of TAK and GCA. Recently, randomized controlled trials on IL-6 inhibition therapy using tocilizumab (TCZ) were performed, and significant effects were exhibited. The purposes of conventional treatments h
We assessed the utility of two forms of osteopontin (OPN), OPN full and its cleaved form (OPN N-half), in plasma and urine as markers of disease activity in lupus nephritis (LN). Samples were collected from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (LN: N = 29, non-LN: N = 27), IgA nephropathy (IgAN) (N = 14), minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) (N = 5), diabetic nephropathy (DN) (N = 14) and healthy volunteers (HC) (N = 17). While there was no significant difference in urine OPN ful
Biological treatments resulted in a reduction in inflammatory markers and PSL dose in refractory TAK patients.
Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic fibro-inflammatory disease that may cause dysfunction in various organs. Worldwide multidisciplinary experts attending the Fourth International Symposium on IgG4-Related Disease in Japan in 2021 discussed treatments for IgG4-RD, especially glucocorticoid (GC) therapy. This review describes the efficacy, safety, and cost of treatments for IgG4-RD based on findings presented at the international symposium. A medium dose of GC was considered
Calpain, a calcium-dependent cysteine proteinase, has been reported to participate in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of calpain-inhibitory compounds in an animal model of RA and to clarify the underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Arthritis was induced in BALB/c mice with anti-type II collagen mAbs and LPS, and the mice were treated intra-peritoneally with a high dose (9 mg kg(-1) per day) or low dose (3 mg
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