Na Young Ko

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin downregulates filaggrin expression by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in keratinocytes

IL-33–activated mast cells and ILC2s, and may be involved in severe asthma via the recruitment of neutrophils and smooth muscle activation. Furthermore, the presence of other immune cells in the airway in an IL-33 milieu may result in an abundance of non–type 2 mediators, which could affect differential gene expression not otherwise seen in the coculture system. Thus, further studies need to be conducted in vivo to examine the effects of anti–IL-13 on airway inflammation, mucus expression, and hyperreactivity in response to IL-33. In conclusion, we have shown that IL-33–activated mast cells and ILC2s drive predominantly IL-13–regulated gene expression when cocultured with NHBE cells, which initiates a transcriptional program that can subsequently exacerbate airway pathology and contribute to fibrosis, eosinophilia, and mucous metaplasia. Although mast cells and ILC2s produce a diverse set of cytokines and other mediators of intercellular communication in response to IL-33, the predominant effect on airway epithelium in this in vitro coculture system is mediated by IL-13.

The impact of ozone depletion on skin cancer incidence in Korea.

DEAR EDITOR, A worldwide depletion of the ozone layer has been observed over the past decade. Concern was heightened when evidence emerged that ozone losses (albeit smaller than those over Antarctica) were also taking place in the Arctic and over heavily populated mid-latitudes in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The damage to the ozone layer has therefore increased human exposure to ultraviolet (UV) B radiation, and subsequently increased the morbidity of non-melanoma skin cancer. Until now no study has been completed estimating skin cancer incidence caused by ozone depletion in Asia. In this report, we used a simple function based on National Health Insurance databases to estimate increases in skin cancer morbidity because of ozone depletion in Korea. Measurements of solar radiation reaching each location were obtained from a UVB model 501 radiometer (Solar Light Company, Glenside, PA, U.S.A.) at National Weather Service stations located in five administrative districts. These meters measured the minimum erythemal dose (MED). The erythemally weighted UVB irradiance data measured every 10 min from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 were analysed. We calculated the number of patients diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) for the same time period using National Health Insurance databases. Population information for the five administrative districts was obtained from the 2010 Population and Housing Census data. Quantitative assessment of the skin cancer risks associated with a given or predicted level of ozone depletion involves two main stages. The first is the estimation of the resulting changes in the biologically effective UV dose received by the population, which is sometimes referred to as the radiation amplification factor (RAF). The absorption spectrum of ozone and the increased carcinogenic impact of UV radiation around 300 nm results in an approximate RAF value of 1.6%. The second involves the use of dose-response models to estimate the change in cancer incidence that can be expected from the change in UV dose, often called the biological amplification factor (BAF). The overall increase in incidence per percentage of ozone depletion is then represented by the amplification factor (AF). AF 1⁄4 RAF BAF