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ABSTRACTPancreatic islet β-cells weaken under oxidative stress. In this study, human pancreatic islet-derived 1.1B4 cells were exposed to H2O2 and analysed using a human microarray, which revealed that heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), glutamate-cysteine ligase, early growth response 1, nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (NR4A3) and jun B proto-oncogene were upregulated, whereas superoxide dismutase 1 and catalase were not. Expression of NR4A3 rapidly increased after H2O2 addition, and the 1.1B4 cells treated with siRNA targeting NR4A3 became sensitive to H2O2; further, HMOX1 expression was strongly inhibited, suggesting that NR4A3 is an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor that functions through HMOX1 expression in pancreatic islet β-cells. Expression of cyclin E1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 was also inhibited by siRNAs targeting NR4A3.

Pollen food allergy syndrome (PFAS) is caused by cross-reactivity with pollen; however, not all-pollen-sensitised individuals develop PFAS, and studies on the characteristics of PFAS development are limited in Japan. We investigated the prevalence and risk factors for the development of PFAS in Japanese children and adolescents sensitised to pollen and their association with pollen-specific IgE levels. The characteristics of PFAS were investigated in patients with allergies aged 3–18 years who visited Dokkyo Medical University Hospital between January 2016 and December 2019. Specific IgE levels for alder, Japanese cedar, ragweed, and orchard grass were measured in patients sensitised to any of the pollens. Patients were categorised into preschool (G1), elementary school (G2), and middle-high school (G3) groups. Overall, 600 patients were enrolled. The prevalence of PFAS was 8.5% in G1, 20% in G2, and 36.3% in G3. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated strong associations between the risk of developing PFAS and older age (odds ratio (OR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–1.19; P