Pulmonary Hypertension

In Allergology International (AI) Vol.60 No.4, we have 3 Review Articles, 16 Original Articles, 3 Case Reports, and 1 Letter to the Editor. AI is publishing theme issues that include reviews in important fields of current research activity written by eminent experts. The theme of this issue is "Pulmonary Hypertension".

Shunji Yoshida summarized the clinical aspects of pulmonary hypertension seen in connective tissue diseases. You will understand the natural history, prognosis, diagnosis and therapeutic approach of the pulmonary hypertension. Nobuhito Sasaki et al. introduced pathologic features of pulmonary hypertension in connective tissue diseases. Typical microscopic photographs of pulmonary hypertension with various connective tissue diseases are demonstrated. Norifumi Nakanishi introduced pulmonary hypertension guidelines published from European societies and showed us the evidence-based treatment algorithm for the diseases.

Asian dust storm (also known as yellow sand) is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia during the springtime months when Cedar pollens are also floating in the air. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia, northern China and Kazakhstan. It is also known to exacerbate asthma symptom. Masanori Watanabe et al. reported that the pollens augment the influence of Asian dust storm on symptoms of adult asthma patients. Also, Ayumi Yuki et al. introduced the cedar pollen challenge test using allergen challenge chamber.

As epidemiological studies, Yuma Fukutomi et al. reported the time trend in the prevalence of adult asthma in Japan in 1985, 1999 and 2006. The prevalence of current asthma in Fujieda city was 3.4% in 2006 and is increasing. Katsuhiro Yoshimura et al. have reported that 81% of the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis having olfactory dysfunction and nasal polyps had asthma.

Masaki Futamura et al. found that 34.8% of school children living in Tokyo area had symptoms related to rhinoconjunctivitis, probably due to cedar hay fever by using the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. You will surely enjoy this issue of AI and can update your knowledge about immunotherapy and general Allergology.

Notes from Instruction for Authors
Please note some changes in Instruction for Authors. For example, according to the Declaration of Helsinki in Seoul 2008, we have revised some ethical issues. Clinical trials such as pharmacological interventions now should be preregistered to a public registry approved by WHO. Alternatively, such as for the previously designed studies, the authors should state why they did not preregister. Also, the authors who are not speaking native English are now requested to check and improve the manuscripts by language editing services before submission. Also, conflict of interest should be disclosed in the text when the article is published.

Allergology International (AI) is the official journal of the Japanese Society of Allergology (JSA). It provides an international forum of basic and clinical research in allergology and immunology, especially aiming at advance excellence in research activities for allergology in Asia.

AI has been selected for coverage in Thomson Scientific products and services. Beginning with Vol. 61 (1) 2012, information on the contents of this publication will be indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded, Current Contents^®/Clinical Medicine and others.

Fig. 1. Increasing Impact of Allergology International

*Based on The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR http://www.scimagojr.com/index.php)

Also, the SCImago Journal (& Country) Rank (SJR http://www.scimagojr.com/index.php), which is a free online portal that includes the journals developed from the information contained in the Scopus database (Elsevier B.V.) covering nearly 18,000 journals. Cites per Doc. (2y) measures the scientific impact of an average article published in the journal, it is computed using the same formula that Thomson Reuters’ impact factor^TM. As you can see in Fig. 1, from 2008, AI has succeeded to maintain more than 2 of this index equivalent to the impact factor^TM. Considering this, the impact factor^TM of AI, which will appear soon, is also expected to be more than 2. As such, Allergology International will make a deeper and higher impact on allergists worldwide!

AI publishes original works in the fields of allergy, asthma, immunopathology, immunogenetics, immunopharmacology, mucosal immunity and immunology of infectious and connective tissue diseases. In addition to original papers, it features reviews, case reports, letters and hypothesis. Submissions from all over the world are welcome.