Preface to the Proceedings of the 33rd Workshop on Eosinophils in Allergy and Related Diseases 2019 (WEA 2019)

We are pleased to announce that Asian Pacific Allergy (AP Allergy) is publishing the proceedings of the 33rd Workshop on Eosinophils in Allergy and Related Diseases 2019 (WEA 2019), which took place on October 5, 2019, at the National Center of Sciences in Tokyo.

The workshop has been held annually since 1988 under the leadership of Prof. Sohei Makino (Dokkyo University, Tochigi, Japan), Prof. Takeshi Fukuda (Dokkyo University), and now with Prof. Makoto Nagata (Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan) as chief director since 2012. Although the workshop initially focused on the basic biology of eosinophils, recent presentations have more broadly discussed various aspects of allergy and related diseases (Fig. 1). In 2000, negative data regarding interleukin (IL)-5 antibody was presented which cast a shadow on the role of eosinophils in asthma pathology. Therefore, presentations gradually shifted to topics other than eosinophil biology. Subsequently, the efficacy of anti-IL-5 treatment for severe asthma was proven in studies where only eosinophilic asthmatics were recruited. Additionally, the efficacy of anti-IL-5 therapy was documented for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, suggesting an important role for eosinophils in various diseases. Although the trend of the types of presentations reflect the tide of the times, traditional research concerning eosinophil biology is still a substantial proportion of the presentations of this workshop. It is our great pleasure to discuss emerging topics concerning the biology of various inflammatory and structural cells, animal models, case reports, and clinical studies.

Fig. 1. Time-trend in the number of presentations submitted to the Workshop on Eosinophils in Allergy and Related Diseases since 1988.

The WEA 2019, supervised by Prof. Hiroyuki Nagase (Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan), consisted of 25 presentations organized into 3 sessions: basic, translational, and clinical. The basic session consisted of 2 sessions for animal models and 1 for cellular biology. The translational session covered disease-related studies using samples from patients with 2 sessions for eosinophils and 1 for basophils, mast cells, and mediators. The clinical session consisted of 1 session on the efficacy of biologics and 1 for miscellaneous topics. In addition, Prof. Toshinori Nakayama (Chiba University, Chiba, Japan) provided a cutting-edge special lecture concerning the role of pathogenic memory T helper-2 cells in allergic airway inflammation. Prof. Johann Christian Virchow Jr. (Department of Pulmonology and Interdisciplinary Intensive Care Medicine, The University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany) delivered an informative educational lecture regarding type 2 inflammation in asthma including the role of IL-4/IL-13 antibody in severe asthma treatment.

It is our great pleasure in 2019 to initiate collaboration between the WEA and the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (APAAACI) under the auspices of Prof. Ruby Pawankar, president of APAAACI (Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan) and Prof. Takao Fujisawa, first vice president of APAAACI (National Mie Hospital, Tsu, Japan). With this collaboration, the proceedings of WEA 2019 are published in AP Allergy, the official journal of the APAAACI. This is the first time the proceedings of the WEA will be published in AP Allergy, through the courtesy of professor Yoon-Seok Chang (Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea), Editor-in-Chief of AP Allergy. We have also developed a logo for the WEA this year which is shown above.

The proceedings of WEA 2019 contain 1 review article, original articles, and case reports, all of which have been peer-reviewed and accepted through the regular review process of AP Allergy. The review article “Mechanisms of eosinophilic inflammation” was contributed by Prof. Nagata et al. [1]. In an original article from the clinical session, Baba et al. [2] noted the importance of repetitive instruction in inhalation technique for the treatment of asthma. Four articles were submitted for the translational session. Soma et al. [3] investigated the relationship between airway inflammation and airflow limitation in elderly asthmatics. Imamura et al. [4] presented the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of eosinophilic esophagitis in Japan. Sano et al. [5] investigated the activation status of lipid mediators in synovial fluid in rheumatoid arthritis, and Endo et al. [6] discussed the relationship between the efficacy of omalizumab and the responsiveness of basophils via FcεRI in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria. Among the case reports, Hoshi et al. [7] presented lung function trajectories in 3 cases of severe adolescent asthma treated by mepolizumab. In the basic sessions, Ueda et al. [8] showed the effects of β₂-adrenergic agonists on house-dust mite-induced activation of eosinophils, and Kaminuma et al. [9] noted the suppressive effect of environmental tobacco smoke on murine Th2 cell-mediated nasal eosinophilic inflammation. Hiranuma et al. [10] reported that the induction of mir-155 by dsRNA disrupted tight junction barriers by modulating claudins.

The data presented in this workshop covered multiple topics, and we hope that this issue will be of significance to the readers of AP Allergy. I believe that WEA will continue to provide an opportunity for exchanging insights between basic and clinical researchers and play an important role in further understanding the pathogenesis of allergic diseases.

Although the date for the WEA 2020 has not been fixed, it will be held under the supervision of Prof. Yasuhiro Gon (Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan). We are expecting an increase in the number of presentations and attendees. We especially welcome international delegates. Please check the website for more information at http://www.sec-information.net/eosinophils/data/announce.html.