Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology

Head of the Department: Yasutsugu Fukushima, MD, PhD

Message from the Head of the Department

     My name is Yasutsugu Fukushima, and I am the head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology at Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center.

     Since the establishment of Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital in 1984, we have been striving to care for patients with respiratory diseases as a major hub for internal medical care in the eastern part of Saitama Prefecture, while also tirelessly pursuing research and education in the area of respiratory diseases. We are fortunate to have a good location near Tokyo, and our hospital serves many patients. Our mission is to wholeheartedly reach out to ailing patients and always provide them with safe and top-quality medical care.

     As remarkable progress continues to be made in the field of medicine and paradigm shifts continue to occur in the natural sciences, it is essential that we continue to pursue self-improvement and make efforts to acquire new knowledge every day. Our department aims to train not only specialist respiratory physicians and allergists, but also excellent general internists. We have fostered skilled physicians by emphasizing incorporation of the latest medical technology into clinical practice. As a result, our graduates have not only become board certified in general internal medicine through the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine, but have also become board certified in specialty fields through organizations such as the Japanese Respiratory Society, Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy, Japan Lung Cancer Society, Japanese Society of Allergology, Japan College of Rheumatology, and Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and some have even gone on to obtain a Ph.D. in medicine. We have sent out many talented respiratory specialists, supervising physicians, and physician-scientists into the world.

Activities

1. Medical and Research Activities

  • Multicenter, prospective observational study of genetic screening and monitoring to establish individualized medicine for Asian patients with non-small cell lung cancer (LC-SCRUM-Asia)
  • Multicenter, prospective observational study of atezolizumab in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic advanced non-small cell lung cancer (J-TAIL)
  • Prospective observational study on the effectiveness of multiplex gene expression analysis by next-generation sequencing using cell-free DNA
  • Clinical trials of various anticancer agents for lung cancer
  • Analysis of the regulatory functions of Treg cells using mouse models for food allergies
  • Discovered that DBP inhibits COX-1 in the arachidonic acid cascade of eosinophils in aspirin-induced asthma
  • Discovered the Notch signaling pathway in peripheral blood eosinophils
  • Longitudinal effects of inhaled steroids for bronchial asthma on bone mineral density
  • Relationship between vitamin D–binding protein (DBP) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in serum and exhaled breath condensate from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma
  • Analysis of SNPs in bronchial asthma, aspirin-induced asthma, and COPD
  • Investigated DBP in bronchial asthma, COPD, and asthma and COPD overlap
  • Effects of IL-4 and IL-13 using allergen-specific mouse models for allergies
  • Analysis of the mechanism of response to allergen immunotherapy in bee sting allergy
  • Registry study related to COVID-19
  • Patient characteristics and treatment effects in COVID-19 patients treated with favipiravir and other antivirals
  • Multicenter study using the Rheumatology COVID-19 Registry
  • Global analysis of factors involved in exacerbation of interstitial lung disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Analysis of cases of pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis diagnosed by pathological examination of giant cysts detected on chest computed tomography (multicenter study)
  • Effect of body position on safety in whole-lung lavage (multicenter study)


    • 2. Education
    School of Medicine:
    3rd year Respirology, Allergology
    4th year Respirology, Allergology
    5th year Clinical clerkship in Respirology
    6th year Advanced Clinical Clerkship in Respirology


    School of Nursing:

    1st year Pathophysiology (Respirology, Allergology, Rheumatology)

Academic Society Activities

Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
The Japanese Respiratory Society
The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
The Japan Lung Cancer Society
Japanese Society of Allergology
Japan College of Rheumatology
The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
The Japanese Society of Clinical Immunology
Japanese Society for Immunology

Faculty

Professor and Chairman: Yasutsugu Fukushima, MD, PhD
Associate Professor: Hirokuni Hirata, MD, PhD
Senior Assistant Professor: Kenya Koyama, MD, PhD
Senior Assistant Professor: Takayosi Owada, MD, PhD
Senior Assistant Professor: Hideyuki Satoh, MD, PhD
Senior Assistant Professor: Masamitsu Tatewaki, MD, PhD
Senior Assistant Professor: Hiroyoshi Watanabe, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor: Hiroyuki Masuda, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor: Tomoshige Wakayama, MD
Assistant Professor: Mayuko Ohashi, MD
Assistant Professor: Kentaro Nakano, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor: Hajime Arifuku, MD
Assistant Professor: Kei Sugitate, MD
Assistant Professor: Kozo Satoh , MD, PhD
Assistant Professor: Naotatu Otsuji, MD
Assistant Professor: Sadayuki Shiromori, MD, PhD
Resident: Tomoyuki Ishiguro, MD
Resident: Atsutaka Ozaki, MD
Resident: Kazuhiro Tada, MD
Resident: Jyunya Satoh, MD
Resident: Tomoki Hasegawa, MD
Resident: Masahiro Irokawa, MD
Resident: Ryo Kitajima, MD
Resident: Hisanori Hirokawa, MD

Characteristics of the section

     As the extreme aging of Japan’s population progresses, respiratory care for conditions such as (elderly) pneumonia, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchial asthma will become increasingly important. We would love to welcome all young aspiring respiratory physicians and allergists to join our department. Please see our website for information about the care we provide and our office, and feel free to ask me or our chief of staff if you have any questions or concerns.

     As a medical professional, I am determined to create a warm and structured environment for you to learn the practice of internal medicine. I look forward to your support and guidance.