About the Authors

Sho Mokuda

bachblau_since2001@yahoo.co.jp

Affiliations Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Yosuke Murata

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Naoya Sawada

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Kenichiro Matoba

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Akihiro Yamada

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Makoto Onishi

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Yasuaki Okuda

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Kazuo Jouyama

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Eiji Sugiyama

Affiliation Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan

Kiyoshi Takasugi

Affiliation Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Matsuyama City, Ehime, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: SM YM NS MO YO KT. Performed the experiments: SM YM NS KM AY MO YO KJ KT. Analyzed the data: SM ES. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: SM YM NS KM AY MO YO KJ KT. Wrote the paper: SM ES KT.