About the Authors

Kazuko Uno

Contributed equally to this work with: Kazuko Uno, Kazuyuki Yoshizaki

Affiliations Department of Organic Fine Chemicals, Division of Biological and Molecular Sciences, The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan, Louis Pasteur Center for Medical Research, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

Kazuyuki Yoshizaki

Contributed equally to this work with: Kazuko Uno, Kazuyuki Yoshizaki

kyoshi@sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp

Affiliations Department of Organic Fine Chemicals, Division of Biological and Molecular Sciences, The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan, Tokushukai Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

Mitsuhiro Iwahashi

Affiliation Higashi Hiroshima Memorial Hospital, Higashi Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

Jiro Yamana

Affiliation Higashi Hiroshima Memorial Hospital, Higashi Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

Seizo Yamana

Affiliation Higashi Hiroshima Memorial Hospital, Higashi Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

Miki Tanigawa

Affiliation Department of Organic Fine Chemicals, Division of Biological and Molecular Sciences, The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan

Katsumi Yagi

Affiliation Louis Pasteur Center for Medical Research, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

Competing Interests

Kazu Yo has received speaking fees from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. and is the co-inventor of tocilizumab treatment for Still’s disease. There are no further patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: KU K. Yoshizaki. Performed the experiments: KU MT. Analyzed the data: KU K. Yagi MI. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: KU. Wrote the paper: KU K. Yoshizaki. Recruited participants and collected data: JY SY MI. Created patients’ database: MT.