• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.56 no.5
• /
• pp.495-504
• /
• 2004

Background : Bronchial anthracofibrosis is one of the main manifestations of lung disease that is related to woodsmoke inhalation, and it is frequently associated with various pulmonary diseases, such as tuberculosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of bronchial anthracofibrosis in patients with endobronchial tuberculosis. Methods : 63 patients, who were diagnosed with endobronchial tuberculosis using bronchoscopy, were included in this study. The patients consisted of 12 males and 51 females, having mean age of 59.5 years. The clinical features, radiologic and bronchoscopic findings between the patients with (37) and without (26) bronchial anthracofibrosis were analyzed retrospectively. Results : When the patients were older, bronchial anthracofibrosis was more frequent. The endobronchial tuberculosis, which was located at the right middle lobal bronchus, was more frequent in the patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis than in the patients without bronchial anthracofibrosis. In the morphologic types of endobronchial tuberculosis, patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis had more edematous-hyperemic and ulcerative types, while patients without bronchial anthracofibrosis had more active caseating. Conclusion : These findings suggest that the presence of bronchial anthracofibrosis can possibly influence the locations and morphologic types of endobronchial tuberculosis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.25 no.9
• /
• pp.1000-1006
• /
• 2015

α-Asarone is the main component of Acorus gramineus, which is a widely used oriental traditional medicine. A. gramineus is known to have a variety of medicinal effects, such as anti-gastric ulcer, antiallergy and antioxidant activity. It is also known to inhibit the release of histamine. However, the mechanism of its action remains unclear in humans. In this study, the effects of α-asarone on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and its antioxidant effect in a cell-free system were examined in HT1080 cells. In an MTT assay, the effect of α-asarone on cell viability showed no cytotoxicity below 16 μM. In an antioxidant assay, α-asarone increased reducing power in a dose-dependent manner but not the scavenging activity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. In addition, α-asarone exhibited the protective effect against DNA oxidation induced by hydroxyl radicals produced by the Fenton reaction. Furthermore, in a gelatin disk assay, α-asarone enhanced collagenase activity. It also increased the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in a gelatin zymography. On the other hand, the activity of MMP-9 stimulated by phenazine methosulfate (PMS) but not that of MMP-2 was increased in the presence of α-asarone. These findings suggest that α-asarone could be a candidate for the prevention and treatment of pathological diseases related to oxidative stress and MMPs.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 1997

We investigated on the prevalence and extermination of scuticociliatids parasitic on cultured japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus in land-marine tank system of southern Korea from January to February in 1997. The gills and the skin showed the highest infection rate(60%), and the brain showed the lowest(22%). Also, fish secreted large quantity of mucus with a bleeding and ulcerated lesions on the infected sites. The number of the parasites in inflowing sea water, surface water and bottom water of farming tank ranged 0~1 individuals/$100m\ell$, 0~413 individuals/$100m\ell$ and $7\sim7.3{\times}10^4$ individuals/$100m\ell$, respectively. This parasite was died within 2 hours in 50~500 ppm, 48 hours of 10 ppm formalin or hydrogen peroxide, 1 hour in 50~500 ppm, 80 minutes of 10 ppm oligo chitosan and 10 minute in 100% but did not died until 48 hours in 10~70% fresh water.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.153-164
• /
• 1997

Characteristics and pathogenicity of Yersinia sp. strain isolated from diseased cultured olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceous were studied. The causative organisms were identified as Yersinia sp. by biochemical and biophysical characteristics. The strain was named KF-1, and it showed the optimal growth rate at pH 9.0 and 1% NaCl. Total cell protein peptide bands of the Yersinia sp. KF-1 were between 14.4-100.6 Kd in molecular weight by the electrophoretic analysis, and a total of 28 bands appeared. The band found at 32.8 Kd in molecular weight was the major one of electrophoretic phase. In the pathogenicity test of the isolate to the flounder injecting with $1.0{\times}10^7$ cfu/fish 9 died out of 10 within 60 hrs, and in the group with $1.0{\times}10^7$ cfu/fish 5 died within 60 hrs. Thus the $LD_{50}$ was presumed to be $1.0{\times}10^7$ cfu/fish. In the drug sensitivity test KF-1 strain was sensitive to chloramphenicol, gentamycin, kanamycin, streptomycin and pefloxacin, and intermediate to erythromycin, and resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, tetracycline and vancomycin.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.306-315
• /
• 2019

The estuary of the Han River constantly suffers from pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms which could cause serious damage to aquatic organisms living there. Despite of this potential risk, it is hard to find any reliable scientific reports on the status of reportable disease infection to the organisms living in this area. In this study, cyprinid fish and crustaceans in Jeonryu-ri, a region of the Han River estuary, were investigated for the infection by representative reportable communicable diseases(SVC, spring viraemia of carp; KHVD, koi herpesvirus disease; EUS, epizootic ulcerative syndrome; WSD, white spot disease) and parasites. Peripheral fish and primary freshwater fish were observed in Jeonryu-ri with cyprinid caught most frequently. Crustaceans were mostly marine species. No positive bands to any of the reportable diseases were produced in any of the fish and crustacean examined in this study by PCR. No trace of Clonorchis sinensis, a liver fluke potential threat to human health, was detected in any of fish samples. However, many fish were infected by metacecaria of other flukes, and other various parasites such as nematode, cestode, copepod, monosite and acanthocephalan. These results suggest that important aquatic organisms in the Han River estuary is not seriously polluted yet. However, it is important to keep monitoring the diseases since the water quality in this region is constantly changing, and devastating influence of infectious diseases is unpredictable. Further, it is required to expand monitoring area toward upstream and increase the number of fish for examination.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.342-349
• /
• 2015

Kiwifruit is a new fruit crop that was commercialized in the late 1970s. Recently, its cultivation and consumption have increased rapidly worldwide. Kiwifruit is a dioecious, deciduous, and climbing plant having fruit with hairs and various flesh colors and a variation in ploidy level; however, the industry consists of very simple cultivars or genotypes. The need for efficient cultivar improvement together with the evolutional and biological perspectives based on unique plant characteristics, have recently encouraged genome analysis and bioinformatics application. The draft genome sequence and chloroplast genome sequence of kiwifruit were released in 2013 and 2015, respectively; and gene annotation has been in progress. Recently, transcriptome analysis has shifted from previous ESTs analysis to the RNA-seq platform for intensive exploration of controlled genetic expression and gene discovery involved in fruit ascorbic acid biosynthesis, flesh coloration, maturation, and vine bacterial canker tolerance. For improving conventional breeding efficiency, molecular marker development and genetic linkage map construction have advanced from basic approaches using RFLP, RAPD, and AFLP to the development of NGS-based SSR and SNP markers linked to agronomically important traits and the construction of highly saturated linkage maps. However, genome and transcriptome studies have been limited in Korea. In the near future, kiwifruit genome and transcriptome studies are expected to translate to the practical application of molecular breeding.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.562-565
• /
• 2011

A total of 29 eyes (25 dogs: one eye, 2 dogs: both eyes) with indolent corneal ulcer were treated with grid keratotomy from January 2008 to March 2010. The corneal lesions were reevaluated at 7-14 day intervals. The treatments had been repeated until fluorescein dye was not retained on the cornea and the epithelium did not appear to be loosely attached to the stromal layer. The healing rate of the corneal ulcers was 86.2%. The mean healing time ($mean{\pm}SD$) was $15.92{\pm}9.19$ days, ranged from 7 to 39 days. The lesions of remaining 4 eyes had deteriorated or not improved for more than 6 weeks. In those cases, $3^{rd}$ eyelid flap following grid keratotomy was applied. After 2 weeks, all of the eyes healed by the treatment. The results in this study suggest that grid keratotomy could be an excellent choice as an initial treatment for superficial corneal ulcers in dogs. In the cases of recurrence or to promote healing of the lesions, however, $3^{rd}$ eyelid flap following grid keratotomy is recommended.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.751-754
• /
• 2010

A 6-year-old spayed female Persian cat presented with a 3-month history of recurrent ulcerative keratitis with noticeable opacification and vascularization of the right cornea. The lesion was nonresponsive to topical antibiotics and to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ophthalmic examination showed signs of ocular discomfort, such as epiphora and blepharospasm, in the right eye. Biomicroscopic examination revealed an irregular, edematous, vascularized mass with pink to white tissue on the entire cornea and mild conjunctivitis. A tentative diagnosis of feline proliferative eosinophilic keratitis (FPEK) was made on the basis of clinical appearance. Cytologic examination of the cornea showed a mixture of numerous eosinophils and mast cells, which confirmed the original diagnosis of FPEK. The cat was treated with a topical antibiotic-corticosteroid combination, cyclosporine ointment, trifluridine eye drops, and oral Llysine. The clinical signs improved remarkably 18 days after the cat was first examined. The short-term use of corticosteroids and long-term use of cyclosporine and an anti-viral agent resolved the lesion without recurrence of the disease for 1 year.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.175-181
• /
• 2003

Primary chest wall tumors originate from soft tissue, bone or cartilage of the chest wall and it comprises 1∼2% of all primary tumors. Resection of tumor is often indicated for chronic ulceration or pain, and long-term survival might be achieved after surgery depending on the histology and the surgical procedure. Material and Method: Retrospective study of 125 primary chest wall tumors (86 benign, 39 malignant) operated between Sep. 1976 to Mar 2001 were reviewed and their clinical outcomes were analyzed. Follow-up data were collected at the outpatient clinic. Result: All patients with benign tumors were treated by excision without recurrence or death, and most malignancies were treated by wide resection. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosarcoma constituted 46.2% of the malignant neoplasm. There was no operative death. The overall 3-year survival for patients with primary malignant neoplasm was 76.0%, and the 10-year survival was 60.5%. All deaths were disease-related and the tumor recurred in 11 patients. There was no significant difference in survival between patients with resection margins less than 4 cm and those with resection margins greater than 4 cm. Conclusion: Chest wall resection offers excellent results for benign chest wall tumors and substantial long-term survival for malignant diseases. Safe resection margin of 4 cm or more did not correlate with the survival rate although the tumor recurrence correlated with poor survival.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.177-182
• /
• 2005

H. pylori strains were isolated from antral biopsies taken during upper endoscopy in 114 dyspeptic patients with no previous therapy against H. pylori. Rapid urease test, PCR amplification of SSA and cagA gene for H. pylori detection, and Western blot for CagA expression detection were performed. H. pylori infected patients were treated with omeprazole, clarithromycin (a macrolide), and amoxicillin. At 6 weeks after the discontinuation of therapy, the bacterial eradication rate was determined by endoscopy. The resistance rate to clarithromycin and amoxicillin was $20.2\%$ and $0.0\%$, respectively. The clarithromycin resistance was mainly caused by the A2142G mutation in the 23S rRNA gene of H. pylori. MICs of clarithromycin for the A2142G mutant isolates were significantly higher than MICs for the A2143G mutant isolates. H. pylori eradication was obtained in all patients with clarithromycin-susceptible isolates but not in patients with clarithromycin-resistant isolates (P = 0.0001). These results did not appear to be biased by any differences in CagA expression. The resistance of H. pylori to clarithromycin included in the therapeutic regimens is the most important reason for treatment failure. H. pylori antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the gastric biopsy culture should be performed before choosing the first triple therapy in infected patients and the increase in prevalence of clarithromycin resistance in Korea was problematic.