• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2015

In order to examine allergic disease experience rates of students at atopy and asthma friendly elementary schools located in Chungcheongnam-do and investigate their dietary behaviors, a survey on 250 parents of first to third grade students at four rural-type atopy and asthma friendly elementary schools was conducted. The number of students who had experienced allergic symptoms (allergic group) was 102 (40.8%). their breastfeeding duration was shorter than that of the non-allergic group (p<.001) and the former's weaning foods-feeding had started earlier than the latter's (p<.01). Regarding the eating habits, the non-allergic group was found to have breakfast and dinner better than the allergic group (p<.001). The number of students eating fruits as snacks was largest in the allergic group at 73 (71.6%), and as for the non-allergic group, their rate of eating fruits, milk and dairy products, and cookies and fries was at 25.7%, 22.3%, and 20.3%, respectively. A high percentage of the allergic group ate three times or less per month the animal food groups and dairy products (p<.001). Accordingly, for improvement in dietary behaviors of students who have allergy against food, nutrition education on regular eating, balanced intake of food, adequate intake of snacks and meals for proper growth and development and precise diagnosis of allergy-triggering food are necessary. In particular, as education on food allergy, implementation of practical education such as appropriate nutrition counseling by nutrition teachers is urgent beyond the one-way educational method of school newsletters.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.611-618
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• 2023

Rhizome of Alisma orientale has been used as a traditional medicine for treating kidney diseases in East Asian countries. Its inhibitory effects on hypersensitivity responses have been reported for methanol extracts, with alisol B 23-acetate (AB23Ac) being the most active constituent among six terpenes in inhibiting the direct passive Arthus reaction. However, whether AB23Ac has efficacy against allergic asthma has not been tested to date. The in vivo efficacy of AB23Ac in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma mouse model was evaluated by administrating AB23Ac before OVA sensitization or OVA challenge in BALB/c mice. AB23Ac suppressed antigen-induced degranulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The administration of AB23Ac both before OVA sensitization and OVA challenge greatly lowered pulmonary resistance and the increase in immune cell counts and inflammatory responses around the peribronchial and perivascular regions. In addition, the inflammatory cytokine levels of Th1/Th2/Th17 cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid decreased in the AB23Ac-treated groups. AB23Ac reduced the number of PAS-stained cells in the lungs. Furthermore, a computer modeling study indicated that AB23Ac can bind tightly to spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk). These results suggest that AB23Ac may ameliorate allergic asthma by suppressing immune responses in dendritic cells during sensitization and in mast cells during challenge periods.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1636-1648
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• 2006

There are detailed descriptions of the clinical experiences and prescriptions of asthma in traditional Korean medicine. Zedoariae rhizoma is one of the Korean herbal medicines used to treat bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis for centuries. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of this medication are still far from clear, In this study, a house-dust-mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [Der p])-sensitized murine model of asthma was used to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of Zedoariae rhizoma on the allergen-induced airway inflammation in asthma. Three different protocols were designed to evaluate the treatment and/or long-term prophylacitic effect of Zedoariae rhizoma in Der p-sensitized mice. Cellular infiltration and T-cell subsets in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)of allergen-challenged mice were analyzed. Intrapulmonary lymphocytes were also isolated to evaluate their response to allergen stimulation. When Zedoariae rhizoma was administered to the sensitized mice before AC (groups A and C), it suppressed airway inflammation by decreasing the number of total cells and eosinophil infiltration in the BALF, and downregulated the allergen- or mitogen-induced intrapulmonary lymphocyte response of sensitized mice as compared to those of controls. This immunomodulatory effect of Zedoariae rhizoma may be exerted through the regulation of T-cell subsets by elevation or activation of the CD8+ and double-negative T-cell population in the lung. However, the administration of Zedoariae rhizoma to sensitized mice 24 h after AC (group B) did not have the same inhibitory effect on the airway inflammation as Zedoariae rhizoma given before AC. Thus, the administration of Zedoariae rhizoma before AC has the immunomodulatory effect of reducing bronchial inflammation in the allergen-sensitized mice. On the other hand, to determine the potentiality of prophylactic and/or therapeutic approaches using a traditional herbal medicine, Zedoariae rhizoma, for the control of allergic disease, we examined the effects of oral administration of Zedoariae rhizoma on a murine model of asthma allergic responses. When oral administration of Zedoariae rhizoma was begun at the induction phase immediately after OVA sensitization, eosinophilia and Th2-type cytokine production in the airway were reduced in OVA-sensitized mice following OVA inhalation. These results suggest that the oral administration of Zedoariae rhizoma dichotomously modulates allergic inflammation in murine model for asthma, thus offering a different approach for the treatment of allergic disorders.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2020

Allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergies, could be caused by dysbiosis that results in an immune system imbalance. The incidence of allergic diseases has been increasing and they are now one of the most common diseases throughout the world. Recently, probiotics have been suggested as an alternative intervention for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases. Probiotics are endogenous microflora with functional effects within hosts. They have various clinical and immunological capacities and have recently been considered as a supplement for the treatment and prevention of allergic diseases. Probiotic bacteria modulate immune cells such as Th1, Th2, and regulatory T cells that are correlated with protection against atopic dermatitis, however, safety concerns for the use of probiotics have been raised. Therefore, further research is needed to clarify the efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of allergic diseases.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.184-194
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• 2012

Objectives: We investigated the effects of air pollution on allergic diseases (allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis) in metropolitan cities in Korea, adjusting for meteorological factors. Methods: Data on daily hospital visits and hospital admissions for 2003-2010 was obtained from the National Health Insurance Cooperation. Meteorological data was obtained from the Korea Meteorological Administration. We then calculated daily mean temperature, daily mean humidity, daily mean air pressure at sea level, and diurnal temperature range. We used data on air pollution provided by the National Institute of Environmental Research. Maximum daily eight-hour average ozone concentrations and the daily mean $PM_{10}$ were used. We estimated excess risk and 95% confidence interval for the increasing interquatile range (IQR) of each air pollutant using Generalized Additive Models (GAM) that appropriate for time series analysis. Results: In this study, we observed an association between ozone and hospital visits for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis in all metropolitan cities, adjusting for temperature, humidity, air pressure at sea level, diurnal temperature range, and day of the week. Ozone was associated with hospital visits for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis across all metropolitan cities. However $PM_{10}$ was associated with allergic-related diseases in only select cities. Also, ozone and $PM_{10}$ were associated with hospital admission for asthma in all cities except Gwangju. Hospitalization for the other diseases failed to show consistent association with air pollutants. Conclusion: In the findings of this study, there was a significant association between air pollutants and allergic-related diseases. More detailed research subdivided age group or conducting meta-analyses combining data of all cities is required.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.84-95
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• 2014

Objective : Ephedra sinica (ES) has has been used as remedy of allergic diseases for a long time in Korea. In the present study, we investigated the anti-allergic effects of ES on experimental allergic asthma mouse model using ovalbumin (OVA). Methods : BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with 100 ug of OVA and 1 mg of aluminum potassium sulfate of 0.2 ml phosphate-buffered saline(PBS) intraperitoneally on day 1 and 15. mice were challenged on 3 consecutive days with 5% OVA and AHR was assessed 24 h after the last challenge. we examined the lung histology, airway hyper sensitivity, total inflammatory cell count in bronchoaveloar lavage fluid(BALF), Th2-associated cytokines production and IgE production. Results : ES potently inhibited the lung damage and the development of Penh. ES also reduced the number of BAL cells during OVA-induced allergic asthma. Furthermore, ES inhibited cytokines production such as IL-4, IL-13 productions, and IgE level of serum. Conclusion : These results suggest that ES may inhibit the production of IL-4, IL-13, IgE and infiltration of inflammatory cell and be beneficial oriental medicine for allergic asthma.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate therapeutic effects fo NR on allergic asthma in terms of measurement of cytokine profiles, distribution of BAL and expression levels of asthma induced by OVA. Methods : C57BL/6 mouse was divided into normal, NRI, control, and NRII, and Notopterygii Rhizoma Extract was orally administered to the C57BL/6 mice in the normal group and the normal mouse in NRI group while it was orally administered to the control group after inducing asthma by OVA and NRII. The study measured them by means of ELISA after dividing BALF of each group, and analyzed RT-PCR by using lung tissues. Results : In our results, lung weight and the number of total cells in the lung and of Leukocyte and Eosinophils in BALF were significantly decreased. In addition, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IgE in BALF were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Conclusions : These results demonstrate that NR Extract be a desirable altemative therapy for allergic asthma by inhibiting the expressin of immune cells, the activation of inflammatory mediator.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2023

p38 MAPK has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma as well as pro-allergic Th2 cytokines, orosomucoid-like protein isoform 3 (ORMDL3), regulation of sphingolipid biosynthesis, and regulatory T cell-derived IL-35. To elucidate the role of p38 MAPK in the pathogenesis of asthma, we examined the effect of NJK14047, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma; we administrated NJK14047 before OVA sensitization or challenge in BALB/c mice. As ORMDL3 regulation of sphingolipid biosynthesis has been implicated in childhood asthma, ORMDL3 expression and sphingolipids contents were also analyzed. NJK14047 inhibited antigen-induced degranulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells. NJK14047 administration both before OVA sensitization and challenge strongly inhibited the increase in eosinophil and lymphocyte counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, NJK14047 administration inhibited the increase in the levels of Th2 cytokines. Moreover, NJK14047 reduced the inflammatory score and the number of periodic acid-Schiff-stained cells in the lungs. Further, OVA-induced increase in the levels of C16:0 and C24:1 ceramides was not altered by NJK14047. These results suggest that p38 MAPK plays crucial roles in activation of dendritic and mast cells during sensitization and challenge periods, but not in ORMDL3 and sphingolipid biosynthesis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.185-192
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• 2012

The prevalence of allergic diseases has increased worldwide, a phenomenon that can be largely attributed to environmental effects. Among environmental factors, air pollution due to traffic is thought to be a major threat to childhood health. Residing near busy roadways is associated with increased asthma hospitalization, decreased lung function, and increased prevalence and severity of wheezing and allergic rhinitis. Recently, prospective cohort studies using more accurate measurements of individual exposure to air pollution have been conducted and have provided definitive evidence of the impact of air pollution on allergic diseases. Particulate matter and ground-level ozone are the most frequent air pollutants that cause harmful effects, and the mechanisms underlying these effects may be related to oxidative stress. The reactive oxidative species produced in response to air pollutants can overwhelm the redox system and damage the cell wall, lipids, proteins, and DNA, leading to airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity. Pollutants may also cause harmful effects via epigenetic mechanisms, which control the expression of genes without changing the DNA sequence itself. These mechanisms are likely to be a target for the prevention of allergies. Further studies are necessary to identify children at risk and understand how these mechanisms regulate gene-environment interactions. This review provides an update of the current understanding on the impact of air pollution on allergic diseases in children and facilitates the integration of issues regarding air pollution and allergies into pediatric practices, with the goal of improving pediatric health.

• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.575-590
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• 2018

The prevalence of allergic disorders has dramatically increased over the past decade, particularly in developed countries. Apart from gastrointestinal disorders, neoplasia, genital and dermatological diseases etc., dysregulation of gut microbiota (dysbiosis) has also been found to be associated with increased risk of allergies. Probiotics are increasingly being employed to correct dysbiosis and, in turn, to modulate allergic diseases. However, several factors like strain variations and effector metabolites or component of them in a bacterial species can affect the efficacy of those as probiotics. On the other hand, host variations like geographical locations, food habits etc. could also affect the expected results from probiotic usage. Thus, there is a glaring deficiency in our approach to establish probiotics as an irrefutable treatment avenue for suitable disorders. In this review, we explicate on the reported probiotics and their effects on certain allergic diseases like atopic dermatitis, food allergy and asthma to establish their utility. We propose possible measures like elucidation of effector molecules and functional mechanisms of probiotics towards establishing probiotics for therapeutic use. Certain probiotics studies have led to very alarming outcomes which could have been precluded, had effective guidelines been in place. Thus, we also propose ways to secure the safety of probiotics. Overall, our efforts tend to propose necessary discovery and quality assurance guidelines for developing probiotics as potential immunomodulatory 'Pharmabiotics.'