• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.85 no.1
• /
• pp.11-17
• /
• 2022

Background: In asthma, consistent control of chronic airway inflammation is crucial, and the use of asthma-controller medication has been emphasized. Our purpose in this study is to compare the incidence of acute exacerbation and healthcare costs related to the use of asthma-controller medication. Methods: By using data collected by the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, we compared one-year clinical outcomes and medical costs from July 2014 to June 2015 (follow-up period) between two groups of patients with asthma who received different prescriptions for recommended asthma-controller medication (inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonists) at least once from July 2013 to June 2014 (assessment period). Results: There were 51,757 patients who satisfied our inclusion criteria. Among them, 13,702 patients (26.5%) were prescribed a recommended asthma-controller medication during the assessment period. In patients using a recommended asthma-controller medication, the frequency of acute exacerbations decreased in the follow-up period, from 2.7% to 1.1%. The total medical costs of the controller group decreased during the follow-up period compared to the assessment period, from $3,772,692 to $1,985,475. Only 50.9% of patients in the controller group used healthcare services in the follow-up period, and the use of asthma-controller medication decreased in the follow-up period. Conclusion: Overall, patients using a recommended asthma-controller medication showed decreased acute exacerbation and reduced total healthcare cost by half.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.277-283
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is a common condition in infants, but little is known about healthcare providers' clinical experience treating infants with CMPA. To address this gap, we analyzed prospectively collected data from healthcare providers (HCPs) who treated infants under six months old with suspected CMPA using hypoallergenic formulas. The study focused on a commercial extensively hydrolyzed formula containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC53103) (eHF-LGG) or a commercial amino acid formula (AAF). Methods: In this secondary analysis of prospectively collected survey data, 52 HCPs treated 329 infants under six months old with suspected CMPA using hypoallergenic formulas. A series of two de-identified surveys per patient were collected by HCPs to assess short-term symptom relief in the patients and HCP's satisfaction with the management strategies. The initial survey was completed at the initiation of treatment of CMPA, and the second survey was completed at a follow-up visit. Results: The majority of HCPs (87%) in the study were general pediatricians, and most saw 2 to 10 CMPA patients weekly. Results showed that clinicians reported satisfaction with treatment in 95% of patients in the EHF cohort and 97% of patients in the AAF cohort and achieved expected clinical results in 93% and 97% of patients using eHF and AAF, respectively. Furthermore, few patients were switched from the hypoallergenic formula once initiated. Conclusion: The study provides new insights into HCP perspectives on treating infants with CMPA and supports using hypoallergenic formulas to manage this condition. However, additional prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm these initial findings.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.82-89
• /
• 2008

Background: Although a skin test is the primary option for detecting allergen-specific IgE in clinics, the serum IgE immunoassay is also important because it allows for the diagnosis of allergy without any accompanying adverse effect on the patient. However, the low detection limit of IgE levels by immunoassay may restrict the use of the method in some occasions, and improving its sensitivity would thus have a significant implication in allergy-immunology clinics. Methods: In this study, we attempted to detect specific serum IgE by using immuno-polymerase chain reaction (IPCR) which combines the antigen-antibody specificity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with the amplification power of PCR. Results: Our results demonstrated that Blo t5-specific serum IgE can be detected by IPCR with a 100-fold higher sensitivity than ELISA, and cross-reactivity of serum IgE to other mite allergens is able to be analyzed by using only $0.3{\mu}l$ of serum sample. Use of real-time IPCR seemed to permit more convenient determination of specific serum IgE as well. Conclusion: We believe that IPCR can serve as a valuable tool in determining specific serum IgE, especially when the amount of serum sample is limited.

• Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.310-314
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Conventional serum IgE assay was costly, required the skills of expert, and relied heavily on expensive equipment. Quantitative measurement of total IgE using Point of Care Test (POCT) device can be the solution for these limitations. This study evaluated and validated the reproducibility of ImmuneCheck IgE. Methods: This study included 120 patients of allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, drug allergy, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, or anaphylaxis. The reliability of POCT ImmuneCheck IgE was evaluated by comparing results from the naked eye and from the Q-Reader. Intratest reproducibility and intertest correlation were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Of the 120 enrolled patients, 51 were males and 69 were females. The ages ranged from 19 to 84 years, with an average age of 51.5 years. The concentration of serum total IgE measured by Phadia ImmunoCAP IgE ranged from 5.95 to 5,000 IU/mL. ICC for Intratest reproducibility of ImmuneCheck IgE by naked eye and by Q-Reader were 0.991 (P< 0.001) and 0.989 (P< 0.001), respectively. In addition, intertest correlation between ImmuneCheck IgE and Phadia ImmunoCAP IgE results of naked eye and Q-Reader were 0.968 (P< 0.001) and 0.948 (P< 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The ImmuneCheck IgE was reproducible and highly correlated with conventional Phadia ImmunoCAP IgE assay. This result suggests that ImmuneCheck IgE can be a useful tool for rapid and precise detection of total IgE.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1-4
• /
• 2010

Asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation with intense eosinophil and lymphocyte infiltration, mucus hyperproduction, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Accumulating evidence indicates that antigen-specific Th2 cells and their cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 orchestrate these pathognomonic features of asthma. In addition, we and others have recently shown that IL-17-producing $CD4^+$ T cells (Th17 cells) and IL-23, an IL-12-related cytokine that is essential for survival and functional maturation of Th17 cells, are involved in antigen-induced airway inflammation. In this review, our current understanding of the roles of IL-23 and Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation will be summarized.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-3
• /
• 2021

In Vol. 31, No. 1, our journal prepared four review articles and two original papers. First, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of our journal, the first review article described the history, development, and recent efforts for the qualitative improvement of the journal. For aviation workers, dizziness is an important disease that can interfere with their work. So, in the second review, we introduced guidelines that aviation medical examiners should be aware of in evaluating aviation workers who complain of dizziness. In the era of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is very important for aviation workers to get the vaccination safely and return to their work. So, Kwon introduced the latest updated guidelines for vaccination for aviation workers. In addition, Kim described the relationship between COVID-19 infection and respiratory allergic disease, and appropriate treatment guidelines. Lim investigated the recent trend of human papillomavirus vaccination for foreigners during the COVID-19 period, and investigated its implications. Finally, Ra developed various programs to strengthen students' global competencies and analyzed their satisfaction.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.107-123
• /
• 2008

It has now been well documented in a variety of models that T regulatory T cells (Treg cells) play a pivotal role in the maintenance of self-tolerance, T cell homeostasis, tumor, allergy, autoimmunity, allograft transplantation and control of microbial infection. Recently, Treg cell are isolated and can be expanded in vitro and in vivo, and their role is the subject of intensive investigation, particularly on the possible Treg cell therapy for various immune-mediated diseases. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that Treg cells can prevent or even cure a wide range of diseases, including tumor, allergic and autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection, graft-versus-host disease. Currently, a large body of data in the literature has been emerging and provided evidence that clear understanding of Treg cell work will present definite opportunities for successful Treg cell immunotherapy for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases. In this Review, I briefly discuss the biology of Treg cells, and summarize efforts to exploit Treg cell therapy for autoimmune diseases. This article also explores recent observations on pharmaceutical agents that abrogate or enhance the function of Treg cells for manipulation of Treg cells for therapeutic purpose.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.17
• /
• pp.197-199
• /
• 2001

Enhancement of antigen-specific IgE is a hallmark of allergic hyperresponsiveness, therefore it is necessary to adopt or develop a highly sensitive and specific assay for determination of allergen-specific IgE levels in vivo. In this presentation, we introduce an ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) system developed to measure the levels of chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA)-specific IgE in serum. The ELISA method uses a commercially available purified rat anti-mouse IgE as a capture Ab and biotinylated OVA as a detection reagent. Avidin-peroxidase with its substrate is used for color development resulting in optical density measurement at 405 nm. The ELISA system produces a highly sensitive dose-response relation-ship between optical density levels and the dilution titer of the OVA-IgE standard serum but no cross-reaction with unrelated IgE or IgG. It is believed that the system is an Efficient tool to delineate an adjuvant effect of environmental pollutants on development of asthmatic and atopic responses.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.17-20
• /
• 2021

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, doctors face many difficulties in managing patients with respiratory allergies. As research continues, much new knowledge has emerged about the link between COVID-19 infection and respiratory allergies. Studies to date have shown that there is no significant increase in the risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with respiratory allergies. However, in patients undergoing treatment for moderate to severe asthma or allergic rhinitis, more severe clinical manifestations, increased hospitalization period, and increased mortality may occur, so patients need to be managed with more care. In addition to personal efforts, social consideration should be accompanied to prevent deterioration in patients' quality of life with respiratory allergies due to COVID-19. Lastly, as clinical doctors, we should treat patients with respiratory allergies to protect ourselves appropriately by actively utilizing remote medical treatment and minimizing tests that generate droplets. Also, by appropriately educating patients and continuing drug treatment, efforts should be made to ensure that patients receive the best treatment even in a pandemic situation.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.122-129
• /
• 2014

Although considerable progress has been made in understanding how tumors evade immune surveillance, measures to counter the same have not kept pace with the advances made in designing effective strategies. 4-1BB (CD137; TNFRS9), an activation-induced costimulatory molecule, is an important regulator of immune responses. Targeting 4-1BB or its natural ligand 4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL) has important implications in many clinical conditions, including cancer. In-depth analysis revealed that 4-1BB-mediated anti-cancer effects are based on its ability to induce activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), and among others, high amounts of IFN-${\gamma}$. In this review, we will discuss the various aspects of 4-1BB-mediated anti-tumor responses, the basis of such responses, and future directions.