• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.41-49
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the association between serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and type of work in the shipbuilding industry. Methods: 1,072 final study subjects were admitted to a general hospital from April through July 2010 for the purpose of medical examination. Data on general characteristics such as age, smoking history, alcohol history and exercise habits was gathered through structured self-administered questionnaires. Information on job factors was collected from a medical examination, by interview and through company personnel data. Serum CEA levels were measured after eight hours' fasting and were analyzed by a radioimmunoassay. Results: On univariate analysis, the mean serum CEA level was significantly higher among married (p=0.02), older age (p<0.01), longer work time (p<0.01), smokers (p<0.01), lower education (p<0.01), and indirect and direct exposure groups (p<0.01). On multiple regression analysis, serum CEA level was influenced by smoking (p=0.001), duration of work (p=0.019), and direct exposure group (p<0.001). However, among the direct exposure group, serum CEA level was not significantly different between welding, mounting, electro-device constructive work, grinding and cleaning, and painting. Conclusions: The goal of this research was to determine if there were differences between serum CEA levels according to occupational role among shipyard workers. The direct exposure group of shipyard workers had a relatively higher level of serum CEA than did the indirect exposure group and office workers, most likely due to occupational exposure.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.164-169
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• 2013

Red cell alloantibodies other than naturally occurring anti-A or anti-B are called unexpected red cell antibodies, and can be detected by performing an antibody screening. The frequency and distribution of unexpected antibody identified in Asan Medical Center were analyzed. We investigated a total of 135,238 cases of antibody screening test in AMC for 3 years from 2010 to 2012. Using column agglutination techniques, antibody identification tests were performed for the cases with positive antibody screening. Among 135,238 cases, 854 (0.6%) cases showed positive results of antibody screening test. In the order of frequency, 284 (33.3%) anti-Rh, 89 (10.4%) anti-MNS, 62 (7.3%) anti-Lewis, 34 (4.0%) anti-Kidd, 10 (1.2%) anti-Duffy, and 9 (1.1%) anti-P were identified. Multiple antibodies were detected in 199 (23.3%) cases. Among 381 subjects investigated for transfusion history, 299 (78.5%) had history of transfusion while 82 (21.5%) had unknown history. Thus the incidence of unexpected antibody was higher in the group with history of transfusion than the group without (p<0.001). Also, among 435 subjects investigated for the history of pregnancy, 46 (10.6%) had no history while 389 (89.4%) had history of pregnancy, showing higher incidence of unexpected antibody in the group with history of pregnancy than the group without pregnancy (p<0.001). Evaluated amounts and frequency of antigen exposure due to transfusion and pregnancy is suggested to increase the frequency of identification of unexpected antibody.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.168-172
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• 1997

Yolk immunoglobulins (yIgG) from hen's egg were purified. To investigate the stability of yIgG to digestive enzymes, the changes of antigen binding activities (ABC) after in vitro proteolysis were examined by competitive ELISA. After 30 min exposure to pepsin, the ABC of yIgG was lost. However, comparing with native yIgG, the ABC of pepsin digested yIgG was decreased, but considerable amount of ABC was remained after 30 min exposure to pepsin in 50% saccharose solution. Therefore, the stability of yIgG to pepsin digestion was improved by the addition of saccharose to yIgG solution. The ABC of yIgG was considerably remained after exposure to trypsin and chymotrypsin for 8 hr. YIgG showed especially good stability to chymotrypsin proteolysis.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2019

Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) develop through the continuous interaction with intestinal antigens such as commensal microbiome and diet. However, their respective roles and mutual interactions in the development of IELs are largely unknown. Here, we showed that dietary antigens regulate the development of the majority of $CD8{\alpha}{\beta}$ IELs in the small intestine and the absence of commensal microbiota particularly during the weaning period, delay the development of IELs. When we tested specific dietary components, such as wheat or combined corn, soybean and yeast, they were dependent on commensal bacteria for the timely development of diet-induced $CD8{\alpha}{\beta}$ IELs. In addition, supplementation of intestinal antigens later in life was inefficient for the full induction of $CD8{\alpha}{\beta}$ IELs. Overall, our findings suggest that early exposure to commensal bacteria is important for the proper development of dietary antigen-dependent immune repertoire in the gut.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2009

Purpose: The study aimed at monitoring the immune status of health care workers (HCWs) of a tertiary hospital after accidental exposure to Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2006, 353 cases of exposure to Hepatitis B virus were reported. The HBV-exposed HCWs were required to undergo follow-up serum tests to analyze their immune status one year after the exposure. The obtained data were then analyzed to determine the incidence of exposure and of sero-conversion. Results: In this hospital, an average of 9.8 cases of Hepatitis B exposure among HCWs was reported in a month. Follow-up tests conducted after exposure revealed that 90.4% of the HBV-exposed HCWs were positive for Hepatitis B antibody and 66.9% of the HBV-exposed HCWs were reported to have antibody levels exceeding 10 mIU/mL. Results of serum tests for the HBV antigen conducted one year after exposure were negative for all the exposed HCWs. Conclusion: Among the 79.6% of the HCWs who underwent serum tests one year after exposure the HBV sero-conversion rate was 0.0%. However, a further investigation in the form of long-term and multi-center studies is required to confirm this result. Furthermore, an active system should be established to ensure that all exposed HCWs undergo follow-up serum tests.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2005

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease of domestic and wild pigs for which there is no vaccine in the world. A proper surveillance of viral activity and a timely response to ASF outbreaks depend upon the rapid diagnosis of ASF viral infection. Internationally prescribed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a fast, sensitive test routinely used in the diagnosis of the ASF. However, inactivated whole ASF virus antigen used in this test is a tedious to prepare and has a risk of outside exposure of infectious virus by laboratory accident during the preparation. An ASF virus noninfectious recombinant antigen is a safe and easily produced alternative antigen for use in diagnostic assay. We have cloned the ORF O61R gene of the ASF virus to generate a recombinant baculovirus producing the p12 protein in insect cells under control of the polyhedrin promoter as non-fusion protein. When used in an indirect ELISA, the p12 antigen showed reactivity with all known ASF positive pig sera but not with negative pig sera. Our results indicated that the p12 protein would be one of alternative antigens for diagnosis of the ASF.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.311-329
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• 1986

The experimental exposure of animals to sources of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which emit their energy primarily in the UVB region (280-320nm) is known to result in a number of well-described changes in the recipient's immune competence. Two such changes include a depressed capacity to effectively respond immunologically to transplants of syngeneic UVR tumors and a markedly reduced responsiveness to known inducers of delayedtype (DTH) and contact hypersensitivity (CH) reactions. The results of experiments that were designed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for UVR-induced immunomodulation have implicated: 1) an altered pattern of lymphocyte recirculation, 2) suppressor T cells(Ts), 3) deviations in systemic antigen presenting cell (APC) potential. 4) changes in the production of interleukin-1-like molecules, and 5) the functional inactivation of epidermal Langerhans cells in this process. The exposure of skin to UVR, therefore, causes a number of both local and systemic alterations to the normal host immune system. In spite of this seeming complexity and diversity of responses, our recent studies have established that each of the UVR-mediated changes is probably of equal importance to creating the UVR-induced immunocompromised state. Normal animals were exposed to low dose UVR radiation on their dorsal surfaces under conditions where a $3.0\;cm^2$ area of skin was physically protected from the light energy. Contact sensitization of these animals with DNFB, to either the irradiated or protected back skin, resulted in markedly reduced CH responses. This was observed in spite of a normal responsiveness following the skin sensitization to ventral surfaces of the UVR-exposed animals. Systemic treatment of the low dose UVR recipients with the drug indomethacin (1-3 micrograms/day) during the UVR exposures resulted in a complete reversal of the depressions observed following DNFB sensitization to "protected" dorsal skin while the altered responsiveness found in the group exposed to the skin reactive chemical through directly UVR-exposed sites was maintained. These studies implicate the importance of EC as effective APC in the skin and also suggest that some of the systemic influences caused by UVR exposure involve the production of prostaglandins. This concept was further supported by finding that indomethacin treatment was also capable of totally reversing the systemic depressions in CH responsiveness caused by high dose UVR exposure (30K joules/$m^2$) of mice. Attempts to analyze the cellular mechanisms responsible established that the spleens of all animals which demonstrated altered CH responses, regardless of whether sensitization was through a normal or an irradiated skin site, contained suppressor cells. Interestingly, we also found normal levels of T effector cells in the peripheral lymph nodes of the UVR-exposed mice that were contact sensitized through normal skin. No effector cells were found when skin sensitization took place through irradiated skin sites. In spite of such an apparent paradox, insight into the probable mechanisms responsible for these observations was provided by establishing that UVR exposure of skin results in a striking and dose-dependent blockade of the efferent lymphatic vessels in all peripheral lymph nodes. Therefore, the afferent phases of immune responses can apparently take place normally in UVR exposed animals when antigen is applied to normal skin. The final effector responses, however, appear to be inhibited in the UVR-exposed animals by an apparent block of effector cell mobility. This contrasts with findings in the normal animals. Following contact sensitization, normal animals were also found to simultaneously contain both antigen specific suppressor T cells and lymph node effector cells. However, these normal animals were fully capable of mobilizing their effector cells into the systemic circulation, thereby allowing a localization of these cells to peripheral sites of antigen challenge. Our results suggest that UVR is probably not a significant inducer of suppressor T-cell activity to topically applied antigens. Rather, UVR exposure appears to modify the normal relationship which exists between effector and regulatory immune responses in vivo. It does so by either causing a direct reduction in the skin's APC function, a situation which results in an absence of effector cell generation to antigens applied to UVR-exposed skin sites, inhibiting the capacity of effector cells to gain access to skin sites of antigen challenge or by sequestering the lymphocytes with effector cell potential into the draining peripheral lymph nodes. Each of these situations result in a similar effect on the UVR-exposed host, that being a reduced capacity to elicit a CH response. We hypothesize that altered DTH responses, altered alloresponses, and altered graft-versus-host responses, all of which have been observed in UVR exposed animals, may result from similar mechanisms.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 1994

The rate of 58 neonatal calves in infection of Theileria sergenti was investigated in random samples on the farms located in Kyunggi, Chonbuk districts of Korea. 1. The criteria used in veryfying infection with T. sergenti included the detection of parasites by giemsa stain and acridine orange stain in the blood smear slides. 2. Further evidence of current or previous exposure to T. sergenti was based on demonstration of T. sergenti specific antibody and antigen by the western immunoblot and the directed immunofluorescent antibody test in the peripherial blood of the calves. 3. The prevalence rates were 35%, 50% in Kyunggi, Chonbuk provinces respectively and the overall prevalence in all the farms was 43.2％ by means of acridine orange stain. 4. The parasites that were observed in the peripherial blood of calves was showen surely by the western immunoblot to the characteristic 34KD antigen among the proteins of T. sergenti (Korean isolate). 5. And the antigen of the neonatal calves reacted at the very highest titer(1 : 2, 560) 6. These data highlight the significances of T. sergenti in the neonatal calf disease in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2002

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using purified hemagglutinin of swine influenza virus (H1N1) as antigen was developed for detection of antibody to avian influenza virus (AIV). The sensitivity and specificity of a developed and commercial available ELISA kits were compared with those of agar gel precipitation (AGP) test and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test using sera collected from chickens under condition of field exposure. The concentration of antigen, serum dilution and concentration of enzyme-conjugated secondary antibody in developed ELISA (S-ELISA) were 0.5ug/100ul, 1:200 and 0.03ug/100ul, respectively. The correlation coefficients between S-ELISA and commercial ELISA and HI titers were 0.419 and 0.533, respectively. A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was not found between HI and ELISA titers. The S-ELISA was found to be as more sensitive and specific than the AGP test, showing 86.8% sensitivity and 85.3% specificity. It is suggested that the ELISA using the SIV as antigen may be useful method as an investigating tool for AIV serological surveillance.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 1998

Vsrio vulnificus is an estuarine gram-negative human pathogen that affects people with chronic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus or other underlying diseases. V. vulnificus infection is mediated primarily by consumption of raw fish or by exposure of pre-existing wounds to seawater, causing permanent tissue damages or fatal septic shock. We have been developing a vaccine against V. vulnificus composed of whole cell Iysate of a V. vulnificus O-antigen serotype 4 strain. Oral administration of the V. vulnificus;oral vaccine;immunogenicity;protective efficacy vaccine elicited a high serum antibody response in rabbits. The induced antibodies were reactive not only to the homologous strain but also to heterologous O-antigen serotype strains, indicating cross-reactivities among serotypes. Western blot analysis revealed that the antibodies are mainly specific for outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and reacted equally well with OMPs purified from 9 O-antigen serotypes. The rabbit antisera showed opsonophagocytic killing activity against heterologous strains as well as the homologous strain. Passively transferred rabbit antisera into mice were protective against a lethal V. vulnificus infection. These data demonstrate that oral administration of the V. vulnificus vaccine induced a systemic antibody response which had a protective efficacy against V. vulnificus infections, suggesting that this vaccine preparation could be used to develop an oral vaccine against V. vulnificus.