• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.602-606
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• 2010

Type 2 diabetes is a typical polygenic disease complex, for which several common risk alleles have been identified. Proteins in the matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) family are involved in the breakdown of the extracellular matrix in normal physiological processes such as embryonic development, reproduction and tissue remodeling, as well as in disease processes. Therefore, we investigated the genotype for the A(-267)G, A658G and T813C polymorphisms in the MMP3 gene in the Korean population and compared genotypes of patients with those of the control group. 200 patients (male 108, female 92), who had previously been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and 100 control subjects (male 36, female 64) participated in this study. There was a strong association between A(-267)G and A658G polymorphism in the MMP3 gene and T2DM. The present study shows that MMP3 polymorphisms (A(-267)G and A658G) may be associated with the pathogenesis of T2DM. Further studies with a larger population may be needed for the development of diagnostic methods at a genetic level, such as DNA chip.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.180-187
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• 2008

Purpose : We wanted to determine the characteristics of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) who were unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Methods : The patients with KD were divided into two groups: the IVIG responsive group (25 cases) and the IVIG unresponsive group (14 cases). We analyzed various parameters before and after the administration of IVIG, including the complete blood cell count with the differential count (%), the erythrocyte segmentation rate (ESR), the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and the protein and lipid profiles. Results : The IVIG unresponsive group had a prolonged duration of fever and a higher incidence of CAL compared to the IVIG responsive group (P<0.001, respectively). Before IVIG infusion, the neutrophil differential, the ESR and the CRP values were higher (P<0.001), and the total protein and albumin values were lower in the IVIG unresponsive group (P=0.01) compared to the IVIG responsive group. After IVIG infusion, there were no significant changes in the WBC count and CRP levels in the IVIG unresponsive group. The reduction of the HDL-cholesterol levels by IVIG was more significant in the unresponsive group (P=0.02). Conclusion : A more severe and prolonged inflammatory response occurred in the IVIG unresponsive group at an early stage, and this finding can be detected by such inflammatory parameters as the neutrophil count and the CRP and HDL-cholesterol levels after IVIG infusion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.17-22
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• 2002

지구상에는 수천종의 버섯류가 자생하고 있어 유전자원으로서의 중요성이 지대할 뿐만 아니라 기능성 식품소재 및 각종 약리 활성을 나타내는 신약개발 소재로도 크게 주목을 받고 있다. 이들 버섯은 균사체의 영양대사로 얻어지는 대사산물이 축적된 자실체의 형태로 나타나는데, 최근에 와서 자실체 및 균사체의 추출물이나 균사체 배양물이 체질개선이나 각종 병의 예방과 치료에 효과가 있는 것으로 밝혀져 건강식품이나 의약품으로서의 용도가 크게 증가하고 있는 실정이다. 특히, 담자균이 생산하는 특정 구조를 갖는 다당류는 오래전부터 종래의 화학요법제와는 달리 숙주내의 면역 기능을 부활하여 소위 면역요법제로서의 항암효과를 나타냄이 알려져왔었다. 현재까지 제약 및 의학적인 방법이 질병의 주된 치료방법으로 이용되어 왔지만 최근에 특정식품의 섭취가 만성질환의 발생을 억제 또는 지연시킨다는 연구 보고가 나오면서부터 만성질환의 치료방법으로서 식이요법을 중요하게 생각하게 되었다. 따라서 새로운 식품소재 및 가공식품의 개발을 통한 성인병 등의 각종 질병예방이 국민보건문제 해결에 필수적이다. 현재 일본 등에서는 표고버섯, 구름버섯 및 치마버섯 유래의 다당체 또는 단백다당체인 lentinan, krestin 또는 PS-K, schizophyllan 및 PSP 등이 실용화되어 높은 가격에 판매되고 있다. 국내에서도 야생 구름버섯 자실체로부터 추출한 단백 다당체인 Copolang(광동제약)이 개발되어 PS-K와 유사하게 암의 치료에 병행 사용되고 있고, 또 강력한 항암활성이 보고된 상황버섯의 균사체 추출물인 단백 다당체가 Mesima-Ex FK(한국신약)라는 상품명으로 암의 치료에 병행 사용되고 있는 것으로 알려지고 있다. 담자균류와 아울러 미생물 유래 다당체는 그 구조와 특성에 있어서 매우 다양함을 지니고 있다. 이러한 미생물 유래 다당류의 공업적 생산과 이용에 대한 연구로서는 Leuconostoc mesenteroides가 생산하는 dextran이 혈장증량제로 개발된 이래 Xanthomonas campestris가 생산하는 pullulan, Zoogloea rgmigera가 생산하는zooglan둥이 대표적인 예로 보고되고 있다. 한편, 미생물 유래 다당류는 구성당, 분자량, 화학적 구조 등과 같은 특성의 차이에 의해 많은 종류가 존재하고 있으며, 다양한 물성 및 유화제, 응고제, gel 형성제, 필름 형성제, 흡착제, 안정제, 접착제 등과 같은 용도로 광범위하게 이용되고 있다. 또한 근래에 들어서는 미생물 유래 다당체가 지니는 항암활성이 확인되어 새로운 의약품으로서의 개발 가능성이 기대된다. 그 밖에도 기존에 알려져 있는 식물 및 해조류 유래의 다당체와는 달리, 발효조를 이용한 연속배양에 의해 공업적 대량 생산이 가능하며, 더욱이 생산된 다당체의 분리 및 회수가 용이하다는 이점을 지니고 있다. 최근에 들어서는 유전공학적 기법을이용한 고생산성 변이균주 및 새로운 기능을 지닌 다당체의 개발에 관한 연구가 보고되고 있는 등 고부가가치를 지닌 새로운 바이오 소재로서의 기능 및 용도 개발에 관한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 이러한 항암 활성을 나타내는 여러 가지 담자균류중 Agaricus blazei로부터 생산되는 다당체는 고형암 이외에 S형 결장암, 난소암, 유방암, 폐암, 간암 등에 효과가 입증되었고, 천연물질에 의한 암 면역요법으로 각광을 받고 있으며, 항암 및 항virus의 완치율과 저지율에서 현재 여러가지 약효가 있는 버섯중에서도 탁원한 효과가 있는 것으로 증명되고 있다. 이들 다당체는 사이토카인을 생산시켜서 T임파구와 B임파구의 항원 특이적인 면역반응을 활성화시키고, 세포장해성 T세포와 활성화 대식세포의 세포장해 기능을 충진시켜서 암세포를 파괴시킨다. 또한 콜로니 자극인자인 사이토카인을 생산시켜서 면역담당세포의 신생을 촉진시키기도 하며, 암의 화학요법과 방사선 요법으로 저하된 백혈구를 회복시키는 역할을 한다. 따라서 최근의 연구동향은 생산된 다당체의 항암활성을 향상시키고자 하여 배양기간중에 interleukin을 의도적으로 첨가하는 경향이 있다. 이러한 항암 활성을 나타내는 담자균체 유래 다당체는 버섯의 기원에 따라 그 형태에 약간의 차이를 나타내기는 하나 그 기본 형태는 ${\beta}-(1,6)-glucosyl$ 분지를 가진 ${\beta}-(1,3)-glucan$이며, 평균 분자량은 50 ${\sim}$ 200만 정도이다. Agaricus blazei의 원산지인 브라질의 피에다데(Piedade) 지방의 환경조건(산지의 습도는 80%, 낮 기온 $35^{\circ)C$, 밤 기온 $20{\sim}25^{\circ}C$로 대단히 높으며, 정기적으로 열대지방 특유의 소나기가 내리는 지역)에서 볼 수 있듯이 Agaricus blazei의 성장 환경은 매우 까다로운 편이며, 날것으로는 보관이 잘 안되기 때문에 그 재배에 큰 어려움이 있다. 또한, 고체배양에 의해 생산된 버섯 자실체로부터 유기용매 및 열수추출 방법으로 다당체를 생산하는 방법은 균일한 형태의 버섯 자실체를 공급받기가 어렵기 때문에 다당체의 생산 수율이 낮고, 많은 노동력이 요구되는 어려움이 있다. 그러나 액체배양에 의한 다당체 생산의 경우는 고체배양에 의한 다당체 생산에 비해 일정한 조건하에서 배양이 가능하다는 장점이 있으며, 항상 균일한 균사체 및 배양액을 얻을 수 있다. 따라서 원하는 유용물질을 쉽게 획득할 수 있는 장점이 있다.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 2003

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens K-42, which produces strongly a fibrinolytic enzyme, Was isolated from Ganjang, a traditional Korean soy sauce. The fibrinolytic enzyme was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, gel chromatography on Sephadex G-100, and gel chromatography on Sephadex G-75 of the culture filtrate of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens K42. The purified enzyme showed the specific activity of 59.4 units per milligram, which was increased by 17.1 fold over the culture broth. And the molecular weight of purified fibrinolytic enzyme was confirmed to be about 45,000 Dalton by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme activity was relatively stable at pH 4.0-10.0 and the optimum pH was 8.0. The activity of the purified enzyme was increased by $Mg^{2+}$ , Cu$^{2+}$ but the enzyme was totally inhibited by $Ba^{2+}$ $Hg^{2+}$ In addition, the enzyme activity was potently inhibited by EDTA, EGTA and CDTA. It was concluded that the purified enzyme was a metalloprotease. And Km value was 2.03 mg/ml to fibrin.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 1991

In order to establish ELISA method to detect antibody against IBV various factors involved were examined. Antigen was prepared from Massachusetts type IBV which is known to be one of serotypes distributed most widely. The virus was grown in embryonated SPF chicken eggs. Allantoic fluid harvested was processed to ultracentrifugation and sucrose density gradient centrifugation to produce a purified antigen The antisera selected from the field samples based on hemagglutination inhibition test were used as the standard positive and negative sera for this study and the results obtained were summarized as follows. 1 , It was found that ELISA test was satisfactory when the purified antigen was coated on the plate in the amount of about 40ng protein per well. In case of the phospholipase treated hemagglutinating antigen it gave satisfactory results when the each well wns coated with 1.2 to 2.5 hemagglutinating unit which was equivalent to 40 to 90ng of protein. 2. There was no significant difference in the ratio of optical density of positive to that of negative serum whether the coated antigen was held for 1 hour at 37$^{\circ}C$ or it was held overnight at 4$^{\circ}C$. The coated antigen could be kept in dried state without change of antigenecity for at least one month of experimental period at 4$^{\circ}C$. 3. There was a big variation in the optical density and P/N values depending on the maker of the plates and on the plate of the same maker. 4. It was found that background optical density was negligible when serum was diluted more than 1：50 and serum dilution of 1：100 appeared to be appropriate as a routine test dilution to screen the antibody. 5. Optical density was fairly constant 15 minutes afterward from the time substrate was treated and during the 4 hours after stopper was treated. 6. There was a low correlation(r＝0.42) between ELISA and HI test. However, when 74serum samples were tested for the IBV antibody, 98.7% were found to be positive by both tests in which titers of 2$^{6}$ or more by HI test and P/N values of 1.4 or more by ELISA were considered to be positive, 7 Day-old IBV vaccinated chickens shows a similar antibody decay and rising pattern until 8 weeks of age by the two tests, ELISA and HI.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.534-538
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• 2005

Purpose : Kawasaki disease(KD) is a multisystemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown etiology. Many complications other than cardiovascular involvement have been recognized in KD. However, there have been few reports published concerning involvement of the lungs in this disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between serum TNF-${\alpha}$, the degree of coronary artery dilatation and chest X-ray(CXR) findings. In addition, we have investigated serum anti-Mycoplasma antibody(AMA) titers in patients with KD who have abnormal CXR findings. Methods : Eighty four patients with KD were included in this study(group I; 41 patients with normal CXR fndings, group II; 43 patients with abnormal CXR findings). Serum levels of TNF-${\alpha}$ and AMA titer were measured. Results : We reviewed the CXR findings and clinical courses of 84 patients with Kawasaki disease and found abnormal CXR findings in 43 patients(51.2 percent). Peribronchial cuffing was the most frequent abnormality(22.4 percent). In the group with abnormal CXR findings(group II), a statistical difference was not noted in age, sex, duration of fever, hemoglobin, WBC, platelet, ESR, and CRP levels and incidence of coronary arterial lesions as compared with the group having normal CXR findings(group I). No difference was noted in serum TNF-${\alpha}$ level between group I and group II. 2 patients(12.5 percent) of 16 KD patients with abnormal CXR findings have positive AMA titer(above 1 : 320). Conclusion : Most of the abnormal CXR findings in KD patients were peribronchial cuffing. The abnormal CXR findings in KD patients did not mean severe inflammations. It is difficult to consider that CXR abnormalities are related to coronary arterial lesions. In addition, further study on the relationship between Mycoplasma infection and Kawasaki disease is needed.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2012

Purpose: We investigated the clinical presentation of febrile pediatric patients with acute pyelonephritis (APN) with a mixed urine culture from an aseptic urine sample, and compared with that of those with a single culture. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 95 patients diagnosed as APN with fever between January 2008 and October 2010 at Korea University Medical Center. We classified the patients with APN into two groups with a positive single culture (S group) and a positive mixed culture (M group) from an aseptic urine sample of suprapubic bladder aspiration or urethral catheterization and compared the fever duration, laboratory markers such as serum white blood cell (WBC) counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) values in peripheral blood, and the presence of hydronephrosis, renal scar and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) between the two groups (If presence of hydronephrosis, scar and VUR=1 and no=0). Results: Total pediatric patients with febrile APN were 95 patients, a positive S group was 89 patients and a positive M group was 6 patients. Fever duration (S vs. M, $4.7{\pm}3.1$ vs. $6{\pm}5.7$ days), serum WBC (S vs. M, $18,630{\pm}6,483$ vs. $20,153{\pm}7,660/{\mu}L$) and CRP (S vs. M, $100.6{\pm}2.46$ vs. $81.1{\pm}0.09\;mg/L$) values, and the presence of hydronephrosis, renal scar and VUR were not different between the two groups. Conclusion: Our data shows that there were no specific differences of clinical manifestation between a positive single urine culture and a positive mixed urine culture in pediatric APN. A mixed urine culture from an aseptic urine sample should be interpreted cautiously.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.37-49
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• 1982

Larvae of the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) were reared during the 5th instar on the four kinds of artificial diets on the basis of the different amounts of soybean meal used as the protein source. In this experiment it was shown that the various levels of protein in the diet affected not only the growth and silk production but the digestibility of the diet. haemolymph protein and uric acid excretion. The results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. By an increase of the level of protein in the diet the apparant digestibility was increased. but the protein digestibility was comparatively decreased. 2. Larval body weight increment was not observed by the 3rd day of the 5th instar, but was increased from the 4th day as the level of protein was increased in the diet. 3. After the 3rd day of the 5th instar, protein content in the hemolymph was increased steeply by an increase of the protein content in the diet. However, the percentage of hemolymph protein to the ingested protein was decreased from the 2nd day of the 5th instar and increased more or less after the 4th day. 4. An increase of the uric acid excretion was observed as the content of protein in the diet was increased but the pattern of the uric acid excretion was different between high and low-protein diet. However, the percentage of the uric acid excretion to the ingested protein and to the hemolymph protein were both decreased steeply after the 2nd day of the 5th instar. 5. It was also evident that the high-protein diet increased the cocoon productivity. 6. It showed that the feed efficiency for body weight increment and silk formation was high by an increase of the level of protein in the diet, but the protein efficiency was not.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.6
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• pp.1436-1447
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• 2020

Purpose To investigate the clinical and CT features at admission to predict the progression to necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) in patients initially diagnosed with interstitial edematous pancreatitis (IEP). Materials and Methods Patients with IEP who underwent contrast-enhanced CT at admission and follow-up CT (< 14 days) were included (n = 178). Two radiologists performed a consensus review of follow-up CT scans and diagnosed the type of acute pancreatitis as IEP or NP. Laboratory findings at admission were recorded. Clinical, CT, and laboratory findings were compared between the IEP-IEP group and IEP-NP group using the chi-square test and the t-test. Multivariate analysis was also performed. Results There were 112 and 66 patients in the IEP-IEP and the IEP-NP groups, respectively. The proportion of patients with alcohol etiology was significantly larger in the IEP-NP group. Among the CT findings, the presence of peripancreatic fluid and heterogeneous parenchymal enhancement were more frequently observed in the IEP-NP group. Among the laboratory variables, serum C-reactive protein levels and white blood cell counts were significantly higher in the IEP-NP group. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of peripancreatic fluid and heterogeneous parenchymal enhancement were significant findings distinguishing the two groups. Conclusion CT findings, such as the presence of peripancreatic fluid and heterogeneous pancreatic parenchymal enhancement, may be helpful in predicting the progression to NP in patients initially diagnosed with IEP.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2017

Purpose: We investigated the effectiveness of the delta neutrophil index (DNI) for the prediction of neonatal bacteremia and compared it to other indices. Methods: A total of 146 pediatric patients, aged less than 31 days, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Wonju Severance Christian Hospital with fever before or during hospitalization were enrolled in this study. We divided the patients into two groups based on the existence of neonatal bacteremia and performed blood culture tests on both groups. We examined white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, DNI, platelet count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) test. We used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate their diagnostic significance. Results: Seventy-seven patients were diagnosed with neonatal bacteremia. The mean gestational age was 38.74 weeks and the mean birth weight was 3.20 kg. The mean gestational age of the control group was 33.34 weeks and the mean birth weight was 2.20 kg. Causative organisms of bacteremia included Staphylococcus aureus (n=22), Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=18), and Streptococcus agalactiae (n=8). Both DNI and CRP were significantly associated with neonatal bacteremia after adjusting for gestational age and birth weight. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for DNI (0.70) was higher than that for CRP (0.68). Conclusions: The DNI can be used to effectively predict neonatal bacteremia. The prediction will be more accurate if DNI is used in conjunction with other indices. In future, it will be useful to compare DNI with other indices and investigate its relationship with prognosis.