• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.286-292
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chronical exposure to high-level dusts on cellular immune function. Methods: The subjects were 110 male workers, among whom 60 were chronically exposed to high-level dusts in mica, limestone and iron mines. The remaining 50 were office workers. Ambient total, respirable dust and crystalline silica in the workplace were sampled using personal air samplers and analyzed according to NIOSH method 0500. Serum levels of hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxide and superoxide misutase activity were measured using absorption chromatography. The subpopulations of CD4+, CD8+, natural killer cells (CD16+) and CD3+ T-lymphocytes were examined by two-color staining using monoclonal antibodies. Results: The concentration of hydrogen peroxide was significantly higher in exposed workers and superoxide dismutase activity was significantly higher in control workers. No significant difference in numbers of T-lymphocyte subpopulations were observed between exposed and control workers. A significant correlation in exposed workers was observed among total dusts, respirable dusts and crystalline silica. Hydrogen peroxide was significantly correlated with total dust (r=0.720, p<0.01), respirable dust (r=0.770, p<0.01) and crystalline silica (r=0.678, p<0.01). Concentration of hydrogen peroxide showed a significantly negative correlation with numbers of CD8+ cells (r=-0.274, p<0.01), CD3+ cells (r=-0.222, p<0.01) and natural killer cells (r=-0.556, p<0.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that chronical exposure to high-level dust affects cellular immune function and effects might mediate through reactive oxygen species and inflammatory response.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 1990

This study was undertaken to evaluate the immune responses to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) and potential anti-tumor effect of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in the mice bearing rumor induced by DMBA. The frequencies of tumor appearances were 62% in DMBA-treated mice and 14% in DMBA and BCG-treated group, respectively. Cellular immune response such as delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to SRBCs, natural killer (NK) cell activity and antigen-binding cell (ABC) assay were decreased apparently in the tumor bearing mice compared to the normal controls. Humoral immune responses such as hemagglutinin (HA) and hemolysin (HE) were noted to be reduced in the tumor bearing mice, but the spleen index increased in tumor bearing mice. All the immunological parameters in the DMBA and BCG-group appeared to be higher than those of only DMBA-treated group. These results indicated that DMBA-induced tumor suppressed host immune responses. Also, they imply the idea that BCG enhanced the immune responses of tumor-bearing host and antitumor effects.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.439-452
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• 2005

Zinc is ubiquitous in all living cells. Structural and catalytic properties of cellular enzymes are zinc dependent. Zinc deficiency leads to a variety of pathological abnormalities with immune impairment. It is an established fact that nutritional status contributes to overall immune response of individuals. Outcome of zinc deficiency on immune system is so drastic that it is difficult to conceive at the first instance. Zinc supplementation has been advocated to prevent diarrheal disease in children with poor nutritional status. The bioavailability of zinc depends upon its sources. Moreover it varies between monogastrics and ruminants. Controversy still prevails between inorganic and organic sources of zinc with respect to their superiority in bioavailability. Zinc exerts immunostimulatory effects in various laboratory and farm animals. Animals having congenital zinc deficiency diseases like A46 lethal trait usually die due to impairment of the immune system unless treated with zinc. The immune mechanism of zinc and its effect on animals and man are discussed. Zinc has been considered as extremely safe at higher therapeutic doses, but does not provide any beneficial effect but rather may cause immunosuppression. More recently, zinc has been prescribed for immunodeficient hosts, to modulate the immune system so that to a certain extent it can combat against opportunistic pathogens.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.343-349
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• 2010

The effects of osmotic stress on the non-specific immune response of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, were investigated. Osmoregulatory mechanism of tilapia has been studied, but less information is available about innate immune response of O. niloticus faced with hyperosmolality. Acute osmotic stress was elicited by transferring tilapia from freshwater (FW) to 24 psu seawater (SW). Non-specific immune parameters including lysozyme activities of plasma and head kidney (HK), alternative complement pathway (ACP) activity in plasma, phagocytic capacities of spleen and HK immune cells, and respiratory burst activity of immune cells in both HK and spleen were analyzed. Lysozyme activities were increased at 1 h and 30 h after transfer to SW, but decreased at 10 h after SW transfer. Conversely, ACP activity increased 10 h after SW transfer. Phagocytic capacity increased slightly at 1 h and 5 h after SW transfer, and respiratory burst activity showed an increase in superoxide release at 10 h after SW transfer. Taken together, these results indicate that the exposure of tilapia to hyperosmotic conditions has immunostimulatory effects on cellular and humoral immune reactions.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.497-506
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• 2010

Vaccine is a protective clinical measure capable of persuading immune system against infectious agents. Vaccine can be categorized as live attenuated and inactivated. Live attenuated vaccines activate immunity similar to natural infection by replicating living organisms whereas inactivated vaccines are either whole cell vaccines, eliciting immune response by killed organisms,or subunit vaccines, stimulating immunity by non-replicating sub cellular parts. The components of vaccine play a critical role in deciding the immune response mediated by the vaccine. The innate immune responds against the antigen component. Adjuvants represent an importantcomponent of vaccine for enhancing the immunogenicity of the antigens. Subunit vaccines with isolated fractions of killed and recombinant antigens are mostly co-administered with adjuvants. The delivery system of the vaccine is another essential component to ensurethat vaccine is delivered to the right target with right dosage form. Furthermore, vaccine delivery system ensures that the desired immune response is achieved by manipulating the optimal interaction of vaccine and adjuvantwith the immune cell. The aforementioned components along with routes of administration of vaccine are the key elements of a successful vaccination procedure. Vaccines can be administered either orally or by parenteral routes. Many groups had made remarkable efforts for the development of new vaccine and delivery system. The emergence of new vaccine delivery system may lead to pursue the immunization goals with better clinical practices.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.265-276
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• 2014

The interactions between B7 molecules and CD28-family receptors are crucial in the regulation of adaptive cellular immunity. In cancer, the aberrant expression of co-inhibitory B7 molecules has been attributed to reduced anti-tumor immunity and cancer immune evasion, prompting the development of cancer therapeutics that can restore T cell function. Murine tumor models have provided significant support for the targeting of multiple immune checkpoints involving CTLA-4, PD-1, ICOS, B7-H3 and B7-H4 during tumor growth, and clinical studies investigating the therapeutic effects of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade have shown exceptionally promising results in patients with advanced melanoma and other cancers. The expression pattern of co-inhibitory B7 ligands in the tumor microenvironment has also been largely correlated with poor patient prognosis, and recent evidence suggests that the presence of several B7 molecules may predict the responsiveness of immunotherapies that rely on pre-existing tumor-associated immune responses. While monotherapies blocking T cell co-inhibition have beneficial effects in reducing tumor burden, combinatorial immunotherapy targeting multiple immune checkpoints involved in various stages of the anti-tumor response has led to the most substantial impact on tumor reduction. In this review, we will examine the contributions of B7- and CD28-family members in the context of cancer development, and discuss the implications of current human findings in cancer immunotherapy.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.335-341
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• 2021

Zinc is an essential micronutrient with crucial roles in multiple facets of biological processes. Dysregulated zinc homeostasis impairs overall immune function and resultantly increases susceptibility to infection. Clinically, zinc supplementation is practiced for treatment of several infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and malaria. Recent focus on zinc as a beneficial element for immune system support has resulted in investigation of the immunomodulatory roles of zinc in a variety of immune cells. Besides its classical role as a cofactor that regulates the structural function of thousands of proteins, accumulating evidence suggests that zinc also acts, in a manner similar to calcium, as an ionic regulator of immune responses via participation as an intracellular messenger in signaling pathways. In this review, we focus on the role of zinc as a signaling molecule in major pathways such as those downstream of Toll-like receptors-, T cell receptor-, and cytokine-mediated signal transduction that regulate the activity and function of monocytes/macrophages and T cells, principal players in the innate and adaptive immune systems.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.10.1-10.17
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• 2022

Systemic autoimmune diseases arise from loss of self-tolerance and immune homeostasis between effector and regulator functions. There are many therapeutic modalities for autoimmune diseases ranging from conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and immunosuppressants exerting nonspecific immune suppression to targeted agents including biologic agents and small molecule inhibitors aiming at specific cytokines and intracellular signal pathways. However, such current therapeutic strategies can rarely induce recovery of immune tolerance in autoimmune disease patients. To overcome limitations of conventional treatment modalities, novel approaches using specific cell populations with immune-regulatory properties have been attempted to attenuate autoimmunity. Recently progressed biotechnologies enable sufficient in vitro expansion and proper manipulation of such 'tolerogenic' cell populations to be considered for clinical application. We introduce 3 representative cell types with immunosuppressive features, including mesenchymal stromal cells, Tregs, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Their cellular definitions, characteristics, mechanisms of immune regulation, and recent data about preclinical and clinical studies in systemic autoimmune diseases are reviewed here. Challenges and limitations of each cell therapy are also addressed.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.141-151
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• 2010

1. Objectives: Three herbal formulas (Yuldahanso-tang, Chungsimyonja-tang, and Taeeumjowi-tang) for Taeeumin were applied to investigate the immunological activities on antigen (Ag)-specific or Ag-non-specific immune responses in murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. 2. Methods: This study was carried out in nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells and cellular proliferation in mouse splenocytes according to three herbal formulas. C57BL/6 mice were immunized intraperitonially with OVA/aluminium ($100\;{\mu}g/200\;{\mu}g$/mouse) on day 1, 8, and 15. Three herbal formulas were administrated to mice orally for 3 weeks from day 1. On day 22, OVA-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, and concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation and antibodies (OVA-specific antibodies of the IgG, IgG1, and total IgM classes) in plasma were measured. 3. Results: Yuldahanso-tang and Chungsimyonja-tang increased NO synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells. Three herbal formulas significantly enhanced cellular proliferation by LPS and Con A in splenocytes from OVA-immunized mice (p<.001). Three herbal formulas for Taeeumin also significantly enhanced plasma OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, and total IgM levels compared with the OVA/Alum group. 4. Conclusion: These results suggested that three herbal formulas for Taeeumin could be used as stimulator of immune response.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.112-123
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• 2010

Objectives: Three yin-tonifying formulae (Ssanghwa-tang, Yukmijihwang-tang and Jaeumganghwa-tang) were applied to investigate their immunological activities on antigen (Ag)-specific or Ag-non-specific immune responses in the murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and in ovalbumin (OVA)-immunized mice. Methods: This study was carried out in nitricoxide (NO) synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells and cellular proliferation in mouse splenocytes in association with three herbal formulas. C57BL/6 mice were immunized intraperitoneally with OVA/aluminum ($100\;{\mu}g/200\;{\mu}g$/mouse) on days 1, 8, and 15. Three herbal formulas were administrated to mice orally for 3 weeks from day 1. On day 22, OVA-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, and concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenocyte proliferation and antibodies (OVA-specific antibodies of the IgG, IgG1, and total IgM classes) in plasma were measured. Results: All three yin-tonifying formulas significantly enhanced cellular proliferation by LPS and Con A in splenocytes from OVA-immunized mice (p<0.001). Also, these herbal formulas all significantly enhanced plasma OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, and total IgM levels compared with the OVA/Alum group. Conclusion: These results suggested that the three yin-tonifying formulae could be used as stimulators of immune response.