• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.349-352
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• 2012

A 94-year-old female with end-stage renal disease presents with fever, fatigue, and hematochezia. She had previously resided in Hunan Province, China, and Myanmar, and she immigrated to Taiwan 30 years ago. Colonoscopy revealed a colonic ulcer. Biopsy of the colonic ulcer showed ulceration of the colonic mucosa, and many Paragonimus westermani-like eggs were noted. Serum IgG antibody levels showed strong reactivity with P. westermani excretory-secretory antigens by ELISA. Intestinal paragonimiasis was thus diagnosed according to the morphology of the eggs and serologic finding. After treatment with praziquantel, hematochezia resolved. The present case illustrates the extreme manifestations encountered in severe intestinal paragonimiasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2001

Human toxocariasis is a helminthozoonosis due to the migration of Toxocara species larvae through human organism. Humans become infected by ingesting either embryonated eggs from soil (geophagia, pica), dirty hands or raw vegetables, or larvae from undercooked giblets. The diagnosis relies upon sensitive immunological methods (ELISA or western-blot) which use Toxocara excretory-secretory antigens . Seroprevalence is high in developed countries, especially in rural areas, and also in some tropical islands. The clinical spectrum of the disease comprises four syndromes, namely visceral larva migrans, ocular larva migrans, and the more recently recognized "common" (in adults) and "covert"(in children) pictures. Therapy of ocular toxocariasis is primarily based upon corticosteroids use, when visceral larva migrans and few cases of common or covert toxocariasis can be treated by anthelmintics whose the most efficient appeared to be diethylcarbamazine. When diagnosed , all of these syndromes require thorough prevention of recontamination (especially by deworming pets) and sanitary education.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.2 s.134
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• pp.65-67
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• 2005

The intestines and hearts of dogs were examined for Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, and Dirofilaria immitis, after necropsy between June 26 and September 29, 2004 in Chuncheon, Korea. Of the 662 dogs examined, 6 were infected with T. canis $(0.9\%),\;86\;with\;T.\;leonina\;(13.0\%)$. Fifty dogs were infected with D. immitis among 500 dogs examined $(10.0\%)$. Five were co-infected with T. canis and T. leonina, and three were co-infected with T. leonina and D. immitis. The cumulative positive infection rate for three species was $134/662(20.2\%)$. Considering previously reported seropositive rates of T. canis excretory-secretory antigen, i.e., $5\%$ in the adult population in Korea, the possibility of toxocariasis caused by T. leonina should be reevaluated.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.128-142
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• 1992

Ultrastructure of the poison secreting organ in the spiders, Agelena limbata Thorell and Nephila clavata L. Koch were studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopes. The venom glands located its secretory sac portion in cephalothorax and excretory duct in the fang of chelicera are one pair of simple alveolar glands composed of three kinds of basic tissues-outer spiral musculature, middle myoepithelium and inner glandular epithelium. The muscle cells of the venom gland junctioned with the motor nerve endings at neuromuscular contact area are composed of smooth muscle fibers, whereas the myoepithelial cells between the musculature and inner glandular epithelium have compact collagenous fibers within the cytoplasm. The glandular epithelial cells which arranged along the concentrical location are subdivided into basal light cells and apical dark cells according to electron densities of their cytoplasms.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.261-264
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• 2001

Trichinellosis is a parasitic zoonosis of public health importance. It is caused by Trichinella spiralis which has a wide host range including humans. In the present communication, the ELISA technique was employed on a total of 803 blood samples from 7 selected pig breeding farms in 1996 for diagnosis and surveillance of trichinellosis. Out of the entire 803 samples, nine were found to be suspected while one was positive by ELISA. But western blot analyses employed for further confirmation have shown that all of 10 samples did not react to larval excretory-secretory product antigens. These results indicate that pig breeding farms included in the present study are free from trichinellosis . However, it does not mean Korea is free from trichinellosis since human trichinellosis has recently been reported. The necessity of continued surveillance for trichinellosis in both pigs and wild animals was discussed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 1994

This study was designed to evaluate the humoral immune reactions in clonorchiasis before and after praziquantel treatment. Rabbits were infected with 150 or 450 metacercariae, treated on 4 and 8111 months after infection, and observed for 13 months of posttreatment. Infection controls were maintained for 22 months. Antigen was the metabolic product of worms incubated in physiologic saline. The immune reactions of anti-clonorchis IgG were observed using SDS-PAGE/immunoblot. During the Infection and Posttreatment, the antigenic Proteins of 66, 63, 54, 52, 50,47,42, 40, 38, 34,33,30, 27, 25, 23, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12.5 and 11.5 kDa were detected. Of them, 33,27, 13, and 12.5-kDa antigens were highly antigenic and observed predominently in infection controls. After the treatment, 13 and 12.5-kDa antigens faded in 6 months after the second treatment, but 33 and 27-kDa antigens were detected until 13 months of posttreatment. The results clearly demonstrate that 13 and 12.5-kDa antigens represent attenuated host immune reactions by praziquantel treatment. As the 12.5-kDa antigen had a large amount of protein in SDS-PAGE, it was designated as'K2-Ag'of C. sinenis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 2011

We have reported that a 24 kDa protein (22U homologous; As22U) of Anisakis simplex larvae could elicit several Th2-related chemokine gene expressions in the intestinal epithelial cell line which means that As22U may play a role as an allergen. In order to determine the contribution of As22U to allergic reactions, we treated mice with 6 times intra-nasal application of recombinant As22U (rAs22U). In the group challenged with rAs22U and ovalbumin (OVA), the number of eosinophils in the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was significantly increased, as compared to the group receiving only OVA. In addition, mice treated with rAs22U and OVA showed significantly increased airway hyperresponsiveness. Thus, severe inflammation around the airway and immune cell recruitment was observed in mice treated with rAs22U plus OVA. The levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 cytokines in the BALF increased significantly after treatment with rAs22U and OVA. Similarly, the levels of anti-OVA specific lgE and lgG1 increased in mice treated with rAs22U and OVA, compared to those treated only with OVA. The Gro-${\alpha}$ (CXCL1) gene expression in mouse lung epithelial cells increased instantly after treatment with rAs22U, and allergy-specific chemokines eotaxin (CCL11) and thymus-and-activation-regulated-chemokine (CCL17) gene expressions significantly increased at 6 hr after treatment. In conclusion, rAs22U may induce airway allergic inflammation, as the result of enhanced Th2 and Th17 responses.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.103-124
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• 1986

Since it has been suggested that atrial receptor may be involved in the mechanism of extracellular volume regulation, it was shown that the granularity of atrial cardiocytes can be changed by water and salt depletion, and that an extract of cardiac atrial tissue, when injected intravenously into anesthetized rats, was shown to cause a large and rapid increase in renal excretion of sodium. Various natriuretic peptides were isolated and synthetized, and the effects were investigated by many workers. Most studies, however, have been carried out under anesthesia and there have teen some controversies over direct effect of the factor on the renal function. Therefore, it was attempted in this study to access the effects of an atrial extract and a synthetic natriuretic factor in unanesthetized rabbits. Intrarenal arterial infusion of atrial extract caused a rapid increase of urinary volume and excretion of sodium. Glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow were both increased with no change in filtration fraction. The ventricular extract produced no change in urinary excretion of electrolytes, nor in renal hemodynamics. Intrarenal infusion of synthetic atrial natriuretic factor caused increases of renal excretory rate of sodium, chloride and potassium, and $FE_{Na}$. Glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow increased. And free water clearance also increased. Accentuated excretory function correlated well with increased glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow during infusion and for 10 minutes following the cessation of the infusion. Renin secretion rate decreased during constant infusion of atrial natriuretic factor. However, no correlation was found with the changes in glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, or urinary excretion of sodium. These results suggest that atrial extract or atrial natriuretic factor induces changes in renal hemodynamics, as in excretion of electrolytes either indirectly through hemodynamic changes or directly by inhibiting tubular reabsorption. At the same time, renin secretory function is affected by the factor possibly through an unknown mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.715-725
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• 1994

The ultrastructural investigations of the parotid gland of Korean native goat were carried out by transmission electron microscopy. The results were as follows; 1. The acini of parotid gland were composed of light and dark acinar cells. 2. In the light acinar cells, the secretory granules were classified into three types according to their electron densities and dense bodies. One type of granules was low electron density and had no dense bodies. Another type was low electron density and had dense bodies, and the other type was low electron density and had granular dense bodies. 3. The secretory granules of dark acinar cells showed high electron density and were also calssified into three types by dense bodies as the same way as in the light acinar cells. 4. The intercalated ducts consisted of simple cuboidal epithelium. The nuclei of epithelial cells were oval or round form, located at the central part, and had infolding nuclear membranes and one or two nucleoli. 5. The cells of both of the striated and excretory ducts were composed of light cells, dark cells, specific light cells and basal cells. 6. The nerve terminals were distinguished into two types. One had large granular synaptic vesicles, and another had small agranular synaptic vesicles.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 2000

We report 5 cases of ocular toxocariasis in Korean adults complaining of visual impairment along with floating or bubbling sensation. Fundoscopic examination revealed a retinal detachment along with exudate in 4 cases. They all showed typical reaction by ELISA and immunoblot against Toxocra excretory-secretory antigen. One case showed high level of anti-Toxocara IgE antibodies (34.000 Toxocara units/L) as well as increased level of serum total IgE antibodies and the specific IgE antibodies for 3 inhalant antigens, suggesting that high level of anti-Toxocara IgE antibodies was associated with an atopic status. Clinical manifestations were improved after the sequential use of steroids then mebendazole. We also suggest that ocular toxocariasis should be thoroughly investigated even when an evocative uniocular inflammatory lesion is encountered in peripheral retina without a systematic disease.