• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.945-953
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• 1996

Background : Many acute and chronic lung diseases including pneumoconiosis are characterized by the presence of increased numbers of activated macrophages. These macrophages generate several inflammatory cell chemoattractants, by which neutrophil migrate from vascular compartment to the alveolar space. Recruited neutrophils secrete toxic oxygen radicals or proteolytic enzymes and induce inflammatory response. Continuing inflammatory response results in alteration of the pulmonary structure and irreversible fibrosis. Recently, a polypeptide with specific neutrophil chemotactic activity, interleukin-8(IL-8), has been cloned and isolated from a number of cells including : monocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts. IL-1 and/or TNF-${\alpha}$ preceded for the synthesis of IL-8, and we already observed high level of IL-1 and TNF-${\alpha}$ in the pneumoconioses. So we hypothesized that IL-8 may be a central role in the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis. In order to evaluate the clinical utility of IL-8 as a biomarker in the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, we investigated the increase of IL-8 in the pneumoconiotic patient and the correlation between IL-8 level and progression of pneumoconiosis. Method : We measured IL-8 in the serum of 48 patients with pneumoconiosis and 16 persons without dust exposure history as a control group. Pneumoconiotic cases were divided into 3 groups according to ILO Classification : suspicious group(n=16), small opacity group(n=16) and large opacity group(n=16). IL-8 was measured by a sandwich enzytne immunoassay technique. All data were expressed as the $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation. Results: 1) The mean value of age was higher in the small opacity and large opacity group than comparison group, but smoking history was even. Duration of dust exposure was not different among 3 pneumoconiosis groups. 2) IL-8 level was $70.50{\pm}53.63pg/m{\ell}$ in the suspicious group, $107.50{\pm}45.88pg/m{\ell}$ in the small opacity group, $132.50{\pm}73.47pg/m{\ell}$ in the large opacity group and $17.85{\pm}33.85pg/m{\ell}$ in the comparison group. IL-8 concentration in all pneumoconiosis group was significant higher than that in the comparison group(p<0.001). 3) IL-8 level tended to increase with the progression of pneumoconiosis. Multiple comparison test using Anova/Scheffe analysis showed a significant difference between suspicious group and large opacity group(p<0.05). 4) The level of IL-8 was correlated with the progression of pneumoconiosis(r=0.4199, p<0.05). Conclusion : IL-8 is thought to be a good biomarker for the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2012

To evaluate the effect of endocrine disruption chemicals (EDCs) to aquatic organisms, muddy loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) was exposed to low concentration methomyl for 21 days in order to identify the effect of biomarkers and endocrine. Vitellogenin (VTG) in blood plasma, which used widely as validated biomarker for endocrine disruption, was significantly greater in male fish exposed to 0.4 mg/L and 2 mg/L methomyl, and in female fish exposed to 0.08 mg/L, 0.4 mg/L, and 2 mg/L methomyl for 21 days (p<0.05). This results suggest that methomyl have probability of endocrine disruption to organism on aquatic system. While inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and increase of DNA damage in comet assay were verified by fish exposed to methomyl, change of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was not occurred, comparing the control group (p<0.05). Indicators at the level of organism such as condition factor (CF), hepato-somatic index (HSI), and gonado-somatic index (GSI) were not influenced by exposure of methomyl. In conclusion, these results showed the possibility of methomyl in regard to not only endocrine disruption but also impacts on biochemical biomarkers to aquatic organisms.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2000

Carcinogen-DNA adduct analysis has potential for biomonitoring the earliest effects of exposure to many chemical carcinogens. They are the covalent reaction products of electrophiles and nucleophilic sites on DNA and the initial damage to DNA induced by many carcinogens. So many researchers begin to use them as biomarker for monitoring the earliest exposure of carcinogens and develop the effective analytical techniques about them. Randerath, Gupta and coworkers(1981, 1982) has also developed a $^{32}P$-postlabelling method as one among them. A major project for biomonitoring workers with carcinogen-DNA adducts is to develop non-invasive samples instead of tissues of target organs such as baldder and lung. This study use the exfoliated urothelial cells in urine for examine benzidine-DNA adducts. The content of exfoliated urothelial cells is not enough to significantly measure DNA content with spectrophotometer, and require the another way. So firstly washing the collected cells with PBS and 70% ethanol and centrifuge them for removing the crystals in urine, which block the isolation of DNA adducts. And then, measure the total nucleotide after $^{32}P$-postlabelling for calculating RAL. $[{\gamma}-^{32}P]ATP$ using for $^{32}P$-postlabelling, can synthesize with $[^{32}P]H_3PO_4$, and reagent and enzyme mixture (RM, EM), which is very economic in case of requiring a lot of them. Chromatography was composed of two steps. First step was to separate adduct ones from unadducted nucleotide, and secondary step was separate each adduct, which were performed with 4 kinds of solvents and different directions on TLC. With this procedure, we measure the DNA adducts in exfoliated urothelial cells of workers who were employed in benzidine and benzidine-dye company. RAL of adducts were $89.0{\times}10^7$ and $57.0{\times}10^7$ in them. In conclusion, we can significantly measure the DNA adduct in exfoliated urothelial cells by using the above $^{32}P$-postlabelling procedures, and use them to be biomonitoring workers who exposed carcinogens.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.853-860
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• 2011

We measured blood plasma parameters(cortisol, glucose, albumin) and glucocorticoid receptor(GCR) gene expression level of the Japanese eel(Anguilla japonica) exposed to an explosion noise for an hour in order to evaluate the effects of noise stress and to explore the possibility of these parameters as biomarkers on noise stress for one of this valuable aquaculture species. Plasma cortisol and glucose reached high levels with significant differences compared to the control group, whereas albumin showed a low value after 1 h of exposure. In addition, tissue distribution of GCR gene expression was studied by real-time RT-PCR of ten organs(brain, eye, gill, gonad, heart, intestine, kidney, liver, muscle and skin). Liver showed the highest level of expression in the control followed by gill, muscle and intestine. A time-course study revealed induction in liver, gill, muscle and intestine after 30 min or 1 h of noise exposure.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1173-1176
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• 2008

Individuals who regularly consume excessive quantities of alcohol are at a greater risk of developing various cancers such as esophageal, pharyngeal and lung cancers compared to normal populations if they are deficient in ALDH2 enzyme activity. We evaluated oxidative DNA damage in the liver, brain, and lung tissues of Aldh2 +/+ and Aldh2 -/- mice after they had been subjected to acute ethanol exposure. The 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level in each tissue was evaluated as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. The 8-OHdG level in the liver, brain, and lung tissues was significantly increased following ethanol treatment. In addition, the level of 8-OHdG in the liver and lung tissues was affected by ALDH2 enzyme activity. This result suggests that ALDH2-deficient individuals may be more susceptible than wild-type ALDH2 individuals to ethanol-mediated diseases, including cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.63-78
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tributyltin (TBT) on histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the digestive gland structure of the equilateral venus, Gomphina veneriformis. Experimental period was 36 weeks. Experimental groups consist of control condition and 3 TBTCl exposure conditions (0.4, 0.6, $0.8\;TBTC\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$). Outer envelop of the visceral mass of G. veneriformis exposed to TBTCl was observed disappearance of microvilli and cilia, decrease of mucous cell and partially destruction of epithelium. In the digestive gland showed an increase of number of hemocyte and mucopolysaccaride near the digestive tubule at early time of the exposure. Especially, in $0.8\;TBTC\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ group, collapse of digestive tubule with modification of epithelium was observed. TEM observation revealed the numerous glycogen granules in epithelium of the outer envelop and connective tissue. In the ciliated cell of the primary duct formed the cilia in cytoplasm. Basophilic cell was observed destruction of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Also, nucleus in the epithelium of the digestive tubule was disappeared heterochromatin and nucleolus, and condense. As the concentration of TBTCl increased, the accumulation of lipofucin increased in the digestive gland, but the collapse of digestive tubule induced a decrease of accumulation of lipofuscin.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.492-501
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of self-reported cigarette smoking status and investigate factors associated with the accuracy self-reported and measured urinary cotinine in Korean adults. Methods: We used data from the $1^{st}$ Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2009-2011) among adults aged ${\geq}19$ years (N=6,246). The survey examined self-reported smoking status, and urinary cotinine was regarded as the biomarker of exposure to tobacco smoke. Urinary cotinine was analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS version 20.0, which uses the sample weight and calculates variance estimates to adjust for the unequal probability of selection into the survey. Results: We calculated a cut-off point (53.3 ug/L) by using a ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve. The smoking prevalence was 24.6% based on self-reported data and 28.2% based on urinary cotinine concentrations. When we assessed the agreement between self-reported and urinary cotinine, we found an average agreement of 97.7% among self-reported smokers and 94.5% among self-reported non-smokers. Among self-reported smokers, factors affected the discrepancy were age, household economic status and average number of cigarettes smoked per day. On the other hand, gender, former smoking experience, and exposure to SHS (second hand smoke) were associated with discrepancies among self-reported non-smokers. Conclusion: These results suggest that self-reported data on smoking status provide a valid estimate of actual smoking status. In future research, we will conduct a continuous monitoring study for reliability verification of the data to reduce potential interpretation errors.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2013

Licorice, Glycyrrhizae radix, is one of the oldest and most frequently used botanicals in the oriental medicine. Our previous study showed that dehydrolyasperin C (DGC) isolated from licorice had antioxidant activity and induced phase 2 detoxifying enzymes in mouse hepatoma cells. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of exposure time to DGC on quinone reductase (QR), one of the anticarcinogenic biomarkers, and antioxidant potential of plasma using animal model. ICR mice were divided into 7 groups, in which mice in each group were injected with DGC (5 mg/kg b.w.) for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 hours respectively. Following the treatment the organs including liver, kidney, lung, stomach, large intestine, small and large intestines were collected and subjected to QR activity assay, western blotting, and FRAP assay. Exposure to DGC caused a significant induction of QR activity in stomach and large intestine of mice. Ferric reducing activity of plasma, a typical biomarker for antioxidative potentialshowed that DGC improved antioxidant potential in mice. However, no significant effect of DGC was observed in the other organs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.784-788
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• 2001

Reliable data on the exposure of capsaicin, which evokes hot sensation in hot red pepper, are important prerequisites for studying biological functions of capsaicin in human body since its roles are controversial according to animal and epidemiological studies. To get accurate data, the use of urinary biomarkers was considered as a measure of internal exposure of capsaicin. After 2-day-capsaicin depletion five to six women in their 20's were instructed to eat 60 or 80 g/day hot red pepper soybean paste as a capsaicin source with meal which did not contain capsaicinoid, and to collect their urine separately. HPLC conditions were set to detect capsaicinoid and urinary metabolites at the same time. Most of capsaicinoid were excreted in the form of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid in three subjects at the highest dose. This result suggests the oxidation of the 4-hydroxy3-methoxybenzaldehyde, the hydrolysis product of capsaicin, is the major metabolic pathway in the human body, whereas the reduction of the aldehyde is the major route in rats. However, neither any metabolite nor the parent compound was ever shown in two of the subjects reflecting large individual differences of capsaicin absorption and/or biotransformation.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 2002

This study was carried out to measure the in vitro interaction of trialkyltin with the microsomal monooxygenase (MFO) system of the clam, Coelomactra antiquata. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) level and 7-ethonvesorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity were invetigated in the microsome isolated from digestive gland of the clam (C. antiquata) exposed to tributyltin chloride (TBTC), bis-tributyltinoxide (TBTO) and triphenyltin chloride (TPTC). The specific contents of CYP in clam microsome exposedto 0.4 mM TBTC, TBTO and TPTC for 20 minutes were decreased 52, 72 and $40\%$, respectively, compared to control group. The EROD activities also were inhibited by exposure to TBTO ($92\%$) and TPTC ($85\%$) except for TBTC, The level of CYP and the EROD actintles were decreased according to the OTC exposure concentrations. The toxic effects on the level of CYP and the EROD activities were in order of TPTC>TBTC>TBTO in this study. The measurement of CYP level and EROD activity could be applied as a biomarker for environmental study.