• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1919-1924
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• 2015

Polymorphisms in the region of the interleukin IL-28 gene on chromosome 19 have been related with clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major human pathogen responsible for chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. About 3% of the world's population is infected with HCV. The long-term response to therapy is influenced by many host and viral factors, and recent evidence has indicated that some host genetic polymorphisms related to IL-28 are the most powerful predictors of virological response in patients with HCV. This study assessed frequency of the IL-28 polymorphism (rs8099917) in 50 patients (39 men and 11 women) with chronic hepatitis C using ZNA probe real time PCR new method. All patients were tested for genotype of HCV and the HCV viral load. In parallel, the levels of SGOT, SGPT and ALK enzymes were assessed. Treatment using Peg-interferon alpha with ribavirin was conducted for patients and subsequently samples were collected to detect any change in viral load or liver enzyme rates. The overall frequency of the TT allele is 74%, TG allele 20% and GG allele 6% and the percent of patients who had T allele was 84%. Clear reduction in viral load and liver enzymes was reported in patients with the T allele. Especially for genotype 1 which is relatively resistant to treatment, these alleles may have a role in this decline. In conclusion, we showed that IL-28 polymorphism rs8099917 strongly predicts virological response in HCV infection and that real-time PCR with Zip nucleic acid probes is a sensitive, specific and rapid detection method for detection of SNPs which will be essential for monitoring patients undergoing antiviral therapy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.571-575
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• 2006

Mycobacterium avium has been traditionally described as an opportunistic organism that causes disseminated disease in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients and acts as a pulmonary pathogen in patients with underlying lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or previously treated tuberculosis. Infections caused by M. avium in immunocompetent hosts usually manifest as 2 distinct subtypes, the upper lobe cavitary form and the nodular bronchiectatic form. However endobronchial lesions due to M. avium infections in immunocompetent host are reasonably rare, and there are no reports of this condition in Korea. We report here a case of endobronchial lesions involved in an M. avium infection in an immunocompetent 21 year-old female patient with no preexisting lung disease.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.365-370
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• 2014

The intrinsic concepts of the three yin and three yang diseases in is unclear yet in spite of considerable controversy. In order to answer these problems, the structures of pathological transmission and anatomical terms used in the text were analyzed first. On these structural bases, the theoretical background and differential therapeutic principles of three yin and three yang disease classification. The organic structures frequently used in the text were heart, stomach, pancreas, blood chamber and urinary bladder, and the important regions in the transmission were chest, flank, epigastrium, abdomen, hypogastrium, groin on the other hand. When a host is invaded by extrinsic pathogen, an affinity is formed between the two based on the similarity of epidermal density condition and nutrient-defense features and existing disorders in the body. And then the symptoms show in 3 stages with 6 patterns in the general infective diseases. The initial stage is the period that the syndrome is limited in the external flesh area, and it mainly corresponds with taiyang bing besides the other exterior patterns of 3 yang and 2 yin bing. The middle stage is to the climax after the end of initial stage and it corresponds with mainly yangming bing including shaoyang and taiyin bing. In the terminal stage, the host gradually falls into exhaustive step or recovery phase, corresponding with shaoyin and jueyin bing. Conclusively, these dual meanings of three yang and yin should be a first guide and principle of treatment against various infective diseases.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2000

Worldwide, rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr. (anamorph, Pyricularia grisea Sacc.), is one of the most economically devastating crop diseases. Management of rice blast through the breeding of blast-resistant varieties has had only limited xuccess due to the frequent breakdown of resistance under field conditions (Bonman etal., 1992; Correa-Victoria and Zeigler, 1991; Kiyosawa, 1982). The frequent variation of race in pathogen populations has been proposed as the principal mechanism involved in the loss of resistance (Ou, 1980). Although it is generally accepted that race change in M. grisea occurs in nature, the degree of its variability has been a controversial subject. A number of studies have reported the appearance of new races at extremely high rates (Giatgong and Frederiksen, 1968; Ou and Ayad, 1968; Ou et al., 1970; Ou et al., 1971). Various potential mechanisms, including heterokaryosis (Suzuki, 1965), parasexual recombination (Genovesi and Magill, 1976), and aneuploidy (Kameswar Row et al., 1985; Ou, 1980), have been proposed to explain frequent race changes. In contrast, other studies have shown that although race change could occur, its frequency was much lower than that predicted by earlier studies (Bonman et al., 1987; Latterell and Rossi, 1986; Marchetti et al., 1976). Although questions about the frequency of race changes in M. grisea remain unanswered, the application of molecular genetic tools to study the fungus, ranging from its genes controlling host specificity to its population sturctures and dynamics, have begun to provide new insights into the potential mechanisms underlying race variation. In this review we aim to provide an overview on (a) the molecular basis of host specificity of M. grisea, (b) the population structure and dynamics of rice pathogens, and (c) the nature and mechanisms of genetic changes underpinning virulence variation in M. grisea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2017

Recently, host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) system has been successfully applied into development of resistant crops against insects, fungal and viral pathogens. To test HIGS-mediated resistance in rice against rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, we first tested possibility of movement of small non-coding RNA from rice cells to rice blast fungus. The rice blast fungus expressing GFP transgene were inoculated to transgenic rice plants ectopically expressing dsRNAi construct targeting fungal GFP gene. Expression of dsRNAi construct for GFP gene in transgenic plants significantly suppressed GFP expression in infected fungal cells indicating that small RNAs generated in plant cells can move into infected fungal cells and efficiently suppress the expression of fungal GFP gene. Consistent with these results, expression of dsRNAi constructs against 3 fungal pathogenic genes of M. oryzae in transgenic rice specifically and efficiently suppressed not only the expression of fungal pathogenic genes, but also fungal infection. The conidia of M. oryzae applied on leaf sheath of transgenic rice expressing dsRNAs against 3 fungal pathogenic genes showed abnormal development of primary hyphae and malfunction of appressorium, which is consistent with the phenotypes of corresponding fungal knock-out mutants. Taken these results together, here, we suggest a novel strategy for development of antifungal crops by means of HIGS system.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2010

Norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis in humans, is an important food-borne pathogen worldwide. In an effort to discover an antiviral substance against norovirus, extracts from several seaweeds were evaluated for antiviral activity against feline calicivirus (FCV), which was used as a surrogate. The methanolic extract of Undaria pinnatifida exhibited the most significant antiviral activity and virucidal efficacy against FCV. The concentrations of the extract that reduced viral replication by 50% ($EC_{50}$) and resulted in the death of 50% of the host cells ($CC_{50}$) were 0.05 mg/mL and 1.02 mg/mL, respectively. The selectivity index, calculated from the ratio of the $CC_{50}$ and $EC_{50}$ was 20.4. No FCV infection of host cells occurred following a 1-h incubation in the presence of 12.50 mg/mL U. pinnatifida extract, indicating that the virus was completely inactivated by the extract treatment. The results obtained in this study will contribute to the development of a natural antiviral substance that will prevent food-borne disease caused by norovirus.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.300-310
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• 2016

Pathogen infection in plants induces complex responses ranging from gene expression to metabolic processes in infected plants. In spite of many studies on biotic stress-related changes in host plants, little is known about the metabolic and phenotypic responses of the host plants to Pseudomonas cichorii infection based on image-based analysis. To investigate alterations in tomato plants according to disease severity, we inoculated plants with different cell densities of P. cichorii using dipping and syringe infiltration methods. High-dose inocula (${\geq}10^6cfu/ml$) induced evident necrotic lesions within one day that corresponded to bacterial growth in the infected tissues. Among the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters analyzed, changes in quantum yield of PSII (${\Phi}PSII$) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) preceded the appearance of visible symptoms, but maximum quantum efficiency of PSII ($F_v/F_m$) was altered well after symptom development. Visible/near infrared and chlorophyll fluorescence hyperspectral images detected changes before symptom appearance at low-density inoculation. The results of this study indicate that the P. cichorii infection severity can be detected by chlorophyll fluorescence assay and hyperspectral images prior to the onset of visible symptoms, indicating the feasibility of early detection of diseases. However, to detect disease development by hyperspectral imaging, more detailed protocols and analyses are necessary. Taken together, change in chlorophyll fluorescence is a good parameter for early detection of P. cichorii infection in tomato plants. In addition, image-based visualization of infection severity before visual damage appearance will contribute to effective management of plant diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 1981

Effect of environmental factors and host on the growth and outbreak of various ginseng diseases was reviewed Environmental lectors included hydrogen ion concentration, moisture content, temperature, nutrition, and microbiol populations. Age of the ginseng plants in relation to several ginseng disease occurrence was also included in order to formulate the effective control measure for ginseng diseases. Damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and Phytophthora, greymold by Botrytis, sclerotinia by Scleretinia, and phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora were usually prevalent during the early growing season of ginseng when temperature is below 20$^{\circ}C$, while anthrac se caused by Colletotrichum, alternaria blight by Alternaria, and bacterial soft rot by Erwinia were so during the latter growing season when temperature is above 25$^{\circ}C$. However, the root rot incited by Fnarium and Cylindrocarpon caused severe damages throughout the growing season. Growth range of the temperature for a pathogen was highly related to the corresponding disease outbreak. Hydrogen ion concentration was highly related to the outbreak of sclerotinia, root rot, and red rot. Most severe outbreak of those diseases where the soil acidity was pH 4.7, pH 6.5- 7.5, and pH6.0-6.5, respectively. Nitrogen content in the soil was also related to outbreak of root rot and red rot. More red rot occurred where NH,-nitrogen is above 30 ppm and more root rot obtained when excessive nitrogen fertilizer applied. Yellow necrosis apparently was related to magnesium especially its ratio with potassium or calcium content in a soil. Fusarium Population showed significant .relations to missing rate of ginseng Plants in a Implanting ginseng field, while that of total bacteria showed similar relations in all ginseng field, However, in six year old ginseng fields, the more the Streptomyces population was, the less the Fusarium obtained. Consequently, less missing rate observed in a field where Streptomyces population was high. Damping-off, root rot, Rhytophthor a blight were mose severe on the nursery and on 2-3 years old ginseng plants, whereas sclerotinia, and grey cod, alteraria blight, anthracnose were severe on 4-6 years old ginseng plants. Root rot caused by Fusarium and Erwinia, however, was also severe regardless of the age of the plants when the roots were injured. Therefore, for the effective control of ginseng root rot most careful control of the disease during the early year should be rendered.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.281-286
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• 2013

Salmonella Gallinarum (SG) is known as an important pathogen that causes fowl typhoid in chickens. To investigate SG outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) as a vaccine candidate, we used proteomic mapping and database analysis techniques with extracted OMPs. Also, extracted OMPs were evaluated in several aspects to their safety, immune response in their host and protective effects. Our research has established a proteomic map and database of immunogenic SG-OMPs used as inactive vaccine against salmonellosis in chickens. A total of 22 spots were detected by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunogenic protein analysis. Eight spots were identified by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight-Mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) and categorized into four different types of proteins. Among these proteins, OmpA is considered to be an immunogenic protein and involved in the hosts' immune system. To estimate the minimum safety dose in chickens, 35 brown layers were immunized with various concentrations of OMPs, respectively. Consequently, all chickens immunized with more than a $50{\mu}g$ dose were protected against challenges. Moreover, intramuscular administration of OMPs to chickens was more effective compared to subcutaneous administration. These results suggest that the adjuvanted SG-OMP vaccine not only induces both the humoral and cellular immune response in the host but also highly protects the hosts' exposed to virulent SG with $50{\mu}g$ OMPs extracted by our method.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.152-154
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• 2018

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, rod-shape bacterium causing disease in human and animal lungs. K. pneumoniae has been often found to gain antimicrobial resistance, thus it has been difficult to treat K. pneumoniae infection with antibiotics. For such infection, bacteriophage can provide an alternative approach for pathogenic bacterial infection with antimicrobial resistance, because of its sensitivity and specificity to the host bacteria. Bacteriophage KP1 was isolated in sewage and showed specific infectivity to K. pneumoniae. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae phage KP1. The draft genome of KP1 is 167,989 bp long, and the G + C content is 39.6%. The genome has 295 predicted ORFs and 14 tRNA genes. In addition, it encodes various enzymes which involve in lysis of the host cell such as lysozyme and holin.