• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2013

Purpose: Antidotes for toxicological emergencies can be life-saving. However, there is no nationwide stocking and delivery system for emergency antidotes in Korea. We report on a two-year experience of a nationwide stocking and delivery trial for emergency antidotes at emergency departments in Korea. Methods: An expert panel of clinical toxicologists reviewed and made a list of 15 stocked antidote. These antidotes were purchased or imported from other countries and delivered from 14 antidote stocking hospitals nationwide 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Results: From August 1, 2011 to April 30, 2013, 177 patients with acute poisoning, with a median age of 48.5 years, were administered emergency antidotes. The causes of poisoning were intentional in 52.0% and 88.0% were intentional as a suicide attempt. Regarding clinical severity, using the poisoning severity score, 40.7% of patients had severe to fatal poisoning and 39.0% had moderate poisoning according to clinical severity. The most frequent presenting symptom was neurologic deficit, such as altered mentality (62.7%). alerted mentality (62.7%). Emergency antidotes were administered as follows: methylene blue (49 cases), flumazenil (31), N-acetylcysteine (25), glucagon (17), 100% ethanol (15), cyanide antidote kit (12), anti-venin immunoglobulin (5), pyridoxine (4), hydroxocobalamine (2), and deferoxamine (1). The median time interval from antidote request to delivery at the patient's bedside was 95 minutes (interquartile range 58.8-125.8). Conclusion: Findings of this study demonstrated the possibility of successful operation of the nationwide system of emergency antidotes stocking and delivery in Korea.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.266-273
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• 2011

Although turmeric has numerous pharmacological effects, the poor water-solubility of curcuminoids, active components of turmeric, restricts their systemic availability in orally administered formulations and limits their therapeutic potential. In this study we attempted turmeric fermentation using several probiotic bacteria to improve its solubility, and also investigated the effects of turmeric and fermented turmeric on anti-inflammatory activity. Fermented turmeric, by L. johnsonii IDCC 9203, more strongly inhibited LPS-induced expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines than non-fermented turmeric and fermented turmeric by other probiotic strains. We used an NC/Nga mouse model for mite antigen-induced atopic dermatitis to examine the efficacy of the fermented turmeric. Fermented turmeric-fed mice exhibited a significantly reduced serum IgE level and mitigated acute inflammation. When the fermented turmeric was pre-treated by oral administration, it had more preventive activity against acute anaphylactic reaction than the non-fermented group. In addition, we observed that fermentation of turmeric leads to increased water-solubility of curcumin and a change in the active components ratios for bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycrucumin and curcumin. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that fermented turmeric by L. johnsonii IDCC 9203 could be used as a functional food ingredient for improving treatments for atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.23-35
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• 2005

Objective : The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on ST36 to modulate immune reaction in BALB/c mice immunized intraperitoneally with 2,4-dinitrophenylated keyhole limpet protein(DNP-KLH). Methods : Experimental mice were divided into four groups : 1) Normal group was not performed by any operation. 2) IM(Immunized) group was immunized intraperitoneally with DNP-KLH and aluminum hydroxide without electro-acupunture stimulation. 3) IM-EA(immunized-elctro- acupuncture) group was performed by successive electro-acupuncture on the ST36 acupoint after immunization. 4) IM-NA(immunized-naloxone) group was performed by immunization and electro-acupuncture with same method, but naloxone was injected intraperitoneally 30 minutes before eletro-acupuncture to inhibit the opiate receptor in spleen. Serum total immunoglobulin I(IgE) and antigen-specific IgE was measured in each group. The expression of interferon-${\gamma}$ and interleukin-4 mRNA in spleen was researched by real-time RT-PCR Results : Serum total-IgE and antigen-specific IgE were significantly decreased only in IM-EA group. The expression of interleukin-4 in spleen cell was significantly reduced not only in IM-EA group, but also in IM-EA group. Conclusions : Above results indicate that the mechanism of immunomodulatory effect of electro-acupuncture is related to opioid system especially in B-cell immune reaction. Further research on the T-cell immunity is necessary to explain the mechanism of immunomodulatory effect of electro-acupuncture.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.409-416
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• 2017

1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-${\beta}$-D-glucose (PGG) is a gallotannin isolated from Galla Rhois. In a previous study, PGG was shown to suppress the allergic response by attenuating immunoglobulin E production both in vitro and in vivo. However, the effect of PGG on bacteria-induced inflammation at physiological concentration remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PGG on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. PGG inhibited release of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ by alleviating protein expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, PGG suppressed the release of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ induced by LPS. Further study indicated that PGG blocked translocation of the p65 subunit of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ from the cytosol into the nucleus, which is one of the underlying mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory action of PGG. Collectively, these data suggest that PGG might be useful for the treatment of inflammatory disease.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.354-361
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• 2002

The aim of this study is to develop and establish rapid, convenient, and accurate method of analyzing salivary IgA against S. mutans semi-quantitatively. Relative salivary IgA titer was calculated as maximum dilution fold of S. mutans protein that was not detected by salivary antibody after measuring relative intensity of the immune blot bands by densitometry. Analyses were performed in caries-experienced and non-experienced children. Mean IgA titer of non-experienced group shows higher level than that of caries-experienced without statistical significance due to high individual variety of antibody titer in non-experienced group: $2^{6.278{\pm}2.260}$ in non-experienced group and $2^{5.730{\pm}0.499}$ in caries-experienced group(p=0.464). Those results suggest that naturally induced salivary IgA antibodies against S. mutans were present in all subjects, but high titer of antibodies were not achieved in caries-experienced group. On the contrary, antibody titer in non-experienced group shows marked individual variations suggesting that antibody production is multifactorial. In conclusion, immune-slot blot method developed in this study would be useful and applicable in semi-quantitative analysis of antibodies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.249-258
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• 2015

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the correlations between the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and cytokines among elementary school children in an industrial city, Ulsan, South Korea, and to identify major environmental risk factors associated with AR prevalence. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in June 2009 and February 2010 in order to evaluate the relationship between AR and related cytokines. Data on physician-treated prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors for AR were compiled through a questionnaire from a survey of 339 schoolchildren living in different urban environments. Logistic regression analysis was carried out with propensity score matched data (n=180) to assess the influences of cytokines (IL-13, IL-33, IL-4 and IL-5) on AR prevalence and to determine which environmental factors affected AR. Results: In univariate analysis, the AR prevalence was influenced by family history of AR (mother and siblings), environmental factors (odor condition and irritated symptoms of air pollution), and indoor allergens (D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus). The t-test demonstrated that eosinophils, Immunoglobulin E (IgE), and interleukins (IL-13 and IL-5) were statistically significantly different according to treatment of allergic rhinitis over the preceeding 12 months. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a statistically significant association between several factors (such as irritated symptoms of air pollution (OR 4.075, CI 1.735-9.568), IL-13 (OR 0.825, CI 0.734-0.928), odor condition (OR 2.409, CI 0.908-6.389), and AR history of siblings (OR 2.217, CI 0.999-4.921)) and the prevalence of AR was found after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: These results suggest that AR prevalence is significantly associated with cytokine level, genetic background, and outdoor environmental factors. Although living in a polluted area and genetic background can contribute to an increased risk of childhood AR, cytokine level should be considered as an important factor in the treatment of AR in the last 12 months.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.409-415
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementation of fermented wheat bran (FWB) on growth and blood characteristics in weaned pig. A total of 36 weaned pigs ($Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Duroc$; BW, $7.78{\pm}0.04kg$) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments with different FWB concentrations (0, 0.5, and 1.0%), and each treatment had 3 replicate pens with 4 pigs per pen. The FWB was obtained from a mixture of wheat bran and two microbes (Lactobacillus plantarum M10 and Saccaromyces cerevisiae) and was determined to contain $10.19{\pm}0.27log\;CFU/g$ of L. plantarum and $7.73{\pm}0.38log\;CFU/g$ of S. cerevisiae. Experimental diets were prepared by mixing 0 (control), 0.5, or 1.0% of the FWB to the basal diet, and fed to the weaned pigs for 7 weeks. During the experimental period, the pigs had access to the diet and water ad libitum. Feed intake increased significantly in the 1.0% FWB group compared to the control and 0.5% FWB groups (p < 0.05), whereas the other growth parameters were not different among the treatment groups. White blood cells and lymphocytes were significantly decreased in the FWB treatment groups compared to the control group, but other blood corpuscles were not different among the treatment groups (p < 0.05). The pigs fed 0.5% FWB showed greater serum IgG than the control and 1.0% FWB groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the FWB fed to weaned pigs did not negatively affect their growth performance, but rather reduced mortality by fortifying immunity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.618-623
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• 1995

Cryptococcosis is a systemic mycosis that most often involves the lungs and central nervous system and, less frequently, the skin, skeletal system, and prostate gland. Cryptococcus neoformans, the causative organism, is a yeastlike round or oval fungus, 4 to $6{\mu}m$ in diameter, which is surrounded by a polysaccharide capsule and reproduces by budding and found in soil and other environmental areas, especially those contaminated by pigeon droppings. Humans and animals acquire infection after inhalation of aerosolized spores. Condition or factors that predispose to cryptococcosis include corticosteroid therapy, lymphoreticular malignancies, HIV infection, and sarcoidosis etc. We discribed a case of cryptococcosis involving lung and CNS coincidently without specific underlying disease and the literature on subject were reviewed. A fifty-six year-old previously healthy female presented with headache of 3 months of duration. She had no history suggesting immunologic suppression and we could not find any abnormal laboratory findings including blood sugar, serum immunoglobulin and complement level, HIV antibody, and T cell subsets. Chest roentgenogram and CT scan showed a solitary soft tissue mass in LUL with distal pneumonitis. Brain MRI showed granulomatous lesion in cerebellum and parasagittal cortex of right frontal lobe. The diagnosis was made by bronchoscopic brushing cytology, transthoracic fine needle aspiration, and sputum KOH mount and culture. She was treated 6 weeks course of Amphotericin B and switched to oral fluconazole therapy for 3 months. Her symptoms and X-ray findings were improved gradually and she is now under regular clinical follow up.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1047-1053
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• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary Korean red pine bark extract as an antibiotic replacement on cecum microflora, immune functions, blood lipids, carcass characteristics, and growth performance in broiler chickens. There were four treatment groups: a control group, an antibiotic group, and two treatment groups receiving 65 and 80 ppm Korean red pine bark extract. Growth performance, carcass weight, dressing percentage, and breast and thigh muscle weight of the broiler chickens fed 80 ppm of red pine bark extract was higher than the broilers of the control group and the antibiotic group. Abdominal fat was lower in both groups of broiler chickens fed red pine bark extract, but the growth of immune organs such as the thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius was significantly higher in the group that received a diet supplemented with 80 ppm red pine bark extract than in the control group and antibiotic group. Concentrations of triacylglyceride and total cholesterol were significantly lower in both groups that received red pine bark extract when compared to the control group and the antibiotic group. The concentration of serum IgG was significantly higher in the 80 ppm red pine bark extract group than in the control group and the antibiotic group. The numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the cecum digesta were significantly increased, while the numbers of Escherichia coli and Salmonella were significantly reduced in the group that received 80 ppm red pine bark extract when compared to the control group and the antibiotic group. These results suggest that the a diet with 80 ppm Korean red pine bark extract as a replacement for antibiotics improve the cecum microflora, immune functions, blood lipids, carcass characteristics and growth performance of broiler chickens.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.628-634
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• 2003

Bronchiectasis is defined as an abnormal, irreversible dilatation of the bronchi, which may result from a number of possible causes, and the recognition of these causes may lead to a specific management strategy. Immunodeficiency is known as one of the conditions associated with bronchiectasis. X-linked agammaglobulinemia is a rare inheritable immunodeficiency disorder, caused by a differentiation block, leading almost to the complete absence of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. The affected protein is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase, Bruton's tyrosine kinase. The early detection and treatment with immunoglobulin replacement are most important for the management of recurrent infections and for reducing severe complications. We report a 20-year-old male patient, with X-linked agammaglobulinemia associated with bilateral bronchiectasis, carrying a missense mutation(R520P) in the BTK gene.