• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.127-133
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• 2011

The Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) is one of the major genomic resources for human genetics and immunological studies. Use of LCLs is currently extended to pharmacogenetic studies to investigate variations in human gene expression as well as drug responses between individuals. We evaluated four common internal controls for gene expression analysis of selected hematopoietic transcriptional regulatory genes between B cells and LCLs. In this study, the expression pattern analyses showed that TBP (TATA box-binding protein) is a suitable internal control for normalization, whereas GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) is not a good internal control for gene expression analyses of hematopoiesis-related genes between B cells and LCLs at different subculture passages. Using the TBP normalizer, we found significant gene expression changes in selected hematopoietic transcriptional regulatory genes (downregulation of RUNX1, RUNX3, CBFB, TLE1, and NOTCH2 ; upregulation of MSC and PLAGL2) between B cells and LCLs at different passage numbers. These results suggest that these hematopoietic transcriptional regulatory genes are potential cellular targets of EBV infection, contributing to EBV-mediated B-cell transformation and LCL immortalization.

• BMB Reports
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• 제53권8호
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• pp.400-412
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• 2020

The world has witnessed unimaginable damage from the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Because the pandemic is growing rapidly, it is important to consider diverse treatment options to effectively treat people worldwide. Since the immune system is at the hub of the infection, it is essential to regulate the dynamic balance in order to prevent the overexaggerated immune responses that subsequently result in multiorgan damage. The use of stem cells as treatment options has gained tremendous momentum in the past decade. The revolutionary measures in science have brought to the world mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) as therapeutic opportunities for various diseases. The MSCs and MSC-Exos have immunomodulatory functions; they can be used as therapy to strike a balance in the immune cells of patients with COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the basics of the cytokine storm in COVID-19, MSCs, and MSC-derived exosomes and the potential and stem-cell-based ongoing clinical trials for COVID-19.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.83-89
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• 2020

목적: A군 사슬알균은 소아 환자들에 있어서 흔한 감염원으로 다양한 임상양상을 보인다. 급성편도염이나 피부 및 연조직 감염이 흔하며 상당한 이환율과 사망률을 동반하는 혈류감염 또한 발생할 수 있다. 본 연구는 국내 소아 A군 사슬알균 혈류감염 환자들의 임상양상과 치료 결과를 확인하고자 하였다. 방법: 이 연구는 단일기관의 후향적 연구로, 2000년 1월부터 2016년 12월까지 A군 사슬알균 혈류감염으로 입원치료 받은 18세 이하 소아 환자들을 대상으로 하였다. 균혈증 발생시 임상양상, 기저질환, 중환자실 치료 여부, 그리고 균주의 항생제 감수성을 조사하였다. 결과: 19명에서 A군 사슬알균 혈류감염이 확인되었다. 10명(53%)이 남자였으며 연령의 중앙값은 7.4세였다(범위, 0.3-17.4세). 14명(74%)의 환자들이 만성 기저질환을 가지고 있었다. 5명(26%)은 면역저하(백혈병 및 만성신질환) 환자였다. 8명(42%)이 림프낭종, 혈관종, 정맥 기형 등 림프관 및 혈관 기형이 있었으며 그 중 7명은 발열과 병변부 국소 염증소견이 있었다. 3명(16%)의 환자들에게 폐렴이 발생했고 이 중 2명은 인공호흡기 치료를 받았다. 환자들의 30일째 사망률은 6% (1/19)였으며 해당 환자는 균혈증을 동반한 폐렴으로 사망하였다. 모든 검출된 A군 사슬알균은 페니실린에 감수성을 보였다. 15균주(79%)는 에리스로마이신과 클린다마이신에 감수성을 보였다. 결론: 본 연구에서 A군 사슬알균 혈류감염이 발생한 소아 환자들의 임상양상을 분석하였다. A군 사슬알균은 소아에 있어 균혈증을 유발할 수 있는 심각한 감염의 원인균으로 고려가 필요하다.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.23-28
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• 2007

Objectives : Chronic infections with hepatitis B or C and alcoholic cirrhosis are three well-known major risk factors for liver cancer. Diabetes has also been suggested as a potential risk factor. However, the findings of previous studies have been controversial in terms of the causal association. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum glucose levels and liver cancer development in a Korean cohort. Methods : Thirty-six liver cancer cases were identified in the Korean Multi-Center Cancer Cohort (KMCC). Baseline information on lifestyle characteristics was obtained via questionnaire. Serum glucose levels were measured at the study's enrollment. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. The adjusting variables included age, gender, smoking history, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity. Results : The RRs of serum glucose for liver caner were 1.20 (95% CI = 0.48-2.99) for the category of 100 to 125 mg/dL of serum glucose and 2.77 (95% CI = 1.24-6.18) for the >126 mg/dL serum glucose category (both compared to the <100 mg/dL category). In a subgroup analysis, the RR of serum glucose among those who were both HBsAg seronegative and non-drinkers was 4.46 (95% CI = 1.09-18.28) for those with glucose levels >100 mg/dL. Conclusions : The results of this study suggest that a high level of serum glucose can increase liver cancer risk independently of hepatitis infection and drinking history in Koreans. This study implies that glucose intolerance may be an independent risk factor for liver cancer.

• 한국식품영양학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.73-78
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• 2016

Propolis possesses antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anaesthetic and immunostimulating activities. The aim of this study was to evaluated chemical composition and in vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of eight propolis ethanolic extracts form different region in Korea. The chemical composition of eight Korean propolis was investicated by absorption spectrophotomety and UHPLC. Total penolic and total flavonoids content ranged between $21{\pm}1.5$ and $31{\pm}1.8$ gallic acid g/100 g and $7.2{\pm}0.9$ and $24.4{\pm}1.9$ quercetin g/100 g, respectively. The p-coumaric acid as standard components content ranged between $0.29{\pm}0.00$ and $2.34{\pm}0.02mg/g$ using UHPLC. Cinnamic acid content between $0.43{\pm}0.00$ and $1.33{\pm}0.01mg/g$. 80% ethanolic extract of propolis against H. pylori was evaluated by using the disc diffusion method. Ethanol was used as a control. Mean diameters of H. pylori growth inhibition using $10{\mu}g/mL$, $50{\mu}g/mL$ or $100{\mu}g/mL$ ethanol propolis per disc were 0, ranging from 0.9 to 2.1 mm and from 1.9 to 3.5 mm, respectively. In conclusion, variation in the chemical composition of Korean propolis were mainly due to the difference in the preferred regional plants visited by honeybees. Also Korean propolis possesses considerable antibacterial activity against H. pylori. There was not confirmed a correlation between the chemical composion contens and anti-H. pylori effect. The potential of propolis in the prevention or treatment of H. pylori infection is worth further extensive evaluation.

• 식물병연구
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.41-47
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• 2010

고추 역병이 발생한 충주, 안면, 태안, 안동, 음성 그리고 괴산지역의 고추밭 토양에서 전체 10,753균주의 저영양 미생불을 분리하였다. 이들 중 Phytophthora capsid를 포함하여 식불체의 주요 병원성 곰팡이에 대해 길항작용을 보이는 균주들을 일차적으로 선발하였다. 최종적으로는 온실 고추유묘 검정을 통해 고추 역병에 대해 탁월한 방제가를 보이는 7F 균추가 선발되었다. 이 균주는 16SrDNA염기서열 분석과 API20 NE 키트를 통한 생리, 생화학적 분석을 통하여 Bacillus subtilis로 동정 되었다. 고추 역병균 포자를 처리한 고추 유묘 화분 검정에서, 처리25일 후 대조구는 고추 역병 이병 비율이 87%에 이르는 반면에 7F 균주를 처리한 처리구에서는 단지 6%의 이병율을 보였다.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제41권5호
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• pp.362-368
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• 2008

항진균성 활성을 가지는 저영양세균을 분리하기 위하여 토양시료는 경북 영양, 충북 제천, 충북 음성, 충북 괴산, 충남 논산 등지의 고추 밭에서 수집하였고 R2A배지를 이용하여 평판희석법으로 9,354여 균주의 저영양세균을 분리하였다. 분리된 저영양세균중 고추역병에 강한 활성을 가지는 1A 균주를 선발 하였으며 16S rDNA 와 표준균주(B. vallismortis, B. mojavensis)를 이용한 생리, 생화학적 실험으로 B. vallismortis로 최종동정 되었다. 1A균주는 Magnaporthe 균을 제외하고 Phytophthora, Collectotrichum, Botrytis, Fusarium 균등에서 폭넓게 강한 활성을 나타내었다. 고추 유묘검정에서 대조구가 89%정도의 발병율을 보인 반면에 1A 처리구에서는 29%의 발병율을 나타내어 고추역병의 길항균으로써의 미생물제제 가능성이 있는 것으로 판단된다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권12호
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• pp.1657-1667
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• 2010

Direct-fed microbials (DFM) are dietary supplements that inhibit gastrointestinal infection and provide optimally regulated microbial environments in the digestive tract. As the use of antibiotics in ruminant feeds has been banned, DFM have been emphasized as antimicrobial replacements. Microorganisms that are used in DFM for ruminants may be classified as lactic acid producing bacteria (LAB), lactic acid utilizing bacteria (LUB), or other microorganisms including species of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus and Propionibacterium, strains of Megasphaera elsdenii and Prevotella bryantii and yeast products containing Saccharomyces and Aspergillus. LAB may have beneficial effects in the intestinal tract and rumen. Both LAB and LUB potentially moderate rumen conditions and improve feed efficiency. Yeast DFM may reduce harmful oxygen, prevent excess lactate production, increase feed digestibility, and improve fermentation in the rumen. DFM may also compete with and inhibit the growth of pathogens, stimulate immune function, and modulate microbial balance in the gastrointestinal tract. LAB may regulate the incidence of diarrhea, and improve weight gain and feed efficiency. LUB improved weight gain in calves. DFM has been reported to improve dry matter intake, milk yield, fat corrected milk yield and milk fat content in mature animals. However, contradictory reports about the effects of DFM, dosages, feeding times and frequencies, strains of DFM, and effects on different animal conditions are available. Cultivation and preparation of ready-to-use strict anaerobes as DFM may be cost-prohibitive, and dosing methods, such as drenching, that are required for anaerobic DFM are unlikely to be acceptable as general on-farm practice. Aero-tolerant rumen microorganisms are limited to only few species, although the potential isolation and utilization of aero-tolerant ruminal strains as DFM has been reported. Spore forming bacteria are characterized by convenience of preparation and effectiveness of DFM delivery to target organs and therefore have been proposed as DFM strains. Recent studies have supported the positive effects of DFM on ruminant performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제27권10호
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• pp.1461-1468
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• 2014

This study was aimed to examine the antibacterial and antioxidative properties of seven edible plants from Thailand to develop alternative antibiotics as feed additives. The plants include Citrus aurantifolia Swingle (Lime) fruits and its leaves, Sesbania grandiflora L. (Agati sesbania) leaves, Piper sarmentosum Roxb (Wild betal) leaves, Curcuma domestica Valeton (Turmeric) roots, Morinda citrifolia L. (Beach mulberry) leaves, Cassia siamea britt (Siamea cassia) leaves, and Cocos nucifera L. (Coconut) peels. The plants were extracted by methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Antibacterial activities with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined by agar diffusion assay against Escherichia coli, Burkholderia sp., Haemopilus somnus, Haemopilus parasuis, and Clostridium perfringens that were considered pathogenic strains in livestock infection. Methanol extracts of C. aurantifolia Swingle fruits and leaves showed the broadest spectrum of antibacterial activities except for C. perfringens. Butanol extract of S. grandiflora L. leaves showed the strongest activity against Burkholderia sp. with MIC, $135{\mu}g/mL$. P. sarmentosum Roxb leaves showed antibacterial activities against E. coli, Burkholderia sp. and H. parasuis. Ethyl acetate and water extracts from C. domesitca Valeton roots showed MIC of $306{\mu}g/mL$ and $183{\mu}g/mL$, respectively against only C. perfringens. Antioxidative activity was determined by 2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl photometric assay. The methanol extracts of C. aurantifolia Swingle fruits and P. sarmentosum Roxb leaves showed the highest antioxidant activity among all the extracts with 3.46 mg/mL and 2.70 mg/mL effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) values, respectively. Total contents of phenolics and flavonoids were measured from the plant extracts. Methanol extracts of S. grandiflora L. and chloroform extracts of C. domestica Valeton were found to have the highest amount of total phenolics, 41.7 and $47.8{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Flavonoid content of methanol extracts in S. grandiflora L. T was $22.5{\mu}g/mL$ and the highest among plant extracts tested. These results indicated that C. aurantifolia Swingle, S. grandiflora L., P. sarmentosum Roxb, and C. domestica Valeton have antibacterial and antioxidant activities and can be used as alternative antibiotics or potential feed additives for the control of animal pathogenic bacteria.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.138-148
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• 2018

Objective: Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), common contaminants in the feed of farm animals, cause immune function impairment and organ inflammation. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to elucidate DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the kidneys of piglets. Methods: Fifteen 6-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, and diets contaminated with either 8 mg DON/kg feed or 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. Kidney samples were collected after treatment, and RNA-seq was used to investigate the effects on immune-related genes and gene networks. Results: A total of 186 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened (120 upregulated and 66 downregulated). Gene ontology analysis revealed that the immune response, and cellular and metabolic processes were significantly controlled by these DEGs. The inflammatory stimulation might be an effect of the following enriched Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis found related to immune and disease responses: cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), tuberculosis, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and chemical carcinogenesis. The effects of DON and ZEN on genome-wide expression were assessed, and it was found that the DEGs associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9, CXCL10, chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 4), proliferation (insulin like growth factor binding protein 4, IgG heavy chain, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C, cytochrome P450 1A1, ATP-binding cassette sub-family 8), and other immune response networks (lysozyme, complement component 4 binding protein alpha, oligoadenylate synthetase 2, signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-9, ${\alpha}$-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, Ig lambda chain c region, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, isozyme 4, carboxylesterase 1), were suppressed by DON and ZEN. Conclusion: In summary, our results indicate that high concentrations of DON and ZEN suppress the inflammatory response in kidneys, leading to potential effects on immune homeostasis.