• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.495-499
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• 2003

Purpose : Eosinophil is one of the important inflammatory cell involved in the airway inflammation in childhood asthma. It has been demonstrated that markers of eosinophil activation, including eosinophil cationic protein or eosinophil protein X(EPX), are increased in childhood asthma. Furthermore, they are related to disease activity and are assumed to be helpful in monitoring the treatment effect as urinary EPX(U-EPX) can be obtained easily and in a noninvasive way in children of all ages. Methods : Twenty-five children(22 male and three female) aged $11.87{\pm}3.82$ years with stable asthma were challenged with methacholine and urine was collected from each child during the following periods; before methacholine challenge test(MCT); 0-3 hr after the end of MCT; 4-7 hr after the end of MCT; and 8-24 hr after the end of MCT. Bronchial reactivity was determined by using Dosimeter( Jeager, Germany) with serially diluted methacholine from 0.05 to 25.0 mg. The $FEV_1$ less than 80% of baseline value were classified into positive MCT. U-EPX was measured with a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay(Pharmacia & Upjohn AB, Uppsala, Sweden). Results were expressed as ${\mu}gEPX/mmol$ creatinine. Results : An early airway response after MCT was associated with an increase of U-EPX excretion for 0-3 hr after methacholine inhalation in comparison with beseline values. Most subjects showed a small increase in U-EPX excretion during late asthmatic response for 4-7 hr, which then decreased to normal level in 8-24 hr. Also, a tendency for a higher increase of U-EPX was associated with a lower threshold of methacholine challenge and a longer duration of asthma. Conclusion : Measurement of EPX in urine is a noninvasive and easy method to assess the severity of airway inflammation in asthmatic children. It may be a helpful index of the events underlying the airway inflammatory responses during nonspecific bronchial challenge, and in monitoring asthma management.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.830-838
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• 2020

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa on bone metabolism and the inflammatory response in a monosodium iodoacetateinduced rat model of osteoarthritis. radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa was administered orally at doses of 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks before direct injection of monosodium iodoacetate (3 mg/50 μl of 0.9% saline) into the intra-articular space of the rats' right knees. The rats subsequently received the same doses of oral radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa for another 4 weeks. It was evaluated that the treatment effects based on serum biomarkers, and morphological and histopathological analysis of the knee joints. Compared with those in control rats, the radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa treatments significantly reduced the serum levels of inflammation, bone metabolism markers (i.e., COX-2, LTB4, MMP-3, and COMP), and the amount of fibrous tissue. Otherwise, it was significantly increased the concentration of TIMP-1 and calcitonin. In addition, the radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa treatments effectively preserved the knee cartilage and synovial membrane. As a result, it indicates that radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa prevented and alleviated osteoarthritis symptoms. Thus, radiation mutant Perilla frutescens var. crispa can be used in food and drug material for the management of osteoarthritis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7351-7355
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• 2014

Background: Laryngeal carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process that has not been fully elucidated. Despite extensive research, reliable markers with diagnostic and prognostic value are still lacking. It was recently reported that an elevated preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may correlate with an increased risk of recurrence, tumor aggressiveness and poorer prognosis in various malignancies. The aim of this study was to examine whether NLR could be used as an inflammatory marker to differentiate laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients from benign laryngeal lesion (BLL) and precancerous laryngeal lesion (PLL) patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 209 patients admitted to a tertiary referral center with laryngeal lesions and undergoing biopsies to establish their histopathological diagnosis. We reviewed the patient files for their clinical, histopathological and laboratory data. The patients were divided into three groups according to their histopathological findings, as BLL, PLL and LSCC groups. The patients in the PLL group were also divided into three subgroups as mild, moderate and severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ (CIS) subgroups. The groups were compared for NLR and the other laboratory data. Results: The mean NLRs of the BLL, PLL and the LSCC groups were $2.12{\pm}0.86$, $2.32{\pm}0.68$ and $3.46{\pm}1.51$, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). The mean NLRs of the patients with PLL and LSCC were significantly higher than the patients with BLL (p=0.031 and p=0.001, respectively). The mean NLRs were similar among mild dysplasia, moderate dysplasia and severe dysplasia / CIS groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating NLR in BLL, PLL and LSCC. NLR is an inexpensive, reproducible and widely available blood test, and could be a useful inflammatory marker to differentiate LSCC from BLL and PLL.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2005

Bioflavone quercetin is thought to have an important role to inhibit bone loss by affecting osteoclastogenesis and regulating a number of systemic and local factors such as hormones and cytokines. In this study, we examined how quercetin acts on cytokine production and mineralization of osteoblast in the presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha $(TNF-{\alpha})$ which has been known to play a pivotal role in bone metabolic diseases. Quercetin inhibited $TNF-{\alpha}-induced$ secretion of $IFN-{\gamma}$ and IL-6 in differentiated MC3T3-E1 cells. As indicated by the markers that are characteristics of the osteoblast phenotype, such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium deposition, quercetin treatment slightly prevented the $TNF-{\alpha}-induced$ dramatic inhibition of differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells. Further, quercetin inhibited the production of nitric oxide induced by $TNF-{\alpha}$ in the cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that quercetin inhibites $TNF-{\alpha}-induced$ secretion of inflammatory cytokines in differentiated MC3T3-E1 cells without any cytotoxic effects.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2012

The Mume Fructus (MF) has been used for relieves cough, arrests arrest chronic diarrhea, treat fluid depletion, and treat ascariasis in Korea. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established for simultaneous determination of six main components of MF. Additionally, we were investigated the anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects of MF extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$/interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$-treated HaCaT cells. The analytical column for separation was used a Gemini $C_{18}$ column maintained at $40^{\circ}C$. The mobile phase consisted of 1.0% (v/v) acetic acid in water (A) and 1.0% (v/v) acetic acid in acetonitrile (B). The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and the detector was a photodiode array (PDA) set at 280 nm and 320 nm. We evaluated the inhibitory effect of MF extract on the production of inflammatory markers, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) in TNF-${\alpha}$/IFN-${\gamma}$-treated HaCaT cells, respectively. We confirmed the genes expression related with TARC, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22) and regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES/CCL5) in HaCaT keratinocyte cells by MF extract. The contents of the five compounds in MF were 0.22-1.01 mg/g. Also, the MF extract show inhibition of about 78% and 75% on NO and $PGE_2$ production at the concentration 1000 mg/mL in RAW264.7 cells. MF extract suppressed the hTARC level and genes expression such as TARC, MDC, and RANTES on TNF-${\alpha}$/IFN-${\gamma}$-treated HaCaT cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1034-1040
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• 2012

Synovium is the soft tissue that lines the non-cartilaginous surfaces within joints. It has been reported that synovial cells are activated during the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, we quantitate and compare the cellular composition of synovia derived from individuals with non-inflammatory osteoarthritis (OA) and those with inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Synovia from OA (n=8) and RA (n=5) patients were used for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. A light microscopic examination has shown that RA synovia were morphologically thickened and hypertrophied as compared to OA synovia. We also performed an immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis to classify cell types in the synovia using CD68, CD90, or PGP9.5 markers. As a result, we obtained quantitative data regarding the cell populations, which are macrophages in the lining layer and FLSs in the subintimal layer of the synovium. Further Photoshop analyses of the H&E images could allow the counting of the number and layer of the cells in the synovium. The number and layers of the macrophage cells were increased in the lining layer of the RA synovia as compared to the OA synovia. FLS cells also were increased in the subintimal layer of RA synovia. Therefore, quantification of the H&E stained images via Photoshop is a possible analysis protocol for synovium study. This quantitation also supports the idea that the increases in cell number and cell activation are important processes for RA pathogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2006

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a disease model of multiple sclerosis (MS) that is characterized by remittance and relapse of the disease and autoimmune and demyelinating lesions in the central nervous system (CNS). Autoimmune inflammation is maintained by secretion of a large number of protein. Previous studies have suggested that transcripts encoding osteopontin (OPN) are frequently detected in the mRNA population of MS plaques. To elucidate the functional role of OPN in initiation and development of EAE, we examined the expression and localization of OPN in the spinal cord during acute EAE. We demonstrated that OPN significantly increased at the early stage of EAE and slightly declined thereafter by western blot analysis. An immunohistochemical study revealed that OPN was constitutively expressed in some glial cells (microglia, astrocytes) of white matter and neurons in the CNS of control rats. OPN expression was shown to be increased in the same cells at the early and peak stage of EAE. To identity cells expressing OPN by double-immunofluorescence labeling, we labeled rat spinal cord sections for OPN with a monoclonal OPN antibody and with mAbs for astrocyte (GFAP), microglia/macrophage (OX42)-specific markers. The major cell types of OPN-expressing cells were activated astrocytes and microglia in the adjacent inflammatory lesions. Interestingly, OPN was mainly expressed in the end feet of astrocytes around vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expressing endothelial cells of CNS blood vessel. These findings suggest that increased levels of OPN in activated glial cell may play an important role in the recruitment of inflammatory cells into the CNS parenchyma during EAE.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 2012

Chrysanthemum indicum L. (Asteraceae) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been used for the treatment of inflammation, hypertension, and respiratory diseases due to its strong antagonistic activity against inflammatory cytokines. The effects of Chrysanthemum indicum L. Extract (CIE) for increasing cell growth, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and collagen content were totally inhibited, suggesting that the effect of CIE might be partly involved with estrogen activity. Furthermore, the protective effects of CIE on the response of osteoblasts to oxidative stress were evaluated. Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were incubated with hydrogen peroxide and/or CIE, and markers of osteoblast function and oxidative damage were examined. CIE significantly increased cell survival, ALP activity, and calcium deposition, and decreased the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) in osteoblasts. Taken together, these results indicate that the enhancement of osteoblast function by CIE may prevent osteoporosis and inflammatory bone diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.179-183
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• 2010

This study is to characterize the postulated anti-inflammatory effect of the hot water extracts from the Phellinus baumii. RAW264.7, macrophage cell line, was activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and, further, treated with Phellinus baumii's aqueous extract. When the cultured macrophage cells were treated with LPS, they show typical signs of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and an increment in secretion of inflammatory cytokine compared to the non-treated control: The expression of glucose-regulated protein78 (Grp78), Grp94, and C/EBP homologous protein/GADD 153 (CHOP) increased along with augmented secretion of interlukin-6. Cellular nitric oxide content also significantly went up in comparison to the non-LPS treatment. When the LPS-treated RAW264.7 was treated with the aqueous Phellinus baumii extracts, however, the expression of ERS markers markedly reduced and the release of nitric oxide declined. Also, the expression of induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) notably diminished similarly as the NO content. In conclusion, this study strongly indicated that aqueous Phellinus baumii extract can be utilized directly as anti-inflammation agent and serves as a source of functional ingredient to lessen the inflammation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2021

Sepsis is a physiological response to a source of infection that triggers mechanisms that compromise organ function, leading to death if not treated early. Biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity, speed, and accuracy that could differentiate sepsis from non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) could bring about a revolution in sepsis treatment. Given the limitations and time required for microbial verification of pathogens, the accurate diagnosis of infection before employing antibiotic therapy is important and clinically necessary. Procalcitonin (PCT), lactate, C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and proadrenomedullin (ProADM) are the common biomarkers used for diagnosis. The procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic treatment in patients with acute respiratory infections effectively reduces antibiotic exposure and side effects while improving survival rates. The evidence regarding sepsis screening in hospitalized patients is limited. Clinicians, researchers, and healthcare decision-makers should consider these findings and limitations when implementing screening tools, future research, or policy on sepsis recognition in hospitalized patients. The use of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis is promising, although such use should always be correlated with clinical evaluation. Biomarkers may also improve the prediction of mortality, especially in the early phase of sepsis, when the levels of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins are elevated.