• Toxicological Research
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.163-172
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• 2018

Air pollution is increasing, along with consumption of fossil fuels such as coal and diesel gas. Air pollutants are known to be a major cause of respiratory-related illness and death, however, there are few reports on the genotoxic characterization of diverse air pollutants in Korea. In this study, we investigated the mutagenic activity of various particles such as diesel exhaust particles (DEP), combustion of rice straw (RSC), pine stem (PSC), and coal (CC), tunnel dust (TD), and road side dust (RD). Ultra-fine particles (UFPs) were collected by the glass fiber filter pad. Then, we performed a chemical analysis to see each of the component features of each particulate matter. The mutagenicity of various UFPs was determined by the Ames test with four Salmonella typhimurium strains with or without metabolic activation. The optimal concentrations of UFPs were selected based on result of a concentration decision test. Moreover, in order to compare relative mutagenicity among UFPs, we selected and tested DEP as mutation reference. DEP, RSC, and PSC induced concentration-dependent increases in revertant colony numbers with TA98, TA100, and TA1537 strains in the absence and presence of metabolic activation. DEP showed the highest specific activity among the particulate matters. In this study, we conclude that DEP, RSC, PSC, and TD displayed varying degrees of mutagenicity, and these results suggest that the mutagenicity of these air pollutants is associated with the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in these particulate matters.

• 한국농공학회논문집
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.63-72
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• 2012

In livestock industry, damage caused by the epidemic diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Highly-Pathogenic-Avian-Influenza (HPAI) and Porcine-Reproductive-and-Respiratory-Syndrome (PRRS) was very serious. The financial loss incurred from FMD alone which occurred on Nov. 2011 in Korea was estimated at 3 billion won, 23 % of annual livestock industry production. The livestock industry in Korea has greater risk of disease infection because of high density production, etc. Investigating the spread of livestock diseases should consider both direct and indirect contact as well as other various factors including airborne. Airborne infection of livestock disease was first hypothesised in the early 1900s, however, field experimental studies are still limited. Furthermore, no protocol is available in detecting airborne viruses in the field. In this study, effective virus samplers were investigated by comparative analysis of the type of samplers used detect to airborne virus. Laboratory experiments were conducted to compare virus samplers such as Bio-sampler, Dust-sampler, Compact-Cascade-Impactor (CCI) and Microflow in detecting PRRSV. Samples were analyzed by Reverse-Transcription PCR to assess the efficiency of the instrument in detecting the airborne virus. First, samples were classified into five levels according to light intensity of gel images and then the classified results were normalized. In every case, Bio-sampler and Dust-sampler were comparable with each other and have shown to be more effective than CCI and Microflow samplers.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.1049-1056
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• 2020

Ultrafine dust causes asthma and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases when inhaled. Ammonia (NH3) plays a big role in ultrafine dust formation in the atmosphere by reacting with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) emitted from various sources. The agricultural sector is the single largest contributor of NH3, with the vast majority of emissions ensuing from fertilizers and livestock sector. Interest in using biochar to attenuate these NH3 emissions has grown. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of using rice hull biochar pyrolyzed at three different temperatures of 250℃ (BP 4.6, biochar pH 4.6), 350℃ (BP 6.8), and 450℃ (BP 10.3) on the emission of ammonia from soil fertilized with urea. The emissions of NH3 initially increased as the experiment progressed but decreased after peaking at the 84th hour. The amount of emitted NH3 was lower in soil with biochar amendments than in that without biochar. Emissions amongst biochar-amended soils were lowest for the BP 6.8 treatment, followed in an ascending order by BP 10.3 and BP 4.6. Since BP 6.8 biochar with neutral pH resulted in the lowest amount of NH3 emitted, it can be concluded that biochar's pH has an effect on the emissions of NH3. The results of this study, therefore, indicate that biochar can abate NH3 emissions and that a neutral pH biochar is more effective at reducing gaseous emissions than either alkaline or acidic biochar.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.255-258
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• 1999

Pneumoconiosis, very popular to coal miners who are exposed to coal dusts dominantly, was introduced in the 19th century to describe lung diseases consequent to the inhalation of mineral dusts. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis(CWP) colloquially called "black lung" in the United States, is a distinct pathologic entity resulting from the tissue reaction to deposits of dust include the coal macule, which associated with focal emphysema constitutes the characteristic lesion of simple CWP and complicated CWP or progressive massive fibrosis(PMF). Coal mining are also associated with chronic bronchitis, chronic airflow limitation, and/or generalized emphysema. Progressive massive fibrosis lesions may imprint on and obliterate airways and vessels, and cavitation is not uncommon, being the consequence of ischemic necrosis or mycobacterial infections. We report a case which is unusual form of progressive massive fibrosis to be differentiated from lung carcinoma. It is a rapid growing PMF with ischemic necrosis. By the studies which are about risk of having progressive massive fibroois, it is predicted to be 1.4%. And the other study shows that simple pneumoconiosis clearly predisposed to PMF, with five year attack rates of 13.9%, 12.5%, 4.4% and 0.2% among men with categories 3, 2, 1, and 0 respectively at the start of the risk periods.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제71권1호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2011

Background: Pulmonary emphysema (PE) is major cause of obstructive pulmonary function impairment (OPFI), which is diagnosed by spirometry. PE by high resolution CT is known to be correlated with OPFI. Recently, low dose CT (LDCT) has been increasingly used for screening interstitial lung diseases including PE. The aim of this study was to evaluate OPFI risks of subjects with PE detected by LDCT compared with those detected by simple digital radiography (SDR). Methods: LDCT and spirometry were administered to 266 inorganic dust exposed retired workers, from May 30, 2007 to August 31, 2008. This study was approved by our institutional review board and informed consent was obtained. OPFI risk was defined as less than 0.7 of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC), and relative risk (RR) of OPFI of PE was calculated by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 266 subjects, PE was found in 28 subjects (10.5%) by LDCT and in 11 subjects (4.1%) by SDR; agreement was relatively low (kappa value=0.32, p<0.001). FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were significantly different between PE and no PE groups determined by either SDR or LDCT. The differences between groups were larger when the groups were divided by the findings of SDR. When PE was present in either LDCT or SDR assays, the RRs of OPFI were 2.34 and 8.65, respectively. Conclusion: LDCT showed significantly higher sensitivity than SDR for detecting PE, especially low grade PE, in which pulmonary function is not affected. As a result, the OPFI risks in the PE group by LDCT was lower than that in the PE group by SDR.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.780-784
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• 2000

B. cereus는 과거에 주로 설사, 구토 등의 식중독을 일으키는 균으로 알고 있었으나 기저 질환을 갖고 있는 환자나 저항력이 약한 환자에서는 드물게 치명적인 결과를 초래하는 질환으로 알려져 있었다. 그러나 최근 몇 예의 보고에 의하면 면역기능의 장애가 없던 건강한 사람에서도 폐흉막질환 및 균혈증 등의 심각한 합병증이 발생하였다고 한다. 이에 저자들은 평소 기저질환이 없었던 건강한 81세 노인에서 B. cereus에 의한 폐렴 및 균혈증이 발생하여 roxithromycin과 gentamicin을 조기에 사용하여 호전된 1예를 경험하였기에 문헌고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제61권2호
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• pp.202-209
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• 2023

Lophomonas blattarum is an anaerobic protozoan living in the intestine of cockroaches and house dust mites, with ultramicroscopic characteristics such as the presence of a parabasal body, axial filament, and absence of mitochondria. More than 200 cases of Lophomonas infection of the respiratory tract have been reported worldwide. However, the current diagnosis of such infection depends only on light microscopic morphological findings from respiratory secretions. In this study, we attempted to provide more robust evidence of protozoal infection in an immunocompromised patient with atypical pneumonia, positive for Lophomonas-like protozoal cell forms. A direct search of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and metagenomic next-generation sequencing did not prove the presence of protozoal infection. PCR results were not validated with sufficient rigor, while de novo assembly and taxonomic classification results did not confirm the presence of an unidentified pathogen. The TEM results implied that such protozoal forms in light microscopy are actually non-detached ciliated epithelial cells. After ruling out infectious causes, the patient's final diagnosis was drug-induced pneumonitis. These findings underscore the lack of validation in the previously utilized diagnostic methods, and more evidence in the presence of L. blattarum is required to further prove its pathogenicity.

• 생약학회지
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.44-51
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• 2023

Fine dust has emerged as seriously hazardrous particles, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, we have developed a natural complex extract consisted of Codonopsis lanceolata (Siebold & Zucc.) Trautv., Platycodon grandiflorum A. De Candolle, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer in the ratio of 3 : 5 : 2, which have a beneficial effect on respiratory system. In this study, simultaneous quantitative analysis of marker compounds, lobetyolin, platycodin D, and glycyrrhizic acid in the natural complex extract was developed and validated with high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector. The marker compounds were shown in a large linearity with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 1.000. The limit of detection (LOD) of lobetyolin, platycodin D and glycyrrhizic acid were 5.40 ㎍/mL, 3.94 ㎍/mL and 5.86 ㎍/mL, respectively. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of lobetyolin, platycodin D and glycyrrhizic acid were 16.36 ㎍/mL, 11.94 ㎍/mL and 17.75 ㎍/mL, respectively. The content analysis revealed that the amounts of lobetyolin, platycodin D, and glycyrrhizic acid were 0.039±0.013 mg/g, 0.337±0.048 mg/g, and 1.171±0.003 mg/g, respectively, in the natural complex extract. Therefore, these results could be used as basic data for the standardization and quality control of the natural complex extract.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제85권2호
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• pp.185-194
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• 2022

Background: The Korea Interstitial Lung Disease Study Group has made a new nationwide idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) registry because the routine clinical practice has changed due to new guidelines and newly developed antifibrotic agents in the recent decade. The aim of this study was to describe recent clinical characteristics of Korean IPF patients. Methods: Both newly diagnosed and following IPF patients diagnosed after the previous registry in 2008 were enrolled. Survival analysis was only conducted for patients diagnosed with IPF after 2016 because antifibrotic agents started to be covered by medical insurance of Korea in October 2015. Results: A total of 2,139 patients were analyzed. Their mean age at diagnosis was 67.4±9.3 years. Of these patients, 76.1% were males, 71.0% were ever-smokers, 14.4% were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, and 56.9% were at gender-age-physiology stage I. Occupational toxic material exposure was reported in 534 patients. The mean forced vital capacity was 74.6% and the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was 63.6%. Treatment with pirfenidone was increased over time: 62.4% of IPF patients were treated with pirfenidone initially. And 79.2% of patients were treated with antifiboritics for more than three months during the course of the disease since 2016. Old age, acute exacerbation, treatment without antifibrotics, and exposure to wood and stone dust were associated with higher mortality. Conclusion: In the recent Korean IPF registry, the percentage of IPF patients treated with antifibrotics was increased compared to that in the previous IPF registry. Old age, acute exacerbation, treatment without antifibrotics, and exposure to wood and stone dust were associated with higher mortality.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.145-149
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• 2022

직경이 10 ㎛ 미만의 미세먼지 입자(particulate matter 10, PM10)는 한국을 비롯한 동아시아 지역에서 해로운 대기오염의 주요한 원인 중 하나로 최근 주목받고 있으며, 호흡기와 피부에 유해한 영향을 미치는 주범이 되고 있다. FD는 대식세포에서 활성산소 종(ROS)의 생성과 염증반응을 과도하게 촉진시켜 세포 손상과 더불어 세포 사멸을 유도한다. 장미속의 낙엽관목인 해당화(Rosa rugosa)는 다양한 질병을 치료하는 목적으로 예부터 동아시아 지역에서 민간요법 치료제로써 사용되었다. 본 연구에서는 PM10으로 유도된 RAW 264.7 대식세포에서의 염증반응을 억제하는 해당화 각 기관별 추출물의 항염증 효과를 탐색하고자 한다. 미세먼지 입자가 처리되지 않은 RAW 264.7 대식세포와 비교했을 때, PM10을 100 ㎍/ml의 농도로 처리했을 경우 lipopolysaccharide 처리와 유사하게 nitric oxide (NO) 생성을 눈에 띄게 증가시켰다. 또한 100 ㎍/ml의 해당화 줄기 추출물은 미세먼지 입자 단독 처리군에 비해 NO 생성을 45% 이상 감소시켰고, PM10에 의해 유도된 interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2의 발현을 유의하게 감소시켰다. 이러한 결과는 해당화 줄기 추출물의 항염증 효과가 PM10으로 자극된 RAW 264.7 세포에서 염증 유발 매개체의 억제에 의해 매개됨을 나타내며, 해당화 줄기가 유해한 공기 중 미세먼지 입자에 의해 유발되는 염증반응에 대한 보호 효과가 있는 천연 자원으로서 가치가 있음을 시사한다.