• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6227-6231
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• 2013

In the past, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was endemic in the general Korean population. The association of HBV infection with the occurrence of liver cancer has been well demonstrated in several epidemiologic studies. While the mortality rates of liver cancer in Korea have decreased steadily over the last decade, the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in mothers remains high at 3-4%, and 25.5% of these HBsAg positive mothers are positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). HBV infection caused almost a quarter of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases and one-third of deaths from HCC. These aspects of HBV infection prompted the Korean government to create a vaccination program against HBV in the early 1980s. In 1995, the Communicable Disease Prevention Act (CDPA) was reformed, and the government increased the number of HBV vaccines in the National Immunization Program (NIP), driving the vaccination rate up to 95%. In 2000, the National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) was enacted, which provided increased resources for the prevention of perinatal HBV infection. Then in 2002, the Korean government, in conjunction with the Korean Medical Association (KMA), launched an HBV perinatal transmission prevention program. The prevalence of HBsAg in children had been high (4-5%) in the early 1980s, but had dropped to below 1% in 1995, and finally reached 0.2% in 2006 after the NIP had been implemented. After the success of the NIP, Korea finally obtained its first certification of achievement from the Western Pacific Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WPRO-WHO) for reaching its goal for HBV control. An age-period-cohort analysis showed a significant reduction in the liver cancer mortality rate in children and adolescents after the NIP had been implemented. In addition to its vaccination efforts, Korea launched the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) for 5 leading sites of cancer, including the liver, in 1999. As a consequence of this program, the 5-year liver cancer survival rate increased from 13.2% (1996-2000) to 23.3% (2003-2008). The development of both the primary and secondary prevention for liver cancer including HBV immunization and cancer screening has been of critical importance.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.402-409
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• 2020

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) contains a bi-segmented viral genome, RNA1 (3.4 kb, RdRp), and RNA2 (1.4 kb, capsid protein) in a small particle (25 nm). Despite its extremely compact size, NNV has caused serious damage by infecting approximately 120 fish species worldwide since it was first reported in the late 1980s. In order to minimize the damage caused by NNV infection and develop effective vaccines, it is necessary to understand the intra cellular signaling system according to NNV infection. NNV infection induces cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase via the p53-dependent pathway to use the cellular system for its replication. Otherwise, host cells recognize NNV infection through the RIG-1-like receptor (RLR) signaling pathway to control the virus and infected cells, and then ISGs required for antiviral action are activated via the IFN signaling pathway. Moreover, apoptosis of infected cells is triggered by the unfolded protein response (UPR) through ER stress and mitochondria-mediated cell death. Cell signaling studies on the NNV infection mechanisms are still at an early stage and many pathways have yet to be identified. Understanding the various disease-specific cellular signaling systems associated with NNV infection is essential for rapid and accurate diagnosis and vaccine development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.481-485
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• 2015

Retroviruses genes have been inserted into the human genome for millions of years. These retroviruses are now inactive due to mutations such as deletions or nonsense mutations. After mutation, retroviruses eventually became fixed in the genome in their endogenous forms and existed as traces of ancient viruses. These retroviruses are called endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), with the human form known as human endogenous retrovirus. HERV cannot become a fully active virus, but a number of viral proteins or even virus particles are expressed under various conditions. Compared to endogenous retroviruses, some exogenous retroviruses are still infectious and can threaten human life. Among these, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most well-known and best-studied. Recent studies have shown some elements of HERV were activated by HIV infection and interact with HIV-derived proteins. In addition, many studies have attempted to use HERV as vaccination against HIV infection. This review will describe the regulation and interaction between HERV and HIV infection and mention the development of vaccines and therapeutic agents against HIV infection by using HERV elements.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2003

Background and Objectives: The Herpes Simplex type 2 Defective Infectious Single Cycle virus (DISC virus) is attenuated virus originally produced as viral vaccines but are also efficient gene transfer vehicle. The main goals of this study were to examine the efficiencies of the gene transfer using DISC vectors for various head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and to evaluate the efficacy of vaccination with DISC virus carrying a immunomodulatory genes (GM-CSF) as cancer therapy in a organotopic oral cavity squamous cell cancer model. Materials and Methods : We determinated the gene transfer efficiency of DISC virus by x-gal stain method and proved gene and protein expression of DISC-GMCSF transfected SCCVII cells by RT-PCR and ELISA method. Also we evaluated the ex vivo vaccination effects of SCCVII/GMCSF (DISC-GMCSF transfected SCCVII vaccine) vaccine on preventing the recurrence of micro-residual tumor. After the vaccination of SCCVII/GMCSF, specific cytotoxic T-cell responses was evaluated by CTL assay. Results: At an MOI of 10 DISC virus showed 64-88% of transfection rates in various head and neck squamous cancer cell lines. SCCVII cells transduced by DISC virus vector (MOI=10) carrying the GM-CSF gene, produced 4.5 nanogram quantities of GM-CSF per $10^6$ cells. In vivo vaccination using tumor cells transduced ex vivo with DISC-GMCSF resulted in better protection rate against subsequent tumor recurrence in organotopic oral cavity cancer model. Although tumor free survival rate was not statistically significantly increased in vaccination group (p=0.078), tumor specific cytotocic T-cell responses were significantly increased in SCCVII/GMCSF vaccination group. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that; 1) The DISC virus vector is capable of efficient gene transfer to various head and neck squamous cancer cell lines, 2) GM-CSF secreting genetically modified tumor vaccine (SCCVII/GMCSF) efficiently protected against tumor recurrence in organotopic micro-residual oral cavity cancer model and produced tumor specific cytotoxic T-cell response. DISC virus-mediated, cytokine gene transfer may prove to be useful as a clinical therapy for head and neck cancers.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2022

In December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in China and spread rapidly around the world, infecting millions of people. Cases of COVID-19 infection were observed to lead to viral pneumonia. Thirty-five patients admitted to the Gyeonggi Medical Center, South Korea, between November 2020 to January 2021, were found to have been infected with the influenza virus A and B, which cause symptoms similar to COVID-19. The records of these patients and those of COVID-19 patients who visited the hospital for medical examination were compared. The study patients included thirty patients with COVID-19 and/or influenza, five of those with influenza alone. A group of 121 patients without infection was used as control. Patients with COVID-19 and influenza had significantly higher lactate dehydrogenase levels than the patients with COVID-19 alone. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher in patients with COVID-19 alone than in other groups. Significant clinical outliers were observed in the COVID-19 and influenza infection group compared with the COVID-19 alone group. These results are expected to play an important role in the analysis of the hematological data of infected patients and the comparison of simultaneous and single infection data to determine clinical symptoms and other signs. These results may also assist in the development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.199-207
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• 2023

To prepare for the threat of a future epidemic in the post-COVID-19 era, research based on the one-health concept (i.e., the health of humans, animals, and the environment as "one") is essential. Cross-species infections are being identified as a result of the high infection rate and viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. The possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to mink has been determined. In addition, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to cats through contact has been considered possible. The data so far show that livestock and poultry are less likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, if infections are established through a new mutation, the resulting diseases are expected to have enormous ripple effects on various fields, such as human food security, the economy, and trade. In addition, there are concerns about the endemic prospect of SARS-CoV-2 and the high accessibility of companion animals. This is because the evolution of the virus likely occurs in animal hosts. Once SARS-CoV-2 is established in other species, they might serve as intermediate hosts for the re-emergence of the virus in the human population. Thus, it is necessary to ensure a rapid response to future outbreaks by accumulating research data on the animal infection of SARS-CoV-2. These data can have implications for the development of animal models for vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, in this study, epidemiological reviews were analyzed, and response strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals were presented using the One-health approach.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2010

Inclusion body hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (IBH-HPS) is an acute viral disease usually found in broilers aged from 3 to 5 weeks and causes up to 75% mortality. Among the 12 serotypes of fowl adenovirus group 1, serotype-4 (FAdV-4) was identified as a primary agent of IBH-HPS and was usually isolated in IBH-HPS cases in Korea since 2007. To prevent these IBH-HPS outbreaks in Korea, we developed the FAdV-4 inactivated vaccine using Korean isolate (ADL070244) and evaluated the efficacy of this vaccine. For the efficacy test, 2-week-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens intramuscularly inoculated with 1 or 2 dose of inactivated vaccine were used and challenged with FAdV-4 through either intramuscular or oral route at 2 weeks after vaccination. The vaccine induced good seroconversion which was confirmed by agar gel precipitation (AGP) test. In addition, the vaccine could decrease the FAdV-4 detection rate and histological lesion severity such as lymphocyte infiltration and necrosis in the liver comparing with those of non-vaccination group. Based on the current results, the developed FAdV-4 inactivated vaccine in this study was effective in the terms of reduction of virus detection rate and histological lesions severity. However, it was difficult to confirm the efficacy of the vaccine clearly because of no mortality and clinical signs in the non-vaccinated group after challenge. Therefore, we need further study to develop a standard challenged model system which could clearly evaluate the efficacy of the vaccines for FAdV-4.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.610-615
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• 2008

Purpose : Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a relatively common hematological disease in children. It generally occurs after exposure to a common viral infection episode; however, it may occasionally follow immunization with measles, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), hepatitis B (HBV), influenza, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), or chickenpox vaccines. In this study, the incidence, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcome of vaccination-associated ITP were investigated and compared with non-vaccination-associated ITP. Methods : The admission records of 105 pediatric ITP patients between 0-14 years of age admitted to Department of Pediatrics, Wonkwang University Hospital from January 1994 to July 2007 were retrospecitively reviewed. Patients were grouped into a vaccination-associated group and a non-vaccination-associated group according to vaccination history within the previous 1 month, and various clinical features between the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results : Thirteen patients (12%) had a preceding vaccination. Eight had received DTP vaccination, 2 had received hepatitis B, and 1 each had received influenza, MMR, and Japanese B encephalitis vaccination. However, none of the patients had a recurrent thrombocytopenia after subsequent vaccinations. In the vaccination-associated group, the age was significantly lower, anemia was more common, and the risk period with blood platelet count $<20{\times}10^9/L$ was significantly shorter than for the in non-vaccination-associated group. Also, wet purpura was less prominent and the remission within 1month was more frequently achieved in the vaccination-associated ITP group. Conclusion : Vaccination-associated ITP patients showed mild symptoms with a more benign and shorter lasting course than non-vaccination-associated ITP patients. Moreover, platelet count assessment at the time of the next immunization may not be necessary.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) among healthy Korean children and adolescents. Methods: From October to December 2008, 65 healthy patients aged 6 months to 18 years who visited Korea University Ansan Hospital for influenza vaccination were enrolled in this study. We measured the hemagglutinin inhibition antibody titers at baseline and 30 days after vaccinating enrollees with split influenza vaccine and calculated the seroprotection rates, geometric mean titers, and seroconversion rates. Local and systemic adverse events were assessed after vaccination. Results: The seroprotection rates against all three viral strains (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B) were 87.7%, 89.2%, and 89.2% (${\geq}70%$), respectively; seroconversion rates were 44.6%, 73.8%, and 63.1% (${\geq}40%$), respectively; and seroconversion factors were 4.5, 8.4, and 10.5 (>2.5), respectively. The TIV immunogenicity was acceptable according to the CPMP (Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products) criteria. Although 48 patients (73.8%) reported one or more adverse events, no severe adverse events such as anaphylaxis and convulsion were observed. Forty-two patients (64.6%) reported a local skin reaction, including redness (29.2%), pain (43.1%), or swelling (41.5%) of the injected site, and 26 (40.0%) reported a systemic reaction: fatigue (23.1%), myalgia (20.0%), headache (10.8%), arthralgia (10.8%), chills (9.2%), or fever (7.7%). Conclusions: This study shows that the immunogenicity of the TIV vaccine is acceptable. As there were no serious adverse events aside from local reactions and mild systemic reactions, this vaccine can be safely used among healthy Korean children and adolescents.