• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.239-244
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• 2011

Immediate-type hypersensitivity is involved in many allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and anaphylaxis. The discovery of drugs for the treatment of allergic disease is an important subject in human health. Stimulation of mast cells releases inflammatory mediators, such as histamine and pro-inflammatory cytokines with immune regulatory properties. We investigated the effect of the aqueous extract of Schizonepeta tenuifolia (AEST) (Labiatae) on the immediate-type allergic reaction. AEST inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic allergic reaction. AEST attenuated immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated skin allergic reaction and histamine release from human mast cell line (HMC-1) cells. In addition, AEST decreased the gene expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus calcium ionophore A23187 (A23187)-stimulated HMC-1 cells. Our results indicate that AEST inhibits the mast cell-derived allergic reactions and involvement of histamine and pro-inflammatory cytokines in these effects.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2013

Objective: The root bark of Ulmus davidiana var. Japonica (Ulmi Radicis cortex, URC) is a medicinal herb used for promoting diuresis and treating dampness. In Korea, URC has long been used as an efficacious therapy for inflammation, burns, frostbite and skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Methods: In the present study, we used 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact dermatitis (CD) mouse model to investigate the anti-allergic and the anti-inflammatory effects of URC on skin lesion, histopathological changes and specific antibody production. Results: URC treatment, 10 mg/mL, effectively inhibited skin lesions induced by repeated paintings with DNFB. In the histopathological observation, topical application of URC inhibited spongiosis. In addition, URC lowered the production levels of total immunoglobulin and IgG2a in serum. Conclusion: These data indicate that URC has an anti-inflammatory effect that produces an improvement of skin lesions in CD mice.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 2013

Objectives: We evaluated the effects of an allergy control program on children with atopic dermatitis (AD) in five schools located within Gyeonggi-do. Methods: Based on the results of the 12-month prevalence of AD symptoms from an International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire of all students (n=2109; 1040 boys, 1069 girls) at five randomly selected schools, 227 students with AD symptoms were screened. Finally, 188 students with greater than 1 on SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) determined by a physician were selected. The allergy control program includes education related to allergic diseases, skin prick tests, and SCORAD evaluation, as well as keeping a daily journal to check the usage of moisturizer at least once a day. To determine the effectiveness of the allergy control program, SCORAD evaluation was performed again six weeks later. Results: The most common symptom for 12-month prevalence was rhinorrhea (33.9%), followed by atopic skin lesions (14.8%) and wheezing (4.0%). The 12-month prevalences of the three allergic diseases were higher for boys than for girls, and a significant difference was found for allergic rhinitis (P<0.001). The mean SCORAD index decreased significantly from 26.1 to 17.5 after the completion of the six-week control program (P<0.01). In particular, these differences were more pronounced for the group which used the daily journal (P<0.001). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the allergy control program including usage of a daily journal as well as regular monitoring could be a promising tool for preventing and alleviating the symptoms of allergic diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.95-105
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• 2016

Objectives : Allergic diseases have a various symptoms of hyperresponsiveness and recently hyperresponsive reaction in the chronic phase is reported as the important mechanisms. Cheonggisan(CGS) is used in oriental clinics for curing various skin diseases due to effect of controlling of pruritus. There have been studies on the anti-allergic effect and anti-inflammatory effect of CGS, but there had no study of anti-allergic effects in allergic late inflammation of CGS, so we aimed to find out the effects of CGS in allergic late inflammation in our study.Methods : To investigate the anti-allergy effect and anti-inflammatory effect of CGS, RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and CSG water-extracts were used. Cytotoxic effect of CSG was examined by MTT assay, an oxidative product of NO was measured in the culture medium by the Griess reagent assay. The level of prostaglandin E2(PGE2) was measured by competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay. Cytokine(PGE2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) was measured by Bio-Plex suspension assay system and quantitative multiplexed cytokine/chemokine assay.Results : We investigated that there was no cytotoxic effect of CGS water-extract at any levels of concentration on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by MTT assay. CGS water-extracts significantly suppressed the levels of the inflammatory mediators such as NO and PGE2, cytokine of IL-1β, TNF-α at the level of 400 ㎍/㎖ CGS concentration. But there was no significant effect on IL-6 production suppression.Conclusions : These results suggest that CSG water-extract has and anti-inflammatory effects in allergic reaction. These properties may contribute to the allergic diseases and inflammatory related disease care.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2008

Allergic diseases have been dramarically increased over recent years, especially in industrialized countries. Oxidative stress has been believed to playa significant role in the occurrence of the allergic inflammatory responses. Although previous studies concerning oxidative stress and systemic inflammation have been reported, few data is available, and other allergic diseases, except for asthma, are hardly studied about the association with oxidative stress. This study evaluated the relationship between allergic disease and Malondialdehyde (MDA) as an indicator of oxidative stress. The study population was 197 male adults living in an industrial area. The ISAAC questionnaire was used to confirm wheezing and rhinitis, and atopy was evaluated by skin prick test. MDA was analyzed by spectrophotometer. To examine bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), methacholine test was performed, and the index of bronchial responsiveness (BR index) was calculated. We used multivariate logistic regression model and general linear model with SAS program. We found significant associations of MDA with brindex (p=0.023), rhinitis (p=0.016), atopy (p=0.03), adjusted by age, smoking, and body mass index (BMI). On the contrary, there was no significant difference of MDA with the status of asthma. Our result suggests that oxidative stress may playa major role in the occurrence of allergic response in male adults.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.39-49
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• 2013

Objectives In the theory of Korean medicine, rice straw (RS) has been used effectively as treatments for dyspepsia, diarrhea, enteritis, inflammatory epigastric diseases and various dermatitis. However, the theory has not been studied intensively yet about anti-inflammatory effects for human. This study was to investigate effects of RS for a treatment of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobezene (DNCB) in mice. Methods In this experiment, effects of RS were investigated on changes in body weights, dorsum skin thickness, clinical aspects on the dorsum skin, spleen and body weight among these four groups; normal group (NOR), control group (CON), RS spread group (RSS) and RS spread and administer group (RSS+Adm). In addition, the effects on proliferations of splenocytes were also investigated in vitro and in vivo study. Results RSS group and RSS+Adm group showed increasing in body weights, diminished dorsum skin thickness and treated dermatitis on dorsum skin. In RSS+Adm group, spleen weights were lowered significantly compared to CON group. Conclusions In conclusion, these data suggest that RS can decrease symptoms of ACD significantly, and it shows the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effect as well. Therefore, RS can be useful to treat patients with ACD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.2
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• pp.133-136
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• 2015

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a hypersensitive disease showing various radiographic and clinical manifestations. Its clinical course has not been fully understood. Here I describe a case of a 23-year-old immunocompetent man with frequently relapsing ABPA. He was asthmatic. He visited our hospital because of a chronic cough. Laboratory examination showed eosinophilia with increased total and Aspergillus-specific IgE as well as positive skin reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus. Radiologic feature was a dense consolidation. Histology showed organizing pneumonia with eosinophilic infiltration. On the diagnosis of ABPA, he was treated with systemic steroid and itraconazole. Although treatment response was excellent, he suffered from recurrent ABPA three times thereafter in the form of fleeting mass-like consolidation.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2020

Phototherapy has a profound immunosuppressive effect and is widely used for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Since allergic rhinitis (AR) shares several common pathologic features with atopic dermatitis, intranasal phototherapy is a novel approach for treating AR. Phototherapy reduces the antigen presenting capacity of dendritic cells, induces apoptosis of immune cells, and inhibits synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory mediators from inflammatory cells. The effectiveness of phototherapy for AR has been extensively researched: from in vitro studies to several clinical trials. Data indicates the potential of intranasal phototherapy as an alternative treatment for AR as well as other inflammatory mucosal diseases. In this review, we introduce the in vitro, in vivo studies, and clinical trials which demonstrated the effect of phototherapy on AR.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2007

This study was conducted to determine the cause and prevalence of occupational skin disease in dental technicians working in Seoul, Korea. and to investigate the relation between these work condition and skin disease of the hand, wrist and forearm. This study was based on the Nordic occupational skin questionnaire(NOSQ), a self-administrated questionnaire which was modified to investigate the dental technician's occupational factors in domestic circumstances. The number was distributed to 500 dental technicians who participated in annual continuing education for dental technicians of the Seoul metropolitan area in April 2006. Of the subjects, 62(30.4%) had eczema and 70(32.9%) had urticaria, as diagnosed. Of the subjects with the symptoms of urticaria, 30 complained of atopic dermatitis, 65 complained of allergic rhinitis, 56 complained of allergic conjunctivitis, and 18 complained of asthma. The group with atopic history had a higher frequency of eczema or urticaria than the group without atopic history. From multiple regression analysis, the group who had a history of atopic dermatitis also had high symptom rates of eczema. The group who had a history of allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis had high symptom rates of urticaria. The urticaria symptom rates were higher in those wearing gloves than those who did not for the type of work.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.117-122
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• 1976

The occupational skin diseases in an industry of silk reeling located in Daegu city of Korea were analyzed by inspection through a mass survey for improving the workers' health, November, 1975. The subjects, 177 persons were all females, and were distributed at 18-38 years old. About two thirds were under 25 years old. The meanage was 23.6 years. The incidence of skin diseases was about 53%. It was generally divided into three groups;- the epidermic changes of those were most frequent, 47.5%, the allergic reactions were 14.7%, and athlete's foot was only four cases, 2.3%. Most frequent signs of epidermic changes was the worn-out nail, 32.3%; and the keratolysis, 28.8%; and the callus, 15.3% were followed in order. Theses were significant in five per cent level between the sections of the silk reeling and the manufacturing;-Allergic reactions and worn-out nail were more frequent in the manufacturing group than the silk reeling, and keratolysis and callus were inverted proportionally. Allergic reactions were occurred within a few months from first entrance time, and it was more frequent in the group exposed to same allergen in the past than the continuing group from first. Most of the appearing sites of theses were hands, and infrequently, it was occurred in the face, neck, trunk, knee anfeet. These epidermic changes except allergic phenomena were appeared in the fingers, palmal and dorsal surface of hands frequently contacted. But these changes and allergic reactions were generally combined with two or more kinds.