• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2005

Muscle atrophy is defined as a decrease in muscle mass, cross-sectional area, and myofibrillar protein content. Causes inducing muscle atrophy may be inactivity, denervation, undernutrition and steroid. Inactivity may decrease protein synthesis and increase protein breakdown of skeletal muscle. The muscle atrophy due to inactivity was induced by bed rest, hindlimb suspension, cast, total hip replacement arthroplasty, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Denervated atrophy may be induced by the loss of innervation from lower motor neuron. The atrophy was apparent in the lower limb of hemiplegic patients following ischemic stroke and in the hindlimb of ischemic stroke rats. Protein breakdown of skeletal muscle in the undernourished state results in muscle atrophy. The atrophy due to undernutrition was evident in cancer and leukemia patients and in the undernourished rats. Steroids have been used to treat allergies, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases and to inhibit immune function following transplantation. Steroids may induce muscle atrophy by protein breakdown of skeletal muscle. Muscle Physiology Laboratoryat College of Nursing, Seoul National University proved that dexamethasone may induce hindlimb muscle atrophy in rats and exercise and DHEA may attenuate hindlimb muscle atrophy induced by the steroid in rats. Nurses working with patients undergoing steroid treatment need to be cognizant of steroid induced muscle atrophy. They need to assess whether muscle atrophy is being occurred during and after the steroid treatment. Moreover, they need to apply exercise and DHEA to the patients undergoing steroid treatment in order to attenuate the steroid induced muscle atrophy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.309-313
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• 2008

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia is a serious opportunistic infection in an immunocompromised host such as an AIDS patient or transplant recipient undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a relatively uncommon condition and it occurs most often in patients with systemic autoimmune disease. However, various types of infectious pneumonia with Mycoplsma hominis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Pneumocystis jirovecii have been reported to be associated with the development of DAH. The association of CMV infection with the development of DAH has rarely been reported. We experienced a case of DAH associated CMV pneumonia and the patient was successfully treated with the use of antiviral agents and steroids.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.375-379
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• 2015

A 45-year-old man presented with dyspnea and hemoptysis during exercise. A chest computed tomography (CT) revealed multifocal diffuse patchy ground glass opacity and interlobular septal thickening in both the lungs. Permeability pulmonary edema or pulmonary hemorrhage was suspected. Serologic studies for autoimmune disorders and vasculitis were negative. There was no laboratory evidence of coagulopathy, other hematopoietic disease or infectious disease. Considering correlation with exercise, we diagnosed exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) or exercise-induced pulmonary edema (EIPE). The patient was managed with antifibrinolytics, antibiotics, and antitussive agent. After a week, follow-up chest CT revealed completely resolved pulmonary hemorrhage. About 2 months after the first event, he visited again with dyspnea and hemoptysis during running. In the present study, we report a case of recurrent pulmonary hemorrhage after exercise.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.144-150
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• 2009

Reactive oxygen species play a role in signal transduction and in many human diseases. B-cell activating factor (BAFF) plays a role for mature B cell generation and maintenance and for the incidence of autoimmune diseases. We previously reported that BAFF expression was induced by ROS. In this study, we investigated whether ROS-induced BAFF expression was affected by toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 or myeloid differentiation primary response gene (MyD) 88. BAFF expression was increased by serum deprivation that is an experimental modification to produce ROS. In contrast, TLR4 and MyD88 were decreased by serum deprivation. Although ROS production was decreased in TLR4-nonfunctional or MyD88-deficient splenocytes as compared to that in control mice, serum deprivation increased ROS production and augmented BAFF expression in both cells. $50{\mu}M\;H_2O_2$ also increased BAFF expression in TLR4-deficient or MyD88-deficient splenocytes. Collectively, results show that BAFF expression may be mediated by TLR4 or MyD88-independent manner and TLR4 or MyD88 may not be required in BAFF expression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2020

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature myeloid cells that exert suppressive function on the immune response. MDSCs expand in tumor-bearing hosts or in the tumor microenvironment and suppress T cell responses via various mechanisms, whereas a reduction in their activities has been observed in autoimmune diseases or infections. It has been reported that the symptoms of various diseases, including malignant tumors, can be alleviated by targeting MDSCs. Moreover, MDSCs can contribute to patient resistance to therapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors. In line with these therapeutic approaches, diverse oligonucleotide-based molecules and small molecules have been evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in several disease models via the modulation of MDSC activity. In the current review, MDSC-targeting oligonucleotides and small molecules are briefly summarized, and we highlight the immunomodulatory effects on MDSCs in a variety of disease models and the application of MDSC-targeting molecules for immuno-oncologic therapy.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2021

Traditional medicinal practices have used natural products such as adaptogens to treat inflammatory, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, bacterial, and viral diseases since the early days of civilization. Panax ginseng Myer is a common herb used in East Asian countries for millennia, especially in Korea, China, and Japan. Numerous studies indicate that ginseng can modulate the immune system and thereby prevent diseases. Although the human immune system comprises many different types of cells, multiple studies suggest that each type of immune cell can be controlled or stimulated by ginseng or its derivatives. Provisional lists of ginseng's potential for use against viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms suggest it may prove to be a valuable pharmaceutical resource, particularly if higher-quality evidence can be found. Here, we reviewed the role of ginseng as an immune-modulating agent in attempt to provide a valuable starting point for future studies on the herb and the human immune system.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.861-878
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• 2021

The human genome contains many retroviral elements called human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), resulting from the integration of retroviruses throughout evolution. HERVs once were considered inactive junk because they are not replication-competent, primarily localized in the heterochromatin, and silenced by methylation. But HERVs are now clearly shown to actively regulate gene expression in various physiological and pathological conditions such as developmental processes, immune regulation, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and neurological disorders. Recent studies report that HERVs are activated in patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the current pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection. In this review, we describe internal and external factors that influence HERV activities. We also present evidence showing the gene regulatory activity of HERV LTRs (long terminal repeats) in model organisms such as mice, rats, zebrafish, and invertebrate models of worms and flies. Finally, we discuss several molecular and cellular pathways involving various transcription factors and receptors, through which HERVs affect downstream cellular and physiological events such as epigenetic modifications, calcium influx, protein phosphorylation, and cytokine release. Understanding how HERVs participate in various physiological and pathological processes will help develop a strategy to generate effective therapeutic approaches targeting HERVs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.5
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• pp.375-380
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• 2010

Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is a rare benign lymphoproliferative interstitial lung disease. LIP has been associated with autoimmune disorders, HIV, viral infections, and so on. Once underlying systemic diseases have been excluded, a diagnosis of idiopathic LIP can be made. Although 6 cases of pathologically confirmed LIP have occurred in Korea, thus far none has been associated with primary Sjogren's syndrome. A 44-year-old man was admitted to hospital due to a dry cough and dypsnea on exertion that had been ongoing for 2 months. A chest radiography showed multiple and variable-sized cystic lesions, on both lungs and both interstitial infiltration and consolidation in both lower lung fields. Tests for autoantibody showed positive results of anti-nuclear antibody and anti-Ro/La antibody. The patient underwent a video assisted thoracoscopic surgery biopsy and pathologically confirmed LIP. We report the first known case of LIP-associated with primary Sjogren's syndrome in Korea.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.11-41
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• 2011

The discovery of microRNA (miRNA) is one of the major scientific breakthroughs in recent years and has revolutionized current cell biology and medical science. miRNAs are small (19~25nt) noncoding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by targeting the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for degradation of translation repression. Genetic ablation of the miRNA machinery, as well as loss or degradation of certain individual miRNAs, severely compromises immune development and response, and can lead to immune disorders. Several sophisticated regulatory mechanisms are used to maintain immune homeostasis. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential for maintaining peripheral tolerance, preventing autoimmune diseases and limiting chronic inflammatory diseases. Recent publications have provided compelling evidence that miRNAs are highly expressed in Treg cells, that the expression of Foxp3 is controlled by miRNAs and that a range of miRNAs are involved in the regulation of immunity. A large number of studies have reported links between alterations of miRNA homeostasis and pathological conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as psychiatric and neurological diseases. Although it is still unclear how miRNA controls Treg cell development and function, recent studies certainly indicate that this topic will be the subject of further research. The specific circulating miRNA species may also be useful for the diagnosis, classification, prognosis of diseases and prediction of the therapeutic response. An explosive literature has focussed on the role of miRNA. In this review, I briefly summarize the current studies about the role of miRNAs in Treg cells and in the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune response. I also review the explosive current studies about clinical application of miRNA.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.9.1-9.13
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• 2023

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a zinc and calcium-dependent proteolytic enzyme involved in extracellular matrix degradation. Overexpression of MMP-9 has been confirmed in several disorders, including cancers, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and dental caries. Therefore, MMP-9 inhibition is recommended as a therapeutic strategy for combating various diseases. Cinnamic acid derivatives have shown therapeutic effects in different cancers, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular diseases, and dental caries. A computational drug discovery approach was performed to evaluate the binding affinity of selected cinnamic acid derivatives to the MMP-9 active site. The stability of docked poses for top-ranked compounds was also examined. Twelve herbal cinnamic acid derivatives were tested for possible MMP-9 inhibition using the AutoDock 4.0 tool. The stability of the docked poses for the most potent MMP-9 inhibitors was assessed by molecular dynamics (MD) in 10 nanosecond simulations. Interactions between the best MMP-9 inhibitors in this study and residues incorporated in the MMP-9 active site were studied before and after MD simulations. Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid revealed a considerable binding affinity to the MMP-9 catalytic domain (ΔG_binding < -10 kcal/ mol). The inhibition constant value for cynarin and chlorogenic acid were calculated at the picomolar scale and assigned as the most potent MMP-9 inhibitor from the cinnamic acid derivatives. The root-mean-square deviations for cynarin and chlorogenic acid were below 2 Å in the 10 ns simulation. Cynarin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid might be considered drug candidates for MMP-9 inhibition.