• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2013

Objectives: Galgeun-tang (GGT, gegen-tang, kakkon-to), an herbal formula, is used to treat the common cold, fevers, headaches, hangovers and neck and upper back stiffness. The drugs currently used to treat atopic dermatitis (AD) are limited by the significant adverse effects associated with their long-term usage. The need to efficiently manage the AD response while reducing side effects has led to the development of alternative remedies. Methods: To assess the effects of GGT on AD, the anti-inflammatory and anti-AD properties of GGT were evaluated in both in vitro and in vivo systems. Results: Nitric oxide (NO) and histamine production on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells and phorbol-12 myristate 13-acetate (PMA)/A23187-treated MC/9 cells, respectively, were inhibited by GGT. GGT reduced thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) release on TNF-${\alpha}$/IFN-${\gamma}$ stimulated HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner. GGT reduced both plasma levels of IgE and histamine and the dermatitis score in house dust mite induced atopic dermatitis-like lesions on NC/Nga mice. However, there were no significant histopathological differences observed between the GGT group and the AD-induced group, such as AD-like lesions in the dorsal skin or ear or mast cell infiltration in the dorsal skin. Conclusions: These results indicate that GGT inhibits chemokine production by keratinocytes and the atopic dermatitis response in NC/Nga mice, suggesting that GGT may be useful as a therapeutic remedy for treating AD and allergic inflammation-related diseases.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2012

Objectives: Animal husbandry workers could be exposed to various work hazards including toxic gases, chemicals such as pesticides or organic dust. Immunological evaluation focusing on respiratory allergic hypersensitivity occurrence was under-taken for swine farm workers as a part of the study on immunologic status of dairy barn, swine confinement, and poultry farm workers. Materials and Methods: Peripheral bloods were collected from 25 workers at the year of 2001 and 12 workers at the year of 2012 from swine farms located at Gyeonggi province, Korea. Seven adults not involved with animal husbandry were recruited at the year of 2001 from the same residential area as the swine farm workers'. Level of plasma IgE and 20 respiratory allergen-specific IgE were evaluated using commercially available ELISA kit. Results: Plasma IgE level was approximately five-fold higher in the swine farm workers regardless of the sampling year than the control subjects. Plant allergens from outdoor environments such as golden rod, pigweed, Russian thistle, or ragweed were the major allergens with positive reaction(allergen specific IgE${\geq}$0.7 IU/mL) for the swine farm workers at 2001 year. Meanwhile, house dust mite(Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus) and cockroach, typical indoor allergens in Korea, were the major respiratory allergens for the swine farm workers at 2012 year. Conclusions: Overall, even though our results are primitive, the results suggest that immunological function of swine farm workers could be modulated toward type-2 reactivity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 1989

Allergic disorders may be defined as the abnormal reactions to proteins. Cow milk is the first foreign protein which the human being would contact postnatally. Serveral studies suggested that this contact had certain effects on the development o allergic disorders with great controlversies. Seven hundred seventy eight students from middle class in Seoul, aged 6 to 17 wears, were surveyed to delineate the relationshpis between the cow's milk contacts in infancy and the subsequent development of allergic disorders in Koran population. Questionaire were included the nursing patterns in infancy, the past medical history of asthma or wheezy bronchitis and the presence of infantile eczema. Skin tests to three common resporatory allergens in Korea(house dust, house dust mite; D. farinae, D. ptoeronssinus) were performed. The positivity was determined by the wheal size larger than that to histamine. 70.2% of whole mateials was fed by breast milk, 13.1% by cow's milk and 16.7% by mixed nutsing. From the obsevation of nursing patterns by (table 2), we find that the number of breast milk group has been decreasing in 1970's. 10.1% of breast milk group(BMG) had wheezy bronchitis, 8.8% of cow's milk group(CMG) and 11.5% of mixed nursing group(MNG). Infantile eczema history was positive in 27.8% of BMG, in 26.5% of CMG and in 29% of MNG. Skin test positivity was 23.8% in BMG, 25.5% in CMG and 26.2% in MNG. There prevalences of allergic disorders in each nursing group did not reveal any statistically significant differences. In conclusion, nursing patterns in infancy do not seem to have certain effects on the development of allergic disorders such as infantile eczema. wheezv bronchitis or skin test positivity.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.315-329
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• 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate the distribution, frequency, sensitization rate, and types of specific allergen in allergic patients. We analyzed allergens of 12,882 allergic patient's serum referred for Medical Laboratory using MAST Allergy Screen Test (Inhalation/food panel) from April, 2010 to March, 2011. Allergen reactivity were not detected in 833/12,882 (6.5%) allergic patients and the other allergic patients had two or more types of allergens of food and inhalant, respectively. In the distribution of the allergen food 73.4% (9,450/12,882 patients) was much higher than the pollen 26.6% (3,432/12,882 patients). The sensitization rate to each allergen showed garlic 26.7%, egg white 21.5% of food allergens, mugwort 24.9%, ragweed short 19.6% of pollen allergens, Candida albicans 10.5%, Alternaria spp. 7.9% of fungus allergens, and showed high sensitized rate to Dermatophagoides farinae 90.2%, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus 77.8%, house dust 57% of indoor allergens, respectively. The specific allergens of food allergen, fungus allergen, and indoor allergen were more frequent in young child than adult, but pollen allergens were frequent in adult than young child. In seasonal distribution, the food allergen were frequent in summer and autumn, the pollen allergen in autumn, fungus allergen in spring and in winter, and indoor allergen in autumn and in winter. In conclusion, the mite of Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and house dust showed the highest sensitization rate in specific allergen of allergic patients. The allergens showed difference feature according to the age, region, and types of allergen.

• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.662-674
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• 2018

Purpose: Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. However, the effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) on ILCs remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of ILC subsets in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients in response to house dust mite (HDM)-specific immunotherapy. Methods: We enrolled 37 AR patients undergoing AIT (16 responders and 11 non-responders) for 2 years, 35 HDM AR patients and 28 healthy subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed by flow cytometry to identify ILC subsets. Stimulation of ILC2s with recombinant allergen-specific protein was used to determine ILC2's activation (CD69 expression). Results: Responder AIT patients and healthy subjects had a decreased frequency of circulating ILC2s compared to non-responder AIT and AR patients. Conversely, ILC1s from responder AIT patients and healthy subjects showed increased frequency compared to non-responder AIT and AR patients. The frequency of ILC3s natural cytotoxicity receptor $(NCR)^+$ and $NCR^-$ in responder AIT patients was significantly lower compared to AR patients and healthy subjects. The ILC1: ILC2 proportion in responder AIT patients was similar to that of healthy subjects. PBMCs from patients who were responders to AIT had a significantly lower expression of the activation marker CD69 on ILC2s in response to allergen re-stimulation compared to AR patients, but no difference compared to non-responder AIT patients and healthy subjects. Conclusions: We propose that AIT might affect ILC responses. The activation of ILC2s was reduced in AR patients treated with AIT. Our results indicate that a relative ILC1/ILC2 skewed response is a possible key to successful AIT.

• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.182-187
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• 2021

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a lipid mediator of inflammation that is generated from arachidonic acid via the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. Previous studies have reported that the receptors of LTB4, BLT1, and BLT2 play mediatory roles in the allergic airway inflammation induced by ovalbumin (OVA). However, considering that house dust mites (HDMs) are the most prevalent allergen and well-known risk factor for asthmatic allergies, we are interested in elucidating the contributory roles of BLT1/2 in HDM-induced allergic airway inflammation. Our aim in this study was to investigate whether BLT1/2 play any roles in HDM-induced allergic airway inflammation. In this study, we observed that the levels of ligands for BLT1/2 [LTB4 and 12(S)-HETE (12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid)] were significantly increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after HDM challenge. Blockade of BLT1 or BLT2 as well as of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) or 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO) markedly suppressed the production of TH2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and alleviated lung inflammation and mucus secretion in an HDM-induced eosinophilic airway-inflammation mouse model. Together, these results indicate that the 5-/12-LO-BLT1/2 cascade plays a role in HDM-induced airway inflammation by mediating the production of TH2 cytokines. Our findings suggest that BLT1/2 may be a potential therapeutic target for patients with HDM-induced allergic asthma.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.240-249
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• 2015

Objectives: Farmers are known to be exposed to a variety of allergens related to the work environment. This study was conducted to determine the sensitization rates as well as South Korea that they are sensitized to certain allergens farmers through the skin prick test. Methods: By targeting a total of 1143 people living in the rural town of Gyeonggi Province, it was conducted a questionnaire containing demographic and occupational risk factors and underwent skin prick tests with 15 types of allergens(including positive and negative controls). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between occupational risk factors and skin prick test positivity. Results: Except for the 30 people whose result is invalid, positive rate of the skin prick test was 18.6% in 1,113 people. The species of house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae was the highest at 8.7% and 8.6%. After adjusted by age, gender, smoking and education level, odds ratio of flower plant farmers is 4.467(95% CI: 2.094-9.527) and fruit farmer is 2.275(95% CI: 1.096-4.721). In addition, the rate of sensitization to grass pollen mixture of the flower plant farmers is significantly higher(15.9%, p<0.001) than other allergens. Conclusions: Even farmers, the rate of sensitization to allergens related to the general environment, such as house dust mite is relatively dominant. However, given the presence of potential cross-reactivity between the allergens or distribution showed that the unique aspects of allergen sensitization in the flower growers, occupational cause is not be completely ruled out.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.295-300
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• 2013

Der f 2 is the group 2 major allergen of a house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) and its function has been recently suggested. To determine the optimal condition of sensitization to recombinant Der f 2 (rDer f 2) in murine model of asthma, we compared the effectiveness with different adjuvants in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Mice from both strains sensitized with rDer f 2 by intraperitoneal injection or subcutaneous injection on days 1 and 14. The dosage was $20{\mu}g$. Freund's adjuvants with pertussis toxin (FP) or alum alone were used as adjuvants. On days 28, 29, and 30, mice were challenged intranasally with 0.1% rDer f 2. We evaluated airway hyperresponsivenss, eosinophil proportion in lung lavage, airway inflammation, and serum allergen specific antibody responses. Naive mice were used as controls. Airway hyperresponsiveness was increased in C57BL/6 with FP, and BALB/c with alum (PC200: $13.5{\pm}6.3$, $13.2{\pm}6.7$ vs. >50 mg/ml, p<0.05). The eosinophil proportion was increased in all groups; C57BL/6 with FP, BALB/c with FP, C57BL/6 with alum, BALB/c with alum ($24.8{\pm}3.6$, $20.3{\pm}10.3$, $11.0{\pm}6.9$, $5.7{\pm}2.8$, vs. $0.0{\pm}0.0$%, p<0.05). The serum allergen specific IgE levels were increased in C57BL/6 with FP or alum (OD: $0.8{\pm}1.4$, $1.1{\pm}0.8$, vs. $0.0{\pm}0.0$). C57BL/6 mice were better responders to rDer f 2 and as for adjuvants, Freund's adjuvant with pertussis toxin was better.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1666-1671
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• 2008

The mite-control activities of materials obtained from Pelargonium graveolens oil against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus were examined using an impregnated fabric disk bioassay and were compared with those shown by commercial benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). Purification of the biologically active constituents from P. graveolens oil was done by silica gel chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the active components were analyzed by EI/MS, $^{1}H$-NMR, $^{13}C$-NMR, $^{1}H-^{13}C$ COSY-NMR, and DEPT-NMR spectra, and were identified as geraniol ($C_{10}H_{18}O$, MW 154.25, trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-l-ol) and $\beta$-citronellol ($C_{10}H_{20}O$, MW 156.27, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-l-o1). Based on the $LD_{50}$ values, the most toxic compound was geraniol (0.26${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), followed by $\beta$-citronellol (0.28${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), benzyl benzoate (10.03${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), and DEET (37.12${\mu}g/cm^{2}$) against D. farillae. In the case of D. pteronyssinus, geraniol (0.28${\mu}g/cm^{2}$) was the most toxic, followed by $\beta$-citronellol (0.29${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), benzyl benzoate (9.58${\mu}g/cm^{2}$), and DEET (18.23${\mu}g/cm^{2}$). These results suggest that D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus may be controlled more effectively by the application of geraniol and $\beta$-citronellol than benzyl benzoate and DEET. Furthermore, geraniol and $\beta$-citronellol isolated from P. graveolens could be useful for managing populations of D. farinae and D. pterollyssinus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1394-1398
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• 2007

Acaricidal activity of the active constituent derived from Pyrus ussuriensis fruits against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus was examined and compared with that of the commercial benzyl benzoate. The $LD_{50}$ value of the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from the aqueous extract of P. ussuriensis fruits was 9.51 and $8.59{\mu}g/cm^3$ against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus, respectively. The active constituent was identified as quinone by spectroscopic analyses. On the basis of $LD_{50}$ values with quinone and its congeners, the compound most toxic against D. farinae was quinone ($1.19{\mu}g/cm^3$), followed by quinaldine (1.46), benzyl benzoate (9.32), 4-quinolinol (86.55), quinine (89.16), and 2-quinolinol (91.13). Against D. pteronyssinus, these were quinone ($1.02{\mu}g/cm^3$), followed by quinaldine (1.29), benzyl benzoate (8.54), 4-quinolinol (78.63), quinine (82.33), and 2-quinolinol (86.24). These results indicate that the acaricidal activity of the aqueous extracts can be mostly attributed to quinone. Quinone was about 7.8 and 8.4 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus. Additionally, quinaldine was about 6.4 and 6.6 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus, respectively. Furthermore, the skin color of the dust mites was changed from colorless-transparent to dark brown-black by the treatment of quinone. These results indicate that quinone can be very useful as potential control agents, lead compounds, or the indicator of house dust mites.