• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.21
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• 2022

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the number of cancer patients is expected to continuously increase in the future. Traditional cancer therapies focus on inhibiting cancer growth while largely ignoring the contribution of the immune system in eliminating cancer cells. Recently, better understanding of immunological mechanisms pertaining to cancer progress has led to development of several immunotherapies, which revolutionized cancer treatment. Nonetheless, only a small proportion of cancer patients respond to immunotherapy and maintain a durable response. Among multiple factors contributing to the variability of immunotherapy response rates, commensal microbiota inhabiting patients have been identified as one of the most critical factors determining the success of immunotherapy. The functional diversity of microbiota differentially affects the host immune system and controls the efficacy of immunotherapy in individual cancer patients. Moreover, clinical studies have demonstrated that changing the gut microbiota composition by fecal microbiota transplantation in patients who failed a previous immunotherapy converts them to responders of the same therapy. Consequently, both academic and industrial researchers are putting extensive efforts to identify and develop specific bacteria or bacteria mixtures for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we will summarize the immunological roles of commensal microbiota in cancer treatment and give specific examples of bacteria that show anticancer effect when administered as a monotherapy or as an adjuvant agent for immunotherapy. We will also list ongoing clinical trials testing the anticancer effect of commensal bacteria.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.187-194
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• 2015

This study was conducted to examine the effects of alterations in water temperature (WT) on biochemical and immunological factors in the hemolymph of the abalones, Haliotis gigantea and H. discus discus. The abalone were exposed to various WT; 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and $28^{\circ}C$ for 96 hours. In biochemical factors, total-protein (TP), glucose, magnesium (Mg), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were not significant changes in hemolymph of H. gigantea and H. discus discus. But calcium was significantly increased by high WT (${\geq}24^{\circ}C$). In immunological factor, The phenoloxidase (PO) activity was decreased in hemolymph of H. gigantea and H. discus discus exposed to high temperature (${\geq}22^{\circ}C$) compared to the control (P < 0.05). Whereas alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was not significantly changed. These results suggested that high temperature adversely affects the immunity of H. gigantea and H. discus discus.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1988

The contraception practice rate in Korea has steadily increased from 9% in 1964 to 72% in 1987. Accordingly, natural increase rate of population declined from 28.4 per 1,000 in 1964 to 12.4 per 1,000 in 1987. Notably in recent years, the acceptance of surgical contraception services has sharply increased in this country. Now the author analyzes various factors influencing successful vasectomy and vasovasostomy based on his experience in performing more than 8,000 vasectomies and 1,000 vasovasostomies during the past 25 years. These various factors consist of preoperative screening interview, surgical vasectomy technique, vas irrigation technique, open-ended vasectomy, complications from vasectomy, sperm granuloma formation, spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis after vasectomy, immunological consequences after vasectomy, prostatic diseases and vasectomy, late post-vasectomy syndrome, psychological effects after vasectomy, and success rates of vasovasostomy. Besides, the author makes more comments on the results of the clinical trials on new approaches to reversible vas occlusion technique with a new device of Intravasal Thread and to reversible suppression of spermatogenesis with long-acting sex hormones.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.48-60
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to evaluate alcohol consumption and nutritional status in patients with alcoholic liver disease. The subjects were 80 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 12 patients with alcoholic fatty liver. Also 57 alcoholics without liver disease, 32 patients with viral liver cirrhosis and 194 normal men were included as control groups. Data on anthropometric index, socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, dietary habits and dietary intakes were collected by individual interview. Alcoholic liver disease group had significantly lower triceps skinfold thickness and mid-uppr-arm circumferences than other groups. Socioeconomic status of alcholoci subjects was middle class or lower than that. The amount, duration and frequency of alcohol consumption were significantly higher and the quality of side dishes consumed with alcoholic beverage was significantly poorer in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis than others. Patients with alchololic liver disease ingested approximately 40% of daily caloric intake as alcohol and all alcoholic subjects had lower average intakes of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals as compared with Korean adult average intakes. The results suggest that alcohol and poor dietary intake could cause malnutrition and might be two of the important risk factors to develop alcoholic liver disease in alcoholics. But other factors like genetic and immunological factors should be also considered in elucidating the causes of alcoholic liver disease. An extensive nutritional education should be emphasized for alcohol consuming population to prevent development of alcoholic liver disease.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.168-174
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• 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, which is mainly characterized by disease of joints affected with synovial hyperplasia, pathological immune response, and progressive destruction; all of which represent an important social health problem. These provide new insights in its pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and disease progression in molecular changes. This review focuses on new serological and immunological markers which seem to be useful in early diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, such tests are widely conducted for serological biomarkers and the developments with such immunological factors to identify patients who are at risk for disease progression. This evidence of the disease based on laboratory medicine could provide the best outcome for patients. Finally, data from recent studies will help to refine the ultimate usefulness of this novel approach for early diagnosis, treatment, and helping clinicians to optimize therapy by using this approach.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2014

The effect of cordycepin purified from Cordyceps militaris on macrophage activation was investigated in peritoneal macrophages isolated from C57BL6 mice. Lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse peritoneal cells showed that cordycepin treatment increased the expression of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), leading to early inflammation-mediated reactions, the activation of immunological responses, and T lymphocyte activation. T lymphocytes, activated by a greater production of IL-6, resulted in antibody-generating immune reactions, suggesting that cordycepin was effective at inducing immunological responses. Consistent with the increase in the inflammation-mediating factors including nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), the toxic response of macrophages was activated and effectively induced inflammation. These findings demonstrate that cordycepin is involved in reducing cell injury provoked by inflammatory reactions. Therefore, these results suggest that cordycepin treatment of mouse peritoneal cells induces inflammation-mediated immunological responses and immunostimulation.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of elevated water temperature (WT) on biochemical and immunological factors in the hemolymph of the abalones, Haliotis discus hannai and H. discus discus. The abalone were exposed to various WT; 20, 22, 24, 26 and $28^{\circ}C$ for 4 days. In the control and $20^{\circ}C$, total-protein (TP), glucose and calcium (Ca) in hemolymph of H. discus discus were higher than the values in H. discus hannai. The values of magnesium (Mg), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lysozyme in H. discus hannai were similar to the H. discus discus in the control. There were no significant alterations in TP, glucose and Mg levels of hemolymph in H. discus hannai and H. discus discus by WT increases. The values of Ca, ALP and lysozyme were increased in H. discus hannai exposed to the high temperature (26 and $28^{\circ}C$) compared to control, while the values in H. discus discus were not significant difference between the WT groups. The phenoloxidase (PO) activity was increased in hemolymph of H. discus hannai exposed to high temperature (${\geq}24^{\circ}C$) compared to the control (P < 0.05). These physiological and immunological parameters were significantly changed in H. discus hannai. However, these parameters in H. discus discus were barely altered at the high WT (P < 0.05). These results suggested that H. discus hannai is considered to be more sensitive than H. discus discus at the high WT.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 2015

In the past decade, structural, molecular, and functional changes in glial cells have become a major focus in the search for the neurobiological foundations of schizophrenia. Glial cells, consisting of oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia, and nerve/glial antigen 2-positive cells, constitute a major cell population in the central nervous system. There is accumulating evidence of reduced numbers of oligodendrocytes and altered expression of myelin/oligodendrocyte-related genes that might explain the white matter abnormalities and altered inter- and intra-hemispheric connectivities that are characteristic signs of schizophrenia. Astrocytes play a key role in the synaptic metabolism of neurotransmitters ; thus, astrocyte dysfunction may contribute to certain aspects of altered neurotransmission in schizophrenia. Increased densities of microglial cells and aberrant expression of microglia-related surface markers in schizophrenia suggest that immunological/inflammatory factors are of considerable relevance to the pathophysiology of psychosis. This review describes current evidence for the multifaceted role of glial cells in schizophrenia and discusses efforts to develop glia-directed therapies for the treatment of the disease.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.189-194
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• 2002

Although the exact mechanism responsible for the pathogenesis of psoriasis is unclear, interferon-${\gamma}$ producing type 1 T cells have been reported to play a significant role. Infiltrating activated type 1 T cells in the lesions are believed to be responsible for stimulating keratinocytes, which produce many cytokines and growth factors. The hyperproliferative epidermis is understood to be the result of either the cytokines produced by the intraepidermal T cells or the reactive phenomenon after keratinocyte damage. The microenvironment in psoriatic lesions deviates toward the type 1 status, because of the increased type 1 cytokines and either the decreased or unchanged type 2 cytokines observed in psoriatic lesions. Therefore, this review focused on a T-cell-mediated immunological basis for the current hypothesis of the psoriasis pathogenesis.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2008

Depression and anxiety disorders are common psychiatric illnesses whose etiology remains partially understood. The etiology of depression and anxiety disorders is multi-factorial, and abnormalities in neurotransmitter, neuroendocrine system, and brain activation have been implicated in those conditions. However, the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorder is certainly not well understood, and some patients with depression or anxiety disorders do not respond to antidepressant therapy. Recently, immunological factors such as cytokines are known to be closely related to central nervous system as well as depression and anxiety disorders. This review highlights recent progress in understanding the function of cytokines in depression and anxiety disorders.