• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• 제13권4호
• /
• pp.116-122
• /
• 2013

This study was conducted to determine whether CD4 T cell responses to citrullinated fibrinogen occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially in HLA-DR4-positive subjects. Whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of RA patients and control subjects were stimulated with citrullinated fibrinogen peptides, and T-cell production of proliferation and proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-${\gamma}$(IFN-${\gamma}$) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A), were measured. In addition, CD4 T cells from RA patients were stimulated with the citrullinated fibrinogen peptide, $Fib-{\alpha}$ R84Cit, identified as a DRB1*0401-restricted T cell epitope in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice, and the degree of T cell activation was examined similarly. No proliferative responses to the citrullinated fibrinogen peptides were observed in whole PBMCs or CD4 T cells from RA patients. Furthermore, no increased production of IFN-${\gamma}$ or IL-17A was found in whole PBMCs or CD4 T cells stimulated with the citrullinated fibrinogen peptides, although these cells responded to recall antigen, a mixture of tetanus toxoid, purified protein derivative (PPD) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Candida albicans. The results of this study indicate that anti-citrulline immunity in RA patients may be mediated by fibrinogen because there is no evidence of CD4 T cell-mediated immune responses to citrullinated fibrinogen peptides.

• 한국임상약학회지
• /
• 제21권2호
• /
• pp.122-130
• /
• 2011

Objective: Although recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has revolutionized the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving hemodialysis (HD) with no need of blood transfusion, some patients have a blunted or appear to be resistant to rhEPO. There is a controversy in the causes of rhEPO resistance in maintenance HD patients with anemia. This study is to examine current anemia treatment outcomes and the factors influencing the rhEPO responsiveness in HD patient with CKD. Methods: The clinical parameters or factors relating to erythrompoietin treatment outcomes and erythropoietin responsiveness were collected from the HD patients in two large dialysis centers for three months. The collected paramenters included serum iron, total iron biding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation rate, ferritin, albumin, intact PTH, C-reactive protein (CRP), nPCR and medications such as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhbitor, an angiotension II receptor blocker and an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (HMG-CoA RI). The data were analyzed to examine the degree of acheiveing the anemia treatment goal and factors relating to ERI. Results: Among total 111 patients, 42 (42.3%) and 47 (37.8%) patients achieved the target Hct and Hb based on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services (HIRA) reimbursement criteria. In the higher ERI group (upper quartile), the patients had higher CRP levels (0.5 mg/dl) (p=0.0096), and lower TIBC score (<$240{\mu}g/dl$) (p=0.0027), and less patients were taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0019). Male patients (p=0.0204), patients with high TIBC score ($R^2$=0.084, p=0.0021) and patients taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0052) required to administer less dose of rhEPO meaning higher erythropoietin responsiveness. Conclusion: Less than 50% of CKD patients were achieving the goals of anemia by erythropoietin administration in large hospitals in Korea even though the goals were lower than those of NKF-K/DOQI practice guideline. The factors influencing ERI were sex, TIBC and HMG-CoA RI administration status, and neither an ACEI nor an ARB did not influence ERI.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• 제53권1호
• /
• pp.135-139
• /
• 2015

A total of 1,708 small mammals (1,617 rodents and 91 soricomorphs), including Apodemus agrarius (n = 1,400), Microtus fortis (167), Crocidura lasiura (91), Mus musculus (32), Myodes (= Eothenomys) regulus (9), Micromys minutus (6), and Tscherskia (= Cricetulus) triton (3), were live-trapped at US/Republic of Korea (ROK) military training sites near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of Paju, Pocheon, and Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province from December 2004 to December 2009. Small mammals were examined for their intestinal nematodes by necropsy. A total of 1,617 rodents (100%) and 91 (100%) soricomorphs were infected with at least 1 nematode species, including Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Syphacia obvelata, Heterakis spumosa, Protospirura muris, Capillaria spp., Trichuris muris, Rictularia affinis, and an unidentified species. N. brasiliensis was the most common species infecting small mammals (1,060; 62.1%) followed by H. polygyrus (617; 36.1%), S. obvelata (370; 21.7%), H. spumosa (314; 18.4%), P. muris (123; 7.2%), and Capillaria spp. (59; 3.5%). Low infection rates (0.1-0.8%) were observed for T. muris, R. affinis, and an unidentified species. The number of recovered worms was highest for N. brasiliensis (21,623 worms; mean 20.4 worms/infected specimen) followed by S. obvelata (9,235; 25.0 worms), H. polygyrus (4,122; 6.7 worms), and H. spumosa (1,160; 3.7 worms). A. agrarius demonstrated the highest prevalence for N. brasiliensis (70.9%), followed by M. minutus (50.0%), T. triton (33.3%), M. fortis (28.1%), M. musculus (15.6%), C. lasiura (13.2%), and M. regulus (0%). This is the first report of nematode infections in small mammals captured near the DMZ in ROK.

• 대한치과의사협회지
• /
• 제47권12호
• /
• pp.823-829
• /
• 2009

Purpose : The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival rate of sintered porous-surfaced implants placed in the edentulous posterior mandibles, in relation to implant length and diameter, crown-to-implant ratio, and types of prostheses, for a maximum of eight years of functioning. Material and Methods : The study group consisted of 43 partially edentulous patients who visited Catholic University Hospital of Daegu and one private dental clinic. A total of 122 sintered porous-surfaced implants n $Endopore^{(R)}$ (Inn ova Life Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) -- were placed in the edentulous posterior mandibles, Two diameter sizes (4.1 mm and 5.0 mm) and four lengths (5.0 mm, 7.0 mm, 9.0 mm, and 12.0 mm) were used. One hundred and three implants were splinted and 21 implants were nonsplinted. The survival rates of the implants in relation to length, diameter, crown-to-implant ratio, and types of prostheses were investigated. Statistical data were analyzed using SPSS Win.Ver 14.0 software with the Chi-square test. Results : The survival rate of the 4.1mm diameter implants was 100% and 91.2% for the 5.0mm diameter implants. The survival rates of the implants of differing diameters were found to be statistically different (p=0.005). The survival rates of both the 5.0mm and 7.0 mm length implants were 100%. The survival rate of the 9.0mm length implants was 97.9% and for the 12.0mm length implants was 95.1%. There was no statistical difference in survival rates for the differing lengths of implants. Of the 103 prostheses that were splinted, the survival rate was 98.0%. The survival rate of splinted prostheses was higher than that of the non-splinted prostheses, but was found to be not statistically different. There were no failed cases when the crown-to-implant ratio was under 1.0. When the crown-to-implant ratio was between 1.0 and 1.5, the failure rate of the implants was 6.7%. No failure was recorded with the ratio range of 1.5 to 2.0. Relative to the crown-to-implant ratio of 1.0, the failure rates were statistically different (p=0.048). Discussion and Conclusion : The cumulative survival rate of the porous-surfaced implants placed in the edentulous posterior mandibles was 97.5%. Short porous-surfaced implants showed satisfactory results after a maximum of nine years of functioning in the edentulous posterior mandibles.

• 한국식품저장유통학회지
• /
• 제16권1호
• /
• pp.122-127
• /
• 2009

어성초가 자연발효에 의존할 경우 잡균 및 산막효모의 오염 및 발효기간이 오래 걸린다는 단점이 있다. 본 연구는 전통적인 방법으로 발효된 어성초 엑기스에서 야생효모를 분리하고, 어성초 추출물에서의 발효 특성을 검토하였다. 그 결과, $15^{\circ}Brix$ 당용액에서 알코올 함량은 배양시간이 길어질수록 증가하여 배양 90시간째에 HCE 12%, HCD 11.2%, HCA 10.5% 순으로 높았다. HCF, HCG, HCB, HCC는 알코올 함량이 $7.5{\sim}8.5%$ 사이였다. 당용액에서 알코올 생성능이 가장 높은 HCE와 HCD 균주를 어성초 분리효모로 선정하고, 어성초배지(어성초 착즙액:증류수(1:1)에서 기존 Saccharomyces 균주와 발효력 비교 검토 결과, pH는 발효 전 $4.09{\sim}4.12$에서 발효 후 $3.57{\sim}3.78$로, 당도는 발효전 $15.00{\sim}15.19$에서 $7.75{\sim}9.57$로 감소하였다. 산도는 발효전 $0.138{\sim}0.210$에서 발효 후 $0.282{\sim}0.450$으로 증가하였으며, 알코올 함량은 발효 후 $3.6{\sim}4.6$으로 어성초 분리균인 HCD와 HCE가 감, 사과 및 포도에서 분리한 DJ97, YJK, R12, RCY 보다 소폭 높았다. 발효된 어성초배양액은 어성초 특유의 강한 비린내가 감소하고 생성된 알코올로 인해향은 보통 수준 이상의 관능평가를 얻었으나, 맛은 보통 이하로 낮은 관능평가를 얻었다. 색은 최저 $4.75{\pm}1.44$, 최고 $6.85{\pm}1.63$으로 HCE가 관능항목 중 가장 높은 점수를 얻었다. 전반적인 기호도는 최저 $3.95{\pm}1.17$, 최고 $5.00{\pm}1.41$로 보통의 수준으로 이는 맛의 기호도가 충족되지 못하여 낮은 관능평가를 얻은 것으로 사료된다. 그러나, 색, 향, 맛, 전반적인 기호도에서 균주간의 유의성(p<0.05)은 인정되지 않았다. 어성초 특유의 비린내를 보완할 수 있는 부재료를 첨가하여 맛을 완화시킬 수 있다면 어성초를 이용한 약용주의 개발도 가능할 것으로 판단된다.