• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2022

We report a case of successful treatment of congenital syphilis in an extremely preterm baby. A 1,395 g female infant was born by emergency Caesarean section due to preterm labor and breech presentation at gestational age at 29 weeks and 3 days with an Apgar score of 2 and 4 at 1 minute and 5 minutes, respectively. The mother of the newborn, an illegal immigrant who did not receive any antenatal care, was diagnosed as active syphilis infection by reactive rapid plasma regain (RPR) (titer 1:128) just before the delivery. Upon birth, the newborn presented with various clinical manifestations, including severe respiratory distress syndrome, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, desquamation and scaling of the whole body, and osteolytic changes of long bone ends. Results of laboratory tests showed signs of early congenital syphilis, including positive syphilis reagin test (12.7 R.U.), reactive with RPR titer of 1:64, and positive for immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test. However, after completion of penicillin G treatment for two weeks, laboratory results dramatically improved, showing a negative syphilis reagin test (0.5 R.U.) and non-reactive in RPR. In conclusion, the incidence of congenital syphilis is prone to be resurgent in South Korea, neonatologists should be fully aware of the clinical features of congenital syphilis because early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential in order to reduce the social and economic burden due to congenital syphilis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.438-444
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• 2014

Broussonetia kazinoki Siebold. (B. kazinoki) has long been used in the manufacture of paper in Asian countries. Although B. kazinoki leaves (BK) have been employed in dermatological therapy, use of BK has not been tested in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Using Nc/Nga mice, which are genetically predisposed to develop AD-like skin lesions, we confirmed the efficacy of BK in AD treatment. BK extract was applied topically to Dermatophagoides farinae-induced AD-like lesions in Nc/Nga mice, and the effects were assessed both clinically and by measuring skin thickness on the back and ears. We measured the effects of BK extract on plasma levels of IgE and IL-4. We also measured the ability of BK extract to inhibit the secretion of hTARC in HaCaT cells after stimulation by TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$. We found that BK extract significantly reduced ear and dorsal skin thickness and the clinical signs of AD, as well as significantly down-regulating the plasma levels of IgE and IL-4 (p<0.01 for each comparison). Moreover, $500{\mu}g/mL$ of BK extract inhibited hTARC secretion in HaCaT cells by activated TNF-${\alpha}$/IFN-${\gamma}$ by about 87%. These findings suggest that topical application of BK extract has excellent potential in the treatment of AD.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.488-493
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• 2010

We investigated the effect of Perilla frutescens (PF) ethanol extract powder (PF-E30) on the local allergic reaction activated by anti-DNP IgE and the mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions induced by compound 48/80 in a mouse model. One gram of PF powder extracted with 30% ethanol at $80^{\circ}C$ contained 12.3 mg of rosmarinic acid. Oral administration of PF-E30 (0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced plasma histamine levels and inhibited histamine release from peritoneal mast cells in mice activated by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE. Moreover PF-E30 dose-dependently inhibited the production of antigen-induced IgE. These results indicate that the PF ethanol extract inhibits mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions in vivo and in vitro.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.537-542
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• 2003

Sixty [(Duroc${\times}$Yorkshire)${\times}$Landrace] pigs (7.63$\pm$0.41kg average body weight and 25-d average age) were used in a 20-d growth assay to determine the effect of dietary recombinant human lactoferricin culture (RHLC) supplementation on growth performance, digestibility and plasma IgG concentration in weaning pigs. Dietary treatments included 1) Negative control (NC : without antibiotic), 2) Positive control (PC : NC diet + 0.1% chlortetracycline), 3) RHLC0.3 (NC diet + 0.3% RHLC), 4) RHLC0.5 (NC diet + 0.5% RHLC). No differences were found among treatments in average daily gain (P>0.05). ADFI of pigs fed RHLC0.3 diet was higher than that of pigs fed PC diet (P<0.05). However, pigs fed RHLC0.5 diet had improved gain/feed compared to pigs fed PC diet. Pigs fed PC and RHLC diets showed significantly increased dry matter digestibility compared to pigs fed NC diet (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in plasma IgG concentrations (P>0.05). The supplementation of RHLC in starter pig diets appears to be an alternative to antibiotics.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.428-431
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• 2010

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by endothelial cell damage, resulting in microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and various degrees of neurological and renal impairment caused by microvascular thrombi. It is rare in children and frequently follows a fatal course. TTP is divided into 2 types: one is inherited and associated with ADAMTS-13 gene mutations and the other is acquired and associated with anti-ADAMTS-13 autoantibodies. The measurement of ADAMTS-13 activity in plasma, identification of ADAMTS-13 circulating inhibitor, anti-ADAMTS-13 IgG, and ADAMTS-13 gene sequencing are crucial to the diagnosis of TTP. Plasma exchanges are the first-line treatment for acquired TTP, combined with steroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Here, we describe the case of an adolescent patient with TTP, confirmed by decreased level of ADAMTS-13 activity and an increased level of ADAMTS-13 inhibitor, who was successfully treated by plasma exchanges.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.674-681
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• 2012

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental glutamine on growth performance, plasma parameters and LPS-induced immune response of weaned barrows after castration. In experiment 1, forty-eight weaned male piglets were used and fed maize and soybean meal diets supplemented with 0 (Control) or 2% L-Gln (Gln+) for 25 days. The results indicated that the Gln+ group tended to increase average daily gain compared to control in stages of days 7 to 14 and 0 to 25. The Gln+ had significantly better feed efficiency than the control group did during days 14 to 25 and 0 to 25. The plasma blood urea nitrogen and alkaline phosphatase contents of Gln+ group were higher than those of the control group on day 14 post-weaning. In experiment 2, sixteen weaned male piglets were injected with E. coli K88+ lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on day 14 post-weaning. The results showed that the Gln+ group had lower concentrations of plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol than the control group on day 14 pre-LPS challenge. In addition, Gln+ group had higher plasma IgG concentration than the control group for pre- or post-LPS challenged on day 14 post-weaning. In summary, dietary supplementation of Gln was able to alleviate the stressful condition and inflammation associated with castration in weaned barrows, and to improve their immunity and growth performance in the early starter stage.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2005

Economic animal husbandry workers exposed to organic dust can be suffered from immunologic disorders. Our study was to determine immunological parameters related with occurrence of respiratory allergic diseases to animal husbandry workers in Korea for the first time. Peripheral blood were obtained from twenty-five pig barn workers, forty-nine chicken farming workers and fifty-one non-agricultural control workers. Significantly upregulated plasma IgE level was observed with pig-barn workers than that of chicken farming workers or healthy community control subjects. Furthermore, level of histamine, a hallmark of allergy induction, was upregulated in the pig and chicken farming workers in comparison with that of the control subjects. Downregulation of $IFN_\gamma$ and $TNF_{\alpha}$ production from T cells was apparent in the animal husbandry workers compared with the control subjects. Meanwhile, T cells collected from the pig barn workers demonstrated significantly higher production of IL-4 and IL-10 than the other groups. There were also alterations in IgG subclass distribution. In conclusion, immunological modulation probably leading to occupational allergic diseases can be occurred in the economic animal husbandry workers and the pig barn workers could be the most risky group to the work-related allergic disease.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.48.1-48.13
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• 2022

With the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, which are randomly mutated, the dominant strains in regions are changing globally. The development of preclinical animal models is imperative to validate vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The objective of this study was to develop a non-human primate (NHP) model for SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection. Cynomolgus macaques infected with Delta variants showed infectious viruses and viral RNA in the upper (nasal and throat) and lower respiratory (lung) tracts during the acute phase of infection. After 3 days of infection, lesions consistent with diffuse alveolar damage were observed in the lungs. For cellular immune responses, all macaques displayed transient lymphopenia and neutrophilia in the early stages of infection. SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spike protein-specific IgM, IgG, and IgA levels were significantly increased in the plasma of these animals 14 days after infection. This new NHP Delta variant infection model can be used for comparative analysis of the difference in severity between SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and may be useful in the efficacy evaluation of vaccines and universal therapeutic drugs for mutations.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.51-85
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of concurrent administration of KKSDU and AJ on atopic dermatitis in an in-vivo experiment using an NC/Nga atopic dermatitis mouse, which has histological and clinical similarities to the condition in humans. Methods : We evaluated clinical skin score, hematology, serum total IgE and IgG1 of NC/Nga atopic dermatitis mouse and analyzed the cytoline level, total cell number, immunohistochemical staining, histological features of axillary lymph node(ALN), draining lymph node(DLN), peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) and dorsal skin tissue in NC/Nga mouse. Results : Orally administration of KKSDU and concurrent administration of KKSDU and AJ decreased the clinical skin score, total cell number of WBC, platelet, neutrophils, eosinophils in blood, serum total IgE & IgG1, IL-5, IL-13. Also, total cell number of ALN and dorsal skin tissue, absolute cell number of CD3e+&CD19+, CD4+&CD8+, CD3+/CCR3+, CCR3+, CD3+/CD69+, CD3+/CXCR5+ in ALN, PBMCs, absolute cell number of CCR3+, CD3+/CD69+, CD11b+/Gr-1+ in dorsal skin tissue, Eotaxin2 mRNA, CCR3 mRNA in dorsal skin tissue and gene expression of IL-5 mRNA, IL-13 mRNA in ALN are significantly decreased. Furthermore, thickness of epidermis, infiltrated inflammatory immune cell & mast cell in dermis, histologic infiltration of mast cell, the size of inflammatory lymphocytes cells & plasma cells in ALN and histologic infiltration of CD4+ & CCR3+ in ALN and dorsal skin tissue are significantly decreased. However, total cell number of DLN, absolute cell number of CD3+&CD19+, CD4+&CD8+, B220+/CD23+, CD3+/CD69+ in DLN and CD4+CD25+foxp3+Treg cell, foxp3 mRNA in dersal skin tissue are increased significantly. Conclusions : Concurrent administration of KKSDU and AJ on atopic dermatitis in an in-vivo experiment using an NC/Nga atopic dermatitis mouse was very effective to the atopic detmatitis treatment.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.37-72
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• 2009

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the suppressive effects of Atopy cream-combined with Jawoongo ointment (A-J), on the development of atopic dermatitis-like skinlesions in NC/Nga mouse. Methods We evaluated clinical skin score, hematology and Serum total IgE and IgG1 of NC/Nga atopic dermatitis mouse, analyzed the cytokine level, total cell number, Immunohistochemical staining and Histological features of axillary lymph node(ALN), draining lymph node(DLN), peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) and dorsal skin tissue in NC/Nga mouse. Results A-J decreased the clinical skin score, total cell number of WBC, platelet, neutrophils, eosinophils in blood, Serum total IgE & IgG1, IL-5, IL-13. Also, total cell number of ALN and dorsal skin tissue, Absolute cell number of $CD3e^+$&$CD19^+$, $CD4^+$&$CD8^+$, $CD3^+/CCR3^+$, $CCR3^+$, $CD3^+/CD69^+$, $CD3^+/CXCR5^+$ in ALN, PBMCs, Absolute cell number of $CCR3^+$, $CD3^+/CD69^+$, $CD11b^+/Gr-1^+$ in dorsalskin tissue, Eotaxin2 mRNA, CCR3 mRNA in dorsal skin tissue and gene expression of IL-5 mRNA, IL-13 mRNA in ALN decreased significantly. Furthermore, thickness of epidermis, infiltrated inflammatory immune cell and mast cell in dermis, histologic infiltration of mast cell, the size of inflammatory lymphocytes cells and plasma cells in ALN and histologic infiltration of CD4+ & CCR3+ in ALN and dorsal skin tissue decreased significantly. However, total cell number of DLN, absolute cell number of $CD3e^+$&$CD19^+$, $CD4^+$&$CD8^+$, $B220^+/CD23^+$, $CD3^+/CD69^+$ increased significantly. Conclusions A-J was the successful treatment of atopic dermatitis in a NC/Nga mouse model.