• Applied Microscopy
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• v.51
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• pp.18.1-18.12
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• 2021

Hair, having distinct stages of growth, is a dynamic component of the integumentary system. Nonetheless, derangement in its structure and growth pattern often provides vital clues for the diagnosis of systemic diseases. Assessment of the hair structure by various microscopy techniques is, hence, a valuable tool for the diagnosis of several systemic and cutaneous disorders. Systemic illnesses like Comel-Netherton syndrome, Griscelli syndrome, Chediak Higashi syndrome, and Menkes disease display pathognomonic findings on hair microscopy which, consequently, provide crucial evidence for disease diagnosis. With minimal training, light microscopy of the hair can easily be performed even by clinicians and other health care providers which can, thus, serve as a useful tool for disease diagnosis at the patient's bedside. This is especially true for resource-constrained settings where access and availability of advanced investigations (like molecular diagnostics) is a major constraint. Despite its immense clinical utility and non-invasive nature, hair microscopy seems to be an underutilized diagnostic modality. Lack of awareness regarding the important findings on hair microscopy may be one of the crucial reasons for its underutilization. Herein, we, therefore, present a comprehensive overview of the available methods for hair microscopy and the pertinent findings that can be observed in various diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.146-151
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• 2005

We investigated the effect of Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill (SCB) on allergy in mice. We conformed compound 48/80-induced mesenteric mast cell degranulation, active systemic anaphylatic shock and histamine release. Also observed acetic acid-induced vascular permeability and anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. SCB inhibited mesenteric mast cell degranulation and active systemic anaphylatic shock induced by compound 48/80 dose-dependently. When SCB was pretreated by intra-peritoneal injection, the plasma histamine levels were reduced. SCB also significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced vascular permeability and anti-DNP IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. In addition, SCB reduced IL-10 mRNA expression of the lung on ovalbumin-induced allergy. These results indicate that SCB inhibits allergy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 2016

Food allergy is common and sometimes life threatening for Korean children. The current standard treatment of allergen avoidance and self-injectable epinephrine does not change the natural course of food allergy. Recently, oral, sublingual, and epicutaneous immunotherapies have been studied for their effectiveness against food allergy. While various rates of desensitization (36% to 100%) and tolerance (28% to 75%) have been induced by immunotherapies for food allergy, no single established protocol has been shown to be both effective and safe. In some studies, immunologic changes after immunotherapy for food allergy have been revealed. Adverse reactions to these immunotherapies have usually been localized, but severe systemic reactions have been observed in some cases. Although immunotherapy cannot be recommended for routine practice yet, results from recent studies demonstrate that immunotherapies are promising for the treatment of food allergy.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Objective : An allergy to peanuts is a major cause of fatal food-induced anaphylaxis, with food allergies becoming an increasingly important health research issue. Food allergy as clinical entity has been recongnized for many years, although there is yet no general concord as to the incidence of this symptom.1) Methods : This study was undertaken to verify the effect of seeds of Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. extract (CGE) on the inhibition of allergic reactions using a cholera toxin and peanut extract-immunized food allergy mouse model. We determine whether the changes in rectal temperature were related to energy consumption owing to heat production in the body. Mast cell distribution and degranulation in the dermis and epidermis were observed with an optical microscope. Subsequently, Ara h1 levels in serum and interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and $IFN-{\gamma}$ levels in cultured supernatants of splenocytes were measured. Results : CGE treatment significantly attenuated the secretion of the Ara h1 antibody in serum and splenocytes. Ara h 1 was undetected in the cholera toxin and peanut extract-immunized food allergy mouse model. Improvement in ear tissue inflammation symptoms was the CGE experimental group. In the control group and peanut extract control group, the expression of mast cells was higher, whereas that in the CGE experimental group was significantly lower. Conclusion : CGE causes suppression in a food allergy mouse model via the inhibition of Ara h1 secretion, and might be useful for developing functional health foods.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.147-149
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• 1984

To examine pollen preparations which are being sold as a health food, one of these pollen tablets and one of the capsules were selected and investigated by microscopy. It was shown that the pollen coat which can act as a potent allergen was not removed and that the tablets contained other impurities. The results suggest that they are not safe as a food and that they may cause systemic allergy to certain persons. On the contrary, the pollens of the capsule preparation did not have the pollen coat and, therefore, have a less risk of causing allergy.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.12.1-12.13
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• 2022

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is presumed to modulate the natural course of allergic disease by inducing immune tolerance. However, conventional AITs, such as subcutaneous immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy, require long treatment durations and often provoke local or systemic hypersensitivity reactions. Therefore, only <5% of allergy patients receive AIT as second-line therapy. Novel administration routes, such as intralymphatic, intradermal and epicutaneous immunotherapies, and synthetic recombinant allergen preparations have been evaluated to overcome these limitations. We will review the updated views of diverse AIT methods, and discuss the limitations and opportunities of the AITs for the treatment of allergic diseases in humans.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.12
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• pp.463-468
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• 2020

Pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS) is an immunoglobulin E-mediated immediate allergic reaction caused by cross-reactivity between pollen and the antigens of foods-such as fruits, vegetables, or nuts-in patients with pollen allergy. A 42.7% prevalence of PFAS in Korean pediatric patients with pollinosis was recently reported. PFAS is often called oral allergy syndrome because of mild symptoms such as itching, urticaria, and edema mainly in the lips, mouth, and pharynx that appear after food ingestion. However, reports of systemic reactions such as anaphylaxis have been increasing recently. This diversity in the degree of symptoms is related to the types of trigger foods and the characteristics of allergens, such as heat stability. When pediatric patients with pollen allergy are treated, attention should be paid to PFAS and an active effort should be made to diagnose it.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.75-88
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• 2001

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of Kwakhyangjeonggisan (KJS) on the anti-allergic action. In the present study, we examined the effect of KJS on type I and type IV allergic reaction. KJS inhibited the systemic anaphylaxis induced by compound 48/80 and platelet activating factor (PAF), and inhibited the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) induced by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-IgE and DNP-human serum albumin (HSA) in vivo. In addition, KJS dose-dependently inhibited the release of histamine from peritoneal mast cells in rat. Also, KJS inhibited the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) induced by SRBC and the contact dermatitis induced by dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). KJS inhibited the proliferation of splenocytes, the subpopulation of B220+ cells and CD4+CD8-(Th) cells in splenocytes and the production of γ-interferon in serum and splenocytes. These findings suggest that KJS prevented the type I allergy by the inhibition of histamine release from mast cells and the type IV allergy by the inhibition of γ-interferon production and B lymphocytes subpopulation. These results indicate that KJS may be useful for the prevention and treatment of type I and type IV allergy related disease.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1988

Pollens and their preparations that are being sold as a health food in Korea were examined for. morphology and identity. The Iimall packages of sixteen items of the pollen foods were selected and investigated by staining and microscopy. It was shown that all fifteen items except one contained intact pollens which retain their sporoderms. On the basis of their morphological characteristics, they were identified as the pollens of the plants which belong to ten families: Betulaceae, Compositae, Cornaceae, Cgperaceae, Fagaceae, Geraniaceae, Graminae, LeguminoBae, Liliaceae and Pinaceae. Since the sporoderms which can act as a potent allergen to certain persons were not removed, these pollen. foods can not be safe as a food and. may cause systemic allergy. The only preparation that did not show its sporoderm is less likely to cause allergy than the others.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.590-604
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the safety of Korean medicine treatment in patients vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222). Methods: We investigated patients at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital who were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine between June 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021. The safety of Korean medicine treatment was evaluated by examining adverse events that occurred within seven days of vaccination, including liver function and kidney function testing, assessment of the severity of adverse events, and examination of causality to vaccines and Korean medicine treatment. Results: Eleven patients vaccinated with the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were included. A total of 19 adverse events were reported: 15 systemic adverse events, three local adverse events, and one alanine aminotransferase increase. The most commonly reported systemic adverse events were fatigue (4 cases, 36.4%), headache (4 cases, 36.4%), and myalgia (4 cases, 36.4%). All adverse events were rated below moderate (grade 2) in severity. Systemic and local adverse events were evaluated as definitely related to vaccination and unlikely to be related to Korean medicine treatment, while alanine aminotransferase increase was evaluated as unlikely to be related to either the vaccine or Korean medicine treatment. Aspartate transaminase, Blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine were measured within the reference range after vaccination. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the severity and frequency of adverse events in patients vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine did not increase after Korean medicine treatment.