• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.47
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• pp.292.1-292.10
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• 2018

Background: We investigated the incidence of active tuberculosis among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, with or without latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Methods: The study was performed at a Korean tertiary referral center between January 2011 and June 2017. In total, 740 patients with IBD who underwent LTBI screening tests and were followed-up for ${\geq}1$ year after TNF inhibitor treatment initiation were enrolled. LTBI was detected on the basis of tuberculin skin test results, interferon-gamma release assay results, chest X-ray findings, and previous tuberculosis treatment history. The patients were classified into LTBI (n = 84) or non-LTBI (n = 656) group. The risk of developing tuberculosis in each group was assessed on the basis of standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for active tuberculosis. Results: Mean patient age was 33.1 years, and patients with Crohn's disease were predominant (80.7%). Within 1 year after the initiation of TNF inhibitor treatment, 1 patient in the LTBI group (1/84; 1.2%) and 7 patients in the non-LTBI group (7/656; 1.1%) developed active tuberculosis. The overall 1-year incidence of tuberculosis among the patients was significantly higher than that among the general population (SIR, 14.0; 95% CI, 7.0-28.0), and SIR was not affected by LTBI status (LTBI group: 14.5, 95% CI, 2.0-102.6; non-LTBI group: 14.0, 95% CI, 6.7-29.4). Conclusion: Patients with IBD undergoing TNF inhibitor treatment showed a higher 1-year incidence of tuberculosis than the general population irrespective of LTBI status.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2011

This study was to determine the microbiological safety and tensile strength of gammairradiated porcine tendon for the development of safe xenografts. Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis were used as model pathogens and inoculated as $10^6{\sim}10^7log$ colonies forming unit $(CFU)g^{-1}$. As model virus from porcine, porcine parvovirus (PPV), bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and poliovirus were inoculated as $10^5{\sim}10^6$ tissue culture infectious dose $(TCID)_{50}g^{-1}$ into porcine skin. The $D_{10}$ value of E. coli and B. subtilis was measured as $0.32{\pm}0.082kGy$ and $4.0{\pm}0.312kGy$, respectively. Additionally, the $D_{10}$ values of PPV, BVDV and poliovirus were also shown as $1.75{\pm}0.131kGy$, $3.70{\pm}0.212kGy$ and $6.26{\pm}0.332kGy$, respectively. Gamma irradiation decreased the tensile strength of porcine tendon. Results indicate that microbiological safety of porcine tendon can be improved significantly by gamma irradiation. However, further studies are needed to improve the tensile strength of gamma-irradiated porcine tendon.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.433-441
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• 2019

This study describes a preliminary evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity and anti-atopic activity of Phormium tenax leaf extracts. P. tenax leaf was extracted using 70% ethanol and then fractionated sequentially with n-hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol. In order to effectively screen for anti-inflammatory agents, we first investigated the inhibitory effects of P. tenax leaf crude extracts and solvent fractions on production of pro-inflammatory factors[nitric oxide(NO), prostaglandin $E_2(PGE_2)$, inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)] and pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$, interleukin-6(IL-6) and $interleukin-1{\beta}(IL-1{\beta})$] in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, we also evaluated of their inhibitory effect on the atopic dermatitis-like inflammatory markers such as macrophage-derived chemokine(MDC) and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine(TARC) in HaCaT cells. Among the five solvent fractions of P. tenax, methylene chloride and ethyl acetate fractions inhibited production of pro-inflammatory factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose dependent manner, respectively. These fractions were also showed inhibitory activity for MDC and TARC expression levels in $IFN-{\gamma}-stimulated$ HaCaT cells, respectively. These results suggest that P. tenax have significantly effects of anti-inflammatory activity and anti-atopic activity that might be beneficial for the topical treatment of inflammatory skin disorders.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.635-644
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• 2018

This descriptive study examined the practical nursing guidelines for the prevention of pressure injuries (PI) in operating rooms and their application. Method: Four general hospitals and three specialized hospitals located in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggido province were selected through an online randomization program and nurses at these hospitals who participated in operations and had at least six months work experience were surveyed. Data were collected from January to April 2018 through a survey distributed to 150 nurses, 129 of whom returned the survey (86% recovery rate). The results showed that 43 nurses provided PI prevention care for patients in a lateral position (33.3%), 37 for patients in a supine position (28.7%), and 36 for patients in a prone position (27.9%). Gel was most widely used as the supporting surface material (102 nurses; 79.1%), followed by sponge (62 nurses; 48.1%), and cotton (47 nurses; 36.4%). Skin was often inspected twice, before and after the use of a supporting surface (90nurses; 69.8%), but no designated tool was used to determine the risk of PI developing (76 nurses; 58.9%). Additionally, the patient's position during surgery (83 nurses; 64.3%) and the length of the operation (i.e., more than two hours, in this case) (49 nurses; 38.0%) were determining factors for whether to use a supporting surface. The operating room nurses used the gel, sponge, and cotton as the supporting surfaces for the prevention of PI and confirmed that the cutoff operation time for the use of a supporting surface was more than 2 hours.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1253-1260
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• 2018

Pig small intestine not only is used as food but also for sausage casings production in many countries worldwide. However, it is well recognized that the small intestine is important source of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of different washing and packaging methods on the changes of microbial levels and physicochemical characteristics of pig small intestine. After collecting and trimming off of visible fats, the pig small intestine samples were treated with; (i) different packaging methods: aerobic packaging (AP), skin packaging (SP), and vacuum packaging (VP); and (ii) washing with different concentrations of acetic acid. The treated samples were then stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 1, 4, 7, and 10 d. At 1-d storage, higher pH value was found in the AP-treated samples, however, after 7 to 10 days the samples treated with SP had higher values compared to the ones treated with AP and VP (p<0.05). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values were higher in the AP-treated samples than those of the SP- and VP- treated samples at 7-d storage (p<0.05). At $10^{th}$ d, total plate counts (TPC) were higher in the control than in the acetic acid-washed samples (p<0.05). Additionally, the TPC was lower in the SP- and VP-treated samples than the AP-treated samples at 7-d storage (p<0.05). These obtained results suggest that the applications of washing with acetic acid solution and/or SP and VP methods could be an effective way to extend the shelf-life of pig small intestine during cold distribution.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2019

Portulaca oleracea L. (PL) has been used in traditional medicine herb for treatment of various diseases, such as diarrhea, dysentery, and skin inflammation. Previous studies have shown that the PL regulates the inflammation by inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Although PL might have improvement effects of intestinal function and bioactive effects, there are not enough studies to demonstrate. This study investigated the effects of KDC16-2 on the improvement of intestinal function and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro. The improvement effect of intestinal function was measured fecal amount, water content and intestinal transit rate in KDC16-2 treated ICR mice. As results, compared with the control group, the KDC16-2 group showed a significant increase in wet fecal weight, dry fecal weight and fecal water content. The intestinal transit rate of KDC16-2 group was significantly increased. Based on the results, KDC16-2 is considered to have effects on improving intestinal function. The effect of anti-inflammatory demonstrated by using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice. The mice were administered 3% DSS along with KDC16-2 (100, 300 mg/kg) for 14 days. DSS-induced colitis mice were significantly ameliorated in KDC16-2 treated group, including body weight loss, colon length shortening, tight junction protein of colon and histological colon injury. The levels of inflammatory mediators (IgG2a, IgA, C-reactive protein and Myeloperoxidase) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, Interleukin (IL)-6) which are involved in inflammatory responses were increased in the DSS-treated group as compared to those in the control group, and the levels were significantly decreased in the KDC16-2 groups. In addition, we investigated the impact of KDC16-2 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in J774A.1 cells. KDC16-2 inhibited production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results suggested that the KDC16-2 could effectively alleviate the dysfunction of intestinal and inflammatory mediators. Thus, these KDC16-2 can be potentially used as health functional food of intestinal.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.66-81
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• 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been continuously spreading throughout the world. As of July 15, 2021, there have been more than 188 million confirmed cases and more than 4.06 million deaths. Although the incidence of severe infections is relatively low in children and adolescents compared to adults, a complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) may occur in some cases at approximately 2-6 weeks after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. MIS-C can be seen in patients of various ages, from young infants to adolescents, and may present with diverse clinical manifestations. While fever present in a great majority of patients, symptoms suggesting the involvement of the digestive or nervous system and the skin and mucous membranes (Kawasaki disease-like symptoms) also appear in many cases. Cardiac involvement may also be observed, including left ventricular dysfunction, myocarditis, coronary artery dilatation, and coronary aneurysm. In some cases, hypotension or shock can occur, and mechanical ventilation or treatment in the intensive care unit may be necessary. Fortunately, recovery is generally reported after appropriate treatment. MIS-C is a rare but important complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents. As such, it is important to recognize the clinical symptoms and provide appropriate treatment at an early stage. In this review, the epidemiology, clinical symptoms, suggested pathophysiology, diagnostic approach, and treatment of MIS-C will be discussed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.599-604
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• 2011

In this study, we investigated the efficacy of ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin (${\beta}CD$) hydrorogel containing silk fibroin (SF) on healing burnt wound. Tosyl ${\beta}CD$ was conjugated to polyethyleneimine (PEI) using epichlorohydrin (EPI) as a cross-linker. The ${\beta}CD/PEI/SF$ hydrogel was applied on the back of mouse and then the efficacy of hydrogel was compared with both positive control group and negative control group. There was no wound healing efficacy showed neither in the drug loaded ${\beta}CD/PEI/SF$ hydrogel group nor in the drug unloaded ${\beta}CD/PEI/SF$ hydrogel group. On the other hand, in the positive control group, a significant reduction of the wound size after the usage of OTC hydrorogel was obtained. The burn-healing histological result showed a similar phenomenon. After hematoxylin-eosin staining the skin induced by burning, and the epithelial growth observed in the dermis, the efficacy of ${\beta}CD/PEI/SF$ hydrogel in healing burnt wound could not be clearly identified.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2019

Objectives : Nypa fruticans Wurmb. (NF) have been used as a traditional medicine to treat inflammatory diseases in East-South Asia. However, it is largely undiscovered whether NF water extract could exhibit anti-inflammatory activities against tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$)-induced inflammatory responses on human keratinocytes, HaCaT cells. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of NF water extract on TNF-${\alpha}$-induced inflammatory responses in HaCaT cells. Methods : To investigate the anti-inflammatory activites of NF water extract in HaCaT cells, the inflammatory model of HaCaT cells was established under a suitable concentration (10 ng/ml) of human TNF-${\alpha}$ (hTNF-${\alpha}$). HaCaT keratinocyte cells were pre-treated with NF water extract for 1 h, and then stimulated with hTNF-${\alpha}$. Then, the cells were harvested to measure the inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), and pro-inflammatory cytokine including TNF-${\alpha}$ and interleukin (IL)-6. In addition, we examined the inhibitory mechanisms of NF, mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and inhibitory kappa B alpha ($I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$) Results : The treatment of NF inhibited the hTNF-${\alpha}$-induced elevation of iNOS, COX-2, and $PGE_2$ in HaCaT cells. In addition, NF treatment inhibited the hTNF-${\alpha}$-induced elevation of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6. Furthermore, NF treatment inhibited the activation of MAPKs but not degradation of $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$. Conclusions : Taken together, our result suggest that treatment of NF could inhibit the hTNF-${\alpha}$-induced inflammatory responses via deactivation of MAPKs in HaCaT cells. This study could suggest that NF could be a beneficial agent to prevent skin damage or inflammation.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2022

Purpose: Congenital tuberculosis (TB) is difficult to diagnose owing to its non-specific symptoms. Delayed diagnosis increases the risk of nosocomial infections. We examined the TB status of infants and healthcare workers who were in proximity to preterm twins diagnosed with congenital TB 63 days after birth and 48 days after admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: Contact investigations were conducted on 24 staff members and 35 infants who had contact with the twins with congenital TB. Results: Two of the exposed infants, both of whom had received the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine, had positive tuberculin skin test results. Four of the 24 exposed staff members had positive interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) test results before exposure and were not re-tested after exposure; the remaining 20 had negative IGRA test results. All exposed staff members and infants had normal chest radiographic findings. Conclusions: Although transmission of TB in the NICU is unusual, it can occur. These results support the need for a systematic investigation of the TB status of exposed infants, their family members, and healthcare workers.