• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1552-1558
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• 2020

With an increase in the consumption of non-heated fresh food, foodborne shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has emerged as one of the most problematic pathogens worldwide. Endolysin, a bacteriophage-derived lysis protein, is able to lyse the target bacteria without any special resistance, and thus has been garnering interest as a powerful antimicrobial agent. In this study, rV5-like phage endolysin targeting E. coli O157:H7, named as LysECP26, was identified and purified. This endolysin had a lysozyme-like catalytic domain, but differed markedly from the sequence of lambda phage endolysin. LysECP26 exhibited strong activity with a broad lytic spectrum against various gram-negative strains (29/29) and was relatively stable at a broad temperature range (4℃-55℃). The optimum temperature and pH ranges of LysECP26 were identified at 37℃-42℃ and pH 7-8, respectively. NaCl supplementation did not affect the lytic activity. Although LysECP26 was limited in that it could not pass the outer membrane, E. coli O157: H7 could be effectively controlled by adding ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid (1.44 and 1.14 log CFU/ml) within 30 min. Therefore, LysECP26 may serve as an effective biocontrol agent for gram-negative pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.594-600
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• 2018

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important pathogenic bacterium. To control STEC, the characteristics of the ECP33 and NOECP91 coliphages, which belong to the Myoviridae family, were analyzed. The host inhibition range for a total of 44 STEC strains was 45.5% for ECP33 and 65.9% for NOECP91. ECP33 and NOECP91 were relatively stable at $65^{\circ}C$, 50 ppm of sodium hyperchlorite, and a pH value of 4-10. However, the two phages were susceptible to a temperature of $70^{\circ}C$. NOECP91 was killed within 1 h after exposure to 30% ethanol, but ECP33 showed high tolerance even after exposure to 70% ethanol for 1 h. Interestingly, the inhibition of STEC growth according to the multiplicity of infection of 0.1 was confirmed until no growth was observed after 10 hours of culture with the phages. Therefore, the ECP33 and NOECP91 phages may be applied as a biological control agent for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.194-198
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• 2015

Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive and facultative anaerobic bacterium that causes many hospital-acquired infections. Novel E. faecalis specific bacteriophage (phage) ECP3 that had been isolated from thirty-four environmental samples and characterized phenotypically and genotypically. ECP3 phage belongs to the family Myoviridae with contractile tail and lysed E. faecalis specifically but other bacteria including Enterococcus faecium. The genome was double-stranded linear DNA and its size was 145,518 bp comprising of 220 open reading frames. The GC content was 35.9%. The genome sequence showed 97% identity in 90% coverage region with Myoviridae phage PhiEF24C. ECP3 is the first E. faecalis-specific Myoviridae phage isolated in Korea which can be a promising antimicrobial agent against E. faecalis infections.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.535-540
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• 2005

This study was conducted to evaluate the chlorinated disinfection by-products formation potential (DBPFP) produced from the cell and extracellular product (ECP) of Chlamydomonas pulsatilla after chlorination. Reaction yields of DBPs produced by C. pulsatilla of ECP and the cell were $0.007{\mu}mol/mg{\cdot}C$ and $0.808{\mu}mol/mg{\cdot}C$ respectively, Also, SUVA values of ECP and the cell were measured as $0.313L/mg{\cdot}m$ and $1.052L/mg{\cdot}m$ respectively, The DOC of cell was found to be lower than that of ECP, while the SUVA value and reaction yields for the cell were higher than those of ECP. For ECP, most of the DBPFP was composed of trihalomethanes (THM; 47.3%) and haloacetonitriles (HAN; 38,83%). THM and HAN were the major DBPFP produced by the cell. Chloroform was found to be the major THM compound; 98.3% for ECP and 99.98% for the cell. Dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) were identified as the major haloacetic acid (HAA) and HAN compounds formed by ECP and the cell as a precursor, respectively. As the chlorine dose was increased, concentrations of DOC, THMs, and HANs were increased. However, the chlorine dose decreased the concentration of chlorophyll-a.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.299-304
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• 2000

In the present paper, the immunostimulatory effects of the extracellular products (ECP) from Mycobacterium spp. and various adjuvants on the non-specific immune responses of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis nilotica, were examined. Nile tilapia were immunized by injecting ECP of Mycobacterium spp. (strain TB40, TB267 or the type strain Mycobacterium marinum) into their swim bladders. A variety of adjuvants like as Freund s complete adjuvant (FCA), Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) and Titremax were similarly injected into additional groups of tilapia. The number of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT)-positive cells observed in the swim bladder of the immunized fish was signigicantly increased by the fourth day post-immunization. By day 8, the numbers of NBT-positive cells were fewer in fish immunized with ECP from mycobacteria strains TB40 or TB267 than those immunized with ECP from M. marinum or fish injected with FCA or FIA. The level of Iysozyme activity detected in the serum of fish 40 alter immunization with ECP from various Mycobacterium spp. was also significantly higher than that found in the serum of the control fish. Head kidney macrophages showed enhanced reduction of NBT when cultured in vitro with 1 $\mu$ g/ml of ECP. Concentrations greater than this (10 or 100 $\mu$g/ml) were found to suppress the reduction of NBT by the macrophages. ECP from Mycobacterium spp. and the various adjuvants used in the study all appear to be good activators of the non-specific immune responses of Nile tilapia.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1577-1584
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• 2002

Purpose : Airway inflammation is considered to be a characteristic feature of asthma, and eosinophils are recognized as the most important inflammatory cells. This study aims to assess the importance of blood eosinophil count and serum eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) levels as a noninvasive marker of bronchial hyperresponsiveness(BHR) in children with suspected asthma. Methods : This study used data from 87 subjects with asthma-like symptoms(6-18 years old). The $FEV_1$ and provocative concentration producing a 20% fall in $FEV_1(PC_{20})$ on methacholin inhalation challenge test were measured. Four groups were classified based on $PC_{20}$[Group I : <2 mg/mL; Group II : 2-8 mg/mL; Group III : 8-18 mg/mL; Group IV : (18 mg/mL], and blood eosinophil count and serum ECP levels were analyzed. In addition, subjects were classified based on the cutoff value of $PC_{20}$(BHR positive group : <18 mg/mL; BHR negative group : (18 mg/mL). Then blood eosinophil count and serum ECP level were compared between these two groups. Results : Likelihood ratio test for trends revealed a significant association between the blood eosinophil count or serum ECP level, and the degree of BHR as measured by methacholine $PC_{20}$. Blood eosinophil count or serum ECP level was significantly higher in the BHR(+) group than in the BHR(-) group. Blood eosinophil count had a positive correlation with serum ECP level. Conclusion : Blood eosinophil count and serum ECP level may be a useful non-invasive clinical marker of BHR in subjects with suspected asthma. This supports the hypothesis that BHR in asthma is a consequence of airway eosinophilic inflammation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.7 s.238
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• pp.990-997
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• 2005

The objective of this paper is to present the element connectivity parameterization (ECP) fur three dimensional problems. In the ECP method, a continuum structure is viewed as discretized finite elements connected by zero-length elastic links whose stiffness values control the degree of inter-element connectivity. The ECP method can effectively avoid the formation of the low-density unstable elements. These elements appear when the standard element density method is used for geometrical nonlinear problems. In this paper, this ECP method developed fur two-dimensional problems is expanded to the design of three-dimensional geometrical nonlinear structures. Among others, the automatic procedure converting standard finite element models to the models suitable for the ECP approach is developed and applied for optimization problems defined on general three-dimensional design domains.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 2022

Enteritis cystica profunda (ECP), a rare and benign condition, is defined as the displacement of the glandular epithelium into the submucosa and more profound layers of the small intestinal wall leading to the formation of mucin-filled cystic spaces. ECP frequently occurs in the ileum or jejunum and is associated with diseases such as Crohn disease and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. ECP also develops in the absence of known pathology. ECP in the duodenum is very rare and mostly occurs without associated conditions. In this report, we present a rare case of ECP without an associated disease, in the second portion of the duodenum distal to the ampulla of Vater and coexisting with lipoma within the polypoid lesion.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2013

Asthma is associated with increased levels of eosinophils in tissues, body fluids, and bone marrow. Elevated levels of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) have been noted in asthma patients. Higher levels of EDN and ECP are also associated with exacerbated asthmatic conditions. Thus, EDN, along with ECP, may aid the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma. Several groups have suggested that EDN is more useful than ECP in evaluating disease severity. This may partially be because of the recoverability of EDN (not sticky, 100% recovery rate), as ECP is a sticky and more highly charged protein. In terms of clinical utility, EDN level is a more accurate biomarker than ECP when analyzing the underlying pathophysiology of asthma. As a monitoring tool, EDN has shown good results in children with asthma as well as other allergic diseases. In children too young to fully participate in lung function tests, EDN levels may be useful as an alter native measurement of eosinophilic inflammation. EDN can also be used in adult patients and in multiple specimen types (e.g., serum, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and nasal lavage fluid). These results are repeatable and reproducible. In conclusion, EDN may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of asthma/allergic disease.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.21-34
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• 2016

Objectives : The aim of the present study is to examine the effect and mechanism of Erycibae Caulis and Corydalis Tuber Pharmacopuncture (ECP) on a mouse model with collagen induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA). Methods : We evaluated the Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Creatinine, and the Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) of serum to examine the safety of this study. In vivo, we compared the results of the non-treated group, the normal saline pharmacopuncture treated control group, the indomethacin treated group and the ECP group. We evaluated rheumatoid arthritis manifestation and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Index (AI). Also, immune cells in blood affected by ECP were evaluated by calculating the level of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophil, lympocytes and monocytes. Next, the level of Immunoglobulin M (IgM), Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-17, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and Granulocyte-macrophage Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF)in serum were measured. We examined the imaging of cartilage degeneration using micro CT-arthrography of the hind paw. Additionally, we examined the effects of reducing bone volume (BV) ratio and bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio with 3D Micro-CT. Finally, we did a histopathologic examination analysis. Results : The absence of liver and kidney toxicity was evident. In vivo, edema of the joints of the ECP group decreased greatly in macroscopic observation. AI measurement of the ECP group also decreased significantly compared to the control group. The level of WBC, neutrophil, lympocytes, and monocytes in the blood decreased but there was no statistical significance of this data. IgM of the ECP group decreased significantly compared to the control group. IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, and GM-CSF production of the ECP group decreased significantly compared to the control group. As a result of examining joint condition with 3D micro CT, deformation and destruction of the joint was shown to have decreased. Bone density of ECP group increased at a statistically significant level compared to the control group. Degree of joint inflammation of ECP group decreased significantly compared to the control group. After H&E and M-T staining, infiltration of immune cells, subsidence of the cartilage, damage to the synovial cells and joint erosion decreased. Conclusion : This study showed that ECP hindered the process of rheumatoid arthritis and protected joints and cartilage.