• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.256-261
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• 2016

Purpose: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in young children may progress to severe active tuberculosis (TB) disease and serve as a reservoir for future transmission of TB disease. There are limited data on interferon-${\gamma}$ release assay (IGRA) performance in young children, which our research aims to address by investigating the usefulness of IGRA for the diagnosis of LTBI. Methods: We performed a tuberculin skin test (TST) and IGRA on children who were younger than 18 years and were admitted to Chung-Ang University Hospital during May 2011-June 2015. Blood samples for IGRA were collected, processed, and interpreted according to manufacturer protocol. Results: Among 149 children, 31 (20.8%) and 10 (6.7%) were diagnosed with LTBI and active pulmonary TB, respectively. In subjects lacking contact history with active TB patients, TST and IGRA results were positive in 41.4% (29 of 70) and 12.9% (9 of 70) subjects, respectively. The agreement (kappa) of TST and IGRA was 0.123. The control group, consisting of non-TB-infected subjects, showed no correlation between age and changes in interferon-${\gamma}$ concentration after nil antigen, TB-specific antigen, or mitogen stimulation in IGRAs (P=0.384, P=0.176, and P=0.077, respectively). In serial IGRAs, interferon-${\gamma}$ response to TB antigen increased in IGRA-positive LTBI subjects, but did not change considerably in initially IGRA-negative LTBI or control subjects. Conclusion: The lack of decrease in interferon-${\gamma}$ response in young children indicates that IGRA could be considered for this age group. Serial IGRA tests might accurately diagnose LTBI in children lacking contact history with active TB patients.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 1998

To establish in vivo antiviral evaluation system by using murine herpesvirus intracerebral infection model, 5-6 female BALB/c mice per group aged 5 weeks were inoculated i.c. into cerebrum with different inocular HSV-1 F. Signs of clinical disease noted everyday for one month. Observed were body weight decrease, neurological signs and death caused by encephalitis. Mice discontinued body weight decrease were recovered from the disease, and keratitis was often observed during recovery. The groups inoculated with higher than 1,000 PFU showed 100% mortaltiy and $LD_{50}$ was <100 PFU/mouse. To study the effect of virus inoculum sizes on antiviral effect of acyclovir (ACV), mice inoculated with different inocula were administered i.p. with different doses of ACV immediately after infection, and twice a day for 5 days. The higher inculum size, the less protective. $ED_{50}$ of ACV was >25, >25, 18.4 and 8.0 mg/kg b.i.d. in the group infected with 1,000,000, 100,000, 10,000 and 1,000 PFU/mouse, respectively. $LD_{50}$ of ACV was 62.5 mg/kg b.i.d. Therapeutic index of ACV was <2.5, <2.5, 3.0 and 7.0 in the groups with inocula 1,000,000, 100,000, 10,000 and 1,000 PFU/mouse, respectively. Inoculum size 1,000 PFU/mouse showing 100% mortaltiy and 5-6 days mean time to death, 5 days drug administration and 14 days observation will be future experimental conditions.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.583-588
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• 2013

To determine alteration of immune responses during visceral larva migrans (VLM) caused by Toxascaris leonina at several time points, we experimentally infected mice with embryonated eggs of T. leonina and measured T-helper (Th) cell-related serial cytokine production after infection. At day 5 post infection (PI), most larvae were detected from the lungs, spleen, intestine, and muscle. Expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and CCL11 (eotaxin) showed a significant increase in most infected organs, except the intestine. However, expression of the CXCL1 (Gro-${\alpha}$) gene was most highly enhanced in the intestine at day 14 PI. Th1-related cytokine secretion of splenocytes showed increases at day 28 PI, and the level showed a decrease at day 42 PI. Th2-related cytokine secretion of splenocytes also showed an increase after infection; in particular, IL-5 level showed a significant increase at day 14 PI, and the level showed a decrease at day 28 PI. However, levels of Th17-related cytokines, IL-6 and IL-17A, showed gradual increases until day 42 PI. In conclusion, Th1, Th2, and Th17-related cytokine production might be important in immune responses against T. leonina VLM in experimental mice.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.150-154
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• 1977

In the diagnosis of parasitic helminthic diseases, the value of examining and identifying the parasitic eggs and/or adult parasites from patient's urine or stool are well appreciated. However, these methods have a limited value in the diagnosis of tissue or intracellular parasitism, and we have to rely on supplementary methods such as immune-serological test. The author tested the value of gel precipitation reactions as a diagnostic method of clonorchiasis by observing the appearance of bands in rats experimentally infected with Clonorchis sinensis, And the therapeutic effect of CIBA 35'058-Ba was evaluated by this serological method. The antigen was prepared from the adult worms infected in rabbits by Tsuji method. Rats infected with 40 metacercariae each were bled on 7,14,21,26,28,39,42(43),49(53) days after infection to observe the appearance of precipitin bands by both Oucterlony method and immunoelectrophoresis. Fifteen rats were separately infected and treated with CIBA 35'058-Ba in dose of 15mg/kg of body weight. The following results were obtained: 1. It was observed that there exist individual variations in the appearance of the first precipitin band with the range of 2-4 weeks after infection. 2. The number of precipitin bands was increased until 6-7 weeks after infection. In all cases, 3 precipitin bands were appeared by Oucterlony method and 6-7 bands were appeared by immunoelectrophoresis after 6-7 weeks of infecion. 3. It was hardly possible to notice any change in the number of bands after the administration of CIBA 35'058-Ba. This result suggested that the drug has no effect on clonorchiasis which was confirmed by the autopsy of the experimental rats.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 1998

Hemagglutination-inhibition titers (log2) to Newcastle disease (ND) vims were chronologically observed in chicks, which were orally inoculated with 5 × 105 oocysts of Cwptospori,drum bcileyi at 2 days of age and subsequently vaccinated with inactivated ND virus at 4 and 21 days postinoculation. In general, the titers were considerably lower in the infected chicks than those in the uninfected control throughout the experimental period (p < 0.01), and rapid negative seroronversions were observed in the infected chicks. The titers reached a peak on weeks 2 and 4 post-booster-vaccination in the control and infected chicks, respectively. Thus, C. bciLeWi infection was shown to have an immunosuppressive effect on ND vaccination when the agent was given to 2-day-old chicks. It is suggested that C. bniLeWi infection in chicks may increase the host susceptibility to ND virus.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.385-390
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• 2012

In order to know the effect of pre-existing Trichinella spiralis infection on experimentally induced intestinal inflammation and immune responses, we induced colitis in T. spiralis-infected mice and observed the severity of colitis and the levels of Th1, Th2, and regulatory cytokines and recruitment of $CD4^+CD25^+Foxp3^+$ T (regulatory T; $T_{reg}$) cells. Female C57BL/6 mice were infected with 250 muscle larvae; after 4 weeks, induction of experimental colitis was performed using 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). During the induction period, we observed severity of colitis, including weight loss and status of stool, and evaluated the disease activity index (DAI). A significantly low DAI and degree of weight loss were observed in infected mice, compared with uninfected mice. In addition, colon length in infected mice was not contracted, compared with uninfected mice. We also observed a significant increase in production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IFN-${\gamma}$, in spleen lymphocytes treated with DSS; however, such an increase was not observed in infected mice treated with DSS. Of particular interest, production of regulatory cytokines, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$, in spleen lymphocytes showed a significant increase in mice infected with T. spiralis. A similar result was observed in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Subsets of the population of $T_{reg}$ cells in MLN and spleen showed significant increases in mice infected with T. spiralis. In conclusion, T. spiralis infection can inhibit the DSS-induced colitis in mice by enhancing the regulatory cytokine and $T_{reg}$ cells recruitment.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.229-237
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• 2009

The causative agent for the tunic softness syndrome of the cultured ascidian Halocynthia roretzi from Jan 1999 to Feb 2009 was identified using virus isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The pathogenicity of the isolated virus MABV UR-1 strain was determined by experimental infection trials. The cytopathic effects was observed in CHSE-214 cell line at a level 5.1% (4/78) in normal ascidian and 1.8% in abnormal ascidian showing tunic softness syndrome signs. MABV gene was detected in 16.8% (18/107) of normal and 13.1% (5/38) of abnormal organisms by PCR. The ratio of MABV isolation and gene detection was similar level in normal and soft tunic diseased ascidian. Based on the VP2/NS junction region sequences, eight strains of virus isolated from ascidian, were included in the same genogroup with MABV which is originally isolated in wide ranges of marine fish and shellfish species. The UR-1 strain caused 60% mortality (36.5% mortality in control group) by immersion infection and 37% mortality (same mortality in control group) in injection infection indicating no significant differences in infected and control groups. These results suggest that ascidian can act as reservoir of the MABV, and this virus is not directly related with the ascidian mortality.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.753-759
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• 2005

In order to evaluate the in vivo synergic effect of Eunkyo-san with quinolone antibiotics, rufloxacin (RUFX), the viable bacterial numbers and histopathological changes were monitored after experimental respiratory infection with Klebsiella peumoniae NCTC 9632. The obtained results were as follows : In RUFX group, the viable bacterial numbers were significantly decreased compared to those of control group and these were more dramatically decreased compared to those of single treatment with RUFX, respectively in concomitant treated groups with Eunkyo-san. In control group, severe infiltration of inflammatory cells, hemorrhage and hypertrophy of alveolar linings were demonstrated at microscopical levels. However, these abnormal histopathological changes were significantly decreased compared to those of control group in RUFX group, and these were more dramatically decreased compared to those of single treatment with RUFX, respectively in concomitant treated groups with Eunkyo-san. In RUFX group, the LSA% (luminal surface of alveolar%) were significantly increased compared to those of control group and these were more dramatically decreased compared to those of single treatment with RUFX, respectively in concomitant treated groups with Eunkyo-san. According to these results, it is considered that in vivo antibacterial activity of RUFX group was dramatically increased by concomitant use of Eunkyo-san against K. pneumoniae NCTC 9632 infection of respiratory tract.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2018

Toxoplasma gondii can infect all the vertebrates including human, and leads to serious toxoplasmosis and considerable veterinary problems. T. gondii heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) is associated with the activation of antigen presenting cells by inducing initial immune responses and releasing inflammatory cytokines. It might be a potential DNA vaccine candidate for this parasite. A pVAX-HSP60 DNA vaccine was constructed and immune responses was evaluated in Kunming mice in this study. Our data indicated that the innate and adaptive immune responses was elicited by successive immunizations with pVAX-HSP60 DNA, showing apparent increases of CD3e+CD4+ and CD3e+CD8a+ T cells in spleen tissues of the HSP60 DNA-immunized mice ($24.70{\pm}1.23%$ and $10.90{\pm}0.89%$, P<0.05) and higher levels of specific antibodies in sera. Furthermore, the survival period of the immunized mice ($10.53{\pm}4.78day$) were significantly prolonged during the acute T. gondii infection. Decrease of brain cysts was significant in the experimental group during the chronic infection (P<0.01). Taken together, TgHSP60 DNA can be as a vaccine candidate to prevent the acute and chronic T. gondii infections.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.127-134
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• 1994

As a series of studies to investigate the effect of immunosuppression on Ascaris suum infection in undefinitive hosts, a delicate relationship between host and parasite, in the present studies golden hamsters were alloted to experiment 1(normal undefinitive host group) and experiment 2(immunosuppressive group treated with prednisolone acetate) and inoculated with a single dose of 1,500 embryonated Ascaris suum eggs. The recovery rates, sizes and features of the larvae and immunological responses in the hamsters were chronologically monitored according to somatic migration. In both experiments, the larvae failed to develop into the adults, but the more and larger larvae were observed for a longer period from experiment 2 in comparison with experiment 1. The numbers of the mast cells in the small intestinal mucosa and mesenteric lymph nodes, of the goblet cells in the small intestinal mucosa and of T-cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes, spleens and cardiac blood from experiment 2 were fewer than those from the experiment 1. In general, increasing of these cells followed by expulsion of the worms in the both groups. Profound leukopenia due to lymphopenia was found through trial period in experiment 2. Considering the experimental results, development or expulsion mechanism of somatic migrant larvae may be related to lymphopenia and temporary increasing tendency of the mast cells, the goblet cells and T-cells. In addition, patent infection of A suum in the hamsters was not obviously observed in spite of immunosuppression by prednisolone acetate.