• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.1053-1058
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• 2009

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most commonly encountered viral pathogens in newborn infants and is found in 0.3-2.4% of all live births. It has been demonstrated that 40-96% of seropositive mothers shed the virus via their breast milk. Breast milk containing CMV can cause almost one-third of CMV infections occurring in infants. A case of postnatal CMV infection in an extremely premature infant (gestational age $24^{+5}$ weeks, birth weight 750 g) transmitted via breast milk is presented. For neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) management of severe thrombocytopenia, anemia, and sepsis syndrome, the infant received repeated transfusions of platelets; intravenous (IV) immunoglobulins; and gamma- irradiated, filtrated packed red cells and was fed her mother's breast milk since the second week of life. CMV infection was diagnosed with positive CMV immunoglobulin M (IgM) and positive urine CMV culture at the second month of life. Considering the negative CMV IgM and urine CMV culture at birth, postnatally-acquired CMV infection was suspected and confirmed with completely identical nucleotide sequence alignments of the infantile blood isolate and the maternal breast milk isolate. To our knowledge, this is the first case of proven postnatal CMV infection transmitted via breast milk in an extremely premature infant in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.157-162
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• 2011

Purpose: Exaggerated pro-inflammatory reactions during the acute phase of Kawasaki disease (KD) suggest the role of immune dysregulation in the pathogenesis of KD. We investigated the profiles of T regulatory cells and their correlation with the clinical course of KD. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 17 KD patients during acute febrile and subacute afebrile phases. T cells expressing CD4, CD25, and Foxp3 were analyzed using flow cytometry, and the results were correlated with the clinical course of KD. Results: The percentage of circulating $CD4^+CD25^{high}Foxp3^+$ T cells among $CD4^+$ T cells was Significantly higher during the subacute afebrile phase than during the acute febrile phase ($1.10%{\pm}1.22%$ vs. $0.55%{\pm}0.53%$, P=0.049). Although levels of $CD4^+CD25^{low}Foxp3^+$ T cells and $CD4^+CD25^-Foxp3^+$ T cells were only slightly altered, the percentage of $CD4^+CD25^+Foxp3^-$ T cells among $CD4^+$ T cells was significantly lower during the subacute afebrile phase than during the acute febrile phase ($2.96%{\pm}1.95%$ vs. $5.64%{\pm}5.69%$, P=0.036). Consequently, the ratio of $CD25^{high}Foxp3^+$ T cells to $CD25^+Foxp3^-$ T cells was higher during the subacute afebrile phase than during the acute febrile phase ($0.45%{\pm}0.57%$ vs. $0.13%{\pm}0.13%$, P=0.038). Conclusion: Decreased $CD4^+CD25^{high}Foxp3^+$ T cells and/or an imbalanced ratio of $CD4^+CD25^{high}Foxp3^+$ T cells to $CD4^+CD25^+Foxp3^-$ T cells might playa role in KD development. Considering that all KD patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), recovery of $CD4^+CD25^{high}Foxp3^+$ T cells during the subacute afebrile phase could be a mechanism of IVIG.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1184-1189
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• 2010

This work was conducted to examine the variation of immunoglobulins (Igs) in serum, immune milk, normal milk and colostrum upon implantation of a new Antigen Releasing Device (ARD). The core of each ARD housed an immunostimulating complex (ISCOM) that was made of adjuvant Quil A and type XIII lipase from a Pseudomonas sp. Each ARD was coated with polylactic acid, known as polylactide, that controls antigen release. Twenty lactating Chinese Holstein cows were divided into 2 groups (n = 10): test group and control group. All cows in the test group were implanted with a single injection in the right iliac lymph node with 3 types of ARDs, which were designed to release the antigens at d 0, 14 and 28 post-implantation. Blood and milk samples were collected from both groups, and colostrum samples were also collected from other post-partum cows in the same farm. Concentrations of $IgG_1$, IgA and IgM in whey and serum were measured by sandwich ELISA. The results showed that the $IgG_1$, IgA and IgM concentrations in serum and whey from the test group were higher than from the control group. Among the three Igs measured, the $IgG_1$ concentration in serum was significantly higher at d 40 after ARD implantation, and the $IgG_1$ concentration in whey peaked at d 9, 17 and 30, which corresponded with release of the antigen. Based on Pearson's correlation between Ig concentration and production parameters, IgA concentration in normal milk was positively correlated with lactation period, which reflected IgA changes during the lactation period in immune milk. In colostrum, $IgG_1$, IgA and IgM decreased abruptly from d 0 to 3, and then decreased slightly. In conclusion, serum $IgG_1$ concentration can be affected by controlled release of the ARD, while whey IgA levels are primarily affected by lactation period. These results may be useful in future studies designed to regulate concentrations of Igs in immune milk.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1311-1318
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• 2014

This study was designed to investigate the effects of basal diets supplemented with a clay product consisting of zeolite and attapulgite (ZA) at 1:1 ratio on growth performance, digestibility of feed nutrients, activities of digestive enzymes in small intestine and intestinal health in broiler chickens. In experiment 1, 112 one-day-old male chickens were randomly divided into 2 groups with 8 replicates of 7 chickens each. In experiment 2, 84 one-day-old male chickens were randomly allocated into 2 groups consisting 6 replicates of 7 chickens each. The experimental diets both consisted of a maize-soybean basal control diet supplemented with 0% or 2% ZA. The diets were fed from 1 to 42 days of age. The results showed that ZA supplementation could increase body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI), but had no significant effect on feed conversion ratio. The apparent digestibility values of crude protein and gross energy were significantly increased (p<0.05) by ZA from 14 to 16 d and 35 to 37 d. Dietary ZA treatment significantly increased (p<0.05) the activities of amylase, lipase and trypsin in jejunal digesta and the activities of maltase and sucrase in jejunal mucosa on days 21 and 42. The ZA supplementation also significantly increased (p<0.05) the catalase activity, reduced (p<0.05) the malondialdehyde concentration in the jejunal mucosa. In addition, a decrease of serum diamine oxidase activity and an increase (p<0.05) in concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A in jejunal mucosa were observed in birds treated with ZA on 21 and 42 days. It is concluded that ZA supplementation (2%) could partially improve the growth performance by increasing BWG and FI. This improvement was achieved through increasing the secretion of digestive enzymes, enhancing the digestibilites of nutrients, promoting intestinal health of broiler chickens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1699-1705
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• 2006

Recent studies have suggested that oral bacteriotherapy with probiotics might be useful for preventing and managing childhood atopic dermatitis (AD). The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral treatment with probiotics for adolescent and adult AD patients as well as for childhood AD patients. Sixty-four patients with mild to moderate AD were recruited for treatment with a mixture of four probiotic strains (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, and Biftdobacterium lactis) twice daily for 8 weeks. The degree of pruritus was determined by a 10-point visual analog scale every other week, and the patients' global assessments of their clinical responses (i.e., better, unchanged, or worse) was done at the end of intervention. The clinical severity of the eczema was evaluated by eczema area and severity index (EASI) score every other week. As laboratory markers, total immunoglobulin E (IgE), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in the serum, and cytokine production [interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and $interferon-{\gamma}\;(IFN-{\gamma})$ by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured at the beginning and at the end of intervention. Of the 64 enrolled AD patients, only 50 patients finally completed the 8-week study. After 8-week treatment with probiotics, the EASI score was significantly improved (p<0.0001), 50% of the patients experienced improvement of their eczema, and significant improvement of the pruritus was also observed (p=0.0002). The effect was more pronounced for the patients with very high IgE levels (>1,000 ku/l) or for the patients with moderate disease severity. There was no significant difference in the therapeutic effects between the childhood AD and adolescent and adult AD patients. There were no significant changes of cytokines, as well as the total IgE and ECP levels, in the patients' serum. Treatment with the mixture of four probiotic strains was generally well tolerated. Our results suggest that the treatment with the mixture of four probiotic strains is beneficial for the management of the adolescent and adult AD patients, as well as for the childhood AD patients.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.707-717
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• 2018

Leukocytes are reportedly the first line of the innate immune defense and essential for the control of common bacterial infections. Therefore, in this work, the antibacterial activity of crocodile leukocyte extract against Propionibacterium acnes was evaluated, and we also characterized the related activity of skin infection. The leukocyte extract showed the minimum inhibitory concentration to be $100{\mu}g/ml$ to P. acnes. SEM imaging demonstrated that the leukocyte extract adversely affected P. acnes cell permeability in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the crocodile leukocyte extract could significantly reduce proinflammatory markers and decrease inflammatory signs in infected mouse ears. The crude leukocyte extract was further purified using FPLC and RP-HPLC. The resulting fraction F5 was indicated as the anti-acne peptide-containing fraction. The molecular mass of the peptide contained in F5 was calculated to be 4,790.5 Da. N-Terminal sequencing revealed the amino acid sequence as GPEPVPAIYQ, which displays similarities to immunoglobulin A and leucine-rich repeat neuronal protein. This is the first reported amino acid sequence of a crocodile leukocyte extract that possesses anti-acne activity. To attempt to use it in a prototype cosmetic, an anti-acne gel containing crude crocodile leukocyte extract was formulated, resulting in seven gel formulations (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, and G7). The formulations G5, G6, and G7 exhibited 2-fold higher anti-acne activity than G1-G4. Investigation of accelerating stability studies of anti-acne gel formulations G5, G6, and G7 demonstrated that a low storage temperature ($4^{\circ}C$) is suitable for maintaining the physical properties and biological activity of the anti-acne gel products.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.38-38
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• 2001

Spermatogonial stem cells은 sperrnatogenesis에서 중요한 역할을 하며, 곡세정관의 기저막에 위치하고 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나, 그 동안 이 세포에 특이하게 발현되는 marker가 거의 알려져 있지 않아 spermatogonial stem cell의 연구에 많은 어려움을 가져왔다. 최근 일반적인 stem cell이 갖는 특성 중, 기저막과 상호작용을 하는 surface protein으로 integrin이 존재한다는 사실을 이용하여, anti-$\alpha$$_{6}$/ 또는 anti-$\beta$$_1$ integrin항체로 germ cell을 선발하여 정소에 이식한 결과, 높은 효율로 이식세포유래의 정자발생이 가능하다는 결과가 보고되었다 (Shinohara et al., 1999). 한편, 항암제의 일종인 busulfan을 마우스에 투여(40mg/kg)한 후 4-5주가 경과하면 세정관의 기저막에 위치하는 spermatogonia를 제외하고 대부분의 생식세포는 소멸한다 본 실험의 목적은 이러한 사실들을 이용하여 spermatogonial stem cell의 특성을 밝히고, 이 생식세포를 보다 간편하고 손쉽게 선발할 수 있는 시스템을 확립하는데 있다. Busulfan처리 후 5주가 경과된 마우스와 정상적인 13주령의 마우스 testis로부터 세포를 분리한 후 FITC-conjugated anti-IgG를 이용한 면역형광법으로 측정.분석한 결과, 형광표식된 세포비율이 대조군과 비교하여 busulfan을 처리한 경우에서 유의적인 증가를 보였다.(17$\pm$3.8%. 0.7$\pm$0.3% busulfan vs control). 또한, IgG와 결합한 단백질이 존재하는 이들 세포들은 곡세정관의 기저막을 따라 위치하며, 단백질과 복합체를 형성한 IgG는 anti-Ig $G_{2a}$와 반응하지 않는다는 사실을 관찰했다. 이러한 IgG 복합체를 형성한 세포들의 특성을 이용하여, IgG와 반응을 하지 않는 것으로 확인된 이차 항체인 an1i-Ig $G_{2}$와 일차 항체인 anti-$\alpha$$_{6}$ 또는 anti-$\beta$$_1$ integrin항체를 이용하여 측정.분석하였다. Busulfan을 처리한 마우스 정소에서 분리한 세포를 다시 laminin으로 코팅된 dish에서 선발.회수해서, anti-lgG, anti-$\alpha$$_{6}$ 또는 anti-$\beta$$_1$ integrin항체로 각각 표식된 세포비율을 비교하였다. Laminin으로부터 선발.회수한 세포에서는 IgG복합체가 $\alpha$$_{6}$ 또 는 $\beta$$_1$integrin과 거의 같은 수준에서 높은 비율로 표식되었다. 결론적으로, busulfan에 의해 유도된 IgG와 결합가능한 단백질은 $\alpha$$_{6}$나 $\beta$$_1$ integrin과 마찬가지로 immunoglobulin G를 이용하여 spermatogonial stem cell의 선발을 가능하게 했다. 따라서, busulfan처리시 IgG는 미분화된 정조세포의 선발을 위한 하나의 marker로서 사용가능함을 시사한다.다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.359-365
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• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of dietary multi-carbohydrases (MCS) in a lactating sow diet on productive performance and immune responses of sows and their piglets. A total of 12 sows (218.37 ± 5.5 kg BW; 2 parity) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments: a diet based on corn-soybean meal (CON) and CON with 0.01% MCS. The MCS contained xylanase (2,700 units/g), β-glucanase (700 units/g), and cellulase (800 units/g). Sows were fed the dietary treatments for 28 days (weaning) after farrowing. Blood samples were collected from sows on d 0, 3, and 7 after farrowing and randomly selected 2 nursing piglets in each sow on d 3, 7, and 14 after birth. Measurements were productive performance of sows, frequency of diarrhea of piglets, and immune responses of sows and their piglets. Sows fed MCS had lower (p < 0.05) their body weight change than those fed CON. Piglets from sows fed MCS had higher (p < 0.05) average weight gain and body weight at weaning day and lower (p < 0.10) frequency of diarrhea than those from sows fed CON. Sows fed MCS had lower number of white blood cells (WBC) on d 3 (p < 0.05) and TGF-β1 on d 7 (p < 0.10) during lactation than those fed CON. Similarly, piglets from sows fed MCS had also lower (p < 0.05) number of WBC on d 3 and d 7 and TGF-β1 and C-reactive protein on d 7 during lactation than those from sows fed CON. In addition, piglets from sows fed MCS had higher (p < 0.10) immunoglobulin G and M on d 7 during lactation those from sows fed CON. In conclusion, addition of dietary MCS in the lactating sow diet based on corn and soybean meal improved productive performance of sows and their litters and modulated their immune responses.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2013

We examined the characteristics of food allergy prevalence and suggested the basis of dietary guidelines for patients with food allergies and atopic dermatitis. A total of 2,417 patients were enrolled in this study. Each subject underwent a skin prick test as well as serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurement. A double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge was conducted using milk, eggs, wheat, and soybeans, and an oral food challenge was performed using beef, pork, and chicken. Food allergy prevalence was found among 50.7% in patients with atopic dermatitis. Among patients with food allergies (n = 1,225), the prevalence of non-IgE-mediated food allergies, IgE-mediated food allergies, and mixed allergies was discovered in 94.9%, 2.2%, and 2.9% of the patients, respectively. Food allergy prevalence, according to food item, was as follows: eggs = 21.6%, milk = 20.9%, wheat = 11.8%, soybeans = 11.7%, chicken = 11.7%, pork = 8.9% and beef = 9.2%. The total number of reactions to different food items in each patient was also variable at 45.1%, 30.6%, 15.3%, 5.8%, 2.2%, and 1.0% for 1 to 6 reactions, respectively. The most commonly seen combination in patients with two food allergies was eggs and milk. The clinical severity of the reactions observed in the challenge test, in the order of most to least severe, were wheat, beef, soybeans, milk, pork, eggs, and chicken. The minimum and maximum onset times of food allergy reactions were 0.2-24 hrs for wheat, 0.5-48 hrs for beef, 1.0-24 hrs for soybeans, 0.7-24 hrs for milk, 3.0-24 hrs for pork, 0.01-72 hrs for eggs, and 3.0-72 hrs for chicken. In our study, we examined the characteristics of seven popular foods. It will be necessary, however, to study a broader range of foods for the establishment of a dietary guideline. Our results suggest that it may be helpful to identify food allergies in order to improve symptoms in patients with atopic dermatitis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The present study investigated the hypothesis that a highly pure linear ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan produced by Agrobacterium sp. R259 enhances human natural killer (NK) cell activity and suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In an eight-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 83 healthy adults with white blood cell counts of $4,000-8,000cells/{\mu}L$ were participated and randomly assigned to take two capsules per day containing either 350 mg ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan or placebo. Six participants withdrew their study consent or were excluded due to NK cell activity levels outside the normal range. NK cell activity and serum levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ were measured. RESULTS: NK cell activity and the serum levels of IL-10 were significantly higher from baseline to week 8 in the ${\beta}$-glucan group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.048, P = 0.029). Consumption of ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan also significantly increased NK cell activity compared with placebo after adjusting for smoking and stress status (P = 0.009). In particular, the effect of ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan on NK cell activity was greater in participants with severe stress than in those experiencing mild stress. However, the administration ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan did not significantly modulate the levels of IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IgG compared with the placebo. CONCLUSION: The results showed that supplementation with bacterial ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan significantly increased NK cell activity without causing any adverse effects. Additionally, the beneficial effect of ${\beta}$-1,3-glucan on NK cell activity was greater in participants experiencing severe stress.