• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2017

Fascioliasis is a foodborne zoonotic parasitic disease. We report 4 cases occurring in the same family, in whom diagnosis of acute fascioliasis was established after series of tests. One case was hospitalized with fever, eosinophilia, and hepatic lesions. MRI showed hypodense changes in both liver lobes. The remaining 3 cases presented with the symptom of stomachache only. Stool analysis was positive for Fasciola eggs in 2 adult patients. The immunological test and molecular identification of eggs were confirmed at the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China. The results of serological detection were positive in all the 4 patients. DNA sequencing of PCR products of the eggs demonstrated 100% homology with ITS and cox1 of Fasciola hepatica. The conditions of the patients were not improved by broad-spectrum anti-parasitic drugs until administration of triclabendazole.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.181-187
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• 1999

The most important progress in diagnostic sciences is the increased sensitivity and specificity in diagnostic procedures due to the development of newer micromethodologies and increasing availability of immunological and molecular biological reagents. The outcome of researches in this field has already provided DNA probes and antibodies which can be used for diagnosing various kinds of diseases including inherited ones. This development can be also applied to diagnose diseases in oral and maxillofacial regions. Technological advances have yielded highly sensitive test methodologies so that low analyte concentration and small sample volume are no longer limiting factors. Therefore, saliva can be useful test fluid for an array of analytes. Salivary constituents of diagnostic significance include steroid hormones, antibodies, drugs, and tumor markers. Of the proteins present in saliva, viral-specific immunoglobulins are of the greatest diagnostic interest. The development of conjugates and antigens by recombinant DNA technique and peptide synthesis is necessary for clinical application. Several kits developed for the purpose of blood testing should be modified to permit their application to saliva. The final practical outcome of researches in diagnostic sciences will be various diagnostic agents which can be used for detection of bacteria and viruses, screening and diagnosis of diseases, genetic screening for forensic individual identification. For these purposes, collaboration researches and development between institutions and companies are essential.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.439-444
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• 2017

The ability of nematodes to manipulate the immune system of their host towards a Th2 and T regulatory responses has been proposed to suppress the inflammatory response. Clinical trials have proposed a useful effect of helminth infections on improvement of inflammatory disorders. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effect of Syphacia obvelata infection to induce intestinal tolerance in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were infected through the cagemates with self-infected BALB/c mice. Four weeks post-infection, expression levels of $IFN-{\gamma}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-17, and IL-10 were assessed in the supernatant of mesenteric lymph node (MLN) culture. $Foxp3^+Treg$ were measured in MLN cells by flow cytometry. In the S. obvelata-infected group, the percentage of Tregs ($5.2{\pm}0.4$) was significantly higher than the control ($3.6{\pm}0.5$) (P<0.05). The levels of IL-10 ($55.3{\pm}2.2$ vs $35.2{\pm}3.2$), IL-17 ($52.9{\pm}3.8$ vs $41{\pm}1.8$), $IFN-{\gamma}$ ($44.8{\pm}4.8$ vs $22.3{\pm}2.3$) and $TNF-{\alpha}$ ($71.1{\pm}5.8$ vs $60.1{\pm}3.3$) were significantly increased in infected mice compared to the control group (P<0.05). The above results showed the potential effects of S. obvelata to induce intestinal tolerance. Therefore, it seems that S. obvelata may increase the immunological suppressive function in the intestinal tract.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.183-187
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• 2005

The objective of the present study was to determine the possible immune-enhancing effects of a substance extracted from a submerged culture of Lentinus edodes with rice bran (SLRB). According to the results obtained by measuring the in vitro macrophage activity of the exo-biopolymer from SLRB, it appears to exhibit activity similar to that of LPS, and this activity seems to occur in a dose-dependent manner. According to the results obtained by measuring splenocyte proliferation, the exo-biopolymer appears to induce an increase in proliferation of approximately 1.4-fold compared to the control group. We measured the proliferation of bone marrow cells in order to evaluate gut immunity and, according to our results, proliferation was increased to 109% that of the control group, and was similar to that associated with LPS. In order to characterize the enhancement of immunological activity in vivo, we orally administered the exo-biopolymer (25, 50, 250 mg/kg bw) to C3H/He mice, and then measured the macrophage activity, determining that the activity was higher than that of the controls at concentrations of 50 and 250 mg/kg. Therefore, the exo-biopolymer from SLRB can be considered to be a useful a BRM agent, as it clearly allows some protection against immunological diseases.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 2005

Pollen has been used for prevention or treatment of certain diseases such as diabetes arthritis or cancer in traditional medicine. Among various pollens, pine tree pollen is known to relieve hypertension, suppress fatty liver progression, and facilitate the digestion, but its immunological activities are less known. To evaluate immunological reactivities and immunotoxicities of pine tree pollen, BALB/c mice were administered to the poller through oral route. Pine tree pollen suspended in distilled water or extracted with methanol has been administered at the concentration of 0, 10, or 100 mg/kg five days per week for four weeks. Polyclonal activation of splenic T cells with phytohemagglutinins did not induce a significant difference in IL-4 and $IFN_{\gamma}$ production between the pollen-administered mice groups and the control mice. Furthermore, polyclonal activation of splenic B cells with lipopolysaccharides did not result a significant difference in IgG1 and IgG2a production among the groups. These findings imply that the intake of pine tree pollen does not bring any humoral and cellular immune-dysrequlation. Whereas, viability of Listeria monocytogenes was suppressed in the mice administered with 100 mg/kg bw methanol extract, indicating the potential ability of pine tree pollen to enhance cell-mediated immunity mediated by type-1 helper T cells. In addition, aberrant upregulation of plasma IgG1 level was observed in the pollen-administered mice, which suggests a possibility of allergic response induction through the pine tree pollen uptake. Overall, pine tree pollen-mediated modulation of humoral or cellular immunity is worthy of further systematic investigation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.5
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• pp.249-257
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• 2012

The frequency of diagnosing bronchiectasis is increasing around the world. Cystic fibrosis is the most common inherited cause of bronchiectasis, but there is increasing recognition of significant numbers of patients with bronchiectasis from various causes. With increasing awareness of bronchiectasis, a significant number of research, concerning the causes and treatments, were published over the past few years. Investigation of the underlying cause of bronchiectasis is the most important key to effective management. The purpose of this report is to review the immunological abnormalities that cause bronchiectasis in those that the cystic fibrosis has been excluded, identify the available evidences of current management, and discuss several controversies in the treatment of this disorder.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.7
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• pp.239-244
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• 2015

The complement system is part of the innate immune response and as such defends against invading pathogens, removes immune complexes and damaged self-cells, aids organ regeneration, confers neuroprotection, and engages with the adaptive immune response via T and B cells. Complement activation can either benefit or harm the host organism; thus, the complement system must maintain a balance between activation on foreign or modified self surfaces and inhibition on intact host cells. Complement regulators are essential for maintaining this balance and are classified as soluble regulators, such as factor H, and membrane-bound regulators. Defective complement regulators can damage the host cell and result in the accumulation of immunological debris. Moreover, defective regulators are associated with several autoimmune diseases such as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, dense deposit disease, age-related macular degeneration, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms by which the complement system is regulated is important for the development of novel therapies for complement-associated diseases.

• Intestinal research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.155-160
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• 2013

Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic immunological disorder characterized by recurrent mucosal ulcerative lesions including oral and genital ulcerations in association with skin and ocular involvements. BD also can involve the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal involvement of BD is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality for this disease. However, clinical data are quite limited because of the rarity of intestinal BD. Therefore, the management of intestinal BD is heavily dependent on expert opinions and standardized medical treatments of intestinal BD are yet to be established. In this brief review, the authors summarized the currently available medical treatments such as 5-aminosalicylic acids, corticosteroids, immuno-modulators, and anti-TNF agents. Moreover, we sought to suggest a treatment algorithm for intestinal BD based on the recently published and updated data.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.8.1-8.17
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• 2024

Follicular helper T cells (Tfh) play a crucial role in generating high-affinity antibodies (Abs) and establishing immunological memory. Cytokines, among other functional molecules produced by Tfh, are central to germinal center (GC) reactions. This review focuses on the role of cytokines, including IL-21 and IL-4, in regulating B cell responses within the GC, such as differentiation, affinity maturation, and plasma cell development. Additionally, this review explores the impact of other cytokines like CXCL13, IL-10, IL-9, and IL-2 on GC responses and their potential involvement in autoimmune diseases, allergies, and cancer. This review highlights contributions of Tfh-derived cytokines to both protective immunity and immunopathology across a spectrum of diseases. A deeper understanding of Tfh cytokine biology holds promise for insights into biomedical conditions.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2005

Economic animal husbandry workers exposed to organic dust can be suffered from immunologic disorders. Our study was to determine immunological parameters related with occurrence of respiratory allergic diseases to animal husbandry workers in Korea for the first time. Peripheral blood were obtained from twenty-five pig barn workers, forty-nine chicken farming workers and fifty-one non-agricultural control workers. Significantly upregulated plasma IgE level was observed with pig-barn workers than that of chicken farming workers or healthy community control subjects. Furthermore, level of histamine, a hallmark of allergy induction, was upregulated in the pig and chicken farming workers in comparison with that of the control subjects. Downregulation of $IFN_\gamma$ and $TNF_{\alpha}$ production from T cells was apparent in the animal husbandry workers compared with the control subjects. Meanwhile, T cells collected from the pig barn workers demonstrated significantly higher production of IL-4 and IL-10 than the other groups. There were also alterations in IgG subclass distribution. In conclusion, immunological modulation probably leading to occupational allergic diseases can be occurred in the economic animal husbandry workers and the pig barn workers could be the most risky group to the work-related allergic disease.