• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.240-246
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• 2012

Natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in early surveillance against virus infection and cellular transformation, and are also implicated in the control of inflammatory response through their effector functions of direct lysis of target cells and cytokine secretion. NK cell activation toward target cell is determined by the net balance of signals transmitted from diverse activating and inhibitory receptors. A distinct feature of NK cell activation is that stimulation of resting NK cells with single activating receptor on its own cannot mount natural cytotoxicity. Instead, specific pairs of co-activation receptors are required to unleash NK cell activation via synergy- dependent mechanism. Because each co-activation receptor uses distinct signaling modules, NK cell synergy relies on the integration of such disparate signals. This explains why the study of the mechanism underlying NK cell synergy is important and necessary. Recent studies revealed that NK cell synergy depends on the integration of complementary signals converged at a critical checkpoint element but not on simple amplification of the individual signaling to overcome intrinsic activation threshold. This review focuses on the signaling events during NK cells activation and recent advances in the study of NK cell synergy.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 2013

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential role of the 27-Kilodalton (KDa) antigen versus Fasciola gigantica adult worm regurge antigens in a DOT-Blot assay and to assess this assay as a practical tool for diagnosis fascioliasis in Egyptian patients. Fasciola gigantica antigen of an approximate molecular mass 27- (KDa) was obtained from adult worms by a simple elution SDS-PAGE. A Dot-Blot was developed comparatively to adult worm regurge antigens for the detection of specific antibodies from patients infected with F. gigantica in Egypt. Control sera were obtained from patients with other parasitic infections and healthy volunteers to assess the test and compare between the antigens. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of Dot-Blot using the adult worm regurge were 80%, 90%, 94.1%, and 69.2% respectively, while those using 27-KDa were 100% which confirms the diagnostic potential of this antigen. All patients infected with Fasciola were positive, with cross reactivity reported with Schistosoma mansoni serum samples. This 27-KDa Dot-Blot assay showed to be a promising test which can be used for serodiagnosis of fascioliasis in Egyptian patients especially, those presenting with hepatic disease. It is specific, sensitive and easy to perform method for the rapid diagnosis particularly when more complex laboratory tests are unavailable.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.117-120
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• 2011

Purpose: Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common peripheral compressive neuropathy. Most cases are idiopathic, but rarely carpal tunnel syndrome can be associated with a ganglionic mass. We report our recently encountered experience of surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome caused by a simple ganglionic mass. Methods: A 53-year-old man presented with chief complaints of numbness and hypoesthesia of his left palm, thumb, index finger, long finger, and ring finger of one and half month duration. Physical examination revealed positive Tinnel's sign without previous trauma, infection or any other events. Electromyography showed entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an approximately 2.0 cm-sized mass below the transverse carpal ligament. Upon surgical excision, a $1{\times}1.5cm^2$ mass attached to the perineurium of the median nerve and synovial sheath of the flexor digitorum superficialis and redness and hypertrophy of the median nerve were discovered. With surgical intervention, we completely removed the ganglionic mass and performed surgical release of the transverse carpal ligament. Results: The pathology report confirmed the mass to be a ganglion. The patient exhibited post-operative improvement of his symptoms and did not show any complications. Conclusion: We present a review of our experience with this rare case of carpal tunnel syndrome caused by a ganglionic mass and give a detailed follow-up on the patient treated by surgical exploration with carpal tunnel release.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.514-517
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• 2006

Purpose: To report a rare case of concealed penis that was aggravated by circumcision and simple way of treatment using skin flap. The concealed penis is a primarily pediatric disease and is usually treated by urologists. The plastic surgeons tend to see these patients when it become secondary deformation or in conjoinment with other specialties. In such situation, the plastic surgeons do not have many experiences. Methods: A 3-year-old boy was admitted with aggravated concealed penis after circumcision in congenital webbed penis. Patient had been operated with scar revision and skin flap and peri operative antibiotics. Results: The patient recovered well without any complication such as infection, hematoma and necrosis of flap. Patient was discharged POD#7 with remaining sutures. Patient was followed up for 7 months and he has no sign of erectile dysfunction, voiding dysfunction and evidence of inflammation of the urinary system. Conclusion: We experienced a case of concealed penis that was aggravated from aggressive circumcision in congenital webbed penis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2010

Progress in the development of DNA vaccines and their delivery strategies has been made since their initial concept as a next generation vaccine. Since DNA vaccine includes non-infectious DNA parts of pathogens, it can't cause disease yet it closely mimic the natural process of infection and immune responses. Despite their early promising results of controlling infectious diseases and cancer in small animal models, DNA vaccines failed to display a level of immunogenicity required for combating these diseases in humans, possibly due to their lower protein expression levels. However, increasing evidence has shown that DNA vaccines are clinically well-tolerated and safe. Furthermore, one notable advantage of DNA vaccines includes convenient utilities of plasmid DNAs coding for antigens. For instance, any emerging pathogens could be prevented easily and timely by allowing the simple exchange of antigen-encoding genes. In this review, newly developed DNA vaccine strategies, including electroporation, which has emerged as a potent method for DNA delivery, targeting infectious diseases and cancer will be discussed with a focus on any on-going DNA vaccine trials or progress made pre-clinically and in clinics.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 1994

A 70-year-old female patient was admitted due to the impression of lung abscess via local clinic. Chest P-A showed air shadow containing huge mass lesion in the right lower lung field, pericardio phrenic angle. But the patient complained of only mild upper respiratioy tract infection symptoms and the laboratory tests were within normal limits. Barium enema and chest C-T taken right after barium enema were performed in suggestion of the diaphragmatic hernia. Barium filled transverse colon and associated omentum were in the right anterior hemithorax surrounded by the hernial sac. The mass lesion shown in the chest P-A was compatible with the diaphragmatic hernia, Morgagni type. Operative reduction of the herniated bowel and simple closure of the diaphragm was performed.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.227-232
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• 2014

The indication for submandibular intubation is the requirement for intraoperative maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) in the presence of injuries that preclude nasotracheal intubation. Thus, We reported 2 cased of endotracheal intubations via submandibular approach that is applicable in patients with skull base fractures for a reliable general anesthesia. Endotracheal intubation via submandibular approach was applied during general anesthetic procedures for open reduction in three patients with Le Fort II, III or nasoorbitoethmoid (NOE) fractures. No complications due to submandibular intubation, such as infection, postoperative scarring, nerve injury, hematoma, bleeding, or orocutaneous fistula, were observed following submandibular intubation. Endotracheal intubation via submandibular approach is effective in patients with skull base fractures. In our method, the tube connector is removed in orotracheal intubation in order to avoiding the tube removal or displacement. The advantages of this method are very simple, safe, and to provide the good operation field.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 1999

Warts, or verrucae, are benign epithelial proliferations of the skin and mucosa caused by infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV). It is now recognized that there are many different HPV types. Especially type3 is most frequently observed in flat wart. Other types, such as type2, 10, 14, 27, 28, 29, 38, and 41 are rarely encounted in flat wart. We describe here a simple and economic method for detection and identification of epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated HPV. The method is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and restriction analysis. The method has been developed with cloned HPV DNA and DNA from clinical samples. Clinical samples are from either frozen tissue or paraffin-embedded tissue. Genomic fragments were obtained from two different HPV types (3 and 10). The amplification fragments were identified by a form of miniature fingerprinting, with a set of restriction enzymes that gave a unique digestion pattern for each HPV type. We have tested 74 clinical samples. Only type3 among these clinical samples is detected, and one sample is involved in neither type3 nor type10.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.368-373
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• 2000

Enteroviruses in the environment pose a public health risk because they can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route through contaminated water, and low numbers are able to initiate an infection in humans. Because the levels of viruses typically found in environmental water and drinking water are low, they must be concentrated from hundreds to thousands of liters of water. Therefore, the main goal of this study was the development of a rapid, simple and efficient procedure to concentrate, isolate and detect enteroviruses from environmental water samples. Viruses were first concentrated by adsorption to 1 MDS cartridge filter and then eluted with approximately 0.5 liter of 1.5% beef extract/0.05M glycin(pH 9.4). In this study, several procedures to concentrate and purify intact viruses from beef extract obtained from the adsorbent filters were tested. Among them, organic floccuration was the best reliable method for reconcentration. sample volume could be reduced to 200∼400 folds and the efficiency of virus recovery through the procedure was over 72%. Finally, the samples were filtered through a membrane disk filter and then analyzed by either the plaque assay or combined cell culture-polymerase chain reaction.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.642-645
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• 1998

A severe pink mold rot on matured melon fruits occurred under a glass tunnel cultivation in Chinju at Kyeongasngnam-do Agricultural Research and Extention Services on May of 1998. Basal portion of the fruits toward blossom end was preferably infected and colonized by the fungus. The causal fungus consistently isolated from the lesions was identified as Trichothecium roseum based on following mycological characteristics. Conidia were hyaline or brightly colored, 2-celled, ovoid or elipsoid, characteristically held together zi-zag chains. Conidiophore was long, slender, simple, septate, bearing conidia-meristem arthrospores-apically, singly when young and successively by slight growth of conidiphore apex. Optimum temperature for mycelial growth and conidial germination was recorded at 20~$25^{\circ}C$. However, over 48% of the fungal conidia were germinated at 15$^{\circ}C$ and mycelial growth was only slightly slower than $25^{\circ}C$. The temperature profiles and high humidity available during the cultivation were considered favorable for the pathogen as showing 22% infection rate on matured melon fruits cv. Saros. This is the first report of pink mold rot of melon caused by T. roseum in Korea.