• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.272-278
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• 2005

Background : The immune responses mediated by CD8+T cells are known to be significant in controlling M. tuberculosis infections. In order to determine the role of cytotoxic CD8+T cells in the protective immune mechanism in latently infected subjects, this study examined whether or not the cytotoxic immune responses of CD8+T cells specific to the M. tuberculosis somatic antigens are induced in BCG vaccinated healthy subjects. Methods : Cytotoxicity and $IFN-{\gamma}$ elispot assays were used to investigate the activities of CD8+T cells specific for the $thyA_{30-38}$ peptide epitope in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from BCG-vaccinated HLA-A*0201 and A*0206 subjects. Results : The results indicate the cytotoxic and $IFN-{\gamma}$ immune responses of CD8+T cells specific for $thyA_{30-38}$ were induced in BCG vaccinated healthy subjects. Conclusion : The cytotoxic and $IFN-{\gamma}$ responses by CD8+T cells specific for the M. tuberculosis somatic antigens are induced in BCG-vaccinated subjects, and appear to be involved in the protective immune mechanism in latently infected people against a M. tuberculosis infection.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.209-216
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• 1997

Three dimensional structures of envelope protein from Korean isolates and Nakayama-NIH strain of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) were deduced by a computer program (HyperChem 4.0 Chemplus 1.0) based on the data of the three dimentional structure of Tick-borne encephalitis virus. In the three dimensional structure of envelope protein, neutralizing epitope and T-helper cell recognition site of C-terminal region of Korean isolates were structually similar to those of Nakayama-NIH but the N-terminal region was not. Korean JE isolates were compared with Nakayama-NIH strain by using cross-neutralization antibody test. Neutralizing activities of Korean isolates derived from guinea pigs were higher than those of Nakayama-NIH strain against Korean isolates, although the polyclonal antibody titers of Nakayama-NlH showed 1:160 to 1:640 against Korean isolates. According to the results from three dimentional structures and cross-neutralization analyses, the antigenic difference between Korean JE isolates and Nakayama-NIH strain may be dependent on structural difference of envelope protein.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.381-388
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• 2001

The present study was designed to obtain porcine growth hormone binding protein (pGHBP) improved biological activation as derived mutation in binding site with growth horlnone (GH). A 756 bp of fragment encoding the extracellular domain of pGHBP gene was cloned from the total RNA of porcine fat tissue by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and created mutation in positions 26 and 122 using site-directed mutagenesis method. Position 26 is one and it is near to get on five potential N-linked glycosylation sites located in the extracellular domain of porcine growth hormone receptor known to have a direct influence on combination with GH. Position 122 is known as one of conformational epitope in bovine. It was over-expressed in E. coli using pET-32(c) expression vector and precisely purified by S-protein agarose and enterokinase. In our results, we was obtained pmGHBP of 30 kDa. It suggests to study the effects of the pmGHBP on cell proliferation in vitro and growth rate in vivo after administration.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 1994

Background: The cell mediated immunity has an important role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. sIL-2R has been known as a sensitive marker of T lymphocyte activation Elevated serum levels of sIL-2R have been found in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders, organ transplantation, autoimmune diseases, and various granulomatous diseases. Elevated levels of sIL-2R have been also found in the serum and pleural fluid of the patients with tuberculosis. To evaluate the diagnostic value of sIL-2R in the differentiation of tuberculous pleurisy and nontuberculous pleurisy. We measured the level of sIL-2R in the sera and pleural fluids of 12 patients with tuberculous pleurisy and 32 patients with nontuberculous pleurisy. Method: Samples of pleural fluid and serum were centrifuged at 2500 rpm for 10 min to remove cell pellets. Soluble IL-2R was measured with a sandwitch enzyme immunoassay using the Cellfree(r) Interleukin-2 Receptor Test kit(T-cell science,Inc. Cambridge, MA). Results: The results obtained were as follows: 1) The sIL-2R level in pleural fluid of the patients with tuberculous pleurisy was higher than that of patients with nontuberculous pleurisy(P<0.005). 2) When the sIL-2R level above 5,000 u/ml in pleural fluid was used as the cut-off value to diagnose tuberculous pleurisy, it had a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 90.9%. 3) The sIL-2R level in the sera of the patients with tuberculous pleurisy was higher than that of patients with bacterial pleural effusions and normal control group(P<0.05) and there was no difference of levels compared with malignant pleural effusions and transudative pleural effusions(P>0.05). 4) In patients with tuberculous pleurisy, the mean concentration of sIL-2R in pleural fluid was higher than that in serum(P<0.005). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the measurement of elevated levels of pleural fluid sIL-2R in tuberculous pleurisy may be useful in the differential diagnosis between patients with tuberculous pleurisy and nontuberculous pleurisy.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2001

Purpose: Urinary cytology and cystoscopic exam are effective methods for diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma(TCC). But the former shows drawbacks such as the need for a well-trained examiner, and wide imprecision related to the variability of microscopic exam; the latter is an invasive method. $UBC^{TM}$ test detects the epitope on specific cytokeratin fragments released from epithelium of bladder cancer by immunoradiometric assay. We compared $UBC^{TM}$ test with urinary cytology for diagnosis of TCC to evaluate the utility of $UBC^{TM}$ test. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four patients with hematuria were included in our study. $UBC^{TM}$ tests (IDL Biotech, Sweden) were assayed in mid-stream urine according to the ordinary assay protocol. Nineteen patients were confirmed as TCC by cystoscopic examination and underwent transurethral resection (Group A). Other patients had various benign urinary tract conditions (Group B). Samples were considered positive as the $UBC^{TM}$ concentration was greater than $12{\mu}g/L$. Results: $UBC^{TM}$ levels were significantly different between group A ($95.9{\pm}166.4\;{\mu}g/L$) and group B ($19.2{\pm}85.6{\mu}g/L$) (P<0.001). Sensitivity for diagnosis of TCC was 89.5% (17/19) in UBC test and 47.4% (9/19) in cytology (p<0.05). Specificity for diagnosis of TCC was 81.5% (53/65) in $UBC^{TM}$ test and 100% (65/65) in cytology. $UBC^{TM}$ test was significantly more sensitive in stage Ta, $T_1$ tumors (84.6 vs 38.5%, p<0.05) and in grade I (83.3% vs 16.7%, p<0.05) than cytology. $UBC^{TM}$ test showed a tendency to be more sensitive as the grade was higher (83.3% in Grade I, 90% in Grade II and 100% in Grade III). Conclusion: $UBC^{TM}$ test could be a useful method in distinguishing TCC from other benign genitourinary diseases. Moreover, $UBC^{TM}$ test could be an especially valuable marker for diagnosis of TCC in patients with early TCC of low grade TCC compared to urinary cytology. Therefore, mbined use of $UBC^{TM}$ test in association with cytology is helpful to overcome the limited sensitivity of cytology.