• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.263-268
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• 2023

Despite regular vaccinations, equine influenza virus (EIV) and Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (strangles) are the cause of highly contagious respiratory infections in horses. Many recent studies have reported that the concurrent administration of two vaccines could simplify horse management and minimize veterinary expenses. However, there is little information available regarding the efficacy of concurrent vaccinations against EIV and strangles. In this study, we evaluated EIV-specific antibody responses following the single EIV vaccination with the recombinant viral-vectored EIV vaccine or concurrent vaccination with the EIV and inactivated strangles vaccines. Blood samples were collected at 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8 weeks post-immunization (wpi) from each group. EIV-specific antibodies were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. Both single and concurrent vaccination showed similar levels of EIV-specific serum immunoglobulin g (IgG) at 1 and 2 wpi. However, at 4 to 8 wpi, the EIV-only vaccination group showed significantly higher serum IgG levels than those from the concurrently vaccinated group. The HAI titers showed similar trends as the ELISA data, except at 8 wpi when both groups presented HAI titers with no significant differences. These data demonstrate that the concurrent vaccination against EIV and strangles could compromise the humoral immune response to equine influenza between vaccination intervals, which suggests the use of the consecutive vaccination protocol for EIV and strangles rather than concurrent vaccination.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2023

The outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD), caused by LSD virus (LSDV), in Jeollabuk-do was first confirmed at a Korean cattle farm in Buan-gun on October 24, 2023. Afterwards, thirteen cases (twelve cases in Gochang-gun and a case in Imsil-gun) were further confirmed, resulting in a total of fourteen cases over 25 days until November 17, 2023. Clinical examination were conducted on infected and co-habitting cattle from the LSD-affected farms with particular focus on the presence of nodules throughout the body such as head, neck, chest, femur, head, and perineum. As a results, abnormal clinical signs were observed in fifteen cows: loss of appetite in six cows, high fever in three cows, eye mucosal nodules in a cow, nasal mucosal nodules in six cows, nodules on perineum in five cows, scrotum nodules in two cows, papillary nodules in a cow, and/or skin nodules in eleven cows. By the PCR methods, the common gene of capripox virus and/or the specific gene of LSDV were detected in 35 of the 69 cows tested this study. In the Farm1, capripox virus-specific gene, LSDV wild strain-specific gene, and LSDV vaccine strain-spcific gene were simultaneously detected in affected cows, indicating the cattle farm was affected by various strain of LSDV. As a result of combining clincal examination and PCR test, it was found that clinically and subclinically infeted cows coexist in the LSDV-infected farms. These finding in this study will be a great help in diagnosis and prevention of the LSD in Korean cattle farms.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.37.1-37.17
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• 2021

Hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein has been reported as a key protein regulating the pathogenesis of HBV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent evidence has shown that HBx is implicated in the activation of autophagy in hepatic cells. Nevertheless, the precise molecular and cellular mechanism by which HBx induces autophagy is still controversial. Herein, we investigated the molecular and cellular mechanism by which HBx is involved in the TRAF6-BECN1-Bcl-2 signaling for the regulation of autophagy in response to TLR4 stimulation, therefore influencing the HCC progression. HBx interacts with BECN1 (Beclin 1) and inhibits the association of the BECN1-Bcl-2 complex, which is known to prevent the assembly of the pre-autophagosomal structure. Furthermore, HBx enhances the interaction between VPS34 and TRAF6-BECN1 complex, increases the ubiquitination of BECN1, and subsequently enhances autophagy induction in response to LPS stimulation. To verify the functional role of HBx in liver cancer progression, we utilized different HCC cell lines, HepG2, SK-Hep-1, and SNU-761. HBx-expressing HepG2 cells exhibited enhanced cell migration, invasion, and cell mobility in response to LPS stimulation compared to those of control HepG2 cells. These results were consistently observed in HBx-expressed SK-Hep-1 and HBx-expressed SNU-761 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that HBx positively regulates the induction of autophagy through the inhibition of the BECN1-Bcl-2 complex and enhancement of the TRAF6-BECN1-VPS34 complex, leading to enhance liver cancer migration and invasion.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2007

Purpose : Viral respiratory tract infection is most common cause for admission to hospital in children. There are many cases with elevated transaminase level in patients with viral lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). The aim of this study was to compare indexes of disease severity such as duration of assisted ventilation, length of hospital stay and Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument (RDAI) score in children with viral LRTI with and without elevated transaminase levels and to determine the etiology related to elevated transaminase levels in this patients group. Methods : Virological analysis was done from respiratory specimens obtained from patients with LRTI admitted to Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital from Jan. 2003 to Jun. 2005. Viral diagnosis was made by isolation of viruses employing HEp-2 cell culture from nasopharyngeal aspiration. Medical records of children were reviewed retrospectively. We compared age, sex, RDAI score, Respiratory Rate (RR) score and mean duration of hospital stay between patients with elevated transaminase levels (Patient Group) and patients with normal transaminase levels (Control Group). Results : Viruses were isolated from 181 children with LRTI. 16 cases were excluded according to criteria. 28 cases (17.0%) had elevated transaminase levels (Patient group) and 137 cases (83.0%) had normal transaminase levels (Control group). There were no significant difference in duration of fever, RR score, RDAI score, incidence of $O_2$ inhalation and duration of hospital stay between patient group and control group. We found 17 (60.7%) cases of RSV, 4 cases (14.3%) of parainfluenza, 4 cases (14.3%) of influenza B virus, 3 cases (10.7%) of adenovirus and 1 case (3.6%) of influenza A virus infection in patient group and 78 cases (56.9%) of RSV, 28 cases (20.4%) of parainfluenza virus, 13 cases (9.5%) of influenza A virus, 9 cases (6.6%) of influenza B virus, 6 cases (4.4%) of adenovirus and 3 cases (2.2%) of coxsackie virus infection in control group. Conclusion : There were 28 cases (17.0%) with elevated transaminase level among patients with virus isolated LRTI. There was no relation between elevated transaminase level and severity of disease. The viral etiologies in two groups were not significantly different. There was no significant difference of age distribution between two groups.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 1981

The experiment was carried out to observe whether the route of administration of allantoic aminiotic fluid obtained from the chicken embryo infected with $B_1$ virus would affect the protectivity of brids against the challenge exposure of a virulent strain of ND virus. Four groups of birds of 30 days of age were immunized intranassally (0.1 $m\ell$), intramuscularly (1.0 $m\ell$), by spray administration (0.00015 $m\ell$/1㎤) or via drinking water(10.0 $m\ell$), with 1 in 100 dilution of th. fluid containing $B_1$ virus titre of 10$\^$8.5/ELD$\_$50/ per $m\ell$ and all the immunized birds, after 15 days of vaccination, were challenged intramuscularly with 1.0$m\ell$ of 10,000 MLD per $m\ell$ of a virulent ND virus. The results obtained are summerized as follows: 1. Good immunity was induced when 1 in 100 dilution of allantoaminiotic fluid with $B_1$ virus titre of 10$\^$8.5/ELD$\_$50/$m\ell$was applied to 30 day old chicks intramuscularly, intranasally and by spray application, but it was not the case when the allantomiotic fluid was diluted to 1 in 1,000. The ID$\_$50/ of birds immunized with 1 in 100 dilution of allantoaminiotic fluid by various routes of administration such as intramuscular Injection, spray application and intranasal instillation were 10$\^$2.8/＞10$\^$4.l and/＞10$\^$4.2/ 2. The high protectivity against the challenge exposure with a virulent Newcastle disease virus with 10,000 MLD/$m\ell$ were observed when the birds were immunized with a live vaccine of 10$\^$8.5/ ELD$\_$50/$m\ell$ by intramuscular injection, intranasal instillation or spray application, and the rates by different routes of application were 92.62%, 95.33% and 93.75%, respectively. On the contrary, no good immunity was induced in the groups of birds immunized via drinking water with the live vaccine, the rate of protection against the challenge exposure being 47.18%.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.116-125
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• 1997

Purpose : Studies on the duration of immune response against Japanese encephalitis virus from recipients with JE vaccine (Nakayama-NIH strain) in Korea. Methods : To determinate the immune response and the duration of antibody against JE vaccine, 213 students were examined since 1994 using hemmaglutination inhibition test and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Results : 24 months after the first vaccination, haemmaglutination inhibition and neutralizing antibody maintained from the recipients 63.4% (>1:20) and 100% (>1:20), respectively. In April 1996, one dose booster to the same recipients those who were vaccinated in 1994, the GMT antibody for HI and PRNT titer were both increased from 1:11.6 to 1:13.2 and 1:275.7 to 1:348.1, respectively, after 6 months booster (after 30 months from the initial vaccination). This results showed that the antibody from the active immunity could be maintained more than 12 months after the initial vaccination. On the basis of these results, inactivated killed JE vaccine (Nakayama-NIH strain) using for preventing against JE purpose seems to produce antibody enough to protect against JE at present. Conclusions : Along with the results of this study demonstrating duration of antibody, the active immunization could be maintained as long as by initial vaccination of 2 doses, a single dose of booster vaccination made during a period of 1 month to 12 months and the successive booster vaccination by 2 or 3 year intervals. However, the immunization schedule should be concerned with both epidemiology of disease and the immune response of vaccinated individuals.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2009

We previously reported that $IFN-{\gamma}$ producing T cell responses induced by the combined therapy of DNA vaccine and lamivudine for one year are important for the induction of sustained virological response (SVR). However, $IFN-{\gamma}$ production is not sufficient to predict sustained viremia control in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) carriers treated. Methods: Twelve CHB carriers were intramuscularly immunized 12 times at a 4-week interval with 8mg of HBV DNA vaccine during the standard lamivudine treatment (100mg/daily/1 year). The level of cytokines during and after the combined therapy in plasma of all 12 CHB carriers treated was determined by each ELISA kit. Six out of 12 CHB carriers revisited the clinic, and their HBV DNA levels were examined. Results: The combined therapy increased plasma IL-12 and IL-12/p40 ratio during the treatment (baseline vs. peak level: $41.8{\pm}8.3$ vs. $163.1{\pm}29.2\;pg/ml$; p<0.01 and $0.96{\pm}0.25$ vs. $3.58{\pm}0.86$; p<0.01, respectively), and the peak level of plasma IL-12 and IL-12/p40 ratio was evoked at 6 to 10 months during the combined therapy. In particular, CHB carriers with SVR had two and three-fold higher level of the peak plasma IL-12 and plasma IL-12/p40 ratio than non-virological responders (NVRs), respectively ($218.0{\pm}41.4$ vs. $108.1{\pm}28.6\;pg/ml$; p=0.09 and $5.35{\pm}1.38$ vs. $1.80{\pm}0.29$; p<0.05, respectively), while p40 level was consistent during the combined therapy. In addition, there was no significant temporal correlation between the peak IL-12/p40 ratio and the elevation of serum alanine amino-transferase (ALT) in this study, contrast to $IFN-{\alpha}$ therapy which induced peak IL-12 level following ALT flares. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the combined therapy induces the increase of plasma IL-12 and IL-12/p40 ratio, which are associated with long-term SVR in CHB carriers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.405-411
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• 2011

Avian influenza virus vaccines produced in oil-emulsified inactivated form with antigen content of at least 160 hemagglutinin units (HAU) induced immunity in birds. However, in addition to enhancing the effect of the adjuvant(s), other additional supplemented biological compounds included in inactivated vaccines could produce higher levels of antibody. We examined in chickens, Vietnamese ducks, and muscovy ducks the adjuvant effect of Sophy ${\beta}$-glucan (SBG), a ${\beta}$-1,3-1,6 glucan produced by the black yeast Aureobasidium pollulans strain AF0-202, when administered with an avian influenza H5 subtype vaccine. In Experiment 1, 40 chickens (ISA Brown hybrid), allocated to four groups of ten each, were immunized with Oil-H5N1(VN), Oil-H5N1(CN), Oil-H5N2(CN), and saline (control group), respectively. In Experiment 2, chickens (ISA Brown hybrid), muscovy ducks (French hybrid), and Vietnamese ducks (indigenous Vietnamese) were used to further assess the effect of SBG on immunogenicity of the Oil-H5N1(VN) Vietnamese vaccine. ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays were used to assess the antibody response. The H5 subtype vaccines initiated significantly higher immune responses in the animals dosed with SBG, with 1.0-1.5 $log_2$ higher HI titers and 10-20% ELISA seroconversion, compared with those not dosed with ${\beta}$-glucan. Notably, some of the animals dosed with SBG induced HI titers higher than 9.0 $log_2$ following boosting immunization. Taken together, our serial studies indicated that SBG is a potential effector, such as enhancing the immune response to the H5 vaccines tested.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3435-3442
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• 2015

Objective : To provide background information for strengthening cervical cancer prevention in the Pacific by mapping current human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening practices, as well as intent and barriers to the introduction and maintenance of national HPV vaccination programmes in the region. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey among ministry of health officials from 21 Pacific Island countries and territories (n=21). Results: Cervical cancer prevention was rated as highly important, but implementation of prevention programs were insufficient, with only two of 21 countries and territories having achieved coverage of cervical cancer screening above 40%. Ten of 21 countries and territories had included HPV vaccination in their immunization schedule, but only two countries reported coverage of HPV vaccination above 60% among the targeted population. Key barriers to the introduction and continuation of HPV vaccination were reported to be: (i) Lack of sustainable financing for HPV vaccine programs; (ii) Lack of visible government endorsement; (iii) Critical public perception of the value and safety of the HPV vaccine; and (iv) Lack of clear guidelines and policies for HPV vaccination. Conclusion: Current practices to prevent cervical cancer in the Pacific Region do not match the high burden of disease from cervical cancer. A regional approach, including reducing vaccine prices by bulk purchase of vaccine, technical support for implementation of prevention programs, operational research and advocacy could strengthen political momentum for cervical cancer prevention and avoid risking the lives of many women in the Pacific.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.696-703
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• 2008

Korea is now classified as an area of intermediate endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV), due to the implementation of universal HBV vaccination and national preventive programs for HBV infection. A national program of HBV vaccination was launched in Korea in 1988 for school-going children and was listed on a vaccination guideline in 1991. In 1995, universal vaccination for newborn infants was started for the prevention of perinatal HBV transmission. The prevalence of HBsAg among Korean middle school students has shown marked decreased from 3.2% in the late 1990s to 0.44% in 2007. HBsAg positivity in preschool children was 0.9% in 1995, decreased to 0.2% in 2007 by national prevention program of hepatitis B vertical transmission, launched in 2002. Vaccine failure rate of HBV immunoprophylaxis is 4.2% by this program. The infected children should be monitored per 6-12 months interval. Lamivudine and interferon are approved therapies for children with chronic hepatitis B in immune-clearance phase in Korea.