• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.111-115
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• 2007

Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) is a worldwide protozoan parasite causing a wide rage of intestinal disease in human, including asymptomatic cyst carriage, acute diarrhea, fulminant dysentery, and chronic nondysenteric colitis. Extraintestinal amebiasis such as hepatic abscess also occurs. Spread of the infection occurs due to consumption of food and water that is contaminated with the cyst. Amebiasis is rarely reported in the newborn period. We report a case of a 6-day-old female newborn with watery diarrhea that progressed to bloody mucoid diarrhea with persistent fever. The fresh stool microscopic examination disclosed E. histolytica trophozoites. She was born of spontaneous vaginal delivery at 41 weeks of gestation after premature rupture of membrane. She was given breast-feeding after birth, then entered postpartum care center. Her mother's stool microscopic examination showed negative result. Infection might have occurred from giving sweetened water following birth or contamination of the baby's bottles at the postpartum care center. She was treated with oral metronidazole for 24 days.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.413-418
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• 2011

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), a hepatic disorder that resembles liver cancer, is a highly aggressive and lethal zoonotic infection caused by the larval stage of the fox tapeworm, Echinococcus multilocularis. E. multilocularis is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere; the disease-endemic area stretches from north America through Europe to central and east Asia, including northern parts of Japan, but it has not been reported in Korea. Herein, we represent a first case of AE in Korea. A 41-year-old woman was found to have a large liver mass on routine medical examination. The excised mass showed multinodular, necrotic, and spongiform appearance with small irregular pseudocystic spaces. Microscopically, the mass was composed of chronic granulomatous inflammation with extensive coagulation necrosis and parasite-like structure, which was revealed as parasitic vesicles and laminated layer delineated by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain. Clinical and histologic features were consistent with AE. After 8 years, a new liver mass and multiple metastatic pulmonary nodules were found and the recurred mass showed similar histologic features to the initial mass. She had never visited endemic areas of AE, and thus the exact infection route is unclear.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.293-295
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and nitric oxide (NO) levels between normal and T. gondii-infected patients. To this end, MDA, GSH, and NO levels in the sera of 37 seropositive patients and 40 participants in the control group were evaluated. In Toxoplasma ELISA, IgG results of the patient group were $1,013.0{\pm}543.8$ in optical density (mean ${\pm}$ SD). A statistically significant difference was found between patients and the control group in terms of MDA, GSH, and NO levels. A decrease in GSH activity was detected, while MDA and NO levels increased significantly. Consequently, it is suggested that the use of antioxidant vitamins in addition to a parasite treatment shall prove useful. The high infection vs control ratio of MDA and NO levels probably suggests the occurrence as a mechanism of tissue damage in cases of chronic toxoplasmosis. Moreover, it is recommended that the patient levels of MDA, GSH, and NO should be evaluated in toxoplasmosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3391-3394
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• 2016

Background: Helicobacter pylori is now recognized as a causative factor of chronic gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcers, gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue lymphoma. Toll-like receptors are important bacterial receptors in gastric epithelial cell signaling transduction and play critical roles in gastric carcinogenesis. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy for investigation of chronic abdominal pain were genotyped for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TLR1 (rs4833095) using TagMan SNPs genotyping assay by real-time PCR hybridization. Relationships with susceptibility to H. pylori infection and pre-malignant gastric mucosa morphological patterns, classified by magnifying NBI endoscopy, were investigated. Results: The percentages of TLR1 rs4833095, CC homozygous, CT heterozygous and TT homozygous cases were 34, 46.5 and 19%, respectively. CC showed statistical differences between H. pylori positive and negative cases (P<0.001). CT and TT correlated with type 1 and type 2 gastric mucosal morphological patterns (P <0.01) whereas CC correlated with types 3 and 4 (P<0.01). Conclusions: This study demonstrated good correlation of TLR1 rs4833095 genotype with severity of inflammation in H. pylori infected gastric mucosa according to gastric mucosal morphologic patterns with magnifying NBI endoscopy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.sup1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2008

Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent of chronic gastritis and has a role in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer diseases, and gastric cancer. There have been reports suggesting a close link between these gastroduodenal disorders and a state of vitamin C deficiency. In this paper, the past, present and future perspectives on H. pylori infection and vitamin C will be discussed under the following view points. Since the ecological niche of H. pylori is the mucus layer and intercellular junctions of the gastric epithelium, the various kinds of host inflammatory cells motivated by the local and systemic immune responses cannot eliminate the microorganisms. When the invading foreign body is not removed, despite full activation of defense mechanisms, adverse consequences of the immune responses develop on the host gastric mucosa. The reasons for the body vitamin C depletion could be explained as follows; 1) the increased vitamin C consumption by increased oxygen free radical production through the prolonged hypersensitivity reactions in the gastric mucosa, 2) the increased vitamin C oxidation by the nitrite which is formed from nitrate reduction by the intragastric bacteria proliferated in the hypochlorhydric gastric cavity, 3) the strong ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase activity of H. pylori which depletes the glutathiones in gastric mucosa. Depletion of glutathiones in the stomach favors irreversible oxidative destruction of ascorbic acid. Both persistent inflammatory burdens in the stomach by H. pylori and resultant vitamin C depletions synergistically and uninhibitedly might aggravate the hypothetical sequence of gastric carcinogenesis: atrophic gastritis${\rightarrow}$intestinal metaplasia${\rightarrow}$dysplasia${\rightarrow}$gastric adenocarcinoma. High intake of vitamin C could reverse the hypothetical sequence of the gastric carcinogenesis via direct and indirect effects on H. pylori and host-parasite relationships.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.209-216
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• 2019

Objective : Hydatid cyst disease is caused by the parasite Echinococcus granulosus. It is rarely seen in the vertebral system, occurring at a rate of 0.2-1%. The aim of this study is to present 12 spinal hydatid cyst cases, and propose a new type of drainage of the cyst. Methods : Twelve cases of spinal hydatid cysts, surgical operations, multiple operations, chronic recurrences, and spinal hydatic cyst excision methods are discussed in the context of the literature. Patients are operated between 2005 and 2016. All the patients are kept under routine follow up. Patient demographic data and clinicopathologic characteristics are examined. Results : Six male and six female patients with a median age of 38.6 at the time of surgery were included in the study. Spinal cyst hydatid infection sites were one odontoid, one cervical, five thoracic, two lumbar, and three sacral. In all cases, surgery was performed, with the aim of total excision of the cyst, decompression of the spinal cord, and if necessary, stabilization of the spinal column. Mean follow up was 61.3 months (10-156). All the patients were prescribed Albendazole. Three patients had secondary hydatid cyst infection (one lung and two hepatic). Conclusion : The two-way drainage catheter placed inside a cyst provides post-operative chlorhexidine washing inside the cavity. Although a spinal hydatid cyst is a benign pathology and seen rarely, it is extremely difficult to achieve a real cure for patients with this disease. Treatment modalities should be aggressive and include total excision of cyst without rupture, decompression of spinal cord, flushing of the area with scolicidal drugs, and ensuring spinal stabilization. After the operation the patients should be kept under routine follow up. Radiological and clinical examinations are useful in spotting a recurrence.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.253-258
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of honey bee (Apis mellifera) disease in Daejeon. From May to September in 2014, 63 samples were collected from 63 apiculture farms in the regions and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted. A total of 11 infectious pathogens, including 6 virus, 2 bacteria, 2 fungi, and 1 parasite, were investigated in honeybee colonies suffering from symptom of sudden collapse, depopulation or paralysis. The infectious pathogens and infection rates among 63 honeybee colonies detected were as follows: sacbrood virus (12.7%), chronic bee paralysis virus (1.6%), stonebrood (11.1%), American foulbrood (19.0%), European foulbrood (6.3%), respectively. The result indicate that foul-brood was most prevalent disease in apiculture farms in Daejeon area.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2010

Fibroblasts are the most common cells in connective tissue and are responsible for the synthesis of extracellular matrix components. The fibrosis associated with chronic inflammation and injury may contribute to cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis, particularly through an increase in extracellular matrix components, which participate in the regulation of bile duct differentiation during development. Mitochondria produce ATP through oxidative metabolism to provide energy to the cell under physiological conditions. Also, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been implicated in cellular senescence and aging. Alternations in mitochondrial structure and function are early events of programmed cell death or apoptosis and mitochondria appear to be a central regulator of apoptosis in most somatic cell. Clonorchis sinensis, one of the most important parasite of the human bile duct in East Asia, arouses epithelial hyperplasia and ductal fibrosis. Isolated fibroblast from the bile ducts of rats infected by C. sinensis showed increase of cytoplasmic process. In addition, decrease of cellular proliferation was observed in fibroblasts which was isolated from normal rat bile duct and then cultured in media containing C. sinensis excretory-secretory product. However, the effects of C. sinensis infection on the mitochondrial enzyme distribution is not clearly reported yet. Therefore, we investigated the structural change of C. sinensis infected bile duct and mitochondrial enzyme distribution of the cultured fibroblast isolated from the C. sinensis infected rat bile duct. As a result, C. sinensis infected SD rat bile ducts showed the features of chronic clonorchiasis, such as ductal connective and epithelial tissue dilatation, or ductal fibrosis. In addition, fibroblast in ductal connective tissue was damaged by physical effect of fibrotic tissue and chemical stimulation. Immunohistochemically detected mitochondrial electron transferase (ATPase, COXII, Porin) was decreased in C. sinensis infected rat bile duct and cultured fibroblast from infected rat bile duct. It can be hypothesized that the reason why number of electron transferase decrease in fibroblast isolated from the rat bile duct infected with C. sinensis is because dysfunction of electron transport system is occurred mitochondrial dysfunction, increase of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and apoptosis after chemical damage on the cell caused by C. sinensis infection. Overall, C. sinensis infection induces fibrotic change of ductal connective tissue, mutation of cellular metabolism in fibroblast and mitochondrial dysfunction. Consequently, ductal fibrosis inhibits fibroblast proliferation and decreases mitochondrial electron transferase on fibroblast cytoplasm. It was assumed that the structure of bile duct could not normalized and ductal fibrosis was maintained for a long period of time according to fibroblast metamorphosis and death induced by mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2009

Clonorchis sinensis is the most important widely distributed parasite of the human bile duct in East Asia and the most prevalent parasitic helminth in Korea. The prevalence rate of human clonorchiasis has remained at about 2.9% in Korea. C. sinensis induces dilatation of the duct, hyperplasia of the mucosa, metaplasia or neoplasia of the mucosal epithelium, periductal inflammation and fibrosis, and thickening of the ductal wall. Fibroblast are the most common cells in connective tissue and are responsible for the synthesis of extracellular matrix components. The fibrosis associated with chronic inflammation and injury may also contribute to cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis, particularly through an increase in extracellular matrix components, which participate in the regulation of bile duct differentiation during development. In this study, ultrastructural changes, the distribution of lectin receptors and actin protein in cultured SD rat bile duct fibroblast after infection of C. sinensis were observed. Experimental group had been divided into four groups: normal bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media (G1); C. sinensis infected bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media (G2); normal bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media containing excretory-secretory product (ESP) (G1-1); C. sinensis infected bile duct fibroblast cultured in basal media containing ESP (G2-1). Overall, once a host is infected by C. sinensis, it affects the host to the extent that sialic acid of ductal fibroblast is increased. Number of cytoplasmic process of SD rat bile duct fibroblast was increased. Actin protein and sialic acid were located in cell surface. Fibroblast induced by C. sinensis was not recovered to normal fibroblast. The cytoplasm bulk and cytoplasmic process were increased whereas the growth rate of the fibroblast of infected SD rat was reduced rather than that of normal fibroblast. In result, it inhibits fibroblast proliferation and increases actin protein on fibroblast cytoplasm, and so causes fibroblast metamorphosis and cellular mutation.