• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2012

Objective: This study was performed to assess the prognostic value of serum hCG, progesterone, and inhibin A levels measured at 11 days post-ET for predicting pregnancy outcome in women participating in IVF. Methods: Between May 2005 and April 2008, sera were obtained from 70 infertile women who underwent IVF-ET at 11 days post-ET and stored. HCG, progesterone, and inhibin A levels were measured by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The predictive accuracy of hCG, progesterone, and inhibin A levels for establishment of intrauterine pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy was calculated by receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: For the prediction of intrauterine and ongoing pregnancy, serum hCG was better than progesterone and inhibin A. The predictive performance of progesterone and inhibin A was similar. The serum progesterone and inhibin A levels were significantly correlated each other (r=0.915, p=0.010). Conclusion: A single measurement of the serum hCG level is sufficient to predict pregnancy outcome in IVF-ET patients.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.278-283
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Due to its beneficial health effects, use of buckwheat has shown a continuous increase, and concerns regarding the allergic property of buckwheat have also increased. This study was conducted for evaluation of the hydrolytic effects of seven commercial proteases on buckwheat allergens and its allergenicity. MATERIALS/METHODS: Extracted buckwheat protein was hydrolyzed by seven proteolytic enzymes at individual optimum temperature and pH for four hours. Analysis was then performed using SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and competitive inhibition ELISA (ciELISA) with rabbit antiserum to buckwheat protein, and direct ELISA with pooled serum of 21 buckwheat-sensitive patients. RESULTS: Alkaline protease, classified as serine peptidase, was most effective in reducing allergenicity of buckwheat protein. It caused decomposition of the whole buckwheat protein, as shown on SDS-PAGE, and results of immunoblotting showed that the rabbit antiserum to buckwheat protein no longer recognized it as an antigen. Allergenicity showed a decrease of more than 50% when pooled serum of patients was used in ELISA. Two proteolytic enzymes from Aspergillus sp. could not hydrolyze buckwheat allergens effectively, and the allergenicity even appeared to increase. CONCLUSIONS: Serine-type peptidases appeared to show a relatively effective reduction of buckwheat allergenicity. However, the antigenicity measured using rabbit antiserum did not correspond to the allergenicity measured using sera from human patients. Production of less allergenic buckwheat protein may be possible using enzymatic hydrolysis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.275-279
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• 2009

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common protozoa parasites of human and other warm-blooded animals. Cats and wild felidae play crucial roles in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis. This study was performed to survey the prevalence of T. gondii infection among stray cats in the Seoul. A total of 422 stray cat blood samples were collected from Seoul area. Positive sera for T. gondii were identified in 56 samples (13.3%) exclusively via the latex agglutination test and the detection no antigen particles among seropositive samples by PCR. The overall infection rate of male stray cats (14.4%) presented as higher than that of female cats (10.7%). This study suggested that T. gondii is widespread in stray cats of Seoul area. It is needed to control urban stray cat population and to reduced the risk of zoonotic transmission of toxolasmosis to other animals and humans.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 1971

Since the report in 1946 on the first isolation of Japanese encephalitis virus in Korea, the disease is known to occur every year and has occasionally spread in epidemic proportion among human populations. Because of its public health importance, it was deemed highly desirable to gain specific information as to natural history of the disease in Korea if we are to accomplish our ultimate objective of controling the disease in Korea. There still remain, however, unknown factors as to the ecology of Japanese encephalitis virus in Korea. This paper presents the results of serologic study on Korean cattle, hog and horse by means of hemagglutination inhibition (H.I.) test. The serum specimens were collected from Korean cattle, hog and horse their estimated ages being 3 to 9 years, 6 to 24 months and 2 to 14 years respectively, by jugular puncture; in Seoul and Kyung-Ki are a from the first part of May to November last, 1968. The strain used was designated by M 5/596. The methods of H.I. test employed in this study were essentially simillar to those employed by Clark and Fred. The results obtained summarized as follows; 1. Of samples of cattle sera tested, 183 (98%) was found to be positive, H.I. antibodies showing the highest proportion, on September. The lowest proportion showed 81 (68%) of 117 samples, on June. 2. One hundred and ninety-five and 114 swine serum samples tested were all of positive in both on September and October respectively. The lowest proportion showed 92 (29%) of 314 on June too. 3. Ninety (99%) of 91 equine serum samples tested contained demonstrable H.I. antibodies the highest proportion, on August. The lowest proportion was 19 (27%) of 70 samples on June. 4. Implications of these findings in the ecology of Japanese encephalitis Seoul and Kyung-Ki area were discussed.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 2007

Background: Angiogenesis mediated by VEGF constitutes a new target for anti-cancer therapy which has explored through different ways of intervention aiming at the blocking of the tumoral angiogenesis. In the present study, we developed the assays by which efficacies of anti-VEGF inhibitor candidates are evaluated at the various levels. Methods & Results: First, we developed two sandwich ELISAs using coated anti-VEGF Ab and soluble Flt-1 receptor fusion protein (sFlt-1/Fc). As low as 200 pg/ml of hVEGF diluted in human sera was detectable by these assays. In addition, we found that VEGF inhibitors ($2{\mu}g/ml$ of either anti-VEGF Ab or sFlt-1/Fc) completely block 5 ng/ml VEGF in these ELISAs. Subsequently, two bioassays, wound healing and HUVEC tube formation assays, revealed that anti-VEGF Ab $(1{\mu}g/ml)$ & sFlt-1/Fc Ab $(1{\mu}g/ml)$, or SU5416 (VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, $1{\mu}M$) prevents the activity of VEGF $(1{\sim}10ng/ml)$. Finally, secretion of MMP-9 by VEGF-stimulated macrophages was abolished by treatment of anti-VEGF Ab $(1{\mu}g/ml)$ in gelatin zymography. Conclusion: ELISAs together with bioassays developed in this study are appropriate for evaluation of the efficacy of inhibitors of VEGF.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.276-283
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of CK files as an ultrasonic instrument, and to determine most efficient file size for smear layer removal. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six extracted human mandibular premolars with single, straight root canals and mature apices were mechanically prepared and randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (Control) underwent conventional needle irrigation, Group 2 (CKS) underwent passive ultrasonic irrigation with a #20 CK file, and Group 3 (CKL) underwent passive ultrasonic irrigation with a #30 CK file. After preparation and irrigation, all teeth were dried and split with a chisel to obtain the mesial and distal half of their roots. Each sample was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope, and data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney rank sum tests (p<0.05). Results: The CKS group showed less debris in the apical third than the other groups (p<0.05). In this section, no significant difference was observed among the other groups. And, there was no significant difference among any groups for the middle third section. Conclusion: This study showed that PUI with #20 CK file removed more smear layer compared to using #30 CK file at the apical third of the root canal.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.49-63
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• 2000

Aflatoxin $B_1(AFB_1)$ is a potent hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic mycotoxin in human beings. It is accumulated in animal tissues and injured cell through variable metabolic pathway. This study was conducted to determine the effect of antioxidant vitamins on liver function enzymes and hepatic damage of $AFB_1$ treated mice. The 6 weeks old male ICR mice were randomly separated 6 groups, vehicle solvent or vitamin C(10 mg/kg/day) and vitamin E(63.8 mg/kg/day) were administered by intraperitoneal(i.p.) injection and 1 hr later, vehicle solution(DMSO) or $AFB_1$(0.4 mg/kg) were injected. The results obtained as follow ; The levels of liver function enzymes such as GOT, GPT, LDH, and alkaline phosphatase, in sera of mice were remarkably elevated by treatment with $AFB_1$ only. However, those enzymes were significantly alleviated by co-treatment with antioxidant vitamins(p<0.01). Especially the levels of LDH and ALK phosphatase were similar to those of control groups(p<0.01). The transmission electron microscopy(TEM) image of intracellular microrganelles on the liver cell of mice was also degenerated extremely by treatment with $AFB_1$, but vitamin C and vitamin E gave good effects on cellular deformation. The intracellular microrganelles such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus and nucleic membrane were nearly disappeared the cellular deformation by antioxidant vitamins co-administration. With above results, we could estimated that antioxidant vitamins blocked AFB1 induced hepatic cell damage.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.503-510
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• 2013

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite with a broad host range of most warm-blooded mammals including humans, of which one-thirds of the human population has been infected worldwide which can cause congenital defects, abortion, and neonatal complications. Here, we developed a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for T. gondii infection. Antigenic N-terminal half of the major surface antigen (SAG1) was linked with intrinsically unstructured domain (IUD) of dense granule protein 2 (GRA2). The recombinant GST-GRA2-SAG1A protein was successfully expressed and purified as 51 kDa of molecular weight. Furthermore, antigenicity and solubility of the rGST-GRA2-SAG1A protein were significantly increased. The overall specificity and sensitivity of GST-GRA2-SAG1A loaded RDT (TgRDT) were estimated as 100% and 97.1% by comparing with ELISA result which uses T. gondii whole cell lysates as the antigen. The TgRDT tested with Uganda people sera for field trial and showed 31.9% of seroprevalence against T. gondii antibody. The TgRDT is proved to be a kit for rapid and easy to use with high accuracy, which would be a suitable serodiagnostic tool for toxoplasmosis.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.211-217
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• 1983

Genetic polymorphism of transferrin $(T_f)$ subtypes in Jeju population was studied by isoelectric focusing of human sera on polyacrylamide gels under high voltage, and haptolobin (Hp) polymorphism in Seoul and Jeju population was studied by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Among 946 normal samples, three common types of transferrin, $T_{f}C_{1}, T_{f}C_{1}-C_{2} and T_{f}C_{2}$ were observed with some variants migrating slower than $T_{f}C$ subtypes, while among 139 patient (hepatitis) samples, only three common types were found. The gene frequencies were calculated as follows; in normal population, $T_{f}C^{1}$ was 0.7220; $T_{f}C^{2}, 0.2743; T_{f}D^{Jeju}, 0.0037$, and in patient population, $T_{f}C^{1} was 0.7194; T_{f}C^{2}, 0.2806$ respectively. Among 460 samples in Seoul and 502 in Jeju population, three types of haptoglobin, Hp 1-1, Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2 were observed. The gene frequency of $Hp^1$ was 0.304, $Hp^2$, 0.696 in Seoul and in Jeju, $Hp^1$ was 0.269 and $Hp^2$, 0.731, respectively. The frequencies of the genes and the polymorphic phenotypes were discussed comparatively with the other populations.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 1977

1. The total 1,204 of human sera from January to December, 1976 of the out-patients in St. Mary's Hospital were tested one by one. The total 57.6% of the 1,204 cases were confirmed as a hemagglutination inhibition antibodies, and 58.18% out of 574 male cases and 57.14% of 630 female cases were confirmed to have antibodies, respectively. 2. The monthly distribution of hemagglutination inhibition antibody was shown to be 91.2% out of 34 cases in October, 1976 but other months it was low. 3. In the group whose age was from 51 to 60, it was 64.6% and this shows that the group was markedly higher than others.