• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.667-673
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• 2009

Purpose : Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is critical in the immune response to mycobacterial infections. The purpose of this study was to analyze TLR2 surface expressions and TLR2-mediated tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in patients with BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis. Methods : Peripheral monocytes were separated from 16 patients with BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis and 10 healthy controls using a magnet cell isolation kit. Monocytes ($1{\times}10^6$ cells/well) were incubated with a constant amount of $Pam_3CSK_4$ ($100{\mu}g/mL$) for 24 hours. TLR2 surface expression on monocytes was analyzed by FACS analysis and TLR-2 mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. TLR2-mediated $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 production were measured by ELISA. Results : In patients with BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis, low TLR2 expression on monocytes ($3.39{\pm}$1.2% versus $4.64{\pm}2.6%$) together with significantly lower TLR2 mRNA expression than in the healthy controls was seen after $Pam_3CSK_4$ stimulation. TLR2-mediated $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 production in patients with BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis ($TNF-{\alpha}$, $775.5{\pm}60.8pg/mL$; IL-6, $4,645.8{\pm}583.9pg/mL$) were also lesser than that in healthy controls ($TNF-{\alpha}$, $1,098.5{\pm}94.3pg/mL$; IL-6, $6,696.3{\pm}544.3pg/mL$). Conclusion : These findings suggest that low TLR2 expression on monocytes might be associated with increased susceptibility to BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.29 no.1 s.72
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• pp.73-81
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• 1999

Midpalatal suture expansion is often used for patients haying narrow maxillary arch, cleft palate, respiratory handicap with narrow nasal cavity. CGRP has been known as a modulator of pain transmission in central nervous system and a local effector to peripheral tissue causing vasodilation, increase of blood flow, modulation of immune system, regulation of macrophagic function and stimulation of bone formation. To investigate changes of CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers in midpalatal suture during the expansion, immunohistochemical study was performed by using rats. Experimental rats (10 weeks, 250 gm) were divided into five groups (control, 1, 4, 7, 14 days group (each n=4) and applied orthodontic force (approximately 200gm) to upper anterior incisors. Frozen sections of midpalatal suture area were immunostained by using rabbit antisera. The results were as follows. ${\cdot}$ The CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were hardly observed in control group. ${\cdot}$ In 1 day group, the CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were more increased around the vessels than control group. ${\cdot}$ In 4 days group, the CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were more increased than control group, but not more increased than 1 day group. Vascular diameter was more enlarged. ${\cdot}$ In 7 days group, especially, hematoxilin affinity of cells was remarkable and cells were arranged along the bone margin. The CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were more reduced than 4 days group and vascular diameter was also reduced. ${\cdot}$ In 14 days group, the CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were similar to those of 7 days group and the irregularity of bone margin was almost recoverd. In Conclusion, the CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers nay be related to initial neurogenic inflammatory reaction in expanding mid-palatal suture.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 1993

Background: The Microbicidal and cytotoxic activities of neutrophils are to a large extent dependent on a burst of oxidative metabolism which generates superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and other reactive products of oxygen. The respiratory burst of PMN is initiated by intracellular calcium mobilization that follows immune or particular stimulation and is very sensitive to modulation by c-AMP or adenosine. Despite its antagonism against adenosine, earlier study has demonstrated potent theophylline inhibition of the PMN respiratory burst at variable ranges of blood concentrations of theophylline in the healthy normal volunteers and in the septic animals pretreated or early post-treated with aminophylline (AMPH) or pentoxifylline. However it is unclear whether theophylline inhibits the superoxide generation or not in the established human sepsis caused by acute pneumonia, as taking into consideration of the fact that full activation of neutrophils have occurred within minutes after the septic insult in the animal experiments. Methods: We measured the $O_2$ generation of peripheral arterial neutrophils obtained from 11 human septic subjects caused by acute pneumonia before and 1 hour after completion of continuous AMPH infusion. Patients were identified and studied within 48 hour of admission. All subjects were administered an intravenous loading and maintenance dose of AMPH. The generation of $O_2$ was measured at a discrete time point (60 min) by the reduction of ferricytochrome c.PMA (10 ${\mu}g/ml$) was used as a stimulating agent. PMNs were isolated at a concentration of $2{\times}10^6$ cells/ml. The arterial oxygen tension, blood pressure and heart rates were also checked to evaluate the systemic effects of AMPH in the acute pneumonia. Results: The mean serum concentration of AMPH at 60 minutes was $8.8{\pm}0.6{\mu}g/ml$. Sixty minutes after AMPH infusion the generatition of $O_2$ was decreased from $0.076{\pm}0.034$ to $0.013{\pm}0.004$(OD) (p<0.05) and from $0.177{\pm}0.044$ to $0.095{\pm}0.042$(OD) (p<0.01) in the resting and stimulated PMNs respectively. $PaO_2$ was not changed after AMPH infusion. Conclusion: AMPH may compromise host defense by significant inhibition of neutrophil release of superoxide anion and it had no effect on improving $PaO_2$ in the acute pneumonia.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2015

Recently, much attention has been paid to the development of a value-added food category containing probiotics so as to improve human health and prevent diseases. Among various foods, the health benefits of milk and dairy products are known to humanity, and could be attributed to the bioactive components present in milk. In fermented milk products, the health benefits could be due to suitable modulation activities produced by the action of probiotic bacteria. Besides the modification of various milk components, probiotics might also act directly as preventive and therapeutic agents against some severe diseases. Probiotics promote health via their positive effects on the immune response, stimulation of natural immunity, and modulation of the production of antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and so on. Whey proteins, a byproduct of cheese production could also have anticarcinogenic, immunostimulatory, antimicrobial, and health-promoting activities such as improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fat deposition. Therefore, milk and dairy products containing probiotics could provide various opportunities in the field of functional foods. Additionally, these functional foods may be important in the human diet and may help improve human health and prevent diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 1996

In order to evaluate the significance of thyrotropin-binding inhibiting immunoglobulin (TBII) in the patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases, the authors investigated 402 cases of Graves' disease and 230 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis comparing 30 cases of normal healthy adult at Kyung Pook University Hospital from February 1993 to August 1994. The TBII was tested by radioimmunoassay and assesed on the dynamic change with the disease course, thyroid functional parameters, and other thyroid autoantibodies : antithyroglobulin antibody (ATAb) and antimicrosomal antibody (AMAb) including thyroglobulin. The serum level of TBII was $40.82{\pm}21.651(mean{\pm}SD)%$ in hyperthyroid Graves' disease and $8.89{\pm}14.522%$ in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and both were significant different from normal control of which was $3.21{\pm}2.571%$. The frequency of abnormally increased TBII level was 92.2% in hyperthyroid Graves' disease, 46.7% in euthyroid Graves' disease or remission state of hyperthyroidism, and 23.9% in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The serum levels of increased TBII in Graves' disease were positively correlated with RAIU, serum T3, T4, and FT4, but negatively correlated with serum TSH(each P<0.001). The TBII in Graves' disease had significant positive correlation with serum thyroglobulin and AMAb, but no significant correlation with ATAb. In the Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the serum levels of TBII were positively correlated with RAIU, serum T3, TSH and AMAb, but not significantly correlated with serum T4, FT4, thyroglobulin and ATAb. Therefore serum level of TBII seemed to be a useful mean of assessing the degree of hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease and correlated well with thyroidal stimulation. The serum level of TBII in Hashimoto's thyroiditis is meaningful for the degree of both functional abnormality reflecting either hyperfunction or hypofunction and the immune logic abnormality.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.904-910
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• 2006

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the only antigen presenting cells (APCs) capable of initiating immune responses, which is crucial for priming the specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response and tumor immunity. Upon activation by DCs, CD4+ helper T cells can cross-prime CD8+ CTLs via IL-12. However, recently activated DCs were described to prime in vitro strong T helper cell type 1 $(Th_1)$ responses, whereas at later time points, they preferentially prime $Th_2$ cells. Therfore, we examined in this study the optimum kinetic state of DCs activation impacted on in vivo priming of tumor-specific CTLs by using ovalbumin (OVA) tumor antigen model. Bone-marrow-derived DCs showed an appropriate expression of surface MHC and costimulatory molecules after 6 or 7-day differentiation. The 6-day differentiated DCs pulsed with OVA antigen for 8 h (8-h DC) and followed by restimulation with LPS for 24 h maintained high interleukin (IL)-12 production potential, accompanying the decreased level in their secretion by delayed re-exposure time to LPS. Furthermore, immunization with 8-h DC induced higher intracellular $interferon(IFN)-{\gamma}+/CD8+T$ cells and elicited more powerful cytotoxicity of splenocytes to EG7 cells, a clone of EL4 cells transfected with an OVA cDNA, than immunization with 24-h DC. In the animal study for the evaluation of therapeutic or protective antitumor immunity, immunization with 8-h DC induced an effective antitumor immunity against tumor of EG7 cells and completely protected mice from tumor formation and prolonged survival, respectively. The most commonly used and clinically applied DC-based vaccine is based on in vitro antigen loading for 24 h. However, our data indicated that antigen stimulation over 8 h decreased antitumor immunity with functional exhaustion of DCs, and that the 8-h DC would be an optimum activation state impacted on in vivo priming of tumor-specific CTLs and subsequently lead to induction of strong antitumor immunity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2001

Background : Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is a fibrotic lung disease resulting from chronic inhalation of coal dust. The precise mechanism of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis is uncertain. However, a relationship between the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production by mediators released from in flammatory and resident lung cells is thought to be a major factor. The transforming growth factor-$\beta$(TGF-$\beta$), a multifunctional cytokine and growth factor, plays a key role in the scarring and fibrotic processes due to its ability to induce extracellular matrix proteins and modulate the growth and immune function of many cell types. To determine the involvement of TGF-$\beta$ in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, the TGF-${\beta}_1$ level in plasma was measured in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Methods : Plasma was collected from 40 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (20 with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and 20 with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis) and from 10 normal controls. The ELISA method was used to measure the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ concentration. Results : Compared to the control group ($0.63{\pm}01.8$ ng/mL), there was no significant difference in the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ level in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis ($0.64{\pm}0.17$ ng/mL) (p>0.05). However, in patients with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ level ($0.79{\pm}0.18$ ng/mL) was significantly higher than in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion : The data suggests that TGF-${\beta}_1$ has some influence in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2003

The biological activities on human immune and cancer cell lines of the four kinds of Korean mistletoes (Korean Viscum album, var. coloratum, : Korean Viscum sp. in Quercus acutissima Carr., Korean Viscum sp. in Castanea crenata, Korean Viscum sp. in Betula platyphylla, and Korean Viscum sp. in Salix koreensis) extracts were investigated. The extracts were preparated with ethanol, and fractionated with n-butanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane, and second distilled water. Cytotoxic potencies of the fractions on human normal lung cell line (HEL 299) showed under 28% in the concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. Growth inhibition effect of the Korean mistletoe extracts on the several human cancer cell lines depends on the concentration of the extracts, and extracting solvent. The hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions indicated a strong anticancer activity, but not in aqueous and butanol fractions. Some mistletoe fractions have a different characteristic on the cancer cell lines. Stimulation on the growth of human immuno cell lines(B cell : Raji, T cell: Jurkat) of the extracts were confirmed in the ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane fractions, but not in aqueous system.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1470-1475
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• 1998

Two kinds of Korean rice-wine (Yakju) with different process and ingredients, and Japanese rice-wine (Sake) were chosen for this study, and throughly dried and solubilized in water or cell culture medium. In vitro cytotoxicity assays of the solubilized wine solids exhibited that maximum dilution factors for inhibition of B 16BL6 mouse melanoma cell growth were 16X for herbal medicine-added rice-wine (Korean rice-wine I) and typical Korean rice-wine (Korean rice-wine II), and 8X for Japanese rice-wine. Their cytotoxic effects on HRT18 human colon adenocarcinoma cells were even lower than those on B16BL6 cells. The morphology of the tumor cells were changed by addition of the solubilized wine solids. Inhibitory effect of the rice-wine on in vivo tumor growth and metastasis were monitored after implantation of B16BL6 cells into C57BL/6 mice with daily feeding the solubilized wine solids. Compared to non-fed control groups, B16BL6 tumor growth and metastasis to lung were clearly inhibited by feeding the wine solids, in order of Korean rice-wine I > Korean rice-wine II > Japanese rice-wine. The data of in vitro cytotoxicity and the cell shape changes indicate that the inhibitory effect of tumor progression may be attributed to tumor cell differentiation or immune stimulation induced by certain components in the rice-wine, rather than direct cytotoxicity of the components.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.104-108
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• 2006

Water extracts of Jehotang were evaluated for their growth-promoting effects on Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus sp., L. acidophilus, and Clostridium perfringens. Addition of Jehotang water extract to modified EG media at 0.1 mg/mL increased growths of B. longum, Lactobacillus sp., and L. acidophilus, with 1.8-fold increase in growth of L. acidophilus compared to that of control. Studies on these strains by agar diffusion method showed Lactobacillus sp. and L. acidophilus were activated by addition of Jehotang extract at 10 mg/disc. Proliferation responses of mice splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells to ConA by LPS-stimulation at 500 mg/kg B.W./day Jehotang extract were investigated in vitro. Upon treatment of 1 mg/mL Jehotang water extract to mice, proliferations of splenocytes and Peyer's patch cells increased 1.4- and 1.6-fold compared to control, respectively. In mice administered Jehotang extract, production of intestinal secretory IgA (sIgA) increased 2.4-fold compared to control. These results indicate water extract of Jehotang stimulated intestinal immune system of mice. In mice treated with Jehotang extract, production of lymphocytes was 4% lower, whereas those of granulocytes and platelets were 4% and slightly higher than control, respectively.