The results of project "RAS/6/018" have shown that the rate of HBsAg carriers among normal people was 10.6-15.1%. The rate of HBsAg among blood donors was 1.3%, lower 10 times than this of general population. Frequency of HBV infection, HBV and HIV infection was high among patients with chronic hepatitis. There were markers of HBsAg and HBeAg of transmission from mother to her children among chronic viral hepatitis B carriers due to the uncompleted immunological structure and function.
Hepatitis B ; Monitoring, Immunologic

No abstract available.
HIV* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lymphocytes* ; Monitoring, Immunologic*

Cytomegalovirus is the most common cause of life-threatening viral infection in HIV-infected patients. This study was done prospectively to investigate the incidence of CMV infection according to the decrease of CD4+ T cell count (CD4+) in Korean AIDS patients. Thirty-nine HIV-infected patients diagnosed before 1994 were followed for regular immunological monitoring. We have used urine shell vial method for the CMV detection from 1994 and have also checked clinical findings. Positive urine culture rate definitely depended on the CD4+ as follows; 45%, 22%, 17%, 11% and 0%, CD4+ >50, 50-100, 100-200, 200-500 and <500, respectively. Except culture positive 2 patients with CD4+ of 200~300/ul, all eight culture positive patients with CD4+ less than 200/ul showed CMV related diseases on or before urine culture. But, we could not get a positive culture for a late AIDS patient with vision loss. With ganciclovir therapy, all culture results were at least negative just after or on late of first 14 days-ganciclovir infusion-course. These data suggest that the incidence of CMV disease in Korean AIDS patients is very high, and early diagnosis and treatment for CMV diseases is required for the prevention of life threatening results.
Cell Count* ; Cytomegalovirus ; Early Diagnosis ; Ganciclovir ; Humans ; Incidence ; Monitoring, Immunologic ; Prospective Studies

Transplant biopsy has always been the gold standard for assessing the immune response to a kidney allograft (Chandraker A: Diagnostic techniques in the work-up of renal allograft dysfunction-an update. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 8:723-728, 1999). A biopsy is not without risk and is unable to predict rejection and is only diagnostic once rejection has already occurred. However, in the past two decades, we have seen an expansion in assays that can potentially put an end to the "drug level" era, which until now has been one of the few tools available to clinicians for monitoring the immune response. A better understanding of the mechanisms of rejection and tolerance, and technological advances has led to the development of new noninvasive methods to monitor the immune response. In this article, we discuss these new methods and their potential uses in renal transplant recipients.
Biopsy ; Kidney ; Monitoring, Immunologic ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Rejection (Psychology) ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Several lymphocytic populations, such as natural killer(NK) cells and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, are involved in immunosurveillance against tumors. Whereas the biological significance of the regional lymph node as a tumor barrier remains unclear, the clinical prognostic relevance of the neoplastic infiltration of these nodes is accepted. It appears that lymph node metastasis are more frequent in lung cancer than in other cancers because of impaired defensive mechanisms in the regional lymph nodes. However little is known about the immunologic function of regional lymph node lymphocytes in patients with lung cancer. Although there is general agreement that the NK and LAK activities of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) decreases in patients with various solid and leukemic tumors, this decrease remains unclear with regard to the NK and LAK activities of their regional lymph node mononuclear cells(LNMC). We performed this study to determine the NK and LAK acti vities of regional lymph node, and to compare with those of peripheral blood in patients with lung cancer. METHODS: We measured the NK and LAK activities of PBMC and LNMC that were extirpated at lung cancer operations in 17 patients with lung cancer by 4 hour 51Cr-release assay using K562, Raji cell and allogenous lung cancer cell line(NCIH1092) as a target cell. E:T ratio were 12.5:1, 25:1, and 50:1. RESULTS: 1. Recombinant interleukin-2 induced strong cytotoxic activities against various target cells in PBMC and LNMC. 2. In patients with lung cancer, NK and LAK activities against K562 and allogenous lung cancer cell line(NCIH 1092) were lower than those of PBMC. 3. Against Raji cell, NK activities were not signifi cantly different between PBMC and LNMC, but LAK activities were significantly lower than those of PBMC. 4. NK activities against K562, Raji, and NCIH1092 cell were not significantly different between in patients with early stage and advanced stage lung cancer. 5. LAK activities of PBMC and LNMC against K562, Raji, and NCIH1092 cell were significantly lower in pa tients with advanced stage than those in patients with early stage lung cancer. CONCLUSION: NK and LAK activities of LNMC in patients with lung cancer were lower than those of PBMC, but the cytotoxicity was markedly increased after culture with rIL-2.
Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphocytes ; Monitoring, Immunologic ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Vitamins are micronutrients which are essential for the maintenance of biological responses including immune system. Hence, vitamin deficiency increases a risk of infectious, allergic, and inflammatory diseases. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed the molecular and cellular mechanisms of vitamin-mediated regulation in the active and quiescent immune responses. In this review, we focus on the immunologic roles of vitamins in the regulation of homeostasis and surveillance in the gut.
Avitaminosis ; Energy Metabolism ; Homeostasis* ; Immune System ; Immunoglobulin A ; Inflammation ; Micronutrients ; Monitoring, Immunologic* ; Vitamins*

Although new immunosuppressive agents have greatly improved the post-transplantation survival, their adverse effects remain a major challenge. Appropriate assessment and monitoring the immune status in post-transplantation patients is therefore essential. This article summarizes the monitoring indicators and reviews recent advances in this field.
Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Monitoring, Immunologic ; Organ Transplantation ; Postoperative Care

Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Monitoring, Immunologic ; statistics & numerical data ; Vaccination ; statistics & numerical data

Detection of significant alloimmune response, which affects graft function and survival by effective immune monitoring, is critical for treatment decision making. However, there is no consensus regarding immune monitoring (IM) for kidney transplantation (flow KT) in Korea. The IM protocol may be affected by the level of immunological risk, the methods of desensitization and the availabilities of resources such as laboratory support and cost of tests. Questionnaire surveys designed to identify the current practices regarding immune monitoring of KT among transplant clinicians and clinical pathologists in Korea and eventually provide a basis for the establishment of harmonized immune monitoring guidelines in KT were administered as part of a Korean Society for Transplantation Sponsored Research Project. The survey results revealed significant variations in IM protocols and interpretation of tests affecting treatment decisions between institutes. Moreover, the results revealed a need to expand the histocompatibility tests into high resolution HLA typing in multiple loci and non-HLA antibody tests that facilitate the epitope analysis and eventually virtual crossmatching. The results of the questionnaire survey from clinical pathologists are addressing the urgent need for the standardization of interpretation and harmonization of results reporting in single antigen bead based HLA antibody identification. Finally, communication between clinicians and clinical pathologists to meet the clinical expectations regarding various immune monitoring tests is needed.
Academies and Institutes ; Consensus ; Decision Making ; Histocompatibility ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea* ; Monitoring, Immunologic* ; Transplants

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) continues to have a tremendous impact in solid organ transplantation despite remarkable advances in its diagnosis, prevention and treatment. It can affect allograft function and increase patient morbidity and mortality through a number of direct and indirect effects. Patients may develop asymptomatic viremia, CMV syndrome or tissue-invasive disease. Late-onset CMV disease continues to be a major problem in high-risk patients after completion of antiviral prophylaxis. Emerging data suggests that immunologic monitoring may be useful in predicting the risk of late onset CMV disease. There is now increasing interest in the development of an effective vaccine for prevention. Novel antiviral drugs with unique mechanisms of action and lesser toxicity are being developed. Viral load quantification is now undergoing standardization, and this will permit the generation of clinically relevant viral thresholds for the management of patients. This article provides a brief overview of the contemporary epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of CMV infection in solid organ transplant recipients.
Antiviral Agents ; Cytomegalovirus ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; Humans ; Monitoring, Immunologic ; Organ Transplantation ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants ; Viral Load ; Viremia