No abstract available.
Physiology* ; Prognosis* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiratory Insufficiency*

BACKGROUND: It is well known that when macrophages are stimulated with endotoxin, they produce a wide variety of cytokine mediators, including TNF-α and IL-1β. However, there is an alterationnin the macrophages responsiveness when they are challenged with repeated bouts of endotoxin, termed 'endotoxin tolerance' which is regarded as a self-protective phenomenon from continuous stimulation. In this study, endotoxin tolerance in the peripheral blood monocytes of sepsis patients was evaluated. METHODS: Fourteen patients with organism-documented sepsis were included. The severity of illness was evaluated by APACHE IIscore. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from the patients and diluted to 1×105/well. After stimulation with endotoxin(LPS of E. coli O114:B4, 100 ng/ml), they were incubated at 37℃ in 5% CO2 incubator for 24 hours. Supernatant was collected for the measurement of TNF-αand IL-1β with ELISA method. Peripheral blood monocytes of seven healthy volunteers were used as control. RESULTS: The APACHE IIscore(mean±SD) of the patients at the time of blood sampling was 12.2±5.7. The primary infection foci were urinary tract infection, pneumonia, subacute bacterial endocarditis, and catheter related infection, etc. The causative organisms were gram negative rods(10 cases), gram positive cocci(6 cases) with two cases of mixed infection. Serum TNF-α could be measured in 4 cases with 29.9±27.7 pg/ml. Serum IL-1β was measureable in only one patient. The TNF-α level of supernatant of cultured peripheral blood monocytes was 2,703±2,066 pg/ml in patients and 2,102±1,914 pg/ml in controls. The IL-1β level of supernatant was 884±1,050 pg/ml in patients and 575±558 pg/ml in controls. There was no difference of TNF-α and IL-1β level between patients and controls. CONCLUSION: We cannot prove the phenomenon of endotoxin tolerance in this study. Future study needs to be focused on the more severe sepsis patients who were taken for sampling earlier. Addition of serum to the culture medium could be an another valuable option for the success of this study.
APACHE ; Catheters ; Coinfection ; Endocarditis, Subacute Bacterial ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Incubators ; Macrophages ; Monocytes ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Urinary Tract Infections

Over the past several decades, entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) have remained the first-line antiviral agents in several international guidelines. These two antiviral agents have shown similar short to intermediateterm efficacy, including virologic, biochemical, serologic, and histologic responses. However, huge controversies regarding the antiviral efficacy of ETV and TDF in preventing the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still exist. In this review, we summarized recent studies that compared the treatment efficacy of ETV and TDF in terms of HCC development.

Over the past several decades, entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) have remained the first-line antiviral agents in several international guidelines. These two antiviral agents have shown similar short to intermediateterm efficacy, including virologic, biochemical, serologic, and histologic responses. However, huge controversies regarding the antiviral efficacy of ETV and TDF in preventing the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still exist. In this review, we summarized recent studies that compared the treatment efficacy of ETV and TDF in terms of HCC development.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial tuberculosis is one of the serious complications of pulmonary tuberculosis. Without early diagnosis and proper treatment of endobronchial tuberculosis, bronchostenosis can leave and lead to the collapse of distal lung parenchyme, bronchiectasis, and secondary pneumonia accompanied with moderate to severe dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, and localized wheezing. Therefore steroid therapy has been tried to prevent bronchostenosis. But the effect of steroid therapy on the endobronchial tuberculosis is not definite at present. We tried to elucidate the effect of steroid on the treatment of endobronchial tuberculosis for prevention of bronchoste- nosis. METHODS: We observed the initial and sequential bronchoscopic findings, pulmonary function tests and simple chest roentgenograms in 58 patients diagnosed as endobronchial tuberculosis and admitted to Chung-Ang university hospital from 1988 to 1992. The patients in nonsteroid group (n=39) were treated with anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy only and steroid group(n=17) with combined steroid therapy. Sequential bronchoscopic findings, pulmonary function tests, and chest roentgenograms were comparatively analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: 1) The endobronchial tuberculosis was highly prevalent in young females especially in third decade. 2) Both actively caseating type and the stenotic type without fibrosis was the most common in the bronchoscopic classification. 3) The sequential bronchoscopic findings in steroid group 2 months after treatment showed no significant improvements compared with nonsteroid group. 4) There was no significant difference between the two groups in the sequential bronchoscopic improvements according to bronchoscopic types. 5) We did not find any significant difference in improvements on follow-up pulmonary function tests and simple chest roentgenograms between the two groups 2 month after treatment. 6) There was no significant adverse effect of steroid during the treatment. CONCLUSION: Combined steroid therapy provably would not influence outcome of the treatment of endobronchial tuberculosis.
Bronchiectasis ; Classification ; Cough ; Drug Therapy ; Dyspnea ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Pneumonia ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Aneurysm, False* ; Portal Vein*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Ingestion and inhalation of buckwheat flour can induce IgE-mediated bronchoconstriction and anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals, especially in childhood. The aim of this study was to determine the sensitization rate of buckwheat allergen, measure the level of specific IgE to buckwheat, and identify IgE-binding components in adult patients with various allergic diseases. METHODS: 1,738 allergy patients and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. Skin prick tests were performed using homemade buckwheat extract. The specific IgE level to homemade buckwheat allergen was measured by ELISA, and results were compared to those of the CAP system. ELISA inhibition tests were done to evaluate allergenic relationships with major food allergens and IgE binding components were identified using IgE immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,738 patients tested, 60 patients (3.5%) showed more than a 2+ response on skin prick tests to buckwheat. The prevalence of serum specific IgE to buckwheat ranged from 24% in patients with a 2+ response to buckwheat skin prick test, to 50% in patients with a 4+ response. The mean absorbance value increased with skin reactivity although it was not statistically significant. However, CAP results were significantly correlated with skin reactivity (p<0.05). A significant correlation was noted between (the) results by homemade ELISA and CAP. IgE immunoblot demonstrated 20 IgE binding components ranging from 20 to 114 kDa, and 10 components were bound to IgE in more than 50% of the patients tested. CONCLUSION: Natural buckwheat allergens should be considered as one of the causative food allergens in exposed adults. Specific IgE results by homemade ELISA were comparable with those of CAP system. Twenty IgE binding components and 10 major allergens were noted within natural buckwheat allergen. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the allergenic relationships with other food allergens.
Adult* ; Allergens ; Anaphylaxis ; Bronchoconstriction ; Eating ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Fagopyrum* ; Flour ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Inhalation ; Prevalence ; Skin

Despite global efforts to control porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection, the virus continues to cause economic problems in the swine industry worldwide. In this study, we attempted to generate and characterize a panel of stable BHK cell lines that constitutively express the nucleocapsid (N) protein of type 1 or type 2 PRRSV. The established BHK cell lines were found to react well with N-specific antibodies as well as the hyperimmune serum of pigs raised against each genotype of PRRSV. Taken together, the data implicate a potential usefulness for the newly generated stable cell lines as a diagnostic reagent for PRRSV serology.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral/analysis/immunology ; Blotting, Western/veterinary ; Cell Line ; Cricetinae ; Female ; Genotype ; Nucleocapsid Proteins/genetics/*immunology ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome/diagnosis/*immunology ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus/genetics/*immunology ; Swine ; Transfection/veterinary

BACKGROUND: Shrimp is one of the major causative crustacean food allergen. An investigation has been reported that tropomyosin belonged to muscle protein is a major allergen within shrimp. But there have been a few investigations on shrimp allergen in Korea. The aim of this study is to evaluate skin reactivity and specific IgE sensitization to Metapenaeus joyneri which is one of the major shrimp in this country, and to identitify IgE binding components and evaluate allergenic relationship with other species. METHODS: We performed skin prick test with M. joyneri extract in 1,738 patients. ELISA was performed for detection of serum specific IgE antibody. To evaluate the cross allergenecity between M. joyneri and other crustaceans (crab, lobster, crayfish), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt), triton shell, abalone and buckwheat. ELISA inhibition tests were performed with each four patient's sera showing high specific IgE antibody. To identify IgE binding components, SDS-PAGE followed by IgE-Immunoblot were applied. RESULTS: 211 patients (12.2%) showed positive responses (A/H >or=2+) on skin prick test. Serum specific IgE antibodies were detected in 61 patients (37.2%) of 164 sensitzed patients. ELISA inhibition test using four patient's sera showed significant inhibitions by M. joyneri. and other crustaceans including lobster, crab and crayfish, partial inhibitions were noted by Dpt, triton shell, buckwheat and abalone. SDS-PAGE and IgE-imunoblot with patients' individual sera sensitized to M. joyneri showed 12 IgE binding components (31, 32, 38-44, 57, 70, 81 kDa) and two (31, 32 kDa) were bound to IgE in more than 50% of sera tested. Five (43, 44, 57, 70 and 81 kDa) were bound to IgE in more than 25% of sera tested. CONCLUSION: Specific IgE was detected in 37.2% of allergy patients sensitized to M. joyneri. Twelve IgE binding components and two (31, 32 kDa) major allergens were indentified. Cross allergenecity was noted with other crustaceans.
Allergens ; Antibodies ; Astacoidea ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fagopyrum ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Korea ; Muscle Proteins ; Neptune ; Penaeidae ; Skin ; Tropomyosin

PURPOSE: Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, an inducible enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, is believed to be an important enzyme related to colorectal cancer. A large number of studies have supported the concept that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) targeting COX alter the biologic processes of colon carcinogenesis. Although COX-2 inhibitors generally reduce the growth rate of established tumors, tumor regression is rarely observed. Hence, it is reasonable that COX-2 inhibitors be given in conjunction with standard anti-cancer therapy in treating cancer. We investigated whether aspirin and meloxicam not only are cytotoxic but also potentiate the antitumor effect of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) against colon cancer cells. METHODS: Expressions of COX-1 and COX-2 were determined by using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) & Western blotting assay in 9 colon cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicities of NSAIDs and/or 5-FU were determined by using a microculture tetrazolium dye (MTT) assay. RESULTS: COX-1 mRNA and protein, as well as COX-2 mRNA, were variably expressed in all the cell lines tested whereas COX-2 protein was expressed in HT-29 and to a lesser extent in HCT-8, but not in the other cell lines. We selected two representative cell lines, HT-29 expressing COX-2 protein and SNU-C1 not expressing it. The dose-dependent cytotoxicity was observed in both cell lines treated with aspirin and with meloxicam. A combination treatment of aspirin or meloxicam with 5-FU revealed some additive effect, rather than a synergistic effect, for both cells lines. This additive effect was remarkable even for low concentrations of the drugs. Furthermore, the additive effect was highest when the combination was adminstered sequentially, 5-FU followed by aspirin or meloxicam, in both cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a combination therapy using NSAIDs and 5-FU might be useful in the treatment of colon cancer cells not expressing COX-2, as well as in colon cancer cells expressing COX-2.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal* ; Arachidonic Acid ; Aspirin ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Line ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Fluorouracil* ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Prostaglandins ; RNA, Messenger