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Biomedical subjects

K Jung

Publications and source records attributed to K Jung.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Isolation and phylogenetic analysis of H1N1 swine influenza virus isolated in Korea.

A swine influenza H1N1 virus was isolated from a pig during a severe outbreak of respiratory disease in Korea. All genes of the H1N1 isolate, including hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), matrix (M), nucleoprotein (NP), non-structural (NS), PA, PB1 and PB2, were of swine origin. Also, all these genes showed a close phylogenic relationship with those of H1N1 viruses previously isolated from pigs in the United States. These results suggest that North American swine influenza virus has actually been transmitted to pigs in Korea.

Animals↗

Decreased activity of brush border membrane-bound digestive enzymes in small intestines from pigs experimentally infected with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.

Brush border membrane-bound digestive enzymes such as disaccharidases (lactase, sucrase, and maltase), leucine aminopeptidase N, and alkaline phosphatase were measured in jejunum from pigs experimentally infected with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Three piglets from the infected and control groups were euthanized by electrocution and subjected to necropsy at 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours post-inoculation (hpi). The infection of PEDV to jejunum resulted in significant decreases in brush border membrane-bound digestive enzymes such as disaccharidases (lactase, sucrase, and maltase), leucine aminopeptidase N, and alkaline phosphatase. PEDV replication results in massive destruction of villous enterocytes leading to a marked reduction of intestinal epithelial surface and brush border membrane-bound digestive enzyme activity. Reduced enzymatic activity and villous atrophy in the small intestine is thought to result in a maldigestive and malabsorptive diarrhea.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Tacrolimus ointment vs steroid ointment for eyelid dermatitis in patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis.

AIMS: The main objective of this explorative study was to evaluate if tacrolimus ointment could be safer than corticosteroid ointment, with special reference to the intraocular pressure in the treatment of eyelid eczema in patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC). Secondary aims were to compare the effects of the treatments on eyelid eczema and their potential impact on ocular surface inflammation. METHODS: Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment and clobetasone butyrate 0.05% ointment were compared in a double-masked explorative crossover study. In total, 25 AKC patients were included. Each ointment was applied twice daily for 3 weeks, with 2 weeks of washout before, between, and after treatments. Efficacy was determined by eye examination and the patients' own symptom scoring. Cytology and cytokine measurements were performed on tear samples. Safety parameters were intraocular pressure, presence of bacteria and fungi, and the patients' reports of adverse events. The validity of the crossover design was explored with analysis of variance, and the effect of each medication was calculated with paired t-test and Wilcoxon paired test. RESULTS: A total of 20 patients completed the study. Both treatments were effective in reducing signs and symptoms of eyelid eczema, with a near superior benefit for tacrolimus in terms of eczema (total skin score) signs (P=0.05). No serious adverse events occurred and interestingly, intraocular pressure was not evidently affected by either treatment. CONCLUSION: Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment is a promising alternative therapy for eyelid eczema in AKC patients. Long-term studies are needed to further determine the value of tacrolimus in this patient group.

Adolescent↗

Prevalence and genotyping of hepatitis E virus in swine population in Korea between 1995 and 2004: a retrospective study.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections have been reported in pigs throughout the world but have only recently been recorded in Korean pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HEV was present in archived porcine hepatic tissues collected between 1995 and 2004 using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry and, if so, to determine the genotype of the isolates. Swine HEV was identified in the liver tissue of 42 pigs of 388 submissions (four pigs every year on average). The isolates showed genetic homology with swine and human HEV isolates identified in the United States and Japan (92.5-97%) and phylogenetic tree analysis indicated they belonged to genotype III. The study indicates that HEV is not a newly emerging virus in Korean pigs, but a pathogen that has existed in the country since at least 1995.

Animals↗

Measurements of UV-generated free radicals/reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin.

Free radicals/reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in skin by UV irradiation were measured by electron spin resonance (ESR). To increase the sensitivity of measurement the short life free radicals/ROS were scavenged and accumulated by using the nitroxyl probe 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetrametylpyrrolidine-1-oxyl (PCA). The spatial distribution of free radicals/ROS measured in pig skin biopsies with ESR imaging after UV irradiation corresponds to the intensity decay of irradiance in the depth of the skin. The main part of free radicals/ROS were generated by UVA (320-400 nm) so that the spatial distribution of free radicals reaches up to the lower side of the dermis. In vivo measurements on human skin were performed with a L-band ESR spectrometer and a surface coil integrating the signal intensities from all skin layers to get a sufficient signal amplitude. Using this experimental arrangement the protection of UVB and UVA/B filter against the generation of free radicals/ROS in skin were measured. The protection against ROS and the repair of damages caused by them can be realized with active antioxidants characterized by a high antioxidative power (AP). The effect of UV filter and antioxidants corresponding to their protection against free radicals/ROS in skin generated by UVAB irradiation can be quantified by the new radical sun protection factor (RSF). The RSF indicates the increase of time for staying in the sun to generate the same number of free radicals/ROS in the skin like for the unprotected skin. Regarding the amount of generated free radicals/ROS in skin as an biophysical endpoint the RSF characterizes both the protection against UVB and UVA radiation.

Animals↗

Expression of human Kallikrein 14 (KLK14) in breast cancer is associated with higher tumour grades and positive nodal status.

Human kallikrein 14 (KLK14) is a steroid hormone-regulated member of the tissue kallikrein family of serine proteases, for which a prognostic and diagnostic value in breast cancer has been suggested. To further characterise the value of KLK14 as a breast tumour marker, we have carefully analysed KLK14 expression in normal breast tissue and breast cancer both on the RNA level by real-time RT-PCR (n = 39), and on the protein level (n = 127) using a KLK14-specific antibody for immunohistochemistry. We correlated KLK14 protein expression data with available clinico-pathological parameters (mean follow-up time was 55 months) including patient prognosis. KLK14 RNA expression as quantified by real-time RT-PCR was significantly more abundant in breast tumours compared to normal breast tissue (P = 0.027), an issue that had not been clarified recently. Concordantly with the RNA data, cytoplasmic KLK14 protein expression was significantly higher in invasive breast carcinomas compared to normal breast tissues (P = 0.003). Furthermore, KLK14 protein expression was associated with higher tumour grade (P = 0.041) and positive nodal status (P = 0.045) but was not significantly associated with shortened disease-free or overall patient survival time in univariate analyses. We conclude that KLK14 is clearly overexpressed in breast cancer in comparison to normal breast tissues and is positively associated with conventional parameters of tumour aggressiveness, but due to a missing association with survival times, the use of KLK14 immunohistochemistry as a prognostic marker in breast cancer is questionable.

Adult↗

The effects of transplacental porcine circovirus type 2 infection on porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus-induced enteritis in preweaning piglets.

The effects of transplacental porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection on porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV)-induced enteritis were examined in neonatal piglets. Six pregnant sows were randomly allocated to an infected (n=3) or control group (n=3). Three pregnant sows were inoculated intranasally with 6 mL of tissue culture fluid containing 1.2 x 10(5) tissue culture infective doses 50% (TCID(50))/mL of PCV2 strain SNUVR000470 three weeks before the expected farrowing date. Three control pregnant sows were similarly exposed to uninfected cell culture supernatants. Thirty piglets from PCV2-infected sows were randomly assigned to two groups (A and B) of 15 piglets each. Another 30 piglets from noninfected sows were randomly assigned to two groups (C and D) of 15 piglets each. The piglets in groups A and C were dosed orally at three days of age with 2mL of virus stock (1 x 10(6.5) TCID(50)/mL) of the PEDV strain, SNUVR971496, at the third passage. The mean villous height and crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio in PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2-infected sows (group A) were significantly different from those of the PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2 negative sows (group C) at 36, 48, and 72 h post-inoculation (hpi) (P<0.05). In PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2-infected sows (group A), significantly more PEDV nucleic acid was detected in the jejunal tissues (P<0.05) at 24 hpi than in the same tissues of the PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2 negative sows (group C). Thereafter, at 36, 48, 60, and 70 hpi significantly more PEDV nucleic acid (P<0.05) was detected in the jejunal tissues of the PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2 negative sows (group C) than those of the PEDV-infected piglets from the PCV2-infected sows (group A). It is concluded that the clinical course of PEDV disease was markedly affected by transplacental infection of PCV2.

Animals↗

Loss of the tissue-specific proapoptotic BH3-only protein Nbk/Bik is a unifying feature of renal cell carcinoma.

We report for the first time inactivation of a tissue-specific Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only protein as a common aspect in human cancer. In detail, we show that loss of the BH3-only protein natural born killer (Nbk)/Bcl-2-interacting killer (Bik) is a common feature of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). While strong Nbk expression is found in the renal tubuli and the epithelial lining of the glomerula, a consistent loss of Nbk expression was observed in primary RCC tissue and RCC cell lines. Mutation of Nbk is, however, rare, whereas deletion of the Nbk gene at 22q13.2 is frequent. In addition to loss of heterozygosity (LOH), DNA methylation mediates transcriptional silencing of the Nbk gene. The conditional restoration of Nbk/Bik expression led to apoptotic death of RCC but not of nonmalignant renal epithelia. A broader expression analysis of RCC cell lines for BH3-only proteins revealed that loss of Nbk coincides with failure to express Bim, whereas Puma, Bid and BNIP3 are readily detectable and, in case of Puma, inducible by p53. These data delineate a role for defects in BH3-only proteins as tumor suppressors in RCC and may explain at the same time the impressive clinical apoptosis resistance of RCC.

Adult↗

Expression of Mx protein and interferon-alpha in pigs experimentally infected with swine influenza virus.

Expression of Mx protein and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) was examined by immunohistochemistry in pigs experimentally infected with swine influenza virus. In infected pigs euthanatized at 1 day postinoculation (dpi), the lumen of bronchioles were filled with large numbers of mononuclear cells, small numbers of neutrophils, sloughing epithelial cells, and proteinaceous fluid. Lesions at 3 and 5 dpi were similar but less severe. Alveolar spaces were filled with neutrophils. By 7 and 10 dpi, microscopic lesions were resolved. The immunohistochemical signals for Mx protein and IFN-alpha antigen were confined to cells in areas that had hybridization signal for swine influenza virus. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry of serial sections of lung indicated that areas containing numerous swine influenza virus RNA-positive cells also have numerous Mx and IFN-alpha antigen-positive cells. Mean immunohistochemical scores for Mx protein-positive cells were correlated with mean immunohistochemical scores for IFN-alpha antigen-positive cells (r(s) = 0.8799, P < 0.05). These results indicated that Mx protein and IFN-alpha antigen were expressed in the lung from pigs experimentally infected with swine influenza virus, but their biological functions remain to be examined.

Animals↗

Expression of inflammatory cytokines in pigs experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

The expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-6 were studied over a period of 35 days in the lungs of pigs experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), morphometric analysis and in-situ hybridization. Fifteen colostrum-deprived pigs aged 14 days were inoculated intranasally with M. hyopneumoniae. IL-1, TNF-alpha and IL-6 were detected by RT-PCR in the lungs of the infected pigs from 7 days post-inoculation (dpi) onwards, but not in the uninfected control pigs. Concurrent expression of all three cytokines was always observed, in association with lung lesions. Inflammatory cytokine-positive cells were detected in the lungs at 7 dpi, their number increasing at 21dpi, and decreasing thereafter. The results suggest that such cytokines play a role in mediating and regulating inflammation in M. hyopneumoniae infection.

Animals↗

Development of in-situ hybridization for the detection of Mycoplasma haemosuis (Eperythrozoon suis) in formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissues from experimentally infected splenectomized pigs.

Mycoplasma haemosuis DNA was detected in experimentally infected splenectomized pigs by in-situ hybridization (ISH) with a nonradioactive digoxigenin-labelled DNA probe. An 839 base pair DNA probe targeting a 16S rRNA gene was generated by the polymerase chain reaction. Eight 6-week-old pigs were inoculated intraperitoneally with 6 ml of M. haemosuis-infected pig blood and eight negative control pigs were inoculated intraperitoneally with 6 ml of M. haemosuis-free blood. Two pigs from each group were killed for examination at 3, 7, 15 and 30 days post-inoculation (dpi). Red blood cells infected with M. haemosuis were first detected by light microscopy at 3 to 7 dpi. No M. haemosuis was observed in negative control pigs. Hybridization signals were evident in blood from the infected pigs at 3 dpi. The ISH method developed in this study was useful for the detection of M. haemosuis DNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissues and may be valuable for studying the pathogenesis of M. haemosuis infection.

Animals↗

Expression of mRNA encoding interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12p35 and IL-12p40 in lungs from pigs experimentally infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

The expression of mRNA encoding interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12p35 and IL-12p40 was studied, by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and by in situ hybridization with a non-radioactive digoxigenin-labelled cDNA probe, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax-embedded lung tissue from pigs experimentally infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Forty-eight 7-week-old colostrum-deprived pigs were randomly allocated to infected (n = 24) or control (n = 24) groups. Three pigs from each group were euthanized at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 h post inoculation (hpi). IL-10 mRNA was detected in the lung at 3 hpi, numbers of cells positive for IL-10 increasing at 36 hpi. IL-12p35 mRNA was detected in the lung at 3 hpi, numbers of cells positive for IL-12p35 increasing at 36 and 48 hpi and rapidly decreasing thereafter whereas IL-12p40 mRNA was constitutively expressed at low levels during the experiment. Hybridization signals for IL-10, IL-12p35 and IL-12p40 were always associated with inflammation, in particular with macrophages and neutrophils within alveolar spaces. Expression of these cytokines was minimal in non-lesional lung of A. pleuropneumoniae-infected pigs and in normal lung from control pigs. In situ hybridization of A. pleuropneumoniae and these cytokines in serial sections of lung tissues indicated close co-localization of A. pleuropneumoniae and these cytokines in pleuropneumonia. The results suggest that the expression of IL-10 and IL-12 play a role in pathogenesis of A. pleuropneumoniae infection.

Actinobacillus Infections↗

Identification of porcine circovirus type 2 in retrospective cases of pigs naturally infected with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus.

The identification of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) was studied in fresh intestinal tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax-embedded intestinal tissues by in situ hybridisation. The tissues came from pigs naturally infected with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV). A total of 35 (32.7%) of 107 small intestinal samples from pigs naturally infected with PEDV were found to be positive using PCR. Positive signals for PCV2 were detected in 32 (29.9%) of 107 small intestinal samples from pigs naturally infected with PEDV by in situ hybridisation. The distribution of positive cells in the jejunum and ileum was multifocal or patchy. Distinct positive labelling was found throughout the lamina propria in the small intestines. The results of this study indicate that PCV2 is highly prevalent in pigs naturally infected with PEDV.

Animals↗

Prevalence of porcine circovirus type 2 in aborted fetuses and stillborn piglets.

A retrospective study of natural cases of abortion, recorded between October 2000 and September 2002, was made to determine the prevalence of abortions associated with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2). The virus was detected by PCR, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation. A total of 46 (13.1 per cent) of 350 aborted fetuses and stillborn piglets were positive for PCV-2 by PCR, and the virus was detected in fetuses at all stages of gestation. Viral antigen was detected in macrophages from the aborted fetuses and stillborn piglets by immunohistochemistry, and viral DNA was detected by in situ hybridisation.

Aborted Fetus↗

Phylogenetic analysis of an H1N2 influenza A virus isolated from a pig in Korea. Brief Report.

An influenza H1N2 virus was isolated from a pig during an severe outbreak of respiratory disease in a Korean herd. The neuraminidase (NA) and PB1 genes of the H1N2 isolate were of human origin, while the hemagglutinin (HA), matrix (M), nucleoprotein (NP), and non-structural (NS) genes were of swine origin and PA and PB2 gene were of avian origin. Phylogenetic results indicate that the Korean H1N2 isolate was closely related to H1N2 viruses isolated recently from pigs in the United States.

Animals↗