ABSTRACT
The effects of antlers have long been known in traditional Asian medicine. However, few studies have investigated the effects of antlers on immunity. In this study, we investigated whether fermented antler extract (FAE) has immunomodulatory effects on spleen cells. FAE enhanced the activity of spleen cells in a concentration dependent manner compared to antler extract. Interestingly, FAE significantly increased the production of interleukin-12, a representative cytokine of cell-mediated immunity, while it marginally increased that of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that FAE can protect spleen cells from spontaneous cell death without a significant proportional change in subsets, mainly lymphocytes. Taken together, the results of the present study showed that FAE has beneficial effects on spleen cells, a major type of immune cell, indicating that it can function as an immunomodulator without significant cytotoxicity. These data may broaden the use of FAE in basic research and clinical areas.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Antlers , Asian People , Cell Death , Flow Cytometry , Immunity, Cellular , Immunomodulation , Interleukin-12 , Lymphocytes , Spleen , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alphaABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated , Meningoencephalitis , Orientia tsutsugamushi , Scrub TyphusABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Vascular access dysfunction is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Recent studies have shown that a klotho gene mutation is related to endothelial dysfunction, thrombosis, and arteriosclerosis, which are regarded as causes of vascular access dysfunction. We investigated the relationship between the klotho G-395A polymorphism and early dysfunction in vascular access in HD patients. METHODS: Patients who underwent vascular access operations between 1999 and 2002 were enrolled (n=126). Genotyping was performed by allelic discrimination using a 5'-nuclease polymerase chain reaction assay. Clinical data that could be relevant to access dysfunction were obtained from medical records. Early dysfunction of vascular access was defined as the need for any angioplastic or surgical intervention to correct or replace a poorly or nonfunctioning vascular access within 1 year and at least 8 weeks after initial access placement. RESULTS: Of the 126 patients, the genotype frequency of G-395A was 72.2% for GG (n=91), 24.6% for GA (n=31), and 3.2% for AA (n=4), and the frequency of minor allele was 0.155. Clinical data were similar between the two groups, divided according to the status of the A allele. Early dysfunction occurred in 34 (27.0%) of patients, but it occurred at a significantly higher rate in A allele carriers (45.7%, 16/35) than in noncarriers (19.8%, 18/91; p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the klotho G-395A polymorphism could be a risk factor for early dysfunction of vascular access in HD patients.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical , Catheters, Indwelling , Cohort Studies , Glucuronidase/genetics , Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications , Polymorphism, Genetic/genetics , Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics , Renal Dialysis , Vascular Diseases/complications , Vascular Patency/geneticsABSTRACT
Clostridium sordellii is a gram-positive spore forming anaerobic bacillus, rarely encountered in human infection. It produces several exotoxins which contribute to myonecrosis, pulmonary infection, obstetric infection and bacteremia. C. sordellii bacteremia is very rare and has been reported in few patients with malignancy or immunosuppression. To date, there has been no report in Korea. Mortality is high when deep site infection exists regardless of underlying pathology and immune status. In contrast, superficial skin and subcutaneous tissue infection has a favorable prognosis. We present a case of C. sordellii bacteremia in a patient with osteosarcoma. The patient was admitted for the treatment of the infection at the ulcerative osteosarcoma lesions of the leg, and C. sordellii bacteremia was demonstrated. He was successfully treated with intravenous ampicillin/sulbactam for two weeks.
Subject(s)
Humans , Bacillus , Bacteremia , Clostridium sordellii , Clostridium , Exotoxins , Immunosuppression Therapy , Korea , Leg , Mortality , Osteosarcoma , Pathology , Prognosis , Skin , Spores , Subcutaneous Tissue , UlcerABSTRACT
Clostridium sordellii is a gram-positive spore forming anaerobic bacillus, rarely encountered in human infection. It produces several exotoxins which contribute to myonecrosis, pulmonary infection, obstetric infection and bacteremia. C. sordellii bacteremia is very rare and has been reported in few patients with malignancy or immunosuppression. To date, there has been no report in Korea. Mortality is high when deep site infection exists regardless of underlying pathology and immune status. In contrast, superficial skin and subcutaneous tissue infection has a favorable prognosis. We present a case of C. sordellii bacteremia in a patient with osteosarcoma. The patient was admitted for the treatment of the infection at the ulcerative osteosarcoma lesions of the leg, and C. sordellii bacteremia was demonstrated. He was successfully treated with intravenous ampicillin/sulbactam for two weeks.