Policy Directions Addressing the Public Health Impact of Climate Change in South Korea: The Climate-change Health Adaptation and Mitigation Program

Climate change, caused by global warming, is increasingly recognized as a major threat to mankind's survival. Climate change concurrently has both direct and modifying influences on environmental, social, and public health systems undermining human health as a whole. Environmental health policy-makers need to make use of political and technological alternatives to address these ramifying effects. The objective of this paper is to review public health policy in Korea, as well as internationally, particularly as it relates to climate change health adaptation and mitigation programs (such as C-CHAMP of Korea), in order to assess and elicit directions for a robust environmental health policy that is adaptive to the health impacts of climate change. In Korea, comprehensive measures to prevent or mitigate overall health effects are limited, and the diffusion of responsibility among various government departments makes consistency in policy execution very difficult. This paper proposes integration, synergy, and utilization as the three core principles of policy direction for the assessment and adaptation to the health impacts of climate change. For specific action plans, we suggest policy making based on scientifically integrated health impact assessments and the prioritization of environmental factors in climate change; the development of practical and technological tools that support policy decisions by making their political implementation more efficient; and customized policy development that deals with the vulnerability of local communities.

Exploration of immunoblot profiles of Neospora caninum probed with different bovine immunoglobulin classes

The present study was attempted to compare the Neospora caninum (N. caninum) antigenic bands recognized by different bovine immunoglobulin classes. A total 10, 5, 2, and 6 antigenic bands were exhibited on immunoblot profiles against bovine IgM, IgE, IgA, and IgG, respectively. A 46 kDa band was probed as a common antigenic band except IgA; 69 kDa band was bovine IgM and IgE; 33, 37, 55, and 79 kDa bands were bovine IgM and IgG; 72 kDa band was found IgM and IgA profiles. Based on the analysis, it appeared that different immunoglobulin classes recognizing different antigenic molecules were cooperating to cope with neosporosis.

Experimental evaluation of pathogenicity of Lactococcus garvieae in black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli)

Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) is an important mariculture species in Korea. The production of this fish is drastically declined due to bacterial diseases, particularly streptococcosis caused by Lactococcus garvieae. The bacterial surface characteristics of SJ7 and TY6 were found to have capsule but not NB13 and YS18. The experiential evaluation of L. garvieae pathogenicity, the capsular isolates showed high cumulative mortality i.e. SJ7 (100%) and TY6 (60%) compared to non-capsular isolates. Based on this result the capsular isolates L. garvieae were highly suspected as the causative agent of streptococcosis in rockfish.

Comparison of Lactobacillus casei in Stool between Children with Atopic Dermatitis and Normal Controls / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: As allergy diseases including atopic dermatitis are increasing lately, many kinds of studies about the cause and the pathogenesis are in progress and the secrets of the of organization intestinal microflora and the relationship with inflammatory are reaction actively being revealed. METHODS: In this study, the subjects included 32 atopic dermatitis patients and 23 normal controls who visited the allergy clinics of the pediatrics department in Soonchunhyang University Hospital from June to October, 2003. Lactobacillus casei were cultured and counted. And serum total IgE, IgA and AST/ALT were examined. Also, the differences in lactobacillus counts between the atopic dermatitis patients and normal controls were analyzed. RESULTS: We were not able to find out a statistically significant differences between the atopic dermatitis patients and the control group. We were able to find out a statistically significant inverse correlation of serum total IgE and the number of Lactobacillus casei. CONCLUSION: The significant inverse correlations of serum total IgE and the number of Lactobacillus casei are expected to contribute to precognition and treatment of atopic dermatitis. It is hoped that more researches on the relationship between atopic dermatitis and intestinal flora should be carried out in the future.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis of Neospora caninum tachyzoites

Identification of expressed protein profiles and antigenic determination are some of the most challenging aspects of proteomics. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with immunoblot analysis were employed to study the N. caninum proteome. Protein sample preparation was carried out by first conducting sonication, followed by adding lysis buffer containing 7M urea plus 2M thiourea to the purified tachyzoites in order to complete disruption. A total of 335 differentially expressed protein spots were detected using pH 4-7 IPG strip (7 cm) that were run in a 56 kVh isoelectric focusing (IEF) system. Of the spots analyzed, 64 were identified as antigenic spots on immunoblot profile. Major antigenic spots appeared at 65 kDa (pI 5.2-5.3), 51 kDa (pI 5.5), 38 kDa (pI 5.1), 33 kDa (pI 4.4), 29 kDa (pI 5.6) and 15.5 kDa (pI 5.0) were observed to be significantly distinct compared to the rest of the antigenic spots. The results indicate that combination of 2-DE and immunoblotting methods were thought as very useful tools in defining both proteins and antigens of N. caninum tachyzoites. Additionally, present 2-DE profiles may be valuable in further proteomic approaches and study of the pathogen.

Reference Map of Soluble Proteins from Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis by Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis

Protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of fight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) can analyze unambiguously identity of the spots from a 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gel. This study developed a technique for 2-DE of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) by improving the dissolution conditions by 2-DE using a pH 4 - 7 immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strip. This report examines the protein components from the patterns of the S. enteritidis protein. The most abundant protein displayed a great number of clusters within the pH 4.5 - 7 range with a molecular mass ranging from 35-80 kDa. Some of these spots were identified as metabolic related enzymes. The protein fraction was also analyzed using an immobilized pH gradient strip. Different proteins were identified on the spot according to the elongation factors. In addition, this study showed that the 2-DE analysis of S. enteritidis provides useful information regarding the S. enteritidis proteome, and this approach might provide a strategy for identifying bacterial proteins using a proteome technology.

Bronchial Structural Changes in Childhood Asthma / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: While asthma has been considered to be a completely reversible obstructive airway disease, many asthmatics have evidences of residual airway obstruction. Therefore, with the recent attention to the cells participating in inflammation, the definition of asthma was modified based on pathophysiologic observations including the inflammation of the airways. Airway inflammation, demonstrable in most of the asthmatics, is already present in the airways of patients with very mild asthma and is increased with the severity of the disease. It also has been associated with the development of airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the mechanisms by which the airway inflammation leads to airway hyperresponsiveness may result from various factors including the evidences of airway remodeling. These findings indicate that asthma is a disease with important airway remodeling which may leads to permanent tissue destruction. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) provides a high degree of anatomic details and can indirectly confirm airways remodeling in asthmatics, such as bronchial thickening, mucoid impaction, bronchial dilatation and bronchiectasis. METHODS: Twenty children with asymptomatic chronic moderate to severe asthma, who have visited pediatric allergy clinic in Soonchunhyang University, were performed HRCT to find out the airway changes in comparison with the asthma severity and the duration of asthma history. RESULTS: High resolution computed tomography revealed various findings, such as bronchial wall thickening, mosaic perfusion, atelectasis and bronchiectasis. The results indicate no positive correlation with the asthma severity and the duration of asthma history. CONCLUSION: Therefore, early intervention for diagnosis and treatment of asthma is very important to prevent the permenant chronic airway obstruction and airway remodeling in childhood asthma.