Allergen and chow-protein stimulated splenocyte cytokine productions in buckwheat allergic mice / 천식및알레르기

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Normal gut immune response to ingestive food proteins is induction of immune tolerance rather than sensitization, even in atopic individuals. Very restricted kinds of food antigens have been known to cause allergic sensitization in humans. To evaluate the differences of systemic T-cell immune responses to sensitized antigen and regular chow-protein, we performed this study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eight naive female, 5-week-old C3H/HeJ mice were grown under the regular mouse chow feeding condition for 4 weeks. During that period, Group I mice were sensitized with buckwheat extract(1mg/dose) mixed with cholera toxin(10 microgram/dose) by intragastric administration at day1, 2, 3, 7, and 21. The sera were obtained at weekly intervals to measure buckwheat-specific and chow-protein-specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies. Splenocyte proliferation assays and cytokine productions were evaluated with buckwheat. chow-protein. and Con A stimulation. Levels of antibodies (IgE, IgG1, IgG2a) and cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, INF-gamma were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: The levels of buckwheat specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a were markedly increased in Group I mice, but not in Group II mice. Chow-protein specific IgE and IgG1 antibodies were not increased in both groups of mice. The degrees of buckwheat-specific and chow-protein-specific splenocyte proliferations showed low-grade(SI: 6.68 and 4.48. respectively) compared to those by Con A stimulation(SI : 58). Buckwheat stimulated IL-4 productions were markedly increased in Group I mice, which were higher than Con A stimulated production. INF-gamma production was increased in Group I mice by buckwheat stimulation, and in both groups of mice by Con A stimulation. IL-12 production was shown in Con A stimulated culture supernatants in both groups of mice, but in Group I mice with buckwheat stimulation. IL-10 productions were increased in Group I mice with buckwheat, Con A, and chow-protein stimulations, furthermore, markedly increased IL-10 levels were also shown in chow-protein stimulated splenocyte cultures in both groups of mice. CONCLUSION: While Th1 and Th2 immune responses were induced by intragastricly sensitized buckwheat extract, only regulatory immune responses were dominated by regular chow proteins in this system. The minimum ability of chow-protein specific splenocyte proliferation was preserved and IL-10 was the unique cytokine produced by chow-protein simulation.

Newborn Hearing Screening: 3 Years of Experience

PURPOSE: Hearing loss is one of the most common major abnormalities present at birth, which has an incidence of 1 to 3 per 1,000 newborn infants in the well-baby nursery population, and 2 to 4 per 1,000 infants in the intensive care unit population each year. If early undetected, will impede speech and language. The purpose of this study was to confirm in prevalence of neonatal hearing loss and to establish a common screening method adjusted to our country and to emphasize the importance of early detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TEOAE (transient evoked otoacoustic emission) were performed in 5,512 newborn infants in the well-baby nursery. The tests were performed daily until the infant had passed. Failed infants were followed at the outpatient clinic for re-tests. ABRs were performed for the confirmation of hearing loss those who had failed 3 TEOAE tests. RESULTS: The average test durations for right and left TEOAE were 67+/-50 sec and 72+/-56 sec respectively. There was no difference in test durations of the first TEOAE between before 24 hours and after 24 hours of life. 89% of tested infants passed during admission and the rest were followed at the outpatient clinic for the further studies. Eight infants were diagnosed with hearing loss on ABR. Overall time spent for the diagnosis of hearing loss was less than 3 months. CONCLUSION: TEOAE is a simple and useful screening method for the identification of hearing loss in infants. TEOAE must be necessary to universal screening of all infants.