Glycoproteomic analysis of plasma from patients with atopic dermatitis: CD5L and ApoE as potential biomarkers

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disorder that is both uncomfortable and distressing to patients, and its prevalence has been steadily increasing. It is obvious that the identification of efficient markers of AD in plasma would offer the possibility of effective diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies. In this study, a proteomic approach was used to analyze plasma glycoproteins from both children with AD and healthy child donors. Several protein spots showing significant quantitative changes in the AD patients were identified. Through sequential studies, it was confirmed that CD5L and ApoE were significantly up-regulated or down-regulated, respectively, in the plasma from AD patients compared with that from healthy donors. In addition, we suggest that the up-regulated CD5L in AD patients causes eosinophilia by inhibiting apoptosis or promoting the proliferation of eosinophils either in combination with or without IL-5. The glycoproteomic data in this study provides clues to understanding the mechanism of atopic alterations in plasma and suggests AD-related proteins can be used as candidate markers for AD.

Lipopolysaccharide Induced Th1 Immune Responses and CD14 Mediated Airway Inflammatory Response in the Asthma Model of Mice / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: CD14 is a major factor that mediate the inflammatory response upon lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in vivo. Although it is considered that LPS increases neutrophils upon allergic inflammation and induces aggravation of allergic immune response, there is no explicit study on the role of CD14. In this study, we investigated the effect of membrane-bound CD14 (mCD14), appears on the lung tissue after exposing LPS to asthmatic mice upon inflammatory response of asthmatic lung. METHODS: Twenty mice with athme and 20 control mice were challenged via intratracheally, with saline and LPS, respectively. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was collected 0, 6 and 12 hours after challenger. BAL fluid was analyzed for total and differential cell counts and soluble markers (IL-4, IL-10, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma). Immunohistochemistry for confocal localization of CD14 in the lung specimens was used to analyze mCD14 expression. RESULTS: Asthmatic lungs demonstrated significantly lower levels of mCD14 expression than controls before intratracheal challenge with LPS (35.38+/-12.5 vs. 63.55+/-24.1 cell/HPF, P<0.05). LPS-induced PMN responses reach the peak 6 hours after LPS in the asthma group and was correlated with mCD14 expression. The level of Interferon-gamma was markedly increased at 24 hours after intratracheal challenge of LPS in asthma group (515.13+/-12.5 vs. 62.82+/-23.7, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: mCD14 of inside airway is expected to act an important role on controlling allergic inflammation as a mediator of allergic immune cascades of lung. And it is also believed that the increase of Th1 response by LPS exposing on asthmatic airway is related with the increase of CD14.

Pulmonary Valve Absence and Tetralogy of Fallot in CATCH 22

Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve associated with Tetralogy of Fallot(TOF) is a relatively rare cardiac malformation. In the majority of cases, this lesion is associated with ventricular septal defect, obstructive pulmonary valve annulus, and massive dilatation of the pulmonary arteries. This combination of lesions is often called tetralolgy of Fallot and absent pulmonary valve. Although survival beyond infancy is frequent, a number of infants with the severe form of this syndrome die early with signs of severe respiratory distress and intractable cardiac failure. Recently, absent pulmonary valve has been described in a feature of CATCH 22 syndrome with microdeletion of the long arm of chromosome 22(22q11.1). We have experienced a patient of pulmonary valve absence associated with TOF, who was presented with severe respiratory distress and heart failure after birth. She died in the neonatal period despite intensive care. She was confirmed to have microdeletion of 22q11.1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. We report a case of pulmonary valve absence associated with TOF with microdeletion of chromosome 22q11.1 with related literature.

The Effect of Interleukin-12 on the Immune Response in Allergic Rhinitis Mouse Model / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: Interleukin-12, produced by tissue macrophages and B lymphocytes, stimulates proliferation of Th1-type cells, while inhibiting the generation of Th2- type cytokines and IgE production. The mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin as an allergen to study the effect of IL-12 on the immune responses and the pathologic findings in allergic rhinitis mouse model. METHODS: The animal models were divided into three groups according to the time point of IL-12 trestment intraperitoneally. We measured IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-gamma levels before and after IL-12 treatment. Also we examined the changes of histopathologic findings of mice nasal mucosa. RESULTS: 1) In allergic rhinitis mouse model sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin, IL-4 and IL-5 began to increase on 14 th day and then reached at peak. 2) In pathologic findings, the number of inflammatory cells were increased in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis mice as control without IL-12 treatment, whereas significantly decreased in both IL-12 treated groups than the allergic rhinitis group. 3) The concentration of IL-4 and IL-5 were decreased and IFN-gamma was increased in both IL-12 treated groups than the allergic rhinitis group. And there were no differences of the concentraion of IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-gamma between two groups of mice trested with IL-12 in early and late sensitizing phase. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that both early and late IL-12 treatment inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells in nasal mucosa and decreased IL-4 and IL-5 production. Early IL-12 treatment could enhance the allergn specific Th1 immune reactions and late IL-12 treatment could convert Th2 cells to Th1 cells. Finally IL-12 could be applied as an allergen specific immune therapy for allergic rhinitis.

Immunologic Characteristics of CATCH 22 Syndrome

PURPOSE: Microdeletion of chromosome 22q11.2 are associated with DiGeorge syndrome(DGS), velocardiofacial syndrome(VCFS) and conotruncal anornaly face syndrome(CTAFS). DGS was originally described as an irnmunodeficiency disorder secondary to impaired T cell production due to thymic aplasia or hypoplasia. But the frequency E: severity of immunodeficiency of other clinical syndromes associated with the chromosome 22qll deletion has not been investigated. This study was undertaken to investigate the frequency and severity of immunodeficiency, the relation- ship of the immunodeficiency to clinical phenotypes, and the change of immunologic status with age in CATCH 22 syndromes patients. METHODS: Sixteen patients with CATCH 22 syndrome with characteristic clinical phenotype and chromosome 22qll deletion were studied. Hurnoral and cellular irnmunities were examined by measuring serurn IgG, IgA, IgM level and by T cell subset through flow cytometry and lymphocyte proliferation test by common T cell mitogens respectively. RESULTS: 69Zo of patients with CATCH 22 syndrome were found to have evidence of immunocompromise. The severity of the immunodeficiency did not correlate with any particular phenotypic features nor was it restricted to patients who were categorized as having DiGeorge syndrome. The severity of immunodeficiency tended to be normalized with age. CONCLUSION: The presence of the immunocompromise is common and its severity cannot be predicted based on the clinical phenotype of CATCH 22 syndrome. Therefore, each child with CATCH 22 syndromes regardless of clinical phenotype should be extensively assessed for earlier detection of subclinical immunodeficiency.

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in End-Stage Renal Disease / 대한내과학회지

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular hypertrophy is common and major complication in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), but pathogenesis is not clear. We have used echocardiography to evaluate influential factors and contractile performance according to the geometry of left ventricle. METHODS: We measured left ventricular mass, the extent of pericardial effusion and systolic function of left ventricle with M-mode and two dimensional echocardiography in 99 cases of ESRD from March 1993 to March 1996. RESULTS: 1) Body surface area and systolic blood pressure was higher in men than those in women. But, there was no difference in LV mass index or systolic function between the sex. 2) Among the 99 patients with ESRD, 89 cases (90%) had increased ventricular mass and 10 cases had normal ventricular mass. In the left ventricular hypertrophy groups, 60 cases had concentric hypertrophy, 29 cases had eccentric hypertrophy. 3) In patients with normal ventricular mass, hypertension and pericardial effusion were less frequent than in those with left ventricular hypertrophy. In patients with concentric hypertrophy, systolic blood pressure and body surface area were increased and serum albumin was decreased as compared to patients with eccentric hypertrophy. In patients with eccentric hypertrophy, duration of dialysis was increased. But, the result of Logistic analysis showed that systolic blood pressure and serum albumin were reliable factors for the geometry of left ventricle. 4) In patients with eccentric hypertrophy, LV mass index was significantly correlated with the concentration of serum alkaline phosphatase and phosphate. But, in patients with concentric hypertrophy, any factors were not correlated with LV mass index. 5) Systolic performances such as ejection fraction and fractional shortening were decreased in patients with eccentric hypertrophy. 6) The pattern of left ventricular hypertrophy was not different among non-dialysis group, hemodialysis group and CAPD group. CONCLUSION: In patients with ESRD, left ventricular hypertrophy is a common complication and most common hypertrophic type is concentric hypertrophy. The geometry of left ventricular hypertrophy may be influenced by various factors such as systolic blood pressure and serum albumin concentration and influence on the systolic performance of left ventricle. Further study for the geometry of left ventricle and the prognosis may be necessary for the improvement of cardiovascular complications in patients with ESRD.