Development and Evaluation of an Immunochromatographic Kit for the Detection of Antibody to PLASMODIUM VIVAX Infection in South Korea

Malaria is a major parasitic disease in tropical areas. Three to five hundred million people suffer from the disease and it kill a million people per year. Blood smear observation was developed for the diagnosis of malaria, but the examination needs skilled experts and exact diagnosis is time consuming. A kit based on immunochromatography can be a reliable and rapid method for clinical diagnosis, even in the hands of inexperienced personnel. However, all such currently developed kits can only diagnose P. falciparum malaria. In our previous report, the C-terminal region of P. vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (PvcMSP) was cloned and expressed in E. coli. In the present study, we developed an immunochromatographic kit using this PvcMSP for the diagnosis of specific antibody to P. vivax malaria in serum samples. The kit was used to examine sera from vivax malaria patients and non-malaria-infected person and the test showed 100% sensitivity (78/78) and 98.3% specificity (58/59). This result demonstrated that the immunochromatographic kit for P. vivax antibody detection is applicable for the rapid and precise diagnosis of P. vivax malaria.

Expression of 3b-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and P450 side chain cleavage enzyme in the human uterine endometrium

The enzyme complex 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta(5)-delta(4)-isomerase (3beta-HSD) is involved in the biosynthesis of all classes of active steroids. The expression of 3beta-HSD in human uterine endometrium during the menstrual cycle and decidua was examined in an effort to understand its role during ova implantation. 3beta-HSD was weakly expressed in the glandular epithelium of the proliferative phase and moderately expressed in the glandular epithelium of secretory phase of the endometrium. In the decidua of the ectopic pregnancy, 3beta-HSD was strongly expressed. The human uterine endometrial 3beta-HSD was identified as being the same type as the placental 3beta-HSD by RT-PCR and sequence analysis. In addition to the expression of 3beta-HSD, P450scc was expressed in the decidua of the ectopic pregnancy. These results suggest that pregnenolone might be synthesized from cholesterol by P450scc de novo and then, it is converted to progesterone by 3beta-HSD in the uterine endometrium. The data implies that the endometrial 3beta-HSD can use not only the out-coming pregnenolone from the adrenal gland but also the self- made pregnenolone to produce progesterone. The de novo synthesis of progesterone in the endometrium might be a crucial factor for implantation and maintenance of pregnancy.

Retal Sex Determination by Polymerase Chain Reaction / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Ror fetal sex determination by the PCR method, oilgoprimers to Y- chromosome gene, DYZI, SRY, and AMGL were synthesized genomic DNA was extracted from male and female placenta for the control use. DYZI represented 154 bp single band to 0.001 pg/ml male genomic DNA but did not represent 154 bp band in female genomic DNA, SRY represented 341 bp bandto 1 pg/ml male genomic DNA in 2% agarose gel eleftrophoresis stained with ethidium bromide. DYZI was 1,000 fold sensitive than Sry and AMGL. DYZI and SRY could not identify the PDR failure from female but AMGL identified to 1,000-fold. During the dyal ampiification of female genomic DNA mixed with male genomic DNA, 0.00125 pg/nl, 1:400 part, male genomic DNA contamination represented male band but SRY amplification did not represent male band. It was suggested that SRY gene was deleted in two 46,XY felmle cases. For fetal sex determination, PCR with DYZL, SRY, and AMGL was performed in 10 cases. For fetal sex determination, PCR with DYZL, SRY, and AMGL with karyotyping in 10 cases of chorionic villi sex dietermination, PCR with DYZI, SRY, and AMGL was performed in 10 cases. For feral sex determination, PCR with DYZI, SRY, and AMGL with karyothping result, fetal sex determination, PCR with DYZI, SRY, and AMGL was performed in 10 Cases of choricinic villi and 15 cases of amnionic cells. By the comparison with karyotyping result, fetal sex determination was achieved successfully in all 23 samlies using PCR of SRY and AMGL but false result was detected in 3 cases(13%) using DYZI. Acording to our results, it was concluded that DYZL was 1,000-fold sensitive than SRY and AMGL but could not be used because of its false results, and AMGL and SRY must be used concomitantly for precise sex determination.

Effect of Glutathione on Methylmercury-induced Neurotoxicity in Cultured Bovine Oligodendrocytes / 체질인류학회지

No abstract available.