High immunogenicity of virus-like particles (VLPs) decorated with VapA antigen in rainbow trout.

The Gram-negative bacterium is the causal agent of furunculosis and used to be one of the most loss-causing bacterial infections in the salmonid aquaculture industry with a mortality rate of about 90% until the 1990s, when an inactivated vaccine with mineral oil as adjuvant was successfully implemented to control the disease. However, the use of this vaccine is associated with inflammatory side effects in the peritoneal cavity as well as autoimmune reactions in Atlantic salmon, and incomplete protection has been reported in rainbow trout. We here aimed at developing and testing a recombinant alternative vaccine based on virus-like particles (VLPs) decorated with VapA, the key structural surface protein in the outer A-layer of .

Low-Level Expression of CD138 Marks Naturally Arising Anergic B Cells.

Autoreactive B cells are not entirely deleted, but some remain as immunocompetent or anergic B cells. Although the persistence of autoreactive B cells as anergic cells has been shown in transgenic mouse models with the expression of B cell receptor (BCR) reactive to engineered self-antigen, the characterization of naturally occurring anergic B cells is important to identify them and understand their contribution to immune regulation or autoimmune diseases. We report here that a low-level expression of CD138 in the splenic B cells marks naturally arising anergic B cells, not plasma cells.

Display of Streptococcus iniae α-Enolase on the Surface of Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) of Nervous Necrosis Virus (NNV) Using SpyTag/SpyCatcher.

Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines are promising candidates for overcoming the safety problems of live vaccines and weak immunogenicity of subunit vaccines. VLPs can be used as a platform for the development of combined vaccines by expressing foreign antigens, and foreign antigens can be displayed on the surface of VLPs by conjugation. In the present study, to use nervous necrosis virus (NNV) VLPs as a delivery tool for Streptococcus iniae α-enolase by displaying on the VLP's surface, the split-intein (SpyTag/SpyCatcher) conjugation system was used.

Prediction of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Using Crown-Rump Length at 11 to 13 + 6 Weeks of Gestation.

Objectives: To assess the risk of a fetus with a smaller or larger than expected crown-rump length (CRL) for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: The data of 960 healthy singleton pregnancies conceived via in vitro fertilization were retrospectively collected. Fetal CRL was measured between 11 and 13 + 6 weeks of gestation, and small and large fetal CRLs were defined as fetuses below the 10th and above the 90th centiles, respectively.

Fusion of Streptococcus iniae α-enolase to IMX313 enhanced antibody titer and survival rate in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

The polymerization of monomeric antigens can be a strategy to overcome the low immunogenicity of subunit vaccines. IMX313 is a hybrid oligomerization domain of chicken C4bp, and has been demonstrated to have potent activity as adjuvants for the fused antigens in mammals. In the present study, we investigated whether the oligomerization of α-enolase of Streptococcus iniae by fusion with IMX313 affected on antibody induction and on protection against S.

Summary of clinically diagnosed amniotic fluid embolism cases in Korea and disagreement with 4 criteria proposed for research purpose.

Objective: This study aimed 1) to investigate the clinical characteristics of amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) cases clinically diagnosed by maternal fetal medicine (MFM) specialists in Korea, 2) to check the disagreement with 4 recently proposed criteria by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) for research purpose, and 3) to compare maternal outcomes between cases satisfying all 4 criteria and cases with at least 1 missing criterion.

Methods: This study included 12 patients clinically diagnosed with AFE from 7 referral hospitals in Korea. We collected information, including maternal age, symptoms of AFE, the amount of transfusion, and maternal mortality.

Lupus Low Disease Activity State Achievement Is Important for Reducing Adverse Outcomes in Pregnant Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the frequency and risk factors of complications during pregnancy in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: The medical records of patients with SLE and age-matched controls at Ajou University Hospital were collected. Clinical features and pregnancy complications in women with SLE were compared to those of the controls.

Maternal nutrition intervention focused on the adjustment of salt and sugar intake can improve pregnancy outcomes.

Due to the increasing age of pregnant women, maternal nutrition management is becoming more important. Since pregnant women are more likely to consume sodium and sugars than nonpregnant women of the same age, we investigated whether maternal nutrition intervention focused on the adjustment of salt and sugar intake can help pregnancy outcome. This randomized controlled trial was performed on 142 pregnant women within 22 weeks of gestational age for at least 16 weeks until childbirth.

Questionnaire survey on the management of pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Objective: The aim of this survey was to study the status of the actual practice in the management of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) between 34.0 and 36.6 weeks of gestation.

Serosal Cavities Contain Two Populations of Innate-like integrin α4CD4 T Cells, Integrin α4β1α6β1α4β7 and α4β1α6β1α4β7 Cells.

We previously reported peritoneal innate-like integrin α4 (CD49d)CD4 T cells that provided help for B-1a cells. Here we analyzed the expression of various integrin chains on the peritoneal and pleural integrin α4CD4 T cells and investigated the functional heterogeneity of the subpopulations based on the integrin expression. Pleural cavity contained a lower ratio of integrin α4CD4 T cells to integrin α4CD4 T cells than peritoneal cavity, but the pleural integrin α4CD4 T cells have the same characteristics of the peritoneal integrin α4CD4 T cells.

Production of RNase III-knockout, auxotrophic Edwardsiella tarda mutant for delivery of long double-stranded RNA and evaluation of its immunostimulatory potential.

The artificially synthesized polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC) has been widely used to induce type I IFN responses in various vertebrates including fish. However, as poly IC is too expensive to use in aquaculture, the development of another economical long dsRNA producing method is needed to practically use long dsRNAs in aquaculture farms for the control of infectious diseases. In the present study, to produce long dsRNAs economically, we developed a novel long dsRNA production system based on the RNase III gene deleted auxotrophic mutant E.

The Proteomic Analysis of Human Placenta with Pre-eclampsia and Normal Pregnancy.

Preeclampsia is one of the most important and complexed disorders for women's health. Searching for novel proteins as biomarkers to reveal pathogenesis, proteomic approaches using 2DE has become a valuable tool to understanding of preeclampsia. To analyze the proteomic profiling of preclamptic placenta compared to that of normal pregnancy for better understanding of pathogenesis in preeclampsia, placentas from each group were handled by use of proteomics approach using 2DE combined with MALDI-TOF-MS.

Comparison of severe pelvic inflammatory disease, pyosalpinx and tubo-ovarian abscess.

Aim: Inflammation of the upper genital tract causes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may be complicated by pelvic abscesses, such as pyosalpinx and tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA). This study aimed to determine the clinical differences between pyosalpinx and TOA in patients with PID.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 458 female patients who were admitted to Hallym University Kang Dong Sacred Heart Hospital for a clinical diagnosis of PID from 1 January 2007 to 30 April 2012.

Outcome of pelvic arterial embolization for postpartum hemorrhage: A retrospective review of 117 cases.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate indications, efficacy, and complications associated with pelvic arterial embolization (PAE) for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 117 consecutive patients who underwent PAE for PPH between January 2006 and June 2013.

Results: In our single-center study, 117 women underwent PAE to control PPH refractory to conservative management including uterine massage, use of uterotonic agents, surgical repair of genital tract lacerations, and removal of retained placental tissues.

Umbilical artery Doppler study as a predictive marker of perinatal outcome in preterm small for gestational age infants.

Purpose: To evaluate the merit of umbilical artery Doppler study as a predictive marker of perinatal outcome in preterm small for gestational age (SGA) infants.

Materials And Methods: A total of 218 patients at 27 - 36 weeks of gestational age (GA) who received antenatal umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry and delivered singleton infants with SGA. The ratio of peak-systolic to end-diastolic blood flow velocities (S/D) in the umbilical artery was measured in each patient.

Proteomic and metabolomic analysis of cardioprotection: Interplay between protein kinase C epsilon and delta in regulating glucose metabolism of murine hearts.

We applied a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach to obtain novel mechanistic insights in PKCvarepsilon-mediated cardioprotection. Mitochondrial and cytosolic proteins from control and transgenic hearts with constitutively active or dominant negative PKCvarepsilon were analyzed using difference in-gel electrophoresis (DIGE). Among the differentially expressed proteins were creatine kinase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and the cytosolic isoforms of aspartate amino transferase and malate dehydrogenase, the two enzymatic components of the malate aspartate shuttle, which are required for the import of reducing equivalents from glycolysis across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome: a case report.

Background: Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome is a rare congenital soft tissue anomaly with sporadic occurrence characterized by the triad of multiple hemangiomas, arteriovenous fistulas and unilateral limb hypertrophy.

Case: A 27-year-old, pregnant woman was referred at 31 2/7 gestational weeks. On prenatal sonography, multiloculated cystic areas involving the left side of the thorax and hypertrophy of the upper portion of the left arm were diagnosed without diagnostic findings on color flow Doppler studies of the cutaneous hemangioma.

Left diaphragmatic eventration diagnosed as congenital diaphragmatic hernia by prenatal sonography.

Congenital diaphragmatic eventration is an abnormal elevation of the diaphragm resulting from failure of muscle fibers to develop during gestation. A mediastinal shift to the contralateral side may cause significant compression of the affected chest contents, resulting in compromised pulmonary function, especially when both sides are involved. Differentiating between congenital diaphragmatic eventration and congenital diaphragmatic hernia is very difficult but important because eventration has a better perinatal outcome than diaphragmatic hernia has.