Gastric Mucosal Atrophy Impedes Housekeeping Gene Methylation in Gastric Cancer Patients.

Purpose: Helicobacter pylori infection induces phenotype-stabilizing methylation and promotes gastric mucosal atrophy that can inhibit CpG-island methylation. Relationship between the progression of gastric mucosal atrophy and the initiation of CpG-island methylation was analyzed to delineate epigenetic period for neoplastic transformation.

Materials And Methods: Normal-appearing gastric mucosa was biopsied from 110 H.

Slow overmethylation of housekeeping genes in the body mucosa is associated with the risk for gastric cancer.

Helicobacter pylori infection increases age-related diverse overmethylation in gene-control regions, which increases the risk of gastric cancer. The H. pylori-associated overmethylation changes subsequently disappear when gastric atrophy and cancer develop.

Identification and characterization of Paragonimus westermani leucine aminopeptidase.

Paragonimus westermani is a tissue-invading trematode parasite that causes inflammatory lung disease as well as systemic infections including cerebral invasion in carnivorous mammals. While aminopeptidases play important roles in trematodes in the catabolism of host hemoglobin, an essential source of nutrient for the parasite, little is known about aminopeptidase in Paragonimus. Presently, we isolated a cDNA encoding a 58 kDa P.

Sparganosis presenting as spermatic cord hydrocele in six-year-old boy.

Sparganosis is a zoonosis that can involve many different areas of the human body. Urogenital sparganosis usually presents as a palpable subcutaneous nodule in the groin, labia, or scrotum. It can also present as a tumor in the epididymis and testis.

Effectiveness of mobile and internet intervention in patients with obese type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: The present study evaluated whether an intervention using the SMS by personal cellular phone and internet would improve the levels of plasma glucose of obese type 2 diabetes at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

Methods: This is a quasi-experimental design with pre- and follow-up tests. Participants were recruited from the endocrinology outpatient department of tertiary care hospital located in an urban city of South Korea.

Cloning and characterization of a new cysteine proteinase secreted by Paragonimus westermani adult worms.

The cysteine proteinases of Paragonimus westermani are known to play important roles in invasion and pathogenesis to hosts and in immune modulation and nutrient uptake. In this study, we have cloned a new cysteine proteinase of P. westermani, PwCP2, from adult worms and tested its diagnostic usefulness.

Efficacy of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax as an antigen for ELISA to diagnose malaria.

Malaria is still a major health problem in Thailand and its incidence is currently rising in Korea. To identify a useful antigen for the diagnosis of malaria patients, a cDNA expression library from malaria parasites was constructed and screened out immunologically. One clone was selected in view of its predominant reactivity with the patient sera.

Characterization and classification of five cysteine proteinases expressed by Paragonimus westermani adult worm.

Three new members of the cysteine proteinase gene family of Paragonimus westermani have been isolated and classified. Comparisons of the predicted amino acid sequences of PwCP2 (U69121), PwCP4 (U56958), and PwCP5 (U33215) were performed with those of the previously reported PwCP1 (U69120) and PwCP3 (U56865) sequence. The amino acid alignment showed conservation of the cysteine, histidine, and asparagine residue that form the catalytic triad.

Two human cases of tick bite caused by Ixodes nipponensis.

We report two human cases of tick bite. A 63-year-old male had a pruritic pea-sized brownish nodule on the left popliteal area. Another 41-year-old male had an asymptomatic bean-sized black nodule in the pubic area.

Immunoblot observation of antigenic protein fractions in Paragonimus westermani reacting with human patients sera.

In order to observe the antigenic fractions in saline extract of adult Paragonimus westermani, proteins in the crude extract were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in reducing conditions. The separated protein fractions were transferred to nitrocellulose paper on which 20 sera from human paragonimiasis were reacted and immunoblotted. Out of 15 stained protein bands in SDS-PAGE, 7 reacted with the sera.

Biochemical properties of a purified protein in cystic fluid of Taenia solium metacestodes.

By affinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody as ligand, Kim et al. (1986) purified a protein fraction in cystic fluid of Taenia solium metacestodes (CF). In this study, the biochemical properties of the purified protein were characterized.

Intracranial synthesis of specific IgG antibody in cerebrospinal fluid of neurocysticercosis patients.

To determine the source of Cysticercus-specific IgG antibody in cerebro-spinal fluid(CSF), paired samples of serum and CSF were collected from confirmed neurocysticercosis, other neurologic diseases and normal control. The antibody levels in serum and CSF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With the measurement of total protein, albumin and IgG concentration in serum and CSF, the contribution of IgG in CSF were calculated in transudation, exudation and intracranial synthesis using the formula of Tourtellotte and Ma (1978).

Analysis of antigen specificity using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to Cysticercus cellulosae by enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot technique.

To analyse the antigen specificity of patients sera from 24 confirmed neurocysticercosis and a monoclonal antibody, SDS-PAGE using 10-15% linear gradient gel and EITB were done. Cystic fluid, saline extracts of scolex and of whole worm of C. cellulosae, saline extracts of sparganum, hydatid cyst fluid, saline extracts of Fasciola, Clonorchis and Paragonimus were used as antigen.

Specific IgG antibody responses in experimental cat metagonimiasis.

In order to observe the feasibility of serologic diagnosis of metagonimiasis, saline extracts of metacercariae and 4-week old adults were prepared. Sera from 25 experimentally infected cats were collected from 3 days to 12 weeks after infection. Their levels of specific IgG antibody were measured by ELISA together with 3 sera from non-infected cats.

Serologic follow-up study in neurocysticercosis patients by ELISA after praziquantel treatment.

/A total of 69 patients of confirmed neurocysticercosis was followed serologically by ELISA up to 22 months after praziquantel treatment. The intervals and numbers of follow-up were variable by patients. Serially collected samples of serum and CSF were examined simultaneously for their specific IgG antibody levels by ELISA, using cystic fluid, saline extracts of bladder wall and scolex as antigen.

Purification of cystic fluid antigen of Taenia solium metacestodes by affinity chromatography using monoclonal antibody and its antigenic characterization.

This study was undertaken to purify cystic fluid (CF) antigen of Taenia solium metacestodes by affinity chromatography using specific monoclonal antibody (McAb) and to characterize the antigenicity of the purified antigen. The hybridoma cell lines, prepared by fusion between mouse plasmacytoma and spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with CF, secrected antibodies reacting to various helminthic antigens. Majority of cell lines reacted to CF only but some also reacted to parenchymal antigen of T.

[Antigenicity of the soluble egg antigen of Paragonimus westermani].

To evaluate the immature eggs of Paragonimus westermani as a source of diagnostic antigen, about a million eggs which were excreted by 104 adult worms were collected; their saline extract (soluble egg antigen; PwSEA) was prepared. The specific IgG and IgM antibody levels were observed in experimental dog paragonimiasis by micro-ELISA, using PwSEA as well as whole worm extract of 12 week-old P. westermani (PwWWE).

Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serological diagnosis of human neurocysticercosis using paired samples of serum and cerebrospinal fluid.

The applicability of micro-ELISA was evaluatd in human neuro-cysticercosis using paired samples of serum and CSF. A total of 355 cases who were mostly neurologic patients was subjected. Cystic fluid of C.

In situ posture of anterior body of Metagonimus yokogawai in experimentally infected dog.

The in situ posture of anterior body of Metagonimus yokogawai was observed in experimental metagonimiasis of dog. The metacercariae were collected from naturally infected sweetfish by peptic digestion; a total of 8 dogs was orally infected with 10,000 metacercariae respectively. Two dogs were killed on 3 days, 9 days, 4 weeks and 10 weeks after the infection.

Electrophoretic patterns of proteins from Paragonimus westermani in early developmental stages.

In order to observe the protein compositions of soluble extracts of P. westermani, and their changes during early developmental stages, the crude saline extracts of 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 week-old worms which were harvested from experimentally infected dogs were analysed by disc-PAGE. The results were as follows: A total of 15 bands were identified from electrophoregrams of respective developmental stages.

A preliminary observation on watery content of small intestine in Metagonimus yokogawai infected dog.

The intestinal contents of a dog infected with 49,732 M. yokogawai for 8 weeks were normal but in a 4-week-old infection the intestinal water content correlated roughly with the number of worms. Most worms were found 40 to 102 cm along the small intestine but the entire length was parasitized.

Plecoglossus altivelis as a new fish intermediate host of Heterophyopsis continua.

P. altivelis from Korea republic is recorded as a new host for H. continua which is described and figured.

Seasonal variations of metacercarial density of Clonorchis sinensis in fish intermediate host, Pseudorasbora parva.

The seasonal variations of the rate and intensity of metacercarial infection of C. sinensis in P. parva were observed.

Effect of anthelmintics on the early stage of Enterobius vermicularis.

In order to determine the susceptible age of Enterobius vermicularis to anthelmintics and to observe the chronologic growth of female E. vermicularis in man, experimental infections were done. About 500 eggs were challenged to 19 volunteers.

Serological Diagnosis Of Human Sparganosis By Means Of Micro-ELISA.

Seven cases of surgically proven sparganosis were serologically tested by means of micro ELISA for their specific IgG antibody levels. For that purpose, crude saline extract of spargana from snake, Natrix tigrina lateralis was prepared and used as antigen. The sparganosis sera were also tested with Paragonimus and Cysticercus antigens to observe the cross reactivity.