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We have analyzed the 5'-flanking regions of the Drosophila genes encoding the TFIIB and TATA box-binding proteins (TBP) and mapped the regulatory regions required for their efficient expression. We found that the 500 bp long region (-439 to +60) and the 401 bp long region (-261 to +138) are required for the efficient expression of TFIIB and TBP genes, respectively. In the TFIIB promoter region, the upstream DNA between -439 and -280 and the downstream DNA between +8 and +60 are necessary for the stimulation of promoter activity. The upstream DNA between -439 and -280 stimulates transcription in an orientation dependent manner. In the TBP promoter region, the upstream DNA between -261 and -207, and the downstream DNA between +15 and +138 are necessary for the stimulation of promoter activity. The upstream DNA (-261 to -207) required for TBP promoter activity contains a 11 bp long palindromic sequence and a DNA replication-related element sequence. Particularly, we could find that the downstream promoter regions of TFIIB and TBP genes contain the conserved nucleotide sequences, suggesting the presence of a common regulatory mechanism for the expression of these two genes.

To assess the molecular mechanism of rifampin (RMP) resistance in clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.The molecular nature of a part of the rpoB gene in 77 M. tuberculosis clinical strains isolated in Korea was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and PCR-sequence analysis.Among 67 RMP-resistant isolates, 50 showed SSCP profiles different from that of an RMP-sensitive control strain, M. tuberculosis H37Rv, indicating the possible existence of a sequence alteration in this region of the rpoB gene, while 17 resistant isolates displayed SSCP profiles indistinguishable from that of the sensitive control strain. Subsequently, 17 clinical isolates whose SSCP profiles were difficult to distinguish from the control strain were subjected to sequence analysis. The analysis revealed that all 17 isolates did indeed contain mutations in the 81 bp region of the rpoB gene, which is associated with RMP resistance.The results from our study clearly indicate that the molecular mechanism of RMP resistance in M. tuberculosis isolates from Korea involves alterations in the rpoB gene. In addition, this study suggests that PCR-direct sequence analysis works more efficiently and accurately than PCR-SSCP analysis for rapid screening of RMP-resistant M. tuberculosis clinical isolates.

Absolute photorefractoriness in captive birds of several species correlates with reduced hypothalamic content of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) relative to photosensitive or photostimulated birds. We used immunocytochemistry to examine GnRH immunostaining in free-living breeding and photorefractory house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). Photorefractory birds with regressed gonads in early autumn had lower GnRH immunoreactivity (fewer, smaller, less intensely stained cell bodies and fewer immunopositive axon fibers) than did breeding birds with enlarged gonads in spring. These results confirm that absolute refractoriness in house finches is associated with dramatic changes in the hypothalamic GnRH system, as in other species with this type of refractoriness, and show that these changes occur in free-living birds.

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is known to be a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. The present study was performed to elucidate the possibility of differential roles of baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone beta (LH beta) subunit gene expression. To examine the effect of baclofen on GnRH gene expression in the hypothalamus, it was subcutaneously administered to ovariectomized (OVX) and 17 beta-estradiol (E) and progesterone (P)-treated rats. Baclofen (2 mg) enhanced the GnRH mRNA level and this stimulatory action of baclofen was also confirmed by intracerebroventricular injection of baclofen (2 micrograms). To examine the effect of GABA on LH beta gene expression in the pituitary, the OVX + E-treated model was used rather than the OVX + E + P-treated model because the stimulatory action of baclofen overlapped with that of P. Baclofen (2 mg) was administered subcutaneously to OVX + E-treated rats 48 h after E implants and animals were sacrificed 6 h after administration of baclofen. Baclofen further decreased the LH beta mRNA level which had already been decreased by E, but had no effect on the prolactin mRNA level. The inhibitory effect of baclofen on the LH beta mRNA level lasted at least for 6 h following treatment. The release of LH was decreased by baclofen in the presence of E. The action site of GABA in LH beta subunit gene expression seems to be different from that of P, because the restoration of LH beta mRNA level with RU486 was not suppressed by baclofen. This study suggests that activation of GABAB receptor with baclofen may play differential roles in regulating hypothalamic GnRH and pituitary LH beta gene expression depending on steroid milieu.

We have isolated and characterized a genomic clone encoding the Drosophila melanogaster transcription factor IIB (TFIIB). The coding region of the TFIIB gene is interrupted by three short introns. The 5'-flanking region of the gene lacks the typical TATA box sequence like those of other known genes encoding the general transcription factors. In addition, the 5'-flanking region of the gene contains several common DNA sequences present in Drosophila TBP and TFIIS genes, suggesting the common regulation mechanism of gene expression. RNA blot analysis revealed that the gene expresses 1.6 kb, 1.3 kb and 1.2 kb mRNAs throughout development and in adults. Deletion analysis of the promoter region shows that the minimal promoter necessary for efficient expression is located between -698 (PstI) and +60 relative to the transcription start point. Within this minimal promoter region, the upstream regulatory element responsible for the stimulation of gene expression may exist in the DNA fragment between -698 (PsfI) and -351 (StuI).

We report a case of linear nevus sebaceous syndrome with seizure, mental retardation, and hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly demonstrated associated brain malformations of unilateral megalencephaly with cortical dysplasia and white matter change ipsilateral to the sebaceous nevi of the face and neck. Although magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) demonstrated only distortion of the main cerebral arteries without any occlusive or dysplastic findings, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using [123I]N-Isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) revealed hypoperfusion in the affected cerebral hemisphere.

Since the introduction of linac radiosurgery in October 1994, we have treated 27 patients with 36 lesions. We treated nine AVM, 12 metastatic brain tumors, two malignant lymphomas, one anaplastic astrocytoma, two meningiomas, and one brain tumor of unknown pathology. In the follow-up examinations at least five months after treatment, the local control rate was 83% for the metastatic tumors, and two malignant lymphomas disappeared completely. In addition, satisfactory results have been obtained with AVM and other brain tumors without any side effects. In comparison with gamma-knife radiosurgery, linac radiosurgery has some disadvantages such as longer treatment time and cumbersome accuracy control, but if accuracy control is performed periodically, accuracies of 1 mm or less can be obtained. There is some strengths of linac radiosurgery as follow. 1) The acquisition cost is relatively low. 2) Dose distribution are equivalent to gamma-knife. 3) There is no field size limitation. 4) There is great flexibility in beam delivery and linac systems. Radiosurgery using linear accelerators seems to become widely accepted in the future.

Using sera from 4 pairs of mangabey monkeys inoculated with titrated doses of Mycobacterium leprae we demonstrated that IgA antibodies against M. leprae specific PGL-I antigen were present in 75% of inoculated monkey's sera. High IgA antibody was detected in 50% (3/6) of infected animals and all three developed lepromatous leprosy (LL). Antibody titers correlated with PGL-I antigen in serum. The highest IgA peak appeared late and corresponded to the beginning of treatment, and in two of them appeared shortly after or corresponded with neurological damage. Low IgA response was found in the other 3 monkeys (50%-3/6), two of which developed indeterminate leprosy (I) and the other one LL. Low IgA levels appeared late after IgG and IgM, and shortly after neurologic signs. Both I monkeys were negative for PGL-I in serum. The remaining 2 monkeys (25%-2/8) did not show an IgA response; one of them developed LL but the disease regressed to I. IgM seemed to correspond to the appearance of PGL-I in serum. The other animal did not develop clinical symptoms of leprosy, and PGL-I in serum was negative. Although there was no clear relation between the development of anti-PGL-I IgA and experimental leprosy, the finding of a high IgA response in some animals suggests that further studies are needed to evaluate the role of antigen-specific IgA in the disease process.

Local synthesis of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the central nervous system was investigated in 10 patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM), 15 patients with aseptic meningitis (AM), and 15 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis only (PTBO). The IgG synthesis rate for patients with TBM was 56.4 +/- 18.9 mg/day (mean +/- standard deviation), which was significantly higher than that for patients with AM (8.0 +/- 6.7 mg/day, P < 0.001) and that for patients with PTBO (7.5 +/- 4.4 mg/day, P < 0.001). Therefore, the increased IgG synthesis rate in the central nervous system provided supporting evidence for differentiating the diagnosis of TBM from that of AM (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 83.3%). Simultaneous measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of IgG seroreactivity to lipoarabinomannan and purified protein derivative antigens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) demonstrated seropositivity in all 6 patients with TBM, 4 of 15 patients with AM, and 4 of 10 patients with PBTO. All patients showing false-positive reactivity in CSF demonstrated seropositivity in sera and normal ranges for IgG synthesis rates in CSF. Also, the semiquantitive measurement of IgG antibody (Ab) titers in these patients demonstrated higher IgG Ab titers in serum than in CSF except for one patient with a highly elevated albumin quotient, suggesting a leaky blood-brain barrier. The results strongly suggested that the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific IgG Abs were diffusible through the blood-brain barrier, which addresses the pitfall of serological tests for the early diagnosis of TBM. The serological detection of IgG Abs to lipoarabinomannan and purified protein derivative antigens in CSF could be misleading in the presence of simultaneously elevated of IgG Abs in serum.

Growth rates of human preimplantation embryos fertilized in vitro were assessed and compared to the sex of the pregnancy outcome. The likelihood of a liveborn male was significantly greater than that of a female if the mean number of cells/embryo was four or greater at the scheduled time of transfer (odds ratio of 6:1). This finding suggested that the Y chromosome expresses factors which influence embryonic growth rates immediately after fertilization.

e14653 Background: Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) is rare in the West, but not uncommon in Asia and is highly fatal malignancy. While gemcitabine-based regimen is considered as reasonable option for...

Eight sooty mangabey monkeys were inoculated intravenously and intradermally with varying doses of Mycobacterium leprae from 4.8 x 10(7) to 4.8 x 10(10). Serum samples were obtained from the animals at intervals of about 3 months for 90 months, and were examined for IgM and IgG antibodies to nerve antigens, including ceramide, galactocerebroside (GC), and asialo-GM1 (AGM1), using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serological results were then compared with clinical findings, particularly nerve involvement. Of 8 mangabey monkeys inoculated with M. leprae, 7 animals had clinical leprosy; 6 of them had nerve damage, including neurologic deformities in 4 monkeys and nerve enlargement in 2. Median time for the initial signs of leprosy was 10 months postinoculation (p.i.), a range from 4 to 35 months. In contrast, nerve damage was noted rather late, about 35 to 86 months p.i. (median 54 months). The major immunoglobulin class to ceramide, GC, and AGM1 antigens was IgM, and the antibody responses to the nerve antigens appeared from 15 to 63 months p.i. (median 37 months). Antineural antibodies were thus detectable about 18 months (range -2 to 60 months) prior to observable nerve damage. In addition, elevation of antineural antibody levels were predictive of clinical exacerbation of the disease and neuritic damage. This study suggests that antineural antibodies are produced during the course of M. leprae infection and may be indicative of nerve damage, such as neurological deformities or nerve enlargement, in leprosy patients.

Temafloxacin (TMFX, TA-167) is a new quinolone antimicrobial agent that has a broad antibacterial spectrum against Gram-positive, Gram-negative and anaerobic bacteria. We obtained the following results from laboratory and clinical studies on TMFX. 1. TMFX showed good penetration into the female genital organs and Cmax's in various organs were 2.77-4.24 micrograms/g when 300 mg was administered, and these values were equal to or higher than Cmax in vein blood. 2. The clinical efficacy rate was 95.4% in a clinical study involving 219 cases. The bacterial eradication rate was 96.4% in 139 cases. 3. Nine cases of side effects and 1 case of abnormal change in laboratory findings were noted in 254 cases involved, but none of them was serious. Based on these findings, TMFX is expected to be a useful antimicrobial agent for the treatment of obstetric and gynecological infections.

P-type AlGaN/GaN/InGaN superlattices were incorporated in a InGaN based blue light emitting diode as electron blocking layer to minimize the temperature dependence on optical output power. For the characteristic temperatures in range of 10 to 100 °C and at operation current of 350 mA, the external quantum efficiency varied by less than 0.5%. For the presented device, the negative characteristic temperature was shown to occur below temperature of 50 °C. The improved temperature stability in optical output power is thought to be attributed to (1) the efficiency of hole carrier transport in AlGaN/GaN/InGaN superlattices and (2) the enhanced blocking of electron overflow between multiple quantum wells and AlGaN/GaN/InGaN superlattices.

Levofloxacin (LVFX, DR-3355), a new synthetic quinolone derivative antibacterial agent, was evaluated for its pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy in obstetric and gynecological infections, and the following results were obtained. Concentrations of LVFX in serum and intrapelvic genital organs such as uterine and adnexal tissues were determined following oral administration of 100 mg. Tissue penetration of LVFX was found to be good, with its tissue levels (Cmax) of 1.17-2.16 micrograms/ml or g after inhalation anaesthesia and 1.15-2.17 micrograms/ml or g after lumbar spinal anaesthesia. LVFX was given to 22 cases of obstetric and gynecological infections with a daily dose of 200-600 mg for 3-14 days and its clinical efficacy was 95% and bacteriological response was 100%. No side effect was observed. From these findings, we consider that LVFX will be a useful antibacterial agent against obstetric and gynecological infections.

PurposeThe tumor suppressor gene RASSF1 (Ras association domain family member 1) regulates cell cycle, progression, apoptosis, and microtubule stability, and is inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in breast cancer. We analyzed the SNPs in RASSF1 and their predictive and prognostic value in stage II or III breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant docetaxel/doxorubicin chemotherapyMethodsA total of 139 stage II or III breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant docetaxel/doxorubicin chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. The patients received three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by curative surgery, and received additional three cycles of docetaxel/doxorubicin chemotherapy as an adjuvant. Germline DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was extracted. The genotypes were performed using Illumina GoldenGate® Assay. We analyzed 3 SNPs in RASSF1 genes: rs3213621 T>C in 3'UTR, rs2073499 G>A in intron, and rs2073498 C>A in exon 3 Ala133Ser.ResultsThe overall radiologic response rate (RR) for neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 79.8% and 10 patients (7.2%) achieved a pathologic complete remission (pCR). None of the SNPs were correlated with radiologic RR or pCR rate. SNP in intron of RASSF1 (rs2073499) was associated with relapse free survival (RFS). RFS was longer in GA/AA genotype than GG genotype (Hazard ratio [HR]=0.374, p=0.034) After adjusting age and hormone status, prognostic value of RASSF1 SNP remained significant (HR=0.393, p=0.050). Other two SNPs were not significantly associated with RFS.ConclusionsThe GA/AA genotype in SNP of RASSF1 (rs2073499) is associated with significantly longer RFS than the GG genotype. Further research is warranted to identify the biologic characteristics of RASSF1. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 6061.

Pharmacokinetic, bacteriological and clinical studies on flomoxef (FMOX) in the perinatal period were carried out with the following summary of the results. Antibacterial effects of FMOX on the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, MIC 400 micrograms/ml), methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA, MIC 0.78 microgram/ml), Escherichia coli (MIC 3.13 micrograms/ml and MIC 0.20 microgram/ml) in amniotic fluid were determined and it was found that the activity of FMOX was enhanced in the amniotic fluid. FMOX rapidly penetrated into tissues and sera of pregnant women upon intravenous injection and its maternal serum concentrations reached their peak levels shortly after administration. Placental penetration of FMOX to the fetus was good and, after single intravenous injection of 1 g, the concentrations of FMOX in the umbilical cord serum and amniotic fluid exceeded MICs against major causative organisms of perinatal infections. These results indicate that single intravenous injection of FMOX 1 g twice a day is effective for the treatment and prophylaxis of perinatal infections. Injection of FMOX for the treatment of 14 cases of puerperal infections showed excellent clinical effectiveness with 100% clinical effect and 81.8% bacteriological response. No side-effect was observed in any case. All of these results suggested clinical usefulness of FMOX in the perinatal period.

Fleroxacin (FLRX), a new quinolone oral antibacterial agent, was studied in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, and the following results were obtained. 1. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in 105 patients (intrauterine infection 38, adnexitis 28, extragenital organ infection 29, others 10), with an exclusion of 9 patients out of a total of 114 patients. FLRX was orally administered at 200 mg or 300 mg once daily. 2. Clinical efficacy rates were 37/38 (97.4%) in intrauterine infection, 26/28 (92.9%) in adnexitis, 29/29 (100%) in extragenital organ infection and 10/10 (100%) in others. 3. Efficacy rates classified by isolated organisms were 23/23 (100%) in single infections by Gram-positive organisms, 11/13 (84.6%) in those by Gram-negative organisms, 8/9 (88.9%) in those by anaerobic organisms and 15/19 (78.9%) in mixed infections. 4. Side effects were observed in 4 cases (3.5%); gastrointestinal disorder with diarrhea and diarrhea in 1 patient each and insomnia in 2 patients. In laboratory examination, eosinophilia and elevation of GOT and GPT were noted in 1 patient each (1.9%). Based on the above results, we consider that FLRX is a useful drug for the obstetrical and gynecological infections.

Since phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) is an unequivocal marker of Mycobacterium leprae, the antigen has been a good candidate for the serodiagnosis and monitoring the effectiveness of leprosy chemotherapy. As an effort to define the kinetics of the PGL-I antigen and its antibodies in leprosy patients, this study was initiated to examine the serum specimens obtained serially from lepromatous patients under chemotherapy trials. PGL-I was detectable in 64 (94.1%) of 68 new lepromatous (bacterial index, BI = 3.2 to 5.8) and in 26 (78.8%) of 33 relapsed lepromatous patients (BI = 3.0 to 5.3). Meanwhile, virtually all of the new and relapsed patients were strongly seropositive to PGL-I. PGL-I was not detectable in any of the patients about 18 months after chemotherapy was initiated; however, anti-PGL-I reactivity declined by 50% at 2 years and by about 70% at 5 years after chemotherapy regardless of the drug regimens under study. Considering the rapid disappearance of the PGL-I antigen and steady decrease in anti-PGL-I IgM antibodies following chemotherapy, the PGL-I-based serology may be useful for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment, at both the early and late stages, in leprosy patients whose initial sera contain a significant level of PGL-I antigen or antibodies.

The modal parameter estimations of linear multi-degree-of-freedom structural dynamic systems are carried out in time domain. For this purpose, the equation of motion is transformed into the auto-regressive and moving average model with auxiliary stochastic input (ARMAX) model. The parameters of the ARMAX model are estimated by using the sequential prediction error method. Then, the modal parameters of the system are obtained thereafter. Experimental results are given for a 3-story building model subject to ground exitations.

A watershed infarction is a specific type of a cerebral infarction. This occurs at the border zone between major cerebral arteries. Its CT findings are characteristic as a wedge shaped low density appearing either in the superior frontal region (watershed between anterior and middle and posterior cerebral artery), and always involving the deep white matter onto the ventricle wall. Even though the CT feature is small, a patient, without exception, suffers from neurologic deficit. We studied four cases of a watershed infarction on X-ray CT and compared with 123I-IMP SPECT. DSA was also made to demonstrate an obstruction of an artery which was usually found at the more proximal segment then what we expected from the CT feature. The findings on the 123I-IMP SPECT were better predictable of neurologic symptoms and they were larger in extent than the CT findings.

Pharmacokinetic, bacteriological and clinical studies on aztreonam (AZT) in the perinatal period were carried out with the following summary of the results. Antibacterial effects of AZT on bacterial growth of Escherichia coli (MIC 12.5 micrograms/ml) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC 50 micrograms/ml) in amniotic fluid were determined and it was found that the activity of AZT is enhanced in amniotic fluid. AZT rapidly penetrated into tissues and sera of pregnant women upon intravenous (i.v.) injection and its maternal serum concentrations reached their peak levels shortly after the injection. Placental penetration of AZT to the fetus was good and, after single i.v. injection of 1 g, the concentrations of AZT in the umbilical cord serum and amniotic fluid exceeded MICs against major Gram-negative bacilli. These results indicate that single i.v. injection of AZT 1 g twice a day is effective for the treatment and prophylaxis of perinatal infections. Injection of AZT for the treatment of puerperal infections showed excellent clinical effectiveness with 100% eradication of aerobic Gram-negative rods. No side-effect was observed in any case. All of the results suggested clinical usefulness of AZT in the perinatal period.

The current approaches in serological methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis have been towards the use of M. tuberculosis-specific antigens or epitopes of protein antigens. Although sensitivity by using such antigens might be similar to that obtained by using crude or semipurified antigens, specificity was somewhat improved to over 95%. Among serological tools, ELISA has been the method of choice for detecting serum antibodies and mycobacterial antigens from clinical specimens because of its high sensitivity, simplicity, reproducibility and versatility in screening a large number of specimens. Further simple and rapid tests such as the agglutination test by coating various particles with purified or synthetic M. tuberculosis-specific antigens or antibodies will soon become available for field evaluation in endemic areas of tuberculosis. However, all these efforts can be justified only if serological tests give any meaningful information for the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis or for determining the degree of M. tuberculosis transmission in a community as a complement to the current tuberculin test, chest X-ray, or sputum examination. Although the detection of mycobacterial antigens from CSF or sputum specimens using polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies gave more direct evidence for M. tuberculosis infection, the information by the assays was not sufficient to determine whether these immunological tools could be used in clinical laboratories for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Meanwhile, recent introduction of the very sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology for the detection of M. tuberculosis DNA from clinical specimens (37-40) may eventually replace the immunological assays for the detection of mycobacterial antigens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

REMOORTERE, JUAN E. VARGAS, ALVARO INSUNZA, RICARDO GOMEZ, LUIS MEDINA, AARON B. CAUGHEY, University of California, San Francisco, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, California, Clinica Alemana de Santiago, Hospital Padre Hurtado, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile, CEDIP, Sotero del Rio Hospital, Puente Alto, Chile OBJECTIVE: The literature has shown that women perceive their birth experience very differently depending on mode of delivery, prenatal care, and the amount of education they receive prior to delivery. Here we investigate how complications in prior pregnancies or a current high-risk pregnancy might influence birth experience as well. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant women were surveyed in regular and high-risk prenatal clinics in Santiago, Chile over a six month period. They were interviewed regarding prior deliveries and outcomes, their anticpated birth experience during the upcoming delivery, and the maximum amount of pain they expected to feel. Dimensions of birth experience were assessed by Salmon’s item list and measured using a 10 point Likert scale. RESULTS: Of the 643 women surveyed, 152 (23.6%) were patients with high-risk pregnancies and 491 (76.4%) had normal pregnancies. When comparing women with a history of prior complications to those with a history of normal pregnancies, there was no significant difference in the amount of satisfaction or pain anticipated. They did, however, expect to be more anxious (8.08 versus 6.89, p=0.039). Patients with current high-risk pregnancies did not expect more pain, but they anticipated more anxiety (7.62 versus 6.63, p=0.021) and more satisfaction (9.13 versus 8.74, p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Patient’s with a current high-risk pregnancy or a history of complications during a prior pregnancy do not anticipate more pain during delivery, but they do feel more anxious. Interestingly, patients with current high-risk pregnancies also expect more satisfaction with their delivery. These data suggest that women with high-risk pregnancies may actually have more fulfilling birth experiences than women with normal pregnancies.

Rationale Food allergen and inhalant allergens take different immunization routes which might lead different immune responses. Isotype pattern of allergen-specific antibody responses for food allergens and inhalant allergens were evaluated. Methods A total of 100 atopic patients were evaluated concerning allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 for milk, egg white, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), and Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) using UniCAP and Allergy Protein Chip. The isotype profiles of allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 were analyzed. Results Mean serum allergen-specific IgE for milk, egg white, Dp, and Df were 7, 183, 26 and 5 IU/ml. Mean serum allergen-specific IgG4 binding activity relative to IgE binding for milk and egg were 5,299 and 91,254 IU/ml of IgE activity. However, mean serum allergen-specific IgG4 binding activity relative to IgE binding for Dp and Df were low as 38 and 50 IU/ml of IgE activity. Conclusions Allergen-specific IgE for food and inhalant allergens were evenly developed in atopic dermatitis. Allergen-specific IgG4 activities for food allergens were well induced as contrasted with those for inhalant allergens in atopic dermatitis.

Rationale Immunoregulatory roles of food additives are not well known. MSG is widely used in cooking. Immunoregulatory roles of MSG by affecting intracellular signal transduction through modulation of Th1- and Th2-related gene expressions was investigated in this study. Methods Four conditions of Jurkat cells were made including non-stimulation (NS), PHA stimulation (PS), MSG stimulation(MS), and co-stimulation with PHA and MSG (CS). Total RNA's were extracted from 1×10 6 cells of every condition at 0, 1, 4, 8, and 24 hours after stimulation. RT-PCR was performed and Allergy Gene Chip (AGC) was used for the analysis of Th1- and Th2-related gene expression were tested. Results MSG affects gene expression relating with Th1- and Th2-signal transduction toward resultant Th2 predominant status. Especially, the expression of t-bet and stat4 were decreased by co-stimulation of Jurkat cell with PHA+MSG. However, The expression of GATA3 were increased by co-stimulation of Jurkat cell with PHA+MSG. Conclusions MSG modulated intracellular gene expression toward Th2 predominant profile and MSG may have immunomodulatory effects of Th2-deviation to be prone to allergic status.