Hae-Joon Park

Oral Immunization with Helicobacter pylori‐Loaded Poly( d, l‐Lactide‐Co‐Glycolide) Nanoparticles

Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of chronic antral gastritis and peptic ulcer diseases. Many researchers have examined the possibility of immunologically‐mediated prevention of H. pylori infection using an oral vaccine. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether mucosal and systemic immune responses are induced by oral immunization with H. pylori lysate‐loaded poly( d, l‐lactide‐coglycolide)[PLG] nanoparticles, and if so, how the distribution of serum IgG subclasses are produced.

A novel real-time PCR assay for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria in low parasitized individuals.

The rapid, accurate diagnosis of Plasmodium spp. is essential for the effective control of malaria, especially in asymptomatic infections. In this study, we developed a sensitive, genus-specific, real-time quantitative PCR assay. It was compared with the microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears and two different molecular diagnostic techniques: nested PCR and multiplex PCR. For the effective quantitative detection of malaria parasites, all reagents were designed with a lyophilized format in one tube. Plasmodium was detected successfully in all 112 clinically suspected malaria patients, including 32 individuals with low parasitemia (1-100 parasites/μl). The sensitivity threshold was 0.2 parasites/μl and no PCR-positive reaction occurred when malaria parasites were not present. This may be a useful method for detecting malaria parasites in endemic areas.