• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.511-519
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• 2019

Objectives: The standard method for the enumeration of environmental Legionella is culturing, which has several disadvantages, including long incubation and poor sensitivity. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of real-time PCR and to improve the standard method. Methods: In 200 environmental water samples, a real-time PCR and culture were conducted to detect and quantify Legionella. Using with the results of the survey, we compared the real-time PCR with the culture. Results: Each real-time PCR assay had 100% specificity and excellent sensitivity (5 GU/reaction). In the culture, 36 samples were positive and 164 samples were negative. Based on the results of the culture, real-time PCR showed a high negative predictive value of 99%, 35 samples were true positive, 105 samples were true negative, 59 samples were false positive and one sample was a false negative. Quantitative analysis of the two methods indicated a weak linear correlation ($r^2=0.29$, $r^2=0.61$, respectively). Conclusions: Although it is difficult to directly apply quantitative analysis results of real-time PCR in the enumeration of environmental Legionella, it can be used as a complementary means of culturing to rapidly screen negative samples and to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.710-718
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• 2020

Objectives: We analyzed water in waterscape facilities to investigate contamination levels of water-borne pathogens and four test items (pH, turbidity, residual chlorine, and Escherichia coli) at facilities including play fountains, splash parks, and artificial streams from June to October in Suwon City and in the whole of Gyeonggi-do. Methods: A total of 62 waterscape facility samples were collected from 36 sites and tested for pathogenic Escherichia coli and water-borne viruses that cause hand-foot-and-mouth disease, eye disease, and acute enteritis. Results: None of the water-borne pathogens were detected in waterscape facility samples collected from across Gyeonggi-do that were for pre-inspection for facility management. However, the results of samples from Suwon collected in hot weather and during the school vacation period showed five total inconsistencies in turbidity (four cases) and Escherichia coli (one case). Three out of the four inconsistent samples in turbidity were from the same facility which operated a sand filtration system due to its locational factors close to mountains. Conclusion: We suggest that the waterscape facilities in Gyeonggi-do are managed properly in the respect of microbial contamination and water quality.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2020

The current study is the first paper on FPT(failure of passive transfer) of horse population in Korea. The object of this study was to comparison of immune status normal and patient horses. Failure of passive transfer is the most common immunodeficiency disorder of horses. Twenty-two foals and 18 horses from Jeju of the equine hospital were diagnosed with the SNAP Foal IgG Test Kit. All adult horses had normal immune functions (≥800 mg/dl). Thirteen of the 22 newborn babies (59%; ∠800 mg/dl) had a weak immune function but recovered and survived after treatment. Nine of these 22 are horses with strong immunity (≥800 mg/dl), indicating that high IgG concentrations in the blood can cause infectious diseases. There were a total of six dead, four of which were infectious diseases. In addition, early identification of infectious diseases in newborn foals is expected to help prepare systematic health management measures for the development of the disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2010

진단적 복강경을 하지 않으면 자궁내막증의 진단이 불가능하다는 점은 의사들이 해결해야 할 과제 중 하나이다. 아직까지는 자궁내막증을 진단할 수 있는 획기적인 표지자가 없기 때문에 CA-125 같은 종양 표지자의 혈중 농도를 측정하였으나 진단 도구로 이용하기에는 한계가 있다. 이러한 이유로 초기 자궁내막증을 진단할 수 있는 방법을 연구하기 위한 여러 시도들이 있었는데 특히 자궁내막증 1, 2기 환자에서 병의 초기 상태에 복강경적 치료를 하였을 경우 자연 임신 성공률이 2배 가까이 높은 것으로 보고되었기 때문에 불임 여성에 있어 자궁내막증의 진단 시기는 임상적으로도 그 중요성이 매우 크다고 할 수 있겠다. CA-125는 자궁내막증 환자의 추적관찰에 있어 특이도가 높은 편이며 효용성이 있는데 특히 수술적 치료 후 장기적으로 병의 활성 혹은 재발을 평가하는데 있어 유용하다. 무작위적인 임상 연구 결과 자궁내막증과 관련된 불임이나 통증은 수술적 치료시 분명한 이득이 있는 것으로 보고된 바84 자궁내막증은 적절한 진단과 치료가 중요한 질환이라는 점을 다시 한번 상기해야 한다. 또한 병의 진행에 따른 여러 면역학적인 변화들이 확인되면서 자궁내막증의 진단에 있어 면역학적 표지자의 중요성이 부각되고 있다. 그 중에서도 복막액이나 혈청 내 사이토카인은 진단 도구로서 그 가능성에 주목을 받고 있으며 이에 대한 대규모 연구가 추후 필요할 것으로 사료된다. 최근의 면역학적 발견과 DNA 기술 발전은 자궁내막증의 진단에 있어 핵심적인 screening 도구의 발견에 일조할 것이며 이러한 기술적 발전을 근간으로 하여 머지 않아 획기적인 표지자가 개발될 것으로 기대한다.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 1988

For the rapid diagnosis of bacterial diseases of cultured fishes, the immunoperoxidase method was applied to the detection of $\beta$-haemolitic Streptococcus sp. strain KST-2 isolated from tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus). The suitability of field analysis and the sensitivity of the immunoperoxidase method was compared with those of the counterimmunoelectrophoresis(CIE) and the immunodiffusion(ID). Results of testing cross-reactivity which did not indicate any cross reactivity with other fish pathogens, this method was specific to Streptococcus sp. The sensitivity of this method was $1{\times}10^3CFU/ml$ which was at least $10^2$times greater than the CIE and $10^4$times greater than the ID. The immunoperoxidase method was more suitable for field application and more sensitive than other diagnostic techniques tested on this study.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.504-507
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• 2009

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) are chronic autoimmune liver diseases. Overlap syndrome is defined as a condition in which the clinical, biochemical, and histological features of these autoimmune diseases are overlapped. Thus, it is difficult to appreciate overlap syndrome as an actual diagnostic entity. Only a few cases of the overlap syndrome of AIH and PSC have been reported, especially in children. Moreover, PSC is known to be the most frequent liver disorder associated with inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. We report one case of AIH-PSC overlap syndrome in a child who was diagnosed as having ulcerative colitis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.223-228
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• 1984

Seven cases of surgically proven sparganosis were serologically tested by means of microELISA 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. A total of 71 sera from normal control, ectopic and pulmonary paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis, cysticerCOSIS and Taenia saginata cases were also included. Except for one case of old calcified infection, all of 6 human sparganosis showed higher serum levels of specific IgG antibody when the differential point of positive reaction was set at the absorbance value of 0.25 (the sensitivity being 85.7%). In control and other helminthic infections, all except 3 cases of T. saginata infection showed negative reaction to sparganum antigen (the specificity being 90.7%). None of sparganosis cases showed cress reactivity to Paragonimus and Cysticercus antigens. Undiluted cerebrospinal l1uid also showed high levels of antibody when central nervous system was invaded. The serologic diagnosis by means of micro ELISA could be a useful tool in epidemiological study of human sparganosis in susceptible population, as well as in individual diagnosis.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.99-113
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• 2018

Recently, global warming has widened the habitat of mosquitoes and infection chances for mosquito-borne diseases are increasing. Flavivirus is a typical mosquito-borne virus. Flaviviruses with a relatively high frequency of infection in Asian countries include Zika, Dengue, and Japanese encephalitis viruses. Although distinctive diagnosis of flaviviruses is required because the symptoms and therapeutic method differ, there is no diagnostic method that can distinguish them accurately yet. In this study, we propose distinctive diagnosis method of flaviviruses using informations and analysis tools constructed in bioinformatic databases. The envelope protein and non-structural protein 1 which are useful protein for the immuno-diagnostics of three flaviviruses were selected. Their homology was analyzed by multiple sequence alignments and epitope candidates consisting of 10-15 amino acids were selected. Finally two epitopes were suggested to be most useful by immunogenicity analysis and 3D structure prediction. These approaches and results are expected to be great value in the distinctive diagnosis of three flaviviruses with a high frequency of infection in Asian countries.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2010

This study was conducted to examine the utilization of immunohistochemistry using the bovine anti-brucella immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody in the diagnosis of brucellosis and to develop a functional biomarker relation for the progress of the disease. Anti-brucella IgG antibody was purified from the affected bovine serum using an affinity chromatography. We performed our investigation on 17 cases of brucellosis and 19 control cases with negative Rose-Bengal test results. Our purified anti-brucella IgG antibody showed a positive immunoreactivity in cytoplasmic hepatocytes of the centrilobular region, and glomeruli and tubular epithelium of the kidney. The protein pattern of the affected liver versus control was analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis, showing a different expression pattern of proteins between the two. Five protein spots were up-regulated and another were five down-regulated in the brucellosis liver. Significant upregulaton of catalase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase might be due to a compensatory reaction in response to the endotoxic shock of brucella. In conclusion, the anti-brucella IgG antibody may be a good tool for discriminative diagnosis of the affected tissues and proteomics data suggest new target proteins underlying a possible pathogenic mechanism of brucellosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.101-117
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• 2004

현증 결핵환자가 감소하고, 면역억제환자가 증가하고 있는 국내 추세에서 잠복결핵(latent tuberculosis)의 진단 및 치료 지침이 필요한 실정이다. 그러나 결핵의 유병률, 발생률 그리고 비씨지 접종률 등이 외국과 다른 국내의 현실에서 현증이 없는 잠복결핵의 진단 및 치료에 대한 방침은 필연적으로 외국과 다를 수 밖에 없으며, 현 시점에 국내에서 이에 대한 자료가 불충분하여 국내의 환경에 적합한 근거 중심의 지침을 설정하기는 어려운 상황이다. 그러나 결핵의 기본 병태 생리를 근거로 하여 최소한 결핵균 감염 이후 결핵 발병의 위험성이 높은 대상 환자에서는 잠복결핵 진단을 위한 검사를 시행하여 치료 여부를 결정하여야 한다. 고위험군은 사람면역결핍바이러스(human immunodeficiency virus, HIV) 감염자, 장기이식환자, 면역억제제를 장기간 사용하는 환자, 6세 이하의 소아 중 최근 전염성 결핵환자 접촉자 등을 우선적으로 고려해야 한다. 미국은 발병 위험도의 고, 중, 저에 따라 투베르쿨린 검사(tuberculin skin test, Mantoux test)의 양성기준을 달리 하여 잠복결핵을 진단하고 있으나, 국내에는 아직 이에 대한 자료가 부족하므로 발병의 위험이 높은 상기 고위험군을 대상으로 하여 PPD RT-23 2TU (Tuberculin unit)를 이용한 피부반응검사에서 10mm이상의 경결(induration)이 생성되는 경우를 양성으로 정하고 추후 연구 결과에 따라 재조정이 필요하다. 그 동안은 투베르쿨린 검사 결과 5-10 mm 사이의 경결반응을 보이는 면역억제 환자에 대하여는 개별적으로 의사의 판단에 따라 잠복결핵의 진단 및 치료 여부를 결정한다. 그러나 면역억제제를 사용하는 등 결핵 발병의 고위험군에서는 피부반응검사상 음성이라도 과거 결핵 치료력이 없이 흉부사진상 명백하게 과거에 결핵을 앓은 흉터가 남아있는 경우(석회화된 1차 결핵 소견은 제외)에는 잠복결핵의 치료를 시행한다. 상기 잠복결핵의 진단 및 검사의 적응증은 최소한 시행하여야 할 경우를 나열한 것으로 이외의 환자에 대하여는 환경 및 대상에 따라 개별화되어야 한다. 치료제로는 isoniazid (INH) 9개월 매일 치료(최소 한 6개월 이상, HIV양성 환자인 경우는 9개월), rifa-mpicin (RFP) 4개월 치료 및 INH/RFP 3개월 매일 치료를 시행할 수 있다. 상기 치료가 어려운 경우에는 RFP/pyrazinamide (PZA) 2개월 매일 치료를 고려할 수 있으나 중증 간독성의 가능성에 대한 철저한 교육 및 추적검사가 필요하다. 향후 국내 환경의 변화 및 연구결과에 따라 추후 부족한 부분에 대한 지침의 재정립이 필요하다.