• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.18-24
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• 2004

연구배경 : 플라스미노겐 활성 억제인자-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; PAI-1)은 허혈성 뇌경색의 발생의 원인이 되는 섬유소 용해작용의 저하를 매개하는 인자로서, PAI-1의 작용이 촉진되면 섬유소 용해기능이 저하되어 관상동맥 및 뇌혈관질환의 발생을 증가시키게 된다. PAI-1 유전자의 촉진자(promoter) 영역에는 -675 4G/5G (4G/5G)와A -844G (A/G)의 두 개의 유전자 다형성이 존재하며, 이는 PAI-1의 유전자 전사과정에 영향을 미쳐 혈청 PAI-1의 농도를 증가시키고 결과적으로 허혈성 뇌경색의 발생확률을 높이는 작용을 하게 된다. 연구방법 : 허혈성 뇌경색으로 진단 받은 167명의 환자와 173명의 건강인의 말초혈액에서 DNA를 분리한 후 PAI-1의 4G/5G와 A/G 유전자 다형성에 대한 연쇄중합반응 및 제한효소 절편길이 다형성 (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism; PCR-RFLP) 방법을 이용하여 허혈성 뇌경색 발생과 유전자 다형성과의 관계를 비교 분석하였다. 결과 : 허혈성 뇌경색 환자에서의 4G/4G의 유전자형의 빈도는 15.0%으로 정상 대조군의 33.5%에 비해 현저하게 낮게 나타났다 (P < 0.0001). 각각의 유전자형과 허혈성 뇌경색의 발생 위험도 (odd ratio ; OR)와의 관계를 분석했을 때 4G/4G 유전자형을 가질 경우 위험도는 0.35배로 현저하게 낮아졌으며, (P < 0.0001), 5G/5G 유전자형을 가질 경우 위험도는 4.49배 로 현저하게 높아졌다 (P < 0.0001). 그러나, A/G 유전자 다형성과 허혈성 뇌경색의 발생과는 유의한 연관성을 발견하지 못하였다. 결론 : 이상의 결과로 볼 때 PAI-1 유전자의 4G/4G 유전자형은 허혈성 뇌경색의 발생 비율을 감소시키는 작용을 하는 것으로 여겨진다.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2000

Herpes simplex virus, Varicella zoster virus and Human herpes virus-6 caused central nervous system infections and latent infections but there is no data of the 3 viruses being tested from the same cerebrospinal fluid samples with aseptic meningitis or encephalitis in adults patients. These viruses produced similar neurologic symptoms but difficulties existed in differentiating of etiologic agents and therefore the viruses needed to be detected in the early state. Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) in adults, if not treated promptly was fatal. If treated with antiviral drugs in the early phase of encephalitis, neurologic sequales decreased by 65%. Recently, a PCR method for detection of HSVE with CSF was developed. VZV primary and secondary infections caused neurologic symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis. The second frequency of adult encephalitis that caused VZV were reported. HHV-6 caused CNS latent infection that was studied with normal adults brains. But there is no data of HSV, VZV and HHV-6 for aseptic meningitis and encephalitis of Korean adults through etiologic study. We cultured CSFs on HEp-2 cells and simultaneously tested for HSV PCR, VZV nested PCR and HHV-6 PCR with 8 specific primers. The PCR results of CSF from meningitis Korean adults were 13/19 (68.4%) for HSV, 10/19 (52.6%) for VZV and 12/19 (63.2%) for HHV-67/19 (36.8%) cases were triple infected HSV PCR, VZV PCR and HHV-6 PCR positive; 3/19 (15.8%) cases were dual infected HSV PCR and HHV-6 PCR positive; 1119 (0.5%) cases was VZV PCR positive. Strong viral DNA amplification of CSF means a causative virus may be present in aseptic meningitis or encephalitis patients and may cause clinical neurologic symptoms. HSV and HHV-6 viruses detection rate were higher than VZV by PCR with CSFs.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2017

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most common congenital infections. The first case of discordant congenital CMV infection in twins occurred in Korea. A 31-year-old woman became pregnant with twins (dichorionic-diamniotic). An elective caesarean section was performed at 37 weeks. The first baby was male, weighing 2,410 g with an Apgar score of 8/9. The second baby was female, weighing 1,380 g with an Apgar score of 5/8. She had experienced intrauterine growth retardation, and presented with microcephaly, micrognathia, and joint stiffness. During the work-up for discordant twins, the second baby's serum test was positive for CMV immunoglobulin M. Her urine, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were CMV polymerase chain reaction positive. The first baby's CMV tests were negative. Ophthalmologic exam and audiometry performed on the second baby showed CMV retinitis and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. She was treated with intravenous ganciclovir. Currently, she is bed-ridden and has significant developmental delay. Although the causes of discordant congenital CMV infection in twins are unclear, this case shows that discordant congenital CMV infection should be considered in twins with significant differences in intrauterine growth or clinical symptoms after birth.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2017

Purpose: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common serious bacterial infection in infants younger than 3 months of age. Lumbar puncture is routinely performed to evaluate febrile young infants for sepsis. However, there is no clear consensus on the use of routine lumbar puncture to diagnose concomitant meningitis in infants with UTI. We evaluated the prevalence of coexisting bacterial meningitis and sterile cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis in young infants with UTI. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 85 infants with UTI, aged from 29 to 99 days, who were admitted to Daegu Catholic University Medical Center from January 2013 to May 2016. We included 80 patients who had undergone lumbar puncture. Demographic features, clinical features, and laboratory findings were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of sterile CSF pleocytosis and we compared these groups and assessed the differences between them. Results: Of the 80 UTI patients enrolled, 34 (43%) had sterile CSF pleocytosis. None had bacterial meningitis, and CSF polymerase chain reaction for enterovirus was positive in two patients without CSF pleocytosis. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regards to age, body temperature, peripheral white blood cell count, urinalysis, and duration of hospital stay. Conclusions: Though sterile CSF pleocytosis is common in young UTI patients, coexisting bacterial or viral meningitis is very rare. Indications for lumbar puncture in these patients depend on clinical condition.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.118-126
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• 2002

배경: 체외순환에 의해 생성되는 염증매개체는 소아 환자에서 술 후 다기관 기능부전과 연관이 있다. 본 연구에서는 선천성 신장질환 소아환자에서 체외순환에 의한 전염증성 사이토카인과 케모카인의 유전자 발현 특성에 대해 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 개심술을 시행한 18명의 소아 환자의 요골 동맥에서 마취유도 후(기준치), 체외순환(0시간), 체외순환 2시간 후 24시간 후, 48시간 후에 혈액을 채취하였다. 모든 환자에서 인터루킨-1알파, 인터루킨-1베타 인터루킨-6, 인터루킨-8, 종양괴사자인자-알파, 인터루킨-15,인터페론 감마의 mRNA의 유전자 발현 정도를 반정량적으로 역전사 중합효소 연쇄반응으로 측정하였다. 6명의 환자에서 인터루킨-6단백치는효소결합면역흡착검사로 측정하였다. 결과: 전신적인 인터루킨-6 mRNA와 비슷한 양상을 보였으나 최고치는 인터루킨-6보다 낮은 값을 보였다. 인터루킨-1알파와 인터루킨-1베타의 mRNA의 발현은 체외순환 2시간 후에 최고치를 나타내었고 체외순환 2시간 후에 최고치를 나타내었고 체외순환 48시간 후에 감소하였다. 종양괴사자인자-알파는 체외 순환 24시간 후에 최고치를 나타내었고 체외순환 48시간 후에 감소하였다. 인터루킨-15 mRNA 발현은 체외순환 전후와 비교하여 유의한 변화가 없었다. 인터페론-감마는 시간이 지남에 따라 감소하였다. 결론: 선천성 심장질환으로 개심술을 시행한 소아환자의 혈청 내 인터루킨-6, 인터루킨-8, 인터루킨-1알파, 인터루킨-베타, 종양괴사자인자-알파의 유전자 발현은 체외 순환 전후로 유의한 변화를 보였다. 인터루킨-15는 유의한 변화가 없었고 인터페론-감마는 반대 양상의 변화를 보였다. 체외순환 후 전염증성 사이토카인과 케모카인의 높은 혈중 농도는 술 후 조직 손상과 연관되리라 생각한다.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.94-101
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• 2016

Acinetobacter species isolates are important opportunistic pathogens and commonly implicated in nosocomial infections. The therapeutic options for treatment of the bacterial infections are limited because the bacteria isolates are usually multidrug resistant (MDR). In the current study, we investigated various carbapenemase genes in 68 Acinetobacter species isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested using the disk diffusion method. Screening of carbapenemase genes was performed via multiplex PCR. In addition, PCR and DNA sequencing were used to identify the carbapenemase genes. Repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (REP-PCR) was also performed to assess the clonality of isolates. In our study, A. baumannii isolates were highly resistant to all agents tested while all non-A. baumannii isolates were susceptible to all agents tested, with the exception of aztreonam and cefotaxime. All 51 A. baumannii isolates contained the $bla_{OXA-51}$ gene and 37 (72.5%) isolates also harbored the $bla_{OXA-23}$ gene. In addition, 39 MDR A. baumannii isolates were identified in our study and 37 isolates contained the $bla_{OXA-23}$ gene. The 37 MDR strains harboring $bla_{OXA-23}$ showed type I (n=22) or type II (n=15) banding patterns on their REP-PCR profiles. Our results suggest clonal relation and horizontal spreading of MDR A. baumannii isolates containing the $bla_{OXA-23}$ gene at the hospital located in Daejeon. Continuous investigation of antimicrobial resistant determinants and monitoring emergence and dissemination of MDR isolates is required to prevent and control infection and colonization of MDR A. baumannii isolates.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2016

Antimicrobial agents have been used in poultry for treatment of bacterial infections or additives over the past half century. However, increasing antimicrobial resistance has led to selective pressure for therapeutic use in humans and made treatment of bacterial infection more difficult. In this study, we examined the prevalence of plasmid mediated antimicrobial resistant determinants for resistance to ${\beta}-lactam$, quinolone, and aminoglycoside in Enterobacteriaceae isolates obtained from chickens in Gyeongsang provinces, and correlation between the resistant genes and antimicrobial resistance rate was also assessed. A total of 43 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were recovered from 40 chickens at Gyeongsang provinces in Korea. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion method. PCR and DNA sequencing were performed to characterize the antimicrobial resistant genes. Of the 43 Enterobacteriaceae isolates tested, 2 isolates harbored $bla_{CTX-M-14}$ gene, and 2 and 5 strains contained qnrS and aac(6')-Ib-cr genes, respectively. A total of 43 isolates displayed a relatively lower susceptible rate ranging between 0.0 and 23.3% to most of the antimicrobial agents, except cefepime, ceftazidime, and cefaclor. We confirmed that plasmid mediated antimicrobial resistant determinants were distributed in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from chickens. Investigation of the genes and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance rate is required to prevent further spreading of antimicrobial resistant genes among Enterobacteriaceae isolates.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.345-349
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• 2017

Diabetes mellitus is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes, including metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, diabetes has been receiving increased scientific attention because of the rapid increase in the diabetic population. One of the features of type-2 diabetes mellitus is an elevated glucose level in blood. Fasting glucose level, which is the most basic test, is widely used as a diagnostic indicator of diabetes. Several previous studies reported that TLR4 expression is relatively high in the heart. However, few studies have investigated the association between TLR4 variants and fasting blood glucose to date. Thus, this study tested the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR4 gene and fasting glucose in the Korean population. A total of 994 subjects recruited from Seoul were used for the present study. When compared to fasting blood glucose, the TLR4 gene region was shown as a linkage disequilibrium owing to the relatively large gene range. This region also presented as several LD blocks. We found that specific SNPs in the TLR4 gene were associated with the mean fasting glucose (p<0.01). The minor allele frequency of rs1329067 was 16.4%, and individuals with the AA genotype had a higher fasting blood glucose level than those with the GG genotype, suggesting that genetic variants in TLR4 influence glucose levels in Korean adults.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 2017

Angiogenesis is a process including members of the angiogenic factors. In particular, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is considered the most potent angiogenic factor because it promotes cell proliferation and tube formation. A recent study reported that fucoidan derived from marine plant potentiated FGF-2 induced tube formation in human endothelial cells. On the other hand, the molecular mechanisms involved in the angiogenic activity of fucoidan and FGF2 are unknown. In this study, a fucoidan treatment promoted angiogenesis induced by FGF2. The effects of fucoidan on FGF2-induced angiogenesis were confirmed by a proliferation assay using a CellTiter96 Aqueous One solution after a treatment with fucoidan and FGF2. The tube formation and wound healing assay for the angiogenic activity were also confirmed. Reverse transcription PCR showed a change in the mRNA of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), matrix metallopeptidase9 (MMP9), and the signal transducer and activator of transcription3 (STAT3). In summary, the Fucoidan/FGF2 treatment induced an increase in cell proliferation, improved the tube formation and wound healing activity, and altered the STAT3, VEGF-A, ICAM-1, and MMP9 mRNA expression levels. Further research will be needed to provide a scientific explanation in terms of cell-signaling and confirm the present findings.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2012

Based on the data observed and analyzed on a groundwater flow system in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) site, the transport of radionuclides, which were assumed to be released at the supposed position, was calculated on the time-domain. A groundwater pathway from the release position to the surface was identified by simulating the groundwater flow model with the hydrogeological characteristics measured from the field tests in the KURT site. The elapsed time when the radionuclides moved through the pathway is evaluated using TDRW (Time Domain Random Walk) method for simulating the transport on the time-domain. Some retention mechanisms, such as radioactive decay, equilibrium sorption, and matrix diffusion, as well as the advection-dispersion were selected as the factors to influence on the elapsed time. From the simulation results, the effects of the sorption and matrix diffusion, determined by the properties of the radionuclides and underground media, on the transport of the radionuclides were analyzed and a decay chain of the radionuclides was also examined. The radionuclide ratio of the mass discharge into the surface environment to the mass released from the supposed repository did not exceed $10^{-3}$, and it decreased when the matrix diffusion were considered. The method used in this study could be used in preparing the data on radionuclide transport for a safety assessment of a geological disposal facility because the method could evaluate the travel time of the radionuclides considering the transport retention mechanism.