• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.221-227
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• 2001

Heat shock proteins serve as chaperone by preventing the aggregation of denatured proteins and promote survival of pathogens in harsh environments. In bacteria, ethanol shock induced the major chaperone GroEL and DnaK, but in Streptococcus pneumoniae, it induced neither GroEL nor DnaK but alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). In this study, ADH gene encoding a 104-kDa (p104) protein was identified and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of pneumococcal ADH shows homology with other members of the ADH family, and particularly with Entamoeba histolytica ADH2 and E. coli ADH. S. pneumoniae adh is composed of 883 amino acids and its estimated isoelectric point is 6.09. Although ADH is conserved between S. pneumoniae and E. coli, immunoblot analysis employing antisera raised against pneumococcus ADH demonstrated no cross-reactivity with ADH analog in Eschericha coli, Staphylococcus aureus and human HeLa cells. Also secretion of ADH was demonstrated by subcellular fractionation and immunoblot analysis of proteins. These results suggest that S. pneumoniae ADH could be a highly feasible candidate for both diagnostic marker and vaccine.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2021

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major risk factor of mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Streptococcus pneumoniae (colloquially known as pneumococcus) is one of important pathogens of CAP in patients with COPD. Preventive interventions for pneumonia include pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations. A prospective, cohort study has been performed to investigate the protective effects of pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations on the severity of community-acquired pneumonia requring hospital admission in patients with COPD. Seven university-affiliated hospitals in Korea have participated in the study. The aim of this study was to construct an online registration system for the multi-institutional researchers that facilitates efficient collection and management of COPD patient data. This study has presented three basic strategies-accurate data input, convenient data completion, and real-time data management-to supplement the demerits of existing offline clinical study. The proposed online registration system has already been applied to a multi-institutional clinical study and was acknowledged for its high performance.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.184-194
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• 1999

Backgrounds : The advent of penicillin has led to the marked reduction in the mortality from pneumococcal bacteremia, however, the mortality is still relatively high in this post-antibiotic era. Actually the prevalence of infection due to penicillin-resistant penumococci is increasing worldwide, and it is especially high in Korea due to irrelevant use of antibiotics. So, the high mortality of pneumococcal sepsis might be related to the emergence of penicillin-resistant strains, however, many other antibiotics, which eradicate pneumococci effectively, are available in these days. This has led us to suspect the role of penicillin-resistance in the high mortality rate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of penicillin resistance on the mortality of patients with penumococcal bacte remia. Methods: The study population consisted of 50 adult patients with penumococcal bacteremia who were admitted between Jan, 1990 and July, 1997. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Most of the patients (96%) had underlying diseases. The most common local disease associated with pneumococcal bacteremia was pneumonia (42%), which was followed by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (14%), cholangitis (10%), meningitis (8%), liver abscess (4%), pharyngotonsillitis (4%), sinusitis (2%) and cellulitis (2%). While the overall case-fatality rate in this study was 24%, it was higher when peumococcal bacteremia was associated with pneumonia (42%) or meningitis (50%). The rate of penicillin resistance was 40%, which was increased rapidly from 1991. The rate of penicillin resistance was significantly higher in patients with the history of recent antibiotics use and hospitalization within 3 months respectively. The clinical manifestations, that is, age, severity of underlying diseases, nosocomial infection, associated local diseases, and the presence of shock or acute renal failure were not statistically different between the patients with penicillin-resistant and -sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. The mortality of patients infected with penicillin-resistant pneumococci was not statistically different from those with penicillin-sensitive pneumococcal bacteremia. Conclusion: Penicillin resistance is not associated with high mortality in adult patients with pneumococcal bacteremia. As the overall mortality is high, active penumococcal vaccination is recommended in patients with high risk of infection.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.1_2
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• pp.43-50
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• 1998

Induction and purification of the GroEL homolog from Streptococcus pneumolliae were characterized. The stress conditions were determined by temperature, ethanol, NaCI, $H_2O_2$ methyl methanesulfonate, and ethyl methanesulfonate. And stress induced proteins were analyzed using [$^{35}S$]-methionine labeling method. Heat shock induced the synthesis of a set of about 3 heat shock proteins (hsps) (65, 73, and 84-kDa). Of those 3 hsps, a 65 kDa protein, hsp65, was purified by DEAE-Sephacel and ATP-agarose column chromatography, and used for antibody preparation. Immunoblot analysis employing antisera raised against pneumococcus hsp65 demonstrated cross-reactivity with a 60 kDa protein in Eschericha coli. Also cross reaction of the purified p65 with anti-Escherichia coli GroEL monoclonal antibody demonstrated that pneumococcal hsp65 is the GroEL homolog.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2003

Backgroung : The incidence of penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae(PRSP) accounts for almost 70% of all pneumococcal pneumonia cases in Korea. It is still unclear as to whether the efficacy of penicillin or equally active beta-lactam agents is compromised in PRSP pneumonia. This study investigated the prevalence of PRSP in community-acquired pneumonia and its clinical course. Methods : A total of 42 patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia were evaluated from July 1999 to May 2001. The cultured strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were divided into susceptible, intermediately resistant, and resistant strains by an E-test, and the effect of the clinical course was investigated. Results : From a total of 42 patients, 22 (52.4%) patients had an intermediate resistance (MIC $0.1-1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and six (14.3%) showed a high resistance ($MIC{\geq}2.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) with current penicillin susceptibility categories. However, according to the classification of the DRSPTWG (Drug Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Therapeutic Working Group), there were 11 cases (26.2%) of intermediate resistance and no case of high resistance. Under empirical antimicrobial treatment, there was no difference in the clinical outcome between the penicillin susceptible and resistant group. Conclusion : The clinical outcome of PRSP pneumonia with empirical therapy was acceptable. These results suggest that the current MIC breakpoint for penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae has been set at a very low level and penicillin resistance according to the NCCLS classification does not significantly influence the outcome of the empirical treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.165-170
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• 1994

B군 연쇄상구균(group B streptococcus or Streptococcus agalactiae)은 신생아 뇌막염과 균혈증의 원인균으로 알려져 있고, 우리나라에서는 현재까지 23예의 신생아 B군 연쇄상구균 감염 임상 증례가 보고되었다. 그러나 성인에서의 B군 연쇄상구균 분리 동정에 대한 분석은 보고되었으나, 폐렴 증례는 아직 보고된 바 없고, S. agalactiae의 penicillin에 대한 최소억제농도가 대표적 연쇄상구균인 S. pyogenes 보다 높고 동물실험 및 시험관검사에서 penicillin과 aminoglycoside을 병합사용할 경우 상승작용이 관찰되었기 때문에, 치료제로 penicillin 또는 cephalosporin 을 aminoglycoside와 병합투여하여야 하는 특정을 지니고 있다. 저자들은 74세 남자 당뇨 환자에서 B군 연쇄상구균에 의한 폐렴과 패혈증이 발생한 증례를 치험하여 보고하고자 한다.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between respiratory virus infection and pneumococcal colonization in children. Methods: From May 2009 to June 2010, nasopharyngeal (NP) aspirates were obtained from patients under 18 years old who visited Seoul National University Children's Hospital for respiratory symptoms. NP samples were used to detect respiratory viruses (influenza virus A and B, parainfluenza virus 1, 2 and 3, respiratory syncytial virus A and B, adenovirus, rhinovirus A/B, human metapneumovirus, human coronavirus 229E/NL63 and OC43/HKU1) by RT-PCR and pneumococcus by culture. Results: Median age of the patients was 27 months old. A total of 1,367 NP aspirates were tested for respiratory viruses and pneumococcus. Pneumococcus was isolated from 228 (16.7%) of samples and respiratory viruses were detected from 731 (53.5%). Common viruses were rhinovirus (18.4%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A (10.6%), adenovirus (6.9%), influenza virus A (6.8%). Pneumococcal isolation rate was significantly higher in the cases of positive virus detection than negative detection [21.3% (156/731) vs. 11.3% (72/636), P <0.001]. For individual viruses, pneumococcal isolation rate was positively associated with detection of influenza virus A [24.7% (23/93) vs 16.1% (205/1274), P=0.001], RSV A [28.3% (41/145) vs 15.3% (187/1222), P=0.001], RSV B [31.3% (10/32) vs 16.3% (218/1335), P=0.042], rhinovirus A/B [22.6% (57/252) vs 15.3% (171/1115), P=0.010]. Conclusion: The study revealed that pneumococcal isolation from NP aspirates is related with respiratory virus detection. The result of this study could be used to investigate how respiratory viruses and pneumococcus cause clinical diseases.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the vaccination rate for pneumococcus among aged 65 or older, and at the same time to determine the reasons for vaccination or non-vaccination. Methods: The population of this study was aged 65 or older, with a total of 1,150 subjects to be analyzed and a computer assisted telephone interviewing was used. The survey included pneumococcal vaccination status, reasons of vaccination, sources of information on vaccination, reasons for not vaccination, and other related factors. Results: The vaccination rate for pneumococcus among aged 65 or older was 56.2 percent, lower than 69.0 percent in the U.S. (2017), and 69.2 percent in the U.K. (2019). Among the factors related to the pneumococcal vaccination, the groups with the high vaccination rate were women, low age groups, residents of urban areas, people without a job, people with high education, medical insurance subscribers, married people, and people who have family members. In addition, the groups with high vaccination rates were those with high awareness, those who received recommendations from doctors, those who had vaccination records, those who believed in vaccination effects, and those who saw public service advertisements. Conclusions: In the future, it is necessary to develop alternatives to accurately manage vaccination records for adults who are not eligible for state support, and regular adult vaccination rates should be calculated so that they can be used as evidence for the country's infection control policy.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.62-65
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• 2003

A procedure to increase the stability of 6B capsular polysaccharide on microbead surface in the mutibead assay, a serotyping method for Streptococcus pneumoniae, was studied. Pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide 6B was conjugated to bvine serum albumin (BSA), and the coating efficiency and the stability of the 6B-BSA complex was measured. The 6B-BSA complex showed about 200-fold higher coating efficiency to polystyrene surface than 6B polysaccharide. And the stability of the 6B- BSA to be used in the multibead assay for 30 days after coating.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Dyers and Finishers Conference
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• 2011.03a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2011

현재 우리들 사회의 환경과 생활이 윤택해 짐에 따라 문화생활을 영위하게 되고, 건강에 대한 의식이 커져가고 있다. 이에 건강을 유지하고 증진시킬 수 있는 환경 친화적인 제품에 대한 관심 또한 높아지고 있다. 특히 기존의 합성염료보다 천연염료로 염색한 제품은 고부가가치를 창출하며 환경친화적이고 인체친화적이다. 이를 바탕으로 Cleaner제품에 천연염색을 하고 천연항균제를 처리하여 제품의 세탁 후 항균지속성에 관하여 검토하였다. 본 연구에서는 대나무섬유와 N/P극세사 혼방소재에 꼭두서니와 치자로 염색한 뒤, 욕비 1:30으로 고정하고, 5%천연항균제 용액을 제조하였다. 제조된 용액에 시료를 5분간 침지 후, Pick-up율 70%로 조정하였다. 그리고 $80^{\circ}C$에서 20분간 건조 후, $110^{\circ}C$에서 1분간 열처리 하였다. KS K IOS 105-C06의 방법으로 30회 세탁하였다. KS K 0693과 AATCC 100의 시험방법으로 Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538(황색포도상구균)과 Klebsiella pneumoniae ATTC 4352(폐렴구균)의 균주에 대한 항균성을 측정하였다. KS K 0693의 경우 Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538(황색포도상구균)와 Klebsiella pneumoniae ATTC 4352(폐렴구균)에서 모두 99.9%의 정균감소률을 나타내었고, 또한 AATCC 100에서도 Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538(황색포도상구균)과 Klebsiella pneumoniae ATTC 4352(폐렴구균)에서도 모두 99.9%의 정균감소률을 나타냈다.