• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.299-306
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• 2012

Recently, the prevalence of 16S rRNA methylase conferring high-level resistance to aminoglycosides has been increasing in Gram-negative bacilli globally. We determined the prevalence and genotype of these methylase-producing bacteria, and characterized the co-resistance to ${\beta}$-lactam antibiotics and quinolone in Gram-negative clinical isolates collected in 2010 at a hospital in Korea. Among 65 amikacin-resistant isolates screened from 864 Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), 16S rRNA methylase genes were detected from 49 isolates, including Acinetobacter baumannii (43), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2), Proteus mirabilis (2) and Serratia marcescens (1), Empedobacter brevis (1). All of the 16S rRNA methylase genotype was armA and no variant sequences of amplified PCR products for armA were noted. The 16S rRNA methylase producing bacteria showed much higher resistance to aminoglycoside for Enterobacteriaceae and glucose non-fermenting (NF)-GNB and to imipenem for glucose NF-GNB, than the non-producing isolates. All of the 16S rRNA methylase producing Enterobacteriaceae had the extended-spectrum-${\beta}$-lactamase. In addition, two K. pneumoniae concurrently produced both plasmid-mediated AmpC ${\beta}$-lactamase and qnrB gene. All of the amikacin-resistant A. baumannii (43) co-harbored armA 16S rRNA methylase and $bla_{OXA-23}$ carbapenemase. In conclusion, 16S rRNA methylase producing bacteria were very prevalent among GNB in South Korea, and were commonly associated with co-resistance, including carbapenem and quinolone.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.176-190
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• 2019

A total of 38 bacterial strains within the classes Bacilli and Deinococci were isolated from various sources in Korea. Samples were collected from animal intestine, urine, soil, tidal flat mud, and kimchi. In the sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences, the 38 isolates were assigned to the classes Bacilli and Deinococci with sequence similarities more than 98.7%. Twenty-four strains and 13 strains were classified the order Bacillales and Lactobacillales in the class Bacilli, respectively. In the order Bacillales, there were nine species in the genus Bacillus, seven species in the genus Paenibacillus, and the remaining eight species in the genera Domibacillus, Halobacillus, Virgibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Paenisporosarcina, Planococcus, Savagea, and Staphylococcus. In the order Lactobacillales, there were four species in the genus Lactobacillus, three species in the genus Leuconostoc, three species in the genus Lactococcus, and the remaining three species in the genera Aerococcus, Enterococcus, and Streptococcus. One species was related to the genus Deinococcus of the order Deinococcales. Most of the isolated strains were Gram-stain-positive, but some were Gram-stain-variable or Gram-stain-negative. Cells were rod or cocci-shaped. Based on the results of 16S rRNA analysis, we report 38 strains as previously unrecorded species to Korea, and the basic characteristics of strains are described herein.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 1984

This study was performed from september 26th to October 7th 1981 to investigate the contamination problems of Nurse's hands characterized by var-ious nursing functions. A total of 50 nurse's hands were sampled from 5 different wards of H. University Hospital. The samples were cultured for isolation of microorganisms. The results were as follows: 1. Of 50 Nurses 23 were found to be contaminated by 9 species of bacilli such as Non-fermentative gram negative Bacilli, Gram negative bacilli, Oxidase positive, Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Gaffkya tetragens, Bacillus subtilis. 2. The contaminate rates by wards where they have been serving are; 7 (87.5％) of 8 nurses from Intensive care unit, 7(70%) of 10 nurses from general surgery ward, 3(50%) of 6 nurses from neurosurgery ward, 2(20%) of 10 nurses from orthopedic surgery ward, 4(25%) of 10 nurses from medical ward. 3. The contamination rates by the types of clinical service offered are 6(85.7%) of 7 nurses after wound dressing assist 6 (55.3%) of 13 nurses after vital sign check. 4. No statistical significance could he observed as to the between the rates of contamination of nurse's hands with various nursing functions (0.1

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2008

Thirty two of bathroom water samples from public bathroom in Seoul areas were examined using acid-fast staining, Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) medium culture and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In 6.25% (2/32) bathroom water samples, acid-fast bacilli were detected by AFB stain, and in 21.9% (7/32) bathroom water samples, acid fast bacilli grew on L-J media. Of them, six acid-fast bacilli were identified as Mycobacterium avium, and the other AFB as Mycobacterium szulgai by PCR-RFLP. These results are suggested that accidental nontuberculosis mycobacterial infection to a weakness person will be possible in public area.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.274-276
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• 2011

Distinction of Bacillus cereus from other closely related bacilli is challenging and new efficient methods are continually demanded. From our previous work on RAPD profiles of bacilli, we found a possibility that B. cereus strains could be distinguished from other bacilli. In this work, RAPD-PCR profiles of B. cereus strains were obtained using a 10-mer (S30) as a primer, and a B. cereus specific 0.91-kb band was produced from all tested strains. The RAPD-PCR procedure also successfully detected B. cereus from spiked cheonggukjang when B. cereus cells were present at more than $10^2$/g sample.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 1993

A survey was conducted to measure concentration of airborne microbe in a hospital using RSC air sampler during October~November 1991.The result was as follows: 1) In an agar strip GK-A media for total counts of microbial particles. The highest count were 1384 CFU/m$^3$ in the main lobby, followed by 912 CFU/m$^3$, in the obstetric room, 688 CFU/m$^3$ in 1CU. By gram staining, the distribution for organisms in the air were shown 74.1% in gram possitive cocci followed by 16.8%, in gram possitive bacilli 6.7% in gram negative bacilli and 4.7% in yeast, but low organism was detected in recovery room with 194 CFU/m$^3$. 2) In agar strip S media for Staphylococci the count at the main lobby was detected in the recovery room with 92 CFU/m$^3$, Tests of coagulase were negative Staphylococci with 78%, and positive Staphylococci with 22%. The Staphylococci were highly resistance to penicillin, ampicillin and sensitive to amikacin, cefazolin, gentamycin and chloramphenicol. 3) In agar strip C media for coliform bacteria the colony counts at the main lobby was 139 CFU/m$^3$ and treatment room was 190 CFU/m$^3$, most frequently isolated microorganisms were non fermentative bacilli. 4) In agar strip HS media for yeast and molds. Most frequently colony counts 17~76 CFU/m$^3$, 0.5% lactophenol cotton blue stains were shown unidentified 77.2%, 8.1%, in Penicillium 8.1% in Aspergillus, and 3.8% in mucor.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.314-327
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• 1999

This study was investigated to isolate identify the total bacteria and fungi from the indoor air of work-place of the shoes, paint, stainless steel, and plastic industries. The number of bacterial colonies on the nutrient agar plates were calculated by the open petridish method for 30 minutes in indoor air of work-places at the autumn and winter. The isolated bacteria were identified by Gram stain and biochemical test using API Staph and API 20E kits. The isolated fungal colonies were identified by gross appearance of the giant colonies and microscopic examination of their spore and hyphal characteristics on the slide culture method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of several antibiotics against isolated bacteria was determined by the microdilution method with Mueller-Hinton broth. The 70-400 colonies in autumn and 54-236 colonies in winter were isolated from the indoor air of work-places of several industry. The isolation rates of Gram positive cocci, Gram positive bacilli, Gram negative bacilli, and Gram negative cocci were 46.3%, 19.8%, 17.3%, and 16.1%, respectively. In Gram positive cocci, the most strains were identified as Aerococcus spp, Micrococcus spp, and Staphylococcus spp. In Gram positive and negative bacilli, and Gram negative cocci were identified as Bacillus spp, Pseudomonas spp, and Neisseria spp, respectively. The frequently isolated fungi were Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp and Rhizopus spp, respectively. The frequently isolated Aerococcus spp, Micrococcus spp, and Staphylococus spp were highly resistance against ampicillin, erythromycin, methicillin, and tetracycline. These results arouse our attention to microbiologic pollution in the indoor air of work-places of industries.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2021

During a project aiming to comprehensively investigate indigenous prokaryotic species in Korea, a total of 20 bacterial strains phylogenetically belonging to the the class Bacilli of the phylum Firmicutes were isolated from various environmental sources such as soil, air, tidal flat, sea water, grain, wetland, breast milk and healthy human urine. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 20 bacterial strains showed the high sequence similarities (≥98.7%) to the closest type strains and formed robust phylogenetic clades with closely related species of validly published names in the class Bacilli of the phylum Firmicutes. In the present study, we report 20 species of 13 genera of seven families of two orders of one class in the phylum Firmicutes, which have not been previously reported in Korea. Morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics, isolation sources, and NIBR deposit numbers of these unrecorded bacterial species are described in the species descriptions.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2018

In the present study, results of the identification of Gram-positive bacilli (GPB) were analyzed by using the MALDI-TOF MS technique to score each 2-year blood culture at a university hospital. In addition, 16S rRNA sequence analyses and MALDI-TOF MS results are compared to targeting strains that had been isolated two or more times within the same patient, to evaluate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS in GPB identification. According to the cut-off (${\geq}1.7$) criteria, there were 410 (57.5%) reliable strains and 303 (42.5%) non-identified strains among the GPB identification results of 713 strains, using a microflex MALDI Biotyper (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany). The isolation appeared most often in the following order: Corynebacterium striatum, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Paenibacillus urinalis, and Listeria monocytogenes. Nearly three-fourths, 66 out of 89 (74.2%) of the strains for Corynebacterium striatum; 44 out of 60 (73.3%) strains for Bacillus cereus; and all (25 out of 25, 100%) Listeria monocytogenes strains were identified by their high scores of 2.0 or higher. Most (293 strains out of 303) non-identified strains were strains isolated only once and not significant as infectious bacilli. A total of 43 out of 50 (86.0%) strains matched and were able to be identified based on the 16 rRNA sequencing comparison results of strains that were isolated twice or more within the same patient and significant as infection bacilli. Non-matching among 5 out of 7 strains was not identified, even with MALDI-TOF MS. In conclusion, GPB can be identified in blood cultures using MALDI-TOF MS. This can be done accurately with ease, rapidly, and at a low cost. It is also thought to be helpful in GPB diagnosis and treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.729-741
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• 1997

Background : We have recently reported that airway epithelial cells can produce RANTES and IL-8 in response to the stimulation of tubercle bacilli suggesting a certain role of airway epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis. The pathogenesis of tuberculosis is determined by several factors including phagocytosis, immunological response of host, and virulence of tubercle bacilli. Interestingly, there have been reports suggesting that difference in immunological response of host according to the virulence of tubercle bacilli may be related with the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. We, therefore, studied the expressions and productions of RANTES and IL-8 in airway epithelial cells in response to tubercle bacilli(H37Rv, virulent strain and H37Ra, avirulent strain), in order to elucidate the possible pathophysiology of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods : Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from normal volunteers. Peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) were stimulated with LPS($10{\mu}g/ml$), H37Rv, or H37Ra($5{\times}10^5$ bacilli/well) along with normal control for 24 hours. A549 cells were stimulated with supernatants of cultured PBM for 24 hours. ELISA kit was used for the measurement of $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ production in supernatants of cultured PBM and for the measurement of RANTES and IL-8 in supernatants of cultured A549 cells. Northern blot analysis was used for the measurement of RANTES and IL-8 mRNA expression in cultured A549 cells. Results : $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ productions were increased in cultured PBM stimulated with LPS or tubercle bacilli(H37Rv or H37Ra) compared with the control. There was, however, no difference in $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ production between cultured PBM stimulated with H37Rv and H37Ra. RANTES and IL-8 expressions and productions were also increased in cultured A549 cells stimulated with LPS or tubercle bacilli compared with the control. RANTES and IL-8 mRNA expressions were significantly increased in cultured A549 cells stimulated with H37Ra-conditioned media(CM) compared with A549 cells stimulated with H37Rv-CM (p<0.05). However, there was no difference in RANTES and IL-8 productions between A549 cells stimulated with H37Rv-CM and H37Ra-CM. Conclusion : Airway epithelial cells can produce the potent chemokines such as RANTES and IL-8, in response to the stimulation of tubercle bacilli. These results suggest that airway epithelial cells may play a certain role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the role of airway epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis according to the virulence of tubercle bacilli was not clear in this study.