• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is now a major community-acquired pathogen worldwide, notably associated with skin and soft tissue infections. Staphylococci are present in the form of colonizers or environmental contaminants at home and increase the risk of recurrent infection. We are describing recurrent familial furunculosis caused by Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive methicillin susceptible S. aureus ST1 in Korea. An infant, his father and mother had furunculosis due to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) infection with identical susceptibility patterns. ST1 accounted for all 3 isolates and they were confirmed of having agr group I. Both sec and seh were detected in all isolates using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, and all isolates contained Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes. Risk factors for the household spread of S. aureus include skin conditions and close physical contact among household members. The relationship between S. aureus colonization of household contacts and the occurrence of S. aureus infection should be studied into more detail.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.318-322
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• 2014

Chlamydophila pneumonia is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia throughout the world. It causes mild pneumonia or bronchitis in adolescents and young adults. Older adults may experience more severe disease and repeated infections. To the best of our knowledge, no study has attempted to investigate the prevalence of C. pneumonia in a closed community in Korea. We compared the infection rate of C. pneumonia among university dormitory residents using the miro-immunofluorescence (MIF) method. Antibody titers of IgG (1:32 or more) indicate past infection of C. pneumonia. A recent infection was defined as serum with a high titer of IgG (1:512 or more) or a positive IgM (1:16 or more). The past infection rate of C. pneumonia among the university dormitory residents was 71.7%. The recent infection rate of C. pneumonia according to IgG and IgM titers was 28.3% and 23.3%, respectively. The past infection positive rate according to the number of residence months was 1 month (50%), 7 months (71.4%), 13 months (66.7%), and 35 months (89.5%). The recent infection positive rate according to IgG antibody titers was 1 month (50%), 7 months (28.6%), 13 months (33.3%), and 35 months (10.5%). The recent infection rate of C. pneumonia according to IgM antibody titers was 1 month (41.7%), 7 months (28.6%), 13 months (26.7%), and 35 months (5.3%). The results suggest that the past infection rate of C. pneumonia is increased by the number of residence months in a closed community and that the recent infection rate of C. pneumonia according to IgG and IgM serological tests is decreased by the number of residence months.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.50-53
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• 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-recognized human pathogen that causes a wide range of infections as a result of its extensive virulence factors. One of these factors is Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), a potent pore-forming cytotoxin that has been linked to invasive S. aureus infections. PVL is one of the important virulence factors for S. aureus and has been largely recognized as one of the markers for community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. However, the presence of PVL in methicillin-susceptible S. aureus infections is not widely reported in the literature. Thrombotic sequelae of S. aureus infections associated with PVL expression are uncommon in children. We hereby report two children with thrombotic complications associated with PVL-producing methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. Both patients responded well to antibiotic and anticoagulant therapies, and survived without any long-term sequelae.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.183-187
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• 2022

The current Covid-19 pandemic has changed the entire world and bought so many unprecedented challenges to the scientific community. More than 5 million people died due to the SARS-COV-2 outbreak. For many thousands of years, ginseng, the traditional herb has been used for various infectious diseases by traditional healers. Ginseng showed promising antiviral effects by modulating both natural and acquired immunity. Ginseng might be used as a potential therapeutic agent to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection along with the vaccine. In this current review, we offer an alternative approach for SARS-COV-2 prevention during this unprecedented pandemic.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.5
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• pp.207-214
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• 2013

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of death among the elderly. Several studies have reported the clinical usefulness of serum procalcitonin, a biomarker of bacterial infection. However, the association between the levels of procalcitonin and the severity in the elderly with CAP has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate usefulness of procalcitonin as a predictor of severity and mortality in the elderly with CAP. Methods: This study covers 155 CAP cases admitted to Pusan National University Hospital between January 2010 and December 2010. Patients were divided into two groups (${\geq}65$ years, n=99; <65 years, n=56) and were measured for procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell, confusion, uremia, respiratory rate, blood pressure, 65 years or older (CURB-65) and pneumonia severity of index (PSI). Results: The levels of procalcitonin were significantly correlated with the CURB-65, PSI in totals. Especially stronger correlation was observed between the levels of procalcitonin and CURB-65 in the elderly (procalcitonin and CURB-65, ${\rho}$=0.408 with p<0.001; procalcitonin and PSI, ${\rho}$=0.293 with p=0.003; procalcitonin and mortality, ${\rho}$=0.229 with p=0.023). The correlation between the levels of CRP or WBC and CAP severity was low. The existing cut-off value of procalcitonin was correlated with mortality rate, however, it was not correlated with mortality within the elderly. Conclusion: The levels of procalcitonin are more useful than the levels of CRP or WBC to predict the severity of CAP. However, there was no association between the levels of procalcitonin and mortality in the elderly.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.152-161
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• 2008

Purpose : Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (4S) is uncommon, but reports of 4S are on the increase during the recent years. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical features and associated factors of 4S during the recent 10 years. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and microbiologic results of 63 patients (27 neonates and 36 children) from January 1998 to December 2007. Results : Since 2003, the incidence of 4S has increased. The mean age of the patients was 16.3 months and the gender ratio was 1:1. The clinical types of 4S were 38 cases of the abortive type (60%), 19 cases of the intermediate type (30%) and 6 cases of the generalized type (10%). The culture results were 36 cases of Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 4 cases of Methicillin sensitive S. aureus and 17 cases of no growth. The patients were treated with semi-synthetic penicillin. For the 9 patients who had MRSA isolated and who didn't improve with penicillin, they were treated with vancomycin instead of penicillin. All the patients had no complications. 4S abruptly increased in 2005, and especially in neonates, due to an MRSA outbreak at a local nursery room. The associated factors of 4S in neonates were hospitalization (27 cases), including nursery infection in 2005 (18 cases) and dermatitis (1 case). There was an unknown origin for some children, and the suggested factors for their infection were community acquired infection (24 cases), atopic dermatitis (9 cases) and hospitalization (3 cases). Conclusion : 4S has recently been increasing. The major associated factors of 4S are a history of hospitalization, an outbreak in a nursery room, atopic dermatitis and community acquired infection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2005

Purpose : S. pneumoniae is one of major pathogens of community-acquired respiratory infections. The rate of antibiotic resistance to this organism has increased, and resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents in a single strain of S. pneumoniae may compromise the efficacy of empiric antimicrobial treatment commonly used for respiratory infections. We did this study to find out the penicillin resistant distributions and oral antibiotics susceptibility patterns against S. pneumoniae, isolated from pediatric patients with community-acquired respiratory infections in Korea. Methods : One hundred fifty six pneumococcal isolates obtained from pediatric patients with community-acquired respiratory infections such as acute otitis media(AOM), sinusitis and pneumonia between May 2000 to June 2003. And MICs of penicillin and oral antibiotics(amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefaclor) were performed by broth microdilution methods according to the NCCLS(2003a). Results : Seventy eight percent of the isolates were resistant to penicillin. The isolates, collected from AOM patients showed the highest penicillin resistance(92.7%). The resistant rates of amoxicillin (16.7%) and amoxicillin-clavulanate(9.6%), based on susceptibility breakpoints established by the NCCLS, were markedly lower than these of penicillin. But, the resistant rate of cefaclor was very high, above 95%. Conclusion : We concluded that pneumococci isolated from study cases may be one of the world's highest penicillin resistant rates. But, amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate can be used as a first-line antibiotics. Finally, we hope that a continuous surveillance study to monitor resistant patterns of pneumococcal respiratory infections will be needed for the standard guidelines of empiric antibiotic treatment.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2007

Purpose : Human coronanviruses (hCovs) including hCoV-229E and hCoV-OC43 have been known as etiologic agents of the common colds and were regarded as clinically insignificant agents. However, recent identification of hCoV-NL63 and hCoV-HKU1 in children with lower respiratory tract infections has evoked the clinical concerns about their prevalence and the clinical significance of these hCoVs in children. This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of hCoVs in children with community-acquired pneumonia. Methods : From March 2006 to January 2007, nasopharyngeal specimens collected from children hospitalized with pneumonia, were tested for the presence of common respiratory viruses (respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A, influenza B, parainfluenza viruses, and adenovirus) using multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection was excluded by nested RT-PCR using primers for the F-gene. To detect the different strains of hCoVs, nested RT-PCR assays specific for hCoVNL63, hCoV-OC43, hCoV-229E, and hCoV-HKU1 were performed. Results : Out of the 217 nasopharyngeal aspirate from children aged under 15 years, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was detected in 32 patients, hMPV in 18, human parainfluenza virus in 10, influenza virus A in 2, and adenovirus in 6. HCoVs were detected by RT-PCR in 8 (3.7%) of the 217 patients, hCoV-229E in 1, hCoV-NL63 in 3, and hCoVOC43 in 4 patients. HCoV-HKU1 was not detected in this study population. Conclusion : Recently identified hCoV-NL63 and hCoV-HKU1 seemed to have a little clinical significance in Korean children with severe or hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 2006

Invasive Pseudomonas infections most often occur in the immunocompromised patients and are associated with high mortality rate. Rarely this disease may develop in healthy infants and children. We report two cases of invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections that were diagnosed in otherwise healthy infants. The first case was a previously healthy 5-month-old infant with ecthyma gangrenosum and septicemia. She presented with fever, swelling of left periorbital area and multiple erythronodular skin lesions. Each skin lesion formed a black eschar surrounded by an erythematous areola over time. Cultures of blood, urine and discharge from skin lesions grew P. aeruginosa. On the day of visit, she showed pancytopenia which was normalized after 10 days. The patient responded well to the management with ceftazidime and tobramycin. The other case was a previously healthy 9-month-old infant with community-acquired pneumonia. He was referred from an outside hospital with fever and cough. Chest x-ray revealed pneumonic infiltrations on both lower lungs with pleural effusion on the right side. Cultures of blood and pleural fluid grew P. aeruginosa. Chest CT performed on the ninth day demonstrated pneumatoceles, lung abscess and necrosis of lung parenchyma. He was managed with ceftazidime and amikacin for 50 days. No residual pulmonary complications were noted during the three month follow-up. Laboratory results to evaluate immunologic defects of phagocytic cells, complement components and T- and B-lymphocytes were all within normal range in both patients. It should be kept in mind that Pseudomonas can be, though uncommon, a cause of community-acquired invasive infections in the previously healthy infants.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.515-520
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• 2007

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is the leading cause of pneumonia in older children and young adults. Normally, it does not progress to a condition requiring hospitalization but improves spontaneously or has a mild clinical course. We report two cases of M. pneumoniae pneumonia with different clinical manifestations from the normal course. The patients were young healthy individuals. The diagnoses were made by serology. However, it could not be determined beforehand that they had M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Based on the empirical treatment strategy of severe community acquired pneumonia, the patients were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics including cephalosporin, quinolone and macrolide. After administering the antibiotics, they showed a gradually favorable clinical course and recovered without residual complications. A M. pneumoniae infection should be considered as a cause of severe community acquired pneumonia, and empirical treatment targeting this organism might be helpful in treating patients with the severe manifestation.