• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.183-187
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• 2013

Barley kernel discoloration (KD) leads to substantial loss in value through downgrading and discounting of malting barley. The objective of this research is to investigate fungal distribution and varieties resistance to KD in Korean two-rowed barley. Several fungal organisms including Alternaria spp., Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp., Epicoccum spp. and Rhizopus spp. were isolated from Korean two-rowed barley representing KD. The symptoms of KD were brown and black discolorations of the lemma and palea. The most frequently detected fungal species was Alternaria spp. which exhibited 69.1% and 72.2% in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Epicoccum spp., Fusarium spp., and Aspergillus spp. were also detected. Fusarium spp., primary pathogen of barley head blight, were rarely occurred in the 2011 and their occurrence increased to 4.7% in 2012. Twenty cultivars of Korean two-rowed barely were evaluated to KD. The average percentage of KD was 8.0-36.0% in 2011 and 5.2-36.6% in 2012. Two cultivars ('Sacheon 6' and 'Dajinbori') showed KD of 6.2% to 8.8% and determined resistant, however 'Samdobori' and 'Daeyeongbori' demonstrating KD of 22.2-36.6% were highly susceptible. 'Jinyangbori', 'Danwonbori', 'Sinhobori' and 'Kwangmaegbori' showing KD of less than 15% were moderately resistant cultivar.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 1996

A microorganism producing carboxymethyl-cellulase (CMCase) was isolated from 300 soil and compost samples. The isolate was identified as Bacillus sp. by $Biolog^{TM}$ test and fatty acid analysis, and named as Bacillus sp. KD1014. The isolate could degrade, in addition to CMC, various kinds of polysaccharides such as levan, xylan, starch, and filter paper but hardly degrade microcrystalline Avicel. The optimum growth and CMCase production of the isolate was observed between 16-and 25 hr-culture at 45$^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0. The maximum CMCase activity was observed at pH 4.5 and 6$0^{\circ}C$. The CMCase was found to bind to Avicel. The CMCase was internally cleaved as growth continued. When crude supernatant was used for activity staining, three major bands were detected on a native gel, however, only one major band was detected on a denaturating gel after removal of the detergent.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.205-208
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• 2007

Purpose : Vascular endothelial cell damage and alteration of a fibrinolytic system was suggested to play a role in the development of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease (KD). D-dimer is one of the markers of endothelial damage and fibrinolysis. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of D-dimer to differentiate KD from other febrile diseases and predict coronary artery abnormalities in KD. Methods : Sixty eight patients diagnosed as KD and twenty eight patients presented with acute febrile illnesses other than KD from September 2005 to July 2006 were included. Blood levels of D-dimer and various inflammatory markers were measured before treatment and the clinical course of KD was followed. Serial echocardiography was performed at the onset of disease and thereafter at a monthly interval for at least 2 months. Results : KD patients showed a higher D-dimer level than febrile controls, but the difference was not significant ($1.21{\pm}0.77{\mu}g/mL$ vs $0.92{\pm}0.71{\mu}g/mL$, P=0.083). Neither was the difference between KD patients who had coronary artery abnormalities and those who had not ($1.49{\pm}0.98{\mu}g/mL$ vs $1.15{\pm}0.71{\mu}g/mL$, P=0.169). D-dimer was significantly correlated with other inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in both KD patients and febrile controls. Conclusion : D-dimer was not specific for KD. But it may be useful as an inflammatory marker to assess the severity of KD.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.666-672
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• 1995

This study was carried out to characterize thermolabile pectinesterase (TLPE) and thermostable pectinesterase (TSPE) separated from crude PE of Valencia orange in order to investigate the preventive measures of cloudy juice clarification. The TLPE was observed to be mixture of several isoenzymes with the same molecular weight of 36 KD (37.5 KD) but different isoelectric point of pH 8.4, 8.7, 8.9, 9.8 and ${\geq}10$ which were unstable at $70^{\circ}C$, and the TSPE also was found to be mixture of two or three isoenzymes with the same molecular weight of 53 KD (50 KD) but different isoelectric point of pH 8.7, 9.2 and ${\geq}10$ which had slightly different stability from one another at $70^{\circ}C$. The TLPE and the TSPE had the optimum reaction pH of 7.0 and $7.0{\sim}8.5,\;appK_{M}$ of 1.1 and 1.7 mg/ml, appVmax of 0.53 and $1.01\;{\mu}mol/min/{\mu}g$, and the turnover number of 19.000 and 54,000 mol/mol/min toward Kodak pectin, respectively. The TSPE had higher storage stabiblity and cloud loss effect on orange juice than the TLPE. Above all, the crude PE was most effective on orange juice cloud loss among the PEs used.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.80-90
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• 2016

Purpose: Studies have been conducted to identify predictive factors of resistance to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for Kawasaki disease (KD). However, the results are conflicting. This study aimed to identify laboratory factors predictive of resistance to high-dose IVIG for KD by performing meta-analysis of available studies using statistical techniques. Methods: All relevant scientific publications from 2006 to 2014 were identified through PubMed searches. For studies in English on KD and IVIG resistance, predictive factors were included. A meta-analysis was performed that calculated the effect size of various laboratory parameters as predictive factors for IVIG-resistant KD. Results: Twelve studies comprising 2,745 patients were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated significant effect sizes for several laboratory parameters: polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) 0.698 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.469-0.926), C-reactive protein (CRP) 0.375 (95% CI, 0.086-0.663), pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) 0.561 (95% CI, 0.261-0.861), total bilirubin 0.859 (95% CI, 0.582-1.136), alanine aminotransferase (AST) 0.503 (95% CI, 0.313-0.693), aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) 0.436 (95% CI, 0.275-0.597), albumin 0.427 (95% CI, -0.657 to -0.198), and sodium 0.604 (95% CI, -0.839 to -0.370). Particularly, total bilirubin, PMN, sodium, pro-BNP, and AST, in descending numerical order, demonstrated more than a medium effect size. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, laboratory predictive factors for IVIG-resistant KD included higher total bilirubin, PMN, pro-BNP, AST, ALT, and CRP, and lower sodium and albumin. The presence of several of these predictive factors should alert clinicians to the increased likelihood that the patient may not respond adequately to initial IVIG therapy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2012

Purpose: Transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 ($TGFBR2$) is a tumor suppressor gene that plays a role in the differentiation of striated cells and remodeling of coronary arteries. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of this gene are associated with Marfan syndrome and sudden death in patients with coronary artery disease. Cardiovascular remodeling and T cell activation of $TGFBR2$ gene suggest that the $TGFBR2$ gene SNPs are related to the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD) and coronary artery lesion (CAL). Methods: The subjects were 105 patients with KD and 500 healthy adults as controls. Mean age of KD group was 32 months age and 26.6% of those had CAL. We selected $TGFBR2$ gene SNPs from serum and performed direct sequencing. Results: The sequences of the eleven SNPs in the $TGFBR2$ gene were compared between the KD group and controls. Three SNPs (rs1495592, rs6550004, rs795430) were associated with development of KD ($P$=0.019, $P$=0.026, $P$=0.016, respectively). One SNP (rs1495592) was associated with CAL in KD group ($P$=0.022). Conclusion: Eleven SNPs in $TGFBR2$ gene were identified at that time the genome wide association. But, with the change of the data base, only six SNPs remained associated with the $TGFBR2$ gene. One of the six SNPs (rs6550004) was associated with development of KD. One SNP associated with CAL (rs1495592) was disassociated from the $TGFBR2$ gene. The other five SNPs were not functionally identified, but these SNPs are notable because the data base is changing. Further studies involving larger group of patients with KD are needed.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2016

Purpose: The diagnosis of Kawasaki disease depends on clinical symptoms, which makes it difficult to diagnose early in patients with only cervical lymphadenopathy. The purpose of this study is to understand the clinical characteristics of cervical-lymph-node-first presentation of Kawasaki disease and compare them with those of typical Kawasaki disease. Methods: We surveyed 283 patients who were admitted to Hallym Sacred Heart Hospital and were diagnosed with Kawasaki disease from January 2012 to December 2014. The patients were divided into two groups: cervical-lymph-node-first presentation of Kawasaki disease (LKD, N=24) and typical Kawasaki disease (KD, N=259). The medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The mean age of the LKD group was higher than that of the KD group (P=0.04). At admission, the LKD patients had on average 1.62 out of 5 symptoms, whereas the KD patients had 3.47. The time from fever to diagnosis and administration of IV immunoglobulin was longer in the LKD group than in the KD group (P<0.001). The mean C-reactive protein of the LKD group was higher than that of the KD group (P=0.01). There were no statistical differences in the presence of coronary artery complications between the two groups at two weeks or at two months after diagnosis (P=0.52, P=0.08). Conclusions: The Kawasaki disease patients with fever and cervical lymphadenopathy usually do not present obvious clinical symptoms, which makes it hard to diagnose in the early phase of disease. Clinician must pay attention when examining these patients.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.788-794
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• 2009

Both strains of KD-1212 and DAH-1056 were isolated and identified from animal manure-contaminated soil by screening bacterial strains for the removal of sulfur compound-malodor with such substrate as sodium thiosulfate or free sulfur. Then the characteristics on the incubation of these microbes were observed under various incubating-condition such as pH, temperature, aerobic or anaerobic, substrate(sulfur compound) concentration, nitrogen and carbon source and rotating speed for mixing, and the optimum incubating condition was established. The optimum pHs of KD-1212 and DAH-1056 were 7.0 and 4.0, respectively, and their optimum temperatures were in the range of $30{\sim}35^{\circ}C$. Another autotrophic strain, ED-1138, was isolated from contaminated soil. The strain DAH-1056 excelled a strain Thiobacillus sp. IW in eliminating hydrogen sulfide during the process of malodor-biofiltration with a fixed strain. The characteristics on the incubation of strain KD-1212 were observed under various substrate-concentrations, nitrogen and carbon sources. KD-1212 favored glucose and maltose, and yeast extract as carbon sources and nitrogen source, respectively. The optimum concentrations of substrate and nitrogen source were 25 mM of sodium thiosulfate and 0.5% yeast extract, respectively for the growth of strain KD-1212.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.470-473
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this prospective case-control study was to survey the detection rate of respiratory viruses in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) by using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and to investigate the clinical implications of the prevalence of respiratory viruses during the acute phase of KD. Methods: RT-PCR assays were carried out to screen for the presence of respiratory syncytial virus A and B, adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza viruses 1 to 4, influenza virus A and B, metapneumovirus, bocavirus, coronavirus OC43/229E and NL63, and enterovirus in nasopharyngeal secretions of 55 KD patients and 78 control subjects. Results: Virus detection rates in KD patients and control subjects were 32.7% and 30.8%, respectively (P=0.811). However, there was no significant association between the presence of any of the 15 viruses and the incidence of KD. Comparisons between the 18 patients with positive RT-PCR results and the other 37 KD patients revealed no significant differences in terms of clinical findings (including the prevalence of incomplete presentation of the disease) and coronary artery diameter. Conclusion: A positive RT-PCR for currently epidemic respiratory viruses should not be used as an evidence against the diagnosis of KD. These viruses were not associated with the incomplete presentation of KD and coronary artery dilatation.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 2018

Purpose: To differentiate adenoviral pharyngoconjunctival fever (PCF) from acute Kawasaki disease (KD) using laboratory tests before results of virus-real time polymerase chain reaction and ophthalmologic examination are obtained. Methods: Baseline patient characteristics and laboratory measurements were compared between 40 patients with adenovirus infection and 123 patients with KD. Results: The patients with adenovirus infection were generally older than those with KD (median: 3.9 years vs. 2 years, P=0.000). White blood cell and, platelet count, and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels showed significant differences between the 2 groups, but the C-reactive protein (CRP) levels did not ($6.8{\pm}3.0mg/dL$ vs. $8.3{\pm}5.8mg/dL$, P=0.126). In the adenovirus infection group, the CRP levels were <1, <3, <10, and ${\geq}10mg/dL$ in 2 (5%), 3 (7.5%), 30 (75%), and 5 patients (12.5%), respectively. The cutoff NT-proBNP level was 265 pg/mL. Discrepancy was defined as CRP and NT-proBNP levels of ${\geq}3$ or <3 mg/dL, and <265 or ${\geq}265pg/mL$, respectively. Among the 35 patients with adenovirus infection whose CRP levels were ${\geq}3mg/dL$, 29 (82.9%) showed a discrepancy. Conversely, of the 103 patients with KD whose CRP levels were ${\geq}3mg/dL$, 83 (80.6%) showed no discrepancy. Between the groups, a significant difference in discrepancy rate was observed (P=0.000). None of the patients with adenovirus infection had CRP and NT-proBNP levels of <3 mg/dL and ${\geq}265pg/mL$, respectively. Conclusion: With a sensitivity of 82.9% and a specificity of 80.6%, CRP and NT-proBNP levels may differentiate between adenoviral PCF and acute KD.