• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권3호
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• pp.237-244
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• 2021

Background: The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), is a major menace to cast off TB worldwide. Line probe assay (LPA; GenoType MTBDRplus ver. 2) and Xpert MTB/RIF assays are two rapid molecular TB detection/diagnostic tests. To compare the performance of LPA and Xpert MTB/RIF assay for early diagnosis of rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB in acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear-positive and negative sputum samples. Methods: A total 576 presumptive AFB patients were selected and subjected to AFB microscopy, Xpert MTB/RIF assay and recent version of LPA (GenoType MTBDRplus assay version 2) tests directly on sputum samples. Results were compared with phenotypic culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST). DNA sequencing was performed with rpoB gene for samples with discordant rifampicin susceptibility results. Results: Among culture-positive samples, Xpert MTB/RIF assay detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in 97.3% (364/374) of AFB smear-positive samples and 76.5% (13/17) among smear-negative samples, and the corresponding values for LPA test (valid results with Mtb control band) were 97.9% (366/374) and 58.8% (10/17), respectively. For detection of RR among Mtb positive molecular results, the sensitivity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay and LPA (after resolving discordant phenotypic DST results with DNA sequencing) were found to be 96% and 99%, respectively. Whereas, specificity of both test for detecting RR were found to be 99%. Conclusion: We conclude that although Xpert MTB/RIF assay is comparatively superior to LPA in detecting Mtb among AFB smear-negative pulmonary TB. However, both tests are equally efficient in early diagnosis of AFB smear-positive presumptive RR-TB patients.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권12호
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• pp.1537-1546
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• 2022

Staphylococcus aureus is a cause of high mortality in humans and therefore it is necessary to prevent its transmission and reduce infections. Our goals in this research were to investigate the frequency of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and assess the relationship between the phenotypic antimicrobial sensitivity patterns and the genes responsible for resistance. In addition, we examined the antimicrobial efficiency and application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against MRSA isolates. Seventy-two nasal swabs were taken from patients; MRSA was cultivated on Mannitol Salt Agar supplemented with methicillin, and 16S rRNA sequencing was conducted in addition to morphological and biochemical identification. Specific resistance genes such as ermAC, aacA-aphD, tetKM, vatABC and mecA were PCR-amplified and resistance plasmids were also investigated. The MRSA incidence was ~49 % among the 72 S. aureus isolates and all MRSA strains were resistant to oxacillin, penicillin, and cefoxitin. However, vancomycin, linezolid, teicoplanin, mupirocin, and rifampicin were effective against 100% of MRSA strains. About 61% of MRSA strains exhibited multidrug resistance and were resistant to 3-12 antimicrobial medications (MDR). Methicillin resistance gene mecA was presented in all MDR-MRSA strains. Most MDR-MRSA contained a plasmid of > 10 kb. To overcome bacterial resistance, AgNPs were applied and displayed high antimicrobial activity and synergistic effect with penicillin. Our findings may help establish programs to control bacterial spread in communities as AgNPs appeared to exert a synergistic effect with penicillin to control bacterial resistance.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권10호
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• pp.866-873
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• 2006

When patients with cancers are treated with chemotherapeutic agents a long time, some of the cancer cells develop the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. MDR cancer cells are characterized by the overexpression of multidrug resistance1 (MDR1) gene which encodes P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a surface protein of tumor cells that functions to produce an excessive efflux and thereby an insufficient intracellular concentration of chemotherapeutic agents. A variety of studies have sought potent MDR modulators to decrease MDR1 gene expression in cancer cells. Our previous study has shown that curcumin exhibits characteristics of a MDR modulator in KB-V1 multidrug-resistant cells. The aim of this study was to further investigate the effect of curcumin on MDR1 gene expression in patient leukemic cells. The leukemic cells were collected from 78 childhood leukemia patients admitted at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand, in the period from July 2003 to February 2005. There were 61 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 14 cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), and 3 cases of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML). There were 47 males and 31 females ranging from 1 to 15 years old. Bone marrows were collected. The leukemic cells were separated and cultured in the presence or absence of $10{\mu}M$ curcumin for 48 hours. MDR1 mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR. It was found that curcumin reduced MDR1 gene expression in the cells from 33 patients (42%). Curcumin affected the MDR1 gene expression in 5 of 11 relapsed cases (45%), 10 of 26 cases of drug maintenance (38%), 7 of 18 cases of completed treatment (39%), and 11 of 23 cases of new patients (48%). The expression levels of MDR1 gene in leukemic patient cells as compared to that of KB-V1 cells were classified as low level (1-20%) in 5 of 20 cases (25%), medium level (21-60%) in 14 of 32 cases (44%), and high level (61-100%) in 14 of 20 cases (70%). In summary, curcumin decreased MDR1 mRNA level in patient leukemic cells, especially in high level of MDR1 gene groups. Thus, curcumin treatment may provide a lead for clinical treatment of leukemia patients in the future.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제26권9호
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• pp.1551-1556
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• 2016

Broiler meat production worldwide has been plagued by lethal food-poisoning bacteria diseases, including listeriosis. A fatality rate of 15.6% was recorded in human beings in the EU in 2015. During 2013, a total of 200 poultry farm samples, including litter, chicken breast, farm feed, and drinking water, were collected to generate baseline data for the characterization of the genus Listeria in broiler poultry farms. Listeria spp. were detected in a total of 95 (47.5%) poultry farm samples. The isolates of Listeria spp. included L. innocua (28.5%), L. ivanovii (12.5%), L. welshimeri (4.5%), and L. monocytogenes and L. seeligeri (1% each). Listeria spp. contamination rates were higher in farm feed (70%), followed by litter (52.5%), chicken breasts (42.2%), and drinking water (10%). Almost all Listeria spp. isolates were resistant to more than three classes of antibiotics (multidrug resistant). Besides this, we observed a significant resistance level to penicillin and fluoroquinolone drugs. However, lower resistance levels were recorded for broad-spectrum cephalosporins. The inlA, inlC, and inlJ virulence genes were detected in almost all of the L. monocytogenes isolates. Thus, food safety management approaches and interventions at all stages of the broiler rearing cycle were needed to control cross-contamination and the zoonotic potential of listeriosis.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.210-219
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• 2014

Sayuksan has been widely applied to treat a variety of diseases such as acute hepatitis, gastritis, and colitis. Sayuksan consists of medicinal herbs such as Glycrrhizae uralensis Fischer, Paeonia lactiflora Pallas, Bupleurum falcatum Linne, and Poncirus trifoliata Rafinesqul. Methanol extracts (1 mg/mL) from the four kinds of medicinal herbs did not show antibiotic activities against general test strains and multi-drug resistant strains. The antibacterial activity of fermented medicinal herbs extracts with Lactobacillus spp. strain was confirmed as Gram-positive bacteria which are higher than Gram-negative bacteria. Extracts of Glycrrhizae uralensis Fischer fermented with Lb. casei KCTC 3109 displayed inhibitory diameters of 16 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa P01828. Superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of the medicinal herb extracts was not determined, but the extract of Paeonia lactiflora Pallas fermented with six strains of Lactobacillus spp. had the highest antioxidant activity. SOD-like activity of Paeonia lactiflora Pallas extracts fermented by Lb. brevis KCTC 3498 was $41.4{\pm}0.8%$, which was the highest antioxidant activity among the fermented extracts with the other medicinal herbs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권14호
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• pp.5691-5695
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• 2015

Background: Continuous surveillance of pattern of blood stream infection is necessary in febrile neutropenia (FN)especially with the recent escalating trend in the management of pediatric cancer patients towards intensified regimens and with the increase in infections caused by resistant organisms limiting the choice of antibiotics. Aim: To monitor change in pattern of blood stream infections (BSI) in FN pediatric cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Surveillance of FN episodes with positive BSI was prospectively monitored and compared to a previous surveillance in the same pediatric oncology unit. Results: A total of 232 BSI positive episodes were documented in 192 patients during a 6 months period. The results of recent surveillance analysis showed an increase in intensified regimens of chemotherapy, antimicrobial resistance, fungal infections, and prolonged duration of episodes when compared to previous surveillance, with p value sof <0.001, 0.005, 0.021, and <0.001, respectively. There was an apparent decrease in the crude mortality but this was not statistically significant, to 6% in 2011 from 10 % in 2006. Conclusions: The pattern of BSI at our institution is still inclining towards gram positive organisms but is showing a shift towards more antibiotic resistance and fungal infections.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.80-83
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• 2012

The addition of NaBr to the fermentation medium of a marine isolate of the fungus Dothideomycete sp. resulted in induced production of two toluhydroquinone derivatives, 5-bromotoluhydroquinone (1) and 4-O-methyltoluhydroquinone (2), and two known compounds, toluhydroquinone (3) and gentisyl alcohol (4). The structures of 1 and 2 were assigned through the spectroscopic data analyses. Compounds 1-4 showed a potent antibacterial activity against the methicillin-resistant and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MDRSA) with MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values of 6.2, 12.5, 6.2, and 12.5 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Compounds 1-4 also exhibited a moderate radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with $IC_{50}$ values of 11.0, 17.0, 12.0, and 7.0 ${\mu}M$, respectively, which were more active than the positive control, L-ascorbic acid ($IC_{50}$, 20.0 ${\mu}M$).

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.596-604
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• 2019

Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes food poisoning, mainly via marine fisheries products. We investigated the virulence factors and drug resistance of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from fisheries products purchased from the Yeosu Fisheries Market. The isolates were identified using a variety of biochemical tests and the detection of toxR and hns gene. The presence of the virulence factor-encoding genes tdh and trh in the isolates was also investigated by PCR. The resistance of the isolates to 13 antibacterial agents was tested using the disc-diffusion method and carriage of β-lactamase genes and class 1 integrons by ampicillin-resistant isolates was investigated by PCR. Four of seventeen isolates identified as V. parahaemolyticus by biochemical tests produced a species-specific PCR band. Those isolates showed >98% 16S rRNA gene sequence homology with V. parahaemolyticus and only one isolate harbored the tdh gene. All of the V. parahaemolyticus isolates were resistant to ampicillin and amoxicillin; moreover, VPA0477, a class A β-lactamase gene, and class 1 integrons were detected. Therefore, V. parahaemolyticus from fisheries products represents a low risk to human health. Also, V. parahaemolyticus is likely to develop multidrug resistance because it has class 1 integrons.

• 약학회지
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.507-512
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• 1998

In the course of developing novel antitumor intercalating agents. We synthesized 4-carbamoyloxymethyl-l-azaanthraquinones 7-12, incorporating the latent alkylating functi onality. These compounds were designed to explore the effect of substituent on the nitrogen of carbamate. The target compounds were prepared by hetero Diels-Alder reaction as a key step followed by functionalization of benzylic methyl to the desired substituents. Growth inhibitory studies of the azaanthraquinones were conducted in vitro against human cancer cell lines (SNU-354; liver and MCF7; breast) and human epidermoid carcinoma cells that are sensitive (KB-3-1) and multidrug-resistant (KB-V-1). The compounds were less potent than doxorubicin against sensitive cell lines. However, the most active compound 12 was not cross-resistant with doxorubicin against KB-V-1.

• 약학회지
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• 제41권6호
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• pp.718-723
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• 1997

In the course of developing novel antitumor intercalating agents, we synthesized 3- carbamoyloxymethyl-azaanthraquinones 6-12, incorporating the latent alkylating functionality. These compounds were designed to explore the effect of heteroatom incorporation into anthraquinone chromophore and the effect of the incorporation of the latent alkylating functionality. The derivatives were prepared by hetero Diels-Alder reaction as a key step followed by functionality of allylic methyl to the desired substituents. Growth inhibitory studies of the azaanthraquinones were conducted in vitro against human cancer cell lines (SNU-354: liver and MCF7: breast) and human epidermoid carcinoma cells that are sensitive (KB-3-1) and multidrug-resistant (KB-V-1). The derivatives were 10 to 100-fold less potent than doxorubicin against sensitive cell lines. However, they were marginally cross-resistant with doxorubicin against KB-V-1.