• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.731-741
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• 2020

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeCoronavirus 2). To date, seven coronaviruses that can infect humans were reported. Among them, infections with four coronavirus strains (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1) resulted in mild symptoms such as common cold, whereas SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV caused severe symptoms and epidemics in 2002 and 2012, respectively. In the most recent, SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and became a notorious cause of the ongoing global pandemics. To diagnose, treat, and prevent COVID-19, the development of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools, specific therapeutic drugs, and safe vaccines essentially are required. In order to develop these powerful tools, it is prerequisite to understand a phenotype, a genotype, and life cycle of SARS-CoV-2. Diagnostic techniques have been developing rapidly around world and many countries take the fast track system to accelerate approval. Approved diagnostic devices are rapidly growing facing to urgent demand to identify carriers. Currently developed commercial diagnostic devices are divided into mainly two categories: molecular assay and serological & immunological assay. Molecular assays begins the reverse transcription step following polymerase chain reaction or isothermal amplification. Immunological assay targets SARS-CoV-2 antigen or anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody of samples. In this review, we summarize the phenotype, genome structure and gene expression of SARS-CoV-2 and provide the knowledge on various diagnostic techniques for SARS-CoV-2.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 1996

Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in human, with infants and young children being particularly susceptible. In the temperate zones, sharp annual outbreaks of RSV occur during the colder months, in both the northern and the southern hemisphere. RSV is unusual in that it can repeatedly reinfect individuals throughout life and infect babies in the presence of maternal antibody. RSV isolates can be divided into two subgroups, A and B, on the basis of their reactions with monoclonal antibodies, and the two subgroups are also distinct at the nucleotide sequence level. The specific diagnosis of RSV infection was best made by isolation of virus in tissue culture, identification of viral antigen, or by specific serologic procedures. Recently, rapid detection of RSV and analysis of RSV strain variation became possible by development of methods of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification. In this study, to determine the genetic diversity of RSV found in Korea, 173 bp and 164 bp spanning selected regions of the RSV F and SH genes were enzymatically amplified and sequenced, respectively. Eight for F gene and three for SH gene were detected in 66 nasopharyngeal swap samples tested. Two major antigenic subgroups, A and B were confirmed from Korean samples (seven for subgroup A and one for subgroup B). At the nucleotide level of the F gene region, Korean subgroup A strains showed 95-99% homologies compared to the prototype A2 strain of subgroup A and 93-100% homologies among Korean subgroup A themselves. For the SH gene region, Korean subgroup A strain showed 97.5% homology compared to the prototype A2 strain of subgroup A, and Korean subgroup B strain showed 97% homology compared to the prototype 18537 strain of subgroup B. Most of base changes were transition and occured in codon position 3, which resulted in amino acid conservation. Using the maximum parsimony method, phylogenetic analysis indicated that Korean RSV strains formed a group with other RSV strains isolated from the United States, Canada, the Great Britain and Australia.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.221-237
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• 1999

To investigate the specificity of rapid slide agglutination test for pullorum-gallinarum diseases and to obtain a basic data for avian salmonellosis control, salmonella isolation was peformed for the layer chickens positively reacted in pullonlm-typhoid agglutination test. The biochemical, serological and antimicrobial properties of the isolates were examined. The results obtained through this study were summarized as follows; 1. Of 2,384 chickens tested by the agglutination test, 606 chickens (25.4%) were positive reactors. 154 of 606 reactors and 49 of the non-reacting chickens were investigated for salmonella isolation, resulting in isolation of 68 strains of salmonellae from 27 chickens. 2. By organs, the isolation frequency from liver, cecum, spleen, ovary and gall bladder showed 8.9% (18 strains), 8.9% (18 strains), 7.4% (15 strains), 4.4% (9 strains) and 3.9% (8 strains), respectively. 3. By culture medium the combination of selenite broth and MacConkey agar revealed the highest isolation rate and the enrichment culture by delayed secondary enrichment culture method was found the most effective for salmonella isolation. 4. The serotypes of 68 salmonella isolates were identified as 3 strains of S pullorum, 24 strains of S gallinarum, 15 strains of S typhimurium, 8 strains of S enteritidis, 7 strains of S paratyphi A, 5 strains of S typhimurium and 6 strains of the other salmonellae. 5. The serotypes of 8 salmonella strains isolated from 49 chickens non-reacting in pullorum-typhoid agglutination test were identified as 3 strains of S typhimurium and 5 strains of S infantis. 6. When 24 chickens of which 68 strains of salmonellae isolated were examined by microplate agglutination test, the average antibody titer for pullorum antigen was $2^{5.25}$. The chickens at antibody titer between $2^3$ and $2^5$ showed the higher frequency of isolation as compared with the chickens at the other titers. 7. When salmonella isolates were tested the antimicrobial drug sensitivity by disk diffusion method, S paratyphi A were highly sensitive by 100% to ATM and GM, S typhimurium, by 88% to AM, CIP, IMP and TN, S infantis, by 100% to AM, CRO, ENR and PIP, S enteritidis,by 100% to IMP and PIP, S pullorum, by 100% to ATM, CRO, ENR and PIP and S gallinarum, by 92% to CRO, CIP and PIP.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2012

Seroepidemiological changes of Toxoplasma gondii infection among the residents of the islands of Gangwha-gun, Incheon for 2 years were surveyed and evaluated by ELISA using a crude extract antigen. In 2010, sera of 919 adult residents in Gyodong-myeon and 313 adults in Samsan-myeon were collected and checked for IgG antibody titers, which showed 14.5% (133 sera) and 19.8% (62 sera) positive rates, respectively. In 2011, sera of 955 adults in Gyodong-myeon and 341 adults in Samsan-myeon were examined, which showed an increase of positive rates to 23.8% (227 sera) and 31.7% (108 sera), respectively. Totally, the seroprevalence of the first year was 15.8% and it increased rapidly to 25.8% in the second year. The positive rates of both sexes increased simultaneously with the significant ratio of males to females by 1.7-2.2 fold (P<0.05). In both myeons, 661 sera were collected every year and showed changes in optical density (OD) in 177 sera; newly found as positives in 73 persons (11.0%), negative conversion in 10 persons (1.5%), and maintained or increased in 94 persons (14.2%). This rapid increase in the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in Gangwha islands may be due to in part peculiar changes in the toxoplasmic environment of the islands and presumably the consumption of the pork bred domestically within the islands or imported from high endemic nations. It is necessary to find out symptomatic toxoplasmic patients and confirm the risk factors for further infection in the islands of Gangwha-gun.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2017

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of influenza A and B infections and analyze the effect of oseltamivir in hospitalized children. Methods: We investigated children under the age of 15, who were diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, or B from January to April 2014. The subjects were admitted to the Changwon Fatima Hospital and diagnosed using a rapid antigen test from nasopharyngeal swabs. The medical records of the patients were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total of 302 pediatric patients with influenza were enrolled. Influenza B infection was the most common type (n=187, 61.9%), followed by A/H3N2 (n=100, 33.1%) and A/H1N1 (n=15, 5.0%). Compared to patients diagnosed with influenza A, patients diagnosed with influenza B were older (P=0.005), and the duration of fever was significantly longer (P=0.001). A total of 161 patients (53.3%) had been vaccinated against influenza during the season, before admission. Among the patients infected with A/H3N2 and B, the duration of fever was shorter in oseltamivir recipients compared to oseltamivir non-recipients (P=0.026 and P=0.004, respectively). Conclusions: There were significant differences between influenza A and B groups in terms of age, demographics, and clinical course. Although the effectiveness of oseltamivir on influenza differs according to the type of influenza, our data provides evidence that oseltamivir is beneficial for both A and B infections.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.829-834
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• 2011

Lysozyme in egg white functions as bacteriolysis agent and ovalbumin plays a role as antigen in immune system. Egg white analysis methods usually include electrophoresis, gel permeation chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC(RP-HPLC). Among them, RP-HPLC was selected for rapid analysis and C18 column(Agilent, USA) was used as HPLC column. Optimum conditions were searched by changing mobile phase and temperature. Capacity factor and resolution were calculated and compared for various elution conditions. In the isocratic elution, mobile phase volume ratio was changed from 30/70/0.1 to 60/40/0.1(Acetonitrile(ACN)/Distilled water(DW)/Trifluoroacetic acid(TFA)). ACN composition was increased by 10% and temperature was set as $20^{\circ}C$. In the gradient elution, ACN/DW ratio was changed from 10/90 to 60/40 during 20 minute and temperature was varied as 20, 30 and $40^{\circ}C$. In the isocratic elution, three peaks were separated at 50/50/0.1. Lysozyme and ovalbumin were confirmed as first and third peak in three peaks respectively. In the gradient elution, four peaks were separated at $30^{\circ}C$. Lysozyme and ovalbumin were confirmed as first peak and third peak in four peaks respectively.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.79-94
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• 2022

Due to the highly contagious nature and severity of the respiratory diseases caused by COVID-19, economical and accurate tests are required to better monitor and prevent the spread of this contagion. As the structural and molecular properties of SARS-CoV-2 were being revealed during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, many manufacturers of COVID-19 diagnostic kits actively invested in the design, development, validation, verification, and implementation of diagnostic tests. Currently, diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 are the most widely used and validated techniques for rapid antigen, and immuno-serological assays for specific IgG and IgM antibody tests and molecular diagnostic tests. Molecular diagnostic assays are the gold standard for direct detection of viral RNA in individuals suspected to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. Antibody-based serological tests are indirect tests applied to determine COVID-19 prevalence in the community and identify individuals who have obtained immunity. In the future, it is necessary to explore technical problems encountered in the early stages of global or regional outbreaks of pandemics and provide future directions for better diagnostic tests. This article evaluates the commercially available and FDA-approved molecular and immunological diagnostic assays and analyzes their performance characteristics.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2022

This study conducted a survey using a Google questionnaire targeting 380 male and female college students to find out the perceptions of college students about health masks at the time of transition from the COVID-19 pandemic to the recovery stage. As a result, at the time when the obligation to wear an outdoor mask was relaxed, they still wore an outdoor mask (3.63±1.34). As for the reasons for wearing a mask, 27.8% said 'wearing a mask became a habit' and 'fear of infection' was 19.4%. Hand washing to prevent COVID-19 was observed well (4.07±1.00), and when infection was suspected, they showed an attitude of checking for infection with a home kit or rapid antigen test (3.88±1.17). In addition, it was recognized that COVID-19 is not threatening (3.19±1.28) and that it will recover easily after infection (3.19±1.28). In a situation where the number of COVID-19 infections continues to decrease, the government is pushing for a gradual recovery of new daily life. Therefore, it is necessary to provide correct information that affects individual awareness and to promote it through various media, and I would like to emphasize the importance of education on the autonomous practice of individual quarantine rules.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.91-96
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• 2007

Purpose : This study was performed to evaluate a new rapid diagnostic kit (BIOLINE $RSV^{TM}$; Standard Diagnostics Inc., Yongin, Korea), a lateral-flow immunoassay, in the detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from the nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) of children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in comparison with other diagnostic methods. Methods : Three hundred and nineteen NPAs were selected from a large pool of NPAs that had been obtained from children with LRTIs. All specimens had already been tested for RSV by culture and immunofluorescent (IF) test, and had been kept frozen. Tests with BIOLINE $RSV^{TM}$ were performed at least twice. All who conducted the experiments or interpreted the test results were blinded to the results of both culture and IF tests. Results : One hundred seven (97.3%) of 110 specimens that were positive for RSV by both culture and IF test, 29 (87.9%) of 33 that were positive by IF test only, 20 (76.9%) of 26 that were positive by culture only, and 140 (93.3%) of 150 that were negative by both methods were negative for RSV by BIOLINE $RSV^{TM}$. By combining the above results, the following 5 diagnostic values of BIOLINE $RSV^{TM}$ were determined in comparison with viral culture or IF test; sensitivity, 92.3% (156/169, 95% confidence interval [CI], 87.1-97.5%); specificity, 93.3% (140/150, 95% CI, 88.4-98.2%); positive predictive value, 94.0% (156/166, 95% CI, 89.5-98.5%); negative predictive value, 91.5% (140/143, 95% CI, 86.0-97.0%); and agreement, 95.9% (306/319, 95% CI, 92.1-99.7%), respectively. Conclusion : This study revealed that BIOLINE $RSV^{TM}$ demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for the detection of RSV antigen from NPAs of children with LRTIs. Because of simple methods and quick results, this test may be useful for the diagnosis of RSV infection during the epidemic periods.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.517-525
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• 1992

Background: Since its development by Saiki et al, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been very useful in various fields of molecular biology. PCR can be used for the detection of a very small amount of microbial agent, and is especially useful in those patients who are difficult to diagnose microbiologically or serologically. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a very slowly growing organism and AFB staining frequently shows false negative results, and therefore PCR would be a very rapid, easy, and sensitive diagnostic method for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Method: To compare PCR with conventional methods in diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum, we used sputa of patients who visited or were admitted to Seoul National University Hospital. The amplification targets were 383 base pair DNA, a part of 2520 base pair DNA encoding 65 kD Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific protein (the primers are TB-1, -2), and 123 base pair DNA, a part of IS6110 fragment, which multiple copies are known to exsist PCR one genome (the primers are Sal I-1, -2). We also requested AFB staing and culture to the lab of Seoul National University Hospital with the same sample and compared the results. Results: 1) Using TB-1, -2 primers, PCR was positive in 73.1% (19/26) of culture positive sputa, in 12.5% (1/8) of culture negative. but clinically diagnosed tuberculous sputa, and was negative in all sputa of patients who were clinically diagnosed as non-tuberculous etiology. 2) Using Sal I-I, -2 primers, PCR was positive in 94.1% (32/34) of culture positive sputa, in 23.1% (6/26) of culture negative, but clinically diagnosed tuberculous sputa, and was negative in 87.5% (14/16) of sputa from patients who were clinically diagnosed as non-tuberculous etiology. Conclusion: PCR could be a very rapid, sensitive and specific method for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputa, and further studies should be followed for the development of easier method.