• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.181-190
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the epidemiological trend of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis (RV-AGE) in children. Methods: A retrospective review was performed in patients (1 month to 18 years of age) with acute gastroenteritis at KEPCO Medical Center from September 2004 to August 2013. Comparative analyses were performed based on periods: pre-vaccine (2004-2006) and post-vaccine (2008-2012) in all patients; 2004-2006 (period A), 2007-2009 (period B) and 2010-2012 (period C) in patients under 5 years of age. Results: Proportion of RV-AGE decreased from 25.0% (337/1,346) in pre-vaccine period to 20.8% (459/2,210) in post-vaccine period (rate ratio (RR), 0.83 [95% CI, 0.73-0.93]; P=0.0029). The median age of patients with RV-AGE in post-vaccine period (2.6 years) was significantly (P<0.0001) higher than that in pre-vaccine period (1.6 years). In patients hospitalized with AGE, proportion of RV-AGE was significantly reduced in patients 6 to 23 months old (RR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.51-0.75]; P<0.0001). Significant decline in proportion of RV-AGE was observed in patients under 5 years of age: period A, 26.9% (308/1,144); period B, 22.7% (295/1,299); period C, 20.6% (186/902) (P =0.0007). After the introduction of rotavirus vaccine, a significant decreasing trend of RV-AGE proportion was observed in patients 6 to 11 months old (P =0.0018) and 12 to 23 months old (P =0.0152). Conclusion: Decrease in RV-AGE proportion and increase in age of patients with RV-AGE were observed after the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in this single center study. Continued and systematic surveillance is needed to assess the impact of rotavirus vaccine.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.174-180
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was performed to assess the clinical and epidemiological changes after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in Korea, as well as to determine the efficacy of the rotavirus vaccine among hospitalized rotaviral gastroenteritis patients over the past two years. Methods: We analyzed yearly and seasonal patterns of 1,165 inpatients who were hospitalized for rotaviral gastroenteritis under the age of 5 years between 2006 and 2013. We also conducted a survey among 460 gastroenteritis patients who were hospitalized between 2012 and 2013 regarding the rotavirus vaccination and the symptoms of gastroenteritis. Among those individuals surveyed, clinical indices were analyzed for 124 patients who were tested positive for the rotavirus antigen. Results: The incidence of Rotaviral gastroenteritis have decreased significantly by year 2010. After the introduction and widespread dissemination of the rotavirus vaccine, the onset of the disease and the seasonal peak have been delayed. Overall, the vaccinated group showed a lower rate of positivity than the unvaccinated group. Among the hospitalized rotaviral gastroenteritis patients, the vaccinated group had a shorter hospitalization period, less severe clinical symptoms of gastroenteritis, and better laboratory test results. Conclusions: After introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in Korea, there were two main trends observed: 1) the overall level of disease incidence was reduced; 2) the severity of rotaviral gastroenteritis cases also decreased. Based on this data, more children should receive vaccination in order to prevent the rotavirus infection and decrease the severity of rotaviral gastroenteritis.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.198-201
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• 2004

Rotavirus is a most common etiologic viral agent of pediatric gastroenteritis. Most newborns infected by rotavirus show no specific symptoms, yet, some of neonates can develop serious complications such as intestinal perforation, necrotizing enterocolitis or even death. And rotavirus infection may cause only neurologic manifestation such as seizure without gastrointestinal manifestations in some neonates. We experienced a case of neonatal rotavirus infection with benign convulsion without gastrointestinal manifestations, and report this case with literature review as followings.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2008

Immunizations are among the most cost-effective and widely used public health interventions. This is a report a revision of recommendation of immunization for children by Korean Pediatric Society. Immunization. Vaccines were divided into 4 groups. 1) Vaccines that are recommended to all infants and children (BCG, hepatitis B vaccine, DTaP, Td, Polio vaccine, Japanese encephalitis vaccine, MMR, varicella vaccine, influenza vaccine [6-23 months of age], H. influenzae type b vaccine), 2) those that can be administered to all infants and children, but decision of administration is made by parents (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, hepatitis A vaccine, influenza vaccine [healthy children ${\geq}24$ months of age], rotavirus vaccine, human papilloma virus vaccine), 3) those that should be given to high risk group (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine [high risk patients ${\geq}24$ months of age], influenza vaccine [high risk patients ${\geq}24$ months of age], typhoid vaccine), and 4) those administered for control of outbreaks or prevention of emerging infectious diseases. Immunization schedule recommended by Korean Pediatric Society in 2008 is presented.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2012

Porcine rotaviruses are the most common causes of viral gastroenteritis in piglets around the world. The major G genotypes of porcine rotaviruses causing diarrhea were G4, G5 and G11 genotypes. Recently, G9 genotype rotaviruses were problemed at swine farms and frequently recognized from diarrheic piglets. In this study, a porcine rotavirus (PoRV-1) was isolated from piglet showing diarrhea using MA104 cells and confirmed as rotavirus by electron microscopy, genomic RNA electropherotyping and indirect immunofluorescence antibody tests. The nucleotide sequence of the VP7 gene of PoRV-1 was determined and compared with those of other genotype rotavirus strains from other parts of the world. Also, the nucleotide sequences of VP4, VP6 and NSP4 genes of PoRV-1 were determined and compared with those of other rotavirus strains from other countries. The results showed that the PoRV-1 isolate belonged to the G9 genotype and the P, I and E genotypes of PoRV-1 were P[23], I5 and E1, respectively. The Korean G9 PoRV-1 isolate and its nucleotide sequence data would be usefully used for the development of porcine rotavirus vaccines in near future.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2012

Rotaviruses have been known to be a major etiological agent of gastroenteritis in both infants and young animals. Subsequently new rotaviruses, which were morphologically indistinguishable but antigenically and electrophoretically distinct with each other, were reported from several animals throughout world including Korea. These new rotaviruses were named as non-group A or group B or group C rotaviruses and so on. It has been very difficult to isolate and grow the non-group A rotaviruses in vitro, and this has greatly limited the characterizations of non-group A rotaviruses and serological studies. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against porcine non-group A rotavirus were produced and characterized. The VP6 gene of porcine group C rotavirus Korean isolate(#06-52-1) was cloned and expressed. For expression of VP6 gene, baculovirus expression system was applied. The VP6 gene and expressed protein in the recombinant virus were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA) test and Western blot, respectively. The expressed VP6 was used for MAbs production. The MAbs produced in this study would be promising as diagnostic reagents for detection of group C rotavirus infection.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.320-325
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• 2012

Rotavirus and hepatitis A virus (HAV) spread by the fecal-oral route and infections are important in public health, especially in developing countries. Here, two antigenic epitopes of the HAV polyprotein, domain 2 (D2) and domain 3 (D3), were recombined with rotavirus VP7, generating D2/VP7 and D3/VP7, cloned in a baculovirus expression system, and expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) insect cells. All were highly expressed, with peak expression 2 days post-infection. Western blotting and ELISA revealed that two chimeric proteins were antigenic, but only D2/VP7 was immunogenic and elicited neutralizing antibody responses against rotavirus and HAV by neutralization assay, implicating D2/VP7 as a multivalent subunit-vaccine Candidate for preventing both rotavirus and HAV infections.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.478-482
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• 2018

Human rotavirus is a causative agent of acute diarrhea among children. The artificial gene encoding the truncated $VP8^*$ protein of human rotavirus A (serotype 1 strain WA) was synthesized according to the Escherichia coli codon preference. The synthetic $VP8^*$ gene also possessed the NdeI and HindIII restriction sites for the convenient in-frame cloning for translation and a 6-histidine tag at C-terminus for Ni+ affinity purification. Molecular weight of the truncated $VP8^*$ protein deduced from the nucleotide sequences of the artificial gene was a 19.7-kDa. This synthetic $VP8^*$ DNA fragment was inserted into the pT7-7 expression vector and transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3). Transformants harboring the synthetic gene encoding the $VP8^*$ protein was induced by supplement of a final concentration of 0.05 mM ITPG at $20^{\circ}C$. Protein crude extract from the E. coli transformants was subjected to Western blotting with the mouse anti-rotavirus capsid antibody, showing ~20-kDa $VP8^*$ protein band. The truncated $VP8^*$ protein band was also observed by Western blotting using the rabbit polyclonal antibody serum made against the truncated $VP8^*$ protein. This study suggested that the synthetic gene could be used as an easy way to produce the antigenic vaccine candidate for control of virus-associated diseases or to develop antibodies for diagnostic purpose.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.108-112
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• 2000

Purpose : Acute diarrhea in one of the most important diseases in children with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most of acute diarrhea is induced by viruses. Rotavirus and adenovirus are leading causes of severe gastroenteritis among infants and young children worldwide. Studies for adenovirus gastroenteritis in Korea are limited. We studied the prevalence of rotavirus and adenovirus gastroenteritis from March 1998 to June 1999 in Chungju area. Methods : Stool samples were collected from 143 children with acute diarrhea. Specimens were tested for group A rotavirus antigen and for adenovirus type 40 and 41 by using available commercial kits. Results : Among 143 samples, 37% were positive for rotavirus and 16% were positive for adenovirus. Rotavirus was most prevalent from January to March, 1999 and adenovirus was prevalent during September 1999. The greatest number of rotavirus infections occurred under 24 months of age, followed by 2~4 years of age. Adenovirus was most common in 2~24 months of age. Conclusion : Rotavirus was most prevalent in winter and early spring. In our study, rotavirus was prevalent in early spring and adenovirus was in autumn.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.41.2-41.2
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• 1998