• 생물정신의학
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.38-43
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• 2018

Objectives Dopamine dysregulation has been regarded as one of the core pathologies in patients with schizophrenia. Since dopamine synthesis capacity has found to be inconsistent in patients with schizophrenia, current classification of patients based on clinical symptoms cannot reflect the neurochemical heterogeneity of the disease. Here we performed new subtyping of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) through biotype-based cluster analysis. We specifically suggested basal ganglia structural changes as a biotype, which deeply involves in the dopaminergic circuit. Methods Forty FEP and 40 demographically matched healthy participants underwent 3T T1 MRI. Whole brain parcellation was conducted, and volumes of total 6 regions of basal ganglia have been extracted as features for cluster analysis. We used K-means clustering, and external validation was conducted with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results K-means clustering divided 40 FEP subjects into 2 clusters. Cluster 1 (n = 25) showed substantial volume decrease in 4 regions of basal ganglia compared to Cluster 2 (n = 15). Cluster 1 showed higher positive scales of PANSS compared with Cluster 2 (F = 2.333, p = 0.025). Compared to healthy controls, Cluster 1 showed smaller volumes in 4 regions, whereas Cluster 2 showed larger volumes in 3 regions. Conclusions Two subgroups have been found by cluster analysis, which showed a distinct difference in volume patterns of basal ganglia structures and positive symptom severity. The result possibly reflects the neurobiological heterogeneity of schizophrenia. Thus, the current study supports the importance of paradigm shift toward biotype-based diagnosis, instead of phenotype, for future precision psychiatry.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제57권5호
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• pp.531-536
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• 2019

Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis are the main diarrhea-causing parasitic pathogens; however, their prevalence in Korea is unknown. Here, we conducted a survey to determine the prevalence and genotype distribution of these 2 pathogens causing acute diarrhea in 8,571 patients hospitalized in 17 Regional Institute of Health Environment sites in Korea, during 2013-2016. C. parvum and G. duodenalis were detected and genotyped by nested PCR, and the isolate were molecularly characterized by sequencing the glycoprotein 60 (Gp60) and ${\beta}-giardin$ genes, respectively. The overall prevalence of C. parvum and G. duodenalis was 0.37% (n=32) and 0.55% (n=47), respectively, and both pathogens were more prevalent in children under 9 years old. Molecular epidemiological analysis showed that the C. parvum isolates belonged to the IIa family and were subtyped as IIaA13G2R1, IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G2R1, and IIaA18G3R1. Analysis of the ${\beta}-giardin$ gene fragment from G. duodenalis showed that all positive strains belong to assemblage A. This is the first report on the molecular epidemiology and subtyping of C. parvum and G. duodenalis in such a large number of diarrheal patients in Korea. These results highlight the need for continuous monitoring of these zoonotic pathogens and provide a basis for implementing control and prevention strategies. Further, the results might be useful for epidemiological investigation of the source of outbreak.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제60권4호
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• pp.289-293
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• 2022

Blastocystis is a genus of unicellular heterokont parasites belonging to a group of organisms known as Stramenopiles, which includes algae, diatoms, and water molds. Blastocystis includes several species that habitat in the gastrointestinal tracts of organisms as diverse as humans, farm animals, birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and cockroaches. It is important to public health and distributed globally, but its prevalence in dogs in Korea has not been reported to date. Here, we collected 787 canine fecal samples and assessed Blastocystis infection by age, sex, region, season, and diarrhea symptoms. We determined Blastocystis subtypes using phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rRNA gene sequences. We identified, 10 Blastocystis positive samples (1.3%). A higher proportion of infected dogs was asymptomatic; however, infection rates did not significantly differ according to region, age, sex, and season. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Blastocystis sp. identified belonged to 4 subtypes (STs), ST1, ST5, ST10, and ST14, thus revealed the genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. in dogs Korean. This is first report on the presence of Blastocystis sp. in dogs Korean. This study revealed a lower infection rate than expected and differed from previous studies in STs. Further studies are warranted to observe the national infection status of Blastocystis in dogs and the genetic characteristics of this genus.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.56.1-56.13
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• 2020

Background: The live bird market (LBM) plays an important role in the dynamic evolution of the avian influenza H5N1 virus. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to monitor the genetic diversity of the H5N1 viruses in LBMs in Indonesia. Methods: Therefore, the disease surveillance was conducted in the area of Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Jakarta Province, Indonesia from 2014 to 2019. Subsequently, the genetic characterization of the H5N1 viruses was performed by sequencing all 8 segments of the viral genome. Results: As a result, the H5N1 viruses were detected in most of LBMs in both bird' cloacal and environmental samples, in which about 35% of all samples were positive for influenza A and, subsequently, about 52% of these samples were positive for H5 subtyping. Based on the genetic analyses of 14 viruses isolated from LBMs, genetic diversities of the H5N1 viruses were identified including clades 2.1.3 and 2.3.2 as typical predominant groups as well as reassortant viruses between these 2 clades. Conclusions: As a consequence, zoonotic transmission to humans in the market could be occurred from the exposure of infected birds and/or contaminated environments. Moreover, new virus variants could emerge from the LBM environment. Therefore, improving pandemic preparedness raised great concerns related to the zoonotic aspect of new influenza variants because of its high adaptivity and efficiency for human infection.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.57.1-57.11
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• 2020

Background: Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) acts as an etiological agent for lameness, neurological signs, and high mortality in pigs. Despite its importance in pig industries and zoonotic potential, little is known about the effects of this pathogen. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of SDSE strains isolated from diseased pigs. Methods: A total 11 SDSE isolates were obtained from diseased pigs. Bacterial identification, PCR for virulence genes, emm typing, and antimicrobial resistance genes, multilocus sequence typing, and antimicrobial susceptibility test were performed. Results: Nine isolates were from piglets, and 8 showed lameness, sudden death, or neurological signs. The isolates were PCR-positive for sla (100%), sagA (100%), and scpA (45.5%), and only 1 isolate amplified the emm gene (stL2764). Eight different sequence types were detected, categorized into 2 clonal complexes and 4 singletons. All the isolates in this study were included in a small cluster, which also contained other strains derived from humans and horses. The minimum inhibitory concentrations for the tested beta-lactams were low, while those for macrolides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones were relatively high. PCR analysis of the macrolide and tetracycline resistance genes demonstrated that the isolates carried erm(B) (18.2%, n = 2), mef(A/E) (9.1%, n = 1), tet(M) (18.2%, n = 2), and tet(O) (90.2%, n = 10). Two isolates presented a mutation in parC, which is associated with fluoroquinolone resistance. Conclusion: This study provided insight into swine-derived SDSE, as it is related to veterinary medicine, and elucidated its zoonotic potential, in the context of molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance in public health.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.24-37
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• 2005

국내 사육 하우 염소, 돼지, 개, 닭 및 마우스 등을 포함한 각종 동물과 사람환자에서 분리한 총 116주의 S. aureus 분리주에 대해서 5종의 PCR 기법을 적용하여 분자역학적 특성을 분석하였다. 먼저 종특이 유전자(SSG: aroA, coa, nuc 및 spa-gene)의 다양성을 PCR 기법으로 조사하였고, 또한 약제내성의 MRSA 균주의 분포양상과 내독소(Enterotoxin)산생유전자(SE)의 분포양상에 대해서도 조사하였다. 그리고 이 연궁선 수행한 5종의 PCR 기법 들이 생산한 개별성적을 객관적으로 비교하여, 가장 신뢰도 높고 효율적 PCR기법을 선발하였다. 먼저 PCR기법을 적용한 SSG의 분포양상 조사에서는 $nuc-gene\;(100\%)$, $spa-gene\;(91.4\%)$, $coa-gene\;(87.9\%)$, 및 $aroA-gene\;(26.7\%)$의 빈도로 조사되었다. 그리고 aroA와 coa-gene PCR 증폭산물에 대한 RsaI과 AluI 효소로 소화시킨 RELP 성적에서 coa-Bene PCR-RFLP에서는 모두 10 type의 con-type이 동정되었고, 그중 coa-3 type (809 bp)이 닭, 마우스, MRSA 및 사람유래 균주를 포함한 총 36주 $(33.0\%)$로서 가장 대표적인 genotype으로 결정되었다. 반면에 aroA-gene PCR-RELP에서는 단지 7 type의 genotype만이 산생되어 대조를 보였고, 17주 $(73.9\%)$가 대표적인 그룹으로 분류되었다. 한편 spa-gene PCR에서는 총 11 type의 spa-type이 확인되었고, 그중 spa-7 type (9 repeats; 263 bp)이 한우, 닭, 개, 염소, 마우스 및 MRSA 균주 등을 포함한 총 39주 $(34.8\%)$로서 가장 대표적인 genotype으로 결정되었다. 또한 총 116주에 대해 MRSA 균주의신속한 검출을 위해서 mecA-gene PCR을 적용하였던 바, 단지 사람유래의 14주 $(12.1\%)$에서만 양성의 증폭산물 (533 bp)이 검출되었고, 이들 증폭된 PCR산물의 유전학적 검증을 위해 HhaI으로 소화시켰던바 14주 모두 $(100\%)$가 알려진 2개의 DNA band (332 & 201 bp)로 양분되어 유전자수준에서 MRSA 양성균주로 검증되었다. 한편 내독소 산생유전자 (SE-gene)는 multiplex-PCR기법으로 조사하였으며 sea-gene $(63.7\%)$이 가장 지배적이었고, 이어서 seb-gene $(10.0\%)$ 및 sec-gene $(7.2\%)$의 순서였다. 특히 sea+sec의 2종의 SE genes를 보유한 균주도 11주로서 가장 많았으며 그 외에도 sea+seb (2주)및 seb+see (1주) genes를 보유한 균주도 함께 검출되었다. 최종적으로 5종의 PCR기법들이 생산한 성적들을 수치 (SID)로 변환하여 객관적으로 감별능력 (DA)을 비교하였던바, aroA-gene PCR-RFLP는 가장 저조한 DA [SID=0.462]을 나타내었고, 반면에 coa-gene PCR-RELP는 5종의 분석기법 중에서 가장 신뢰도 높은 DA [SID=0.894]을 발현하였다. 따라서 현재의 연구결과con-gene PCR-RELP기법이 사람을 포함한 다양한 동물종유래 S. aureus 균주들의 유전학적 분석목적에 가장 신뢰도 높고 감별능력이 뛰어난 분석기법으로 선발되었다.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제52권2호
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• pp.128-135
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• 2020

본 연구에서는 환자의 비강으로부터 분리 배양된 총 39건의 MRSA 분리 배양 균주를 이용해 mecA 유전자 검출, SCCmec typing과 mec complex typing을 분석해 보고자 하였다. 임상 환자의 비강으로부터 분리 배양된 MRSA 총 39주 중 SCCmec type-II가 24건, type-II/IVa가 2건, type-II/V가 1건, type-IVa가 1건, not-typeable이 11건으로 분석되었으며, mec complex type A가 29건, not-typeable이 10건이었으며, type B는 없는 것으로 분석 되었다. 결론적으로, 환자의 비강으로부터 분리된 MRSA 분리 배양 균주 중 SCCmec type-II와 mec complex type A 아형이 가장 많이 분포하고 있었으며, 이 결과는 의료기관 획득 MRSA에 관한 다른 연구결과와 유사한 결과를 나타냈다. 이후 환자의 비강으로부터 분리 배양된 not-typeable 아형의 MRSA 균주를 대상으로 국내에서 발견되는 새로운 MRSA 아형 규명에 관한 추가 연구가 필요할 뿐만 아니라, MRSA 분리 배양 균주의 아형을 분석함으로써 그 분자적 특성을 분석한 결과를 바탕으로 병원 감염관리를 위한 기초자료를 제공할 수 것으로 사료된다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권22호
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• pp.9739-9745
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• 2014

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the effects of hormone receptor, HER2, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression on epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) prognosis and investigate whether or not phenotypic subtypes might exist. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 82 patients who were diagnosed with EOC between 2003 and 2012 and treated by platinum-based chemotherapy were retrospectively evaluated. Expression of EGFR, oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and cerbB2 (HER2) receptors were assessed immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded tissues of these patients. Three phenotypic subtypes were defined according to ER, PR, and HER2 expression and associations of these with EGFR expression, clinicopathologic features, platinum sensitivity, and survival were investigated. Results: When we classified EOC patients into three subtypes, 63.4% had hormone receptor positive (HR(+)) (considering breast cancer subtypes, luminal A), 18.3% had triple negative, and 18.3% had HER2(+) disease. EGFR positivity was observed in 37 patients (45.1%) and was significantly more frequent with advanced disease (p=0.013). However, no significant association with other clinicopathologic features and platinum sensitivity was observed. HER2(+) patients had significantly poorer outcomes than HER2(-) counterparts (triple negative and HR positive patients) (p=0.019). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the strongest risk factor for death was residual disease after primary surgery. Conclusions: Triple negative EOC may not be an aggressive phenotype as in breast cancer. The HER2 positive EOC has more aggressive behaviour compared to triple negative and HR(+) phenotypes. EGFR expression is more frequent in advanced tumours, but is not related with poorer outcome. Additional ovarian cancer molecular subtyping using gene expression analysis may provide more reliable data.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.156-162
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• 2017

레지오넬라증은 인공수계환경이 레지오넬라균에 오염되었을 때 에어로졸의 전파에 의하여 집단 발생되는 심각한 폐렴과 높은 치명률을 일으키는 호흡기질환이다. 본 연구에서는 경기도내 수계시설로부터 147주의 레지오넬라균을 검출하였고, 시설별, 수계환경별 분포현황을 조사하였다. 분리한 레지오넬라균 중에서 Legionella pneumophila의 검출률은 85.7%로 높게 나타났으며, 혈청군을 분석한 결과 L. pneumophila serogroup (sg) 1이 주로 검출되었다. Non-L. pneumophila 중에서는 L. wadsworthii이 가장 많이 검출되었다. L. pneumophila sg 1의 유전학적 다양성을 분석하기 위해 pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)와 sequence-based typing (SBT) 방법을 사용하여 비교 분석하였다. 32주에 대해 PFGE 분석 결과 22개의 PFGE pattern을 보였고, SBT 분석 결과 9개의 유형으로 나누어졌다. PFGE와 SBT 분석에서 모두 크게 3개 group으로 분류되어 매우 유사한 결과를 나타냈다. SBT 유형 중 ST1이 가장 우점하였고, 2개의 새로운 유형도 찾아낼 수 있었다. SBT는 데이터베이스가 잘 구축되어 있어 균주 간의 유전학적 유형분석을 쉽고, 간단하게 할 수 있기 때문에 레지오넬라증의 분자역학적 연구에 유용한 방법임을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.307-314
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• 2015

Background: Bladder cancer is among the five most common malignancies worldwide. Altered expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling -3 (SOCS-3) has been implicated in various types of human cancers; however, its role in bladder cancer is not well established. Aim: The present study was undertaken to investigate the mRNA expression of SOCS-3 in normal and cancerous bladder tissue and to explore its correlation with urinary levels of some proinflammatory cytokines, cytokeratin-18 (CK -18) and with tumor histopathological grading, in order to evaluate their role as potential diagnostic markers. Materials and Methods: SOCS3 mRNA expression levels were evaluated using quantitative real time PCR. Urinary levels of interleukins 6 and 8 were estimated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cytokeratin-18 expression was analyzed by immuunohistochemistry then validated by ELISA. Results: SOC3 m RNA expression levels were significantly lower in high grade urothelial carcinoma ($0.36{\pm}0.12$) compared to low grade carcinoma ($1.22{\pm}0.38$) and controls ($4.08{\pm}0.88$), (p<0.001). However, in high grade urothelial carcinoma the urinary levels of IL-6, IL-8, total CK-18($221.33{\pm}22.84pg/ml$, $325.2{\pm}53.6pg/ml$, $466.7{\pm}57.40U/L$ respectively) were significantly higher than their levels in low grade carcinoma ($58.6{\pm}18.6pg/ml$, $58.3{\pm}50.2pg/ml$, $185.5{\pm}60.3U/L$ respectively) and controls ($50.9{\pm}23.0pg/ml$, $7.12{\pm}2.74pg/ml$, $106.7{\pm}47.3U/L$ respectively), (p<0.001). Conclusions: Advanced grade of urothelial bladder carcinoma is significantly associated with lowered mRNA expression of SOC3 as well as elevated urinary levels of proinflammatory cytokines and CK-18. Furthermore, our results suggested that urinary IL-8, IL-6 and CK-18 may benefit as noninvasive biomarkers for early detection as well as histopathological subtyping of urothelial carcinoma.