• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2009

Phlegm smear testing for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) requires careful examination of tubercle bacilli under a microscope to distinguish between positive and negative findings. The biggest weakness of this method is the visual limitations of the examiners. It is also time-consuming, and mistakes may easily occur. This paper proposes a method of identifying tubercle bacilli that uses a computer instead of a human. To address the challenges of AFB testing, this study designs and investigates image systems that can be used to identify tubercle bacilli. The proposed system uses an electronic microscope to capture digital images that are then processed through feature extraction, image segmentation, image recognition, and neural networks to analyze tubercle bacilli. The proposed system can detect the amount of tubercle bacilli and find their locations. This paper analyzes 184 tubercle bacilli images. Fifty images are used to train the artificial neural network, and the rest are used for testing. The proposed system has a 95.6% successful identification rate, and only takes 0.8 seconds to identify an image.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.729-741
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• 1997

Background : We have recently reported that airway epithelial cells can produce RANTES and IL-8 in response to the stimulation of tubercle bacilli suggesting a certain role of airway epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis. The pathogenesis of tuberculosis is determined by several factors including phagocytosis, immunological response of host, and virulence of tubercle bacilli. Interestingly, there have been reports suggesting that difference in immunological response of host according to the virulence of tubercle bacilli may be related with the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. We, therefore, studied the expressions and productions of RANTES and IL-8 in airway epithelial cells in response to tubercle bacilli(H37Rv, virulent strain and H37Ra, avirulent strain), in order to elucidate the possible pathophysiology of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods : Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from normal volunteers. Peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) were stimulated with LPS($10{\mu}g/ml$), H37Rv, or H37Ra($5{\times}10^5$ bacilli/well) along with normal control for 24 hours. A549 cells were stimulated with supernatants of cultured PBM for 24 hours. ELISA kit was used for the measurement of $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ production in supernatants of cultured PBM and for the measurement of RANTES and IL-8 in supernatants of cultured A549 cells. Northern blot analysis was used for the measurement of RANTES and IL-8 mRNA expression in cultured A549 cells. Results : $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ productions were increased in cultured PBM stimulated with LPS or tubercle bacilli(H37Rv or H37Ra) compared with the control. There was, however, no difference in $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ production between cultured PBM stimulated with H37Rv and H37Ra. RANTES and IL-8 expressions and productions were also increased in cultured A549 cells stimulated with LPS or tubercle bacilli compared with the control. RANTES and IL-8 mRNA expressions were significantly increased in cultured A549 cells stimulated with H37Ra-conditioned media(CM) compared with A549 cells stimulated with H37Rv-CM (p<0.05). However, there was no difference in RANTES and IL-8 productions between A549 cells stimulated with H37Rv-CM and H37Ra-CM. Conclusion : Airway epithelial cells can produce the potent chemokines such as RANTES and IL-8, in response to the stimulation of tubercle bacilli. These results suggest that airway epithelial cells may play a certain role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the role of airway epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis according to the virulence of tubercle bacilli was not clear in this study.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1970

In order to assay one lot of the potency of tuberculin for intradermic use, four guinea pigs sensitized with heat killed M. tuberculosis were used by the method originally of the Agriculture Research Service Center(A. R. S.) and Bureau of Animal. Industry(B. A. I.) in the United. States of America in which guinea pigs were used on 21st day after sensitization. There is doubt whether the guinea pigs are sensitized or not. Therefore, this study has taken the method of Middle Brook-Dubos hemagglutination test, and observed the humoral hemagglutinating antibody in the blood. The results obtained are as follows. 1. The maximum titer of hemagglutinating antibody was demonstrated 30days after sensitizing the guinea pigs with killed tubercle bacilli. The maximum titer was continued for a period of 45 days and thereafter declined gradually. 2. The swelling and redness of the region of the sensitized guinea pigs was shown to be reached to the maximum size within 24 hours after intradermal inoculation with HCSM tuberculin and gradually reduced 96 hours after inoculation. The swelling and redness could not be detected by macro-observation after 14 days.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 1986

An attempt was made to verify the antibacterial activities of the soluble extracts of Gardenia jasminoides(SEGJ) against mycobacteria other than tubercle bacilli (MOTT); M. kansasii, M. scrofulaceum, M. simiae, M. szulgai, M.xenopi, M. avium-intracellulare complex, M. gordonae and M. flarescens. In addition, the effect of the SEGJ on the yellow pigmentation and violet pigmentation (crocin reaction) of the colonies of the MOTT grown on7H10-crocin agar plates was observed. The SEGJ gave a growth stimulatory activity against most species of mycobacteria except for M. szulgai at low concentration of the SEGJ in terms of crocin pigment OD=0.02 or less, but exerted an inhibitory activity at high concentration of OD=0.04 or more. The growth-inhibitory activity of the SEGJ was dose-dependent but the yellow pigmentation of the scotochromogens was not affected by the dose of the SEGJ that was growth-inhibitory. Crocin positive reaction was observed only with M. kansasii.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.435-439
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• 1986

The viability of tubercle bacilli in the sputum specimens has been investigated after different periods of storage at diffeent temperatures and in the presence of different preservatives. No loss of culture positives was observed for one week storage at $4^{\circ}C$, but 9.8% 19.5%C, and 26.8% of sputums failed to yield positives on 2, 3, and 4 weeks of storage respectively. At $25^{\circ}C$ even one week storage made 19.5% of sputums fail to yield positive culture and 2, 3, and 4 weeks of storage made 36.6% 70.7%, and 90.2% of sputums fail to yield positive culture respectively. And contamination was unacceptably high beyond one week of storage at $25^{\circ}C$. Contamination of sputum specimens could be protected fairly well by 0.5% boric acid, by 5% trisodium phosphate or by 0.5% cetylpyridium chloride, but, except CP, the former two had no advantage at all to protect viability of tubercle bacilli over the specimens without preservative. The CP was much less harmful to the viability of tubercle bacilli than BA, yielding 61.0% and 31.7% of culture positives on 3 and 4 weeks of storage in the presence of CP, while BA yielded 34.1% and 4.9% of positives on the same respective periods of storage. Therefore CP may be useful to preserve sputums if it takes more than 2 weeks to transport them at the temperature of over $25^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.140-144
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• 1996

Despite the incidence of tuberculosis has been greatly reduced with chemotherpy, it is still a common disease in Korea. The pharyngeal and laryngeal tuberculosis usually result from direct contamination of the laryngeal or pharyngeal mucosa by sputum heavily laden with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, secondary infection from the lungs via lymphatic or hematogenous routes, or a primary affection from inhaled tubercle bacilli. Recently the authors experienced a pharyngolaryngeal tuberculosis and report this case with brief literatures review.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 1974

Four stereoisomers of inositol p-aminosalicylate, that is hexaris-O-(p-aminosalicylyl)-myo-inositol, hexaris-O-(p-aminosalicylyl)-muco-inositol were synthesized by p-aminosalicylyl chloride with myo-, epi-, scyllo-, and muco-inositol respectively. Their antibacterial activity was tested against human type tubercle bacilli $H_{37}$/Rv, in contrast to 1.25.gamma./ml of p-aminosalicylic acid used as control. Hexaris-O-(p-aminoslicylyl)-muco-inositol showed the strongest antibacterial action at 0.625.gamma./ml, the other compounds more or less active than p-aminosalicylic acid.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has infected more than two billion individuals worldwide, of whom 5%-10% have clinically active disease and 90%-95% remain in the latent stage with a reservoir of viable bacteria in the macrophages for extended periods of time. The tubercle bacilli at this stage are usually called dormant, non-viable, and/or non-culturable microorganisms. The patients with latent bacilli will not have clinical pictures and are not infectious. The infections in about 2%-23% of the patients with latent status become reactivated for various reasons such as cancer, human immunodeficiency virus infection, diabetes, and/or aging. Many studies have examined the mechanisms involved in the latent state of Mycobacterium and showed that latency modified the expression of many genes. Therefore, several mechanisms will change in this bacterium. Hence, this study aimed to briefly examine the genes involved in the latent state as well as the changes that are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The study also evaluated the relationship between the functions of these genes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1119-1125
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• 1999

Since Robert Koch found tubercle bacilli in 1882, the studies on tubercle bacilli of human and animal had been carried out. Being old tuberculin(OT) introduced in 1890, the specificity of the diagnosis of tuberculosis has been improved by continual uses of heat concentrated synthetic medium(HCSM) and purified protein derivatives(PPD) tuberculin. Now, two types of tuberculin test are used worldwidly ; the single intradermal test(SIT) using bovine tuberculin and the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test(SICTT) using avian and bovine tuberculins. In the SICTT, each countries have used with different combination of both avian and bovine tuberculins' titers. However, this kinds of studies have not reported in Korea. Therefore, the studies on the combination of their tuberculins' titers were performed through intradermal test of guinea pigs sensitized with either Mycobacterium bovis or M avium and were examined in 10 cattles of SIT positive reactors. Also, IFN-${\gamma}$ assay, the latest diagnostic method of bovine tuberculosis, was experimentally applied to SIT positive reactors. For determining the optimal titers, sensitized guinea pigs with M bovis and M avium were intradermally injected avian and bovine tuberculin. In guinea pigs sensitized with M bovis, bovine tuberculin 50 T.U. showed significant difference from all tested concentrations of avian tuberculin(p < 0.05). In guinea pigs sensitized with M avium, there is significantly different between bovine tuberculin and avian tuberculin by 25 T.U.(p < 0.01). Therefore, optimal titers of bovine and avian PPD tuberculins' titers for the SICTT in Korea were 5,000 and 2,500 tuberculin units, respectively, and the swelling diffences between bovine and avian site in SIT positive reactors were above 3mm. Also, in IFN-${\gamma}$ assay, the 9 SIT positive reactors were showed all the positive reactions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.725-729
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• 1993

A case of cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis with persistent positive bacilli due to resistant strain was treated successfully with artificial pneumothorax with antituberculosis chemotherapy. Negative conversion of Tubercle bacilli was noticed by four months on sputum smears and by 11 months on sputum cultures after the starting of artificial pneumothorax. The cavitary lesion was collapsed by 13 months. Artificial pneumothorax is one of the collapse therapies of pulmonary tuberculosis which had been used widely in the early 20th century before the era of antituberculosis chemotherapy. Nowadays, this method is almost neglected due to its inferiority in efficacy as compared to chemotherapy and complications. But we recommend considering this method when no other measure is likely to be useful in open cavitary lesion.