• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.881-887
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• 2007

It is a hot clinical issue whether newly approved antimicrobial agents such as daptomycin, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin (synercid) and tigecycline are active enough to be used for infections caused by vancomycin resistant bacteria. We performed susceptibility tests for mupirocin, which is in widespread clinical use in Korea, and four new antimicrobials, daptomycin, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin and tigecycline, against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolated from Korean patients in 1998 and 2005 to evaluate and compare the in vitro activity of these antimicrobials. Among these agents, quinupristin/dalfopristin, which is rarely used in hospitals in Korea, showed relatively high resistance to several vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated in 2005. Likewise, daptomycin, linezolid and tigecycline have not yet been in clinical use in Korea. However, our results showed that most of the 2005 VRE isolates were already resistant to linezolid and daptomycin (highest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value >$100{\mu}g$/ml). Compared with the other four antimicrobial agents tested in this study, tigecycline generally showed the greatest activity against VRE. However, four strains of 2005 isolates exhibited resistance against tigecycline (MIC >$12.5{\mu}g$/ml). Almost all VRE were resistant to mupirocin, whereas all E. faecium isolated in 1998 were inhibited at concentrations between $0.8\sim1.6{\mu}g$/ml. In conclusion, resistances to these new antimicrobial agents were exhibited in most of VRE strains even though these new antibiotics have been rarely used in Korean hospitals.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.245-249
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• 2008

Peritonitis is one of the major complications of CAPD(continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). Recently, multidrug-resistant organisms, such as vancomycin-resistant enterococcus(VRE) have been rarely reported by the pathogen as of CAPD-associated peritonitis. But, there is limited information on choices of effective therapy for VRE peritonitis in patients undergoing CAPD. We present a pediatric case of successful treatment of CAPD-associated peritonitis due to VRE with linezolid, and review of the literature.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.246-253
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• 2004

The prevalence, genotype for antibiotic resistance and antibiotic susceptibility of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) were determined. And molecular typings of the Enterococcus faecium isolates were analyzed. Prevalence of VRE in chickens, healthy children and intensive care unit (ICU) patients was 41.6％,7.9％, and 20.4％, respectively. Forty out of 54 isolates from chicken intestines, and 9 out of 11 from ICU patients were identified as Enterococcus faecium. Eleven out of 13 isolates from non-hospitalized young children were E. gallinarium. Twelve strains of E. faecalis were isolated from chicken intestines. The gene for the antibiotic resistance in E. faecium, and E. faecalis was vanA, while that in E. gallinarium was vanC1. E. faecium isolates were resistant to most of antibiotics except ampicillin and gentamicin. Molecular typing of the E. faecium strains obtained by pulse field gel electrophoresis and repetitive sequence-based PCR suggest that VRE transmit horizontally from poultry to humans, especially young children, via the food chains in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.427-430
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• 2014

We developed a novel immunochromatographic assay (ICA) (EZ-Step VanA rapid kit; Dinona, Korea) for the detection of VanA ligase from vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Of eight monoclonal antibodies screened by ELISAs, the VanA ligase ICA constructed with 1H9 plus 3G11 showed the greatest reactivity. The detection limit of the kit was $6.3{\times}10^6$ CFU per test. Of 127 vancomycin-resistant microorganisms, 100 vanA VRE were positive in the VanA ligase ICA, and 27 non-vanA vancomycin-resistant isolates were negative. These results were consistent with those of the PCR analyses. Thus, our ICA is a reliable and easy-to-use immunological assay for detecting VanA-producing VRE in clinical laboratories.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.469-474
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• 2001

The actinomycete strain AMLK-335 was antagonistic to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Based on the diaminopimelic acid (DAP) type, and morphological and physiological characteristics revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), AMLK-335 was confirmed to belong to the genus Streptomyces. Analysis of the 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences found AMLK-335 to have a relationship with Streptomyces platensis. The production of antibiotic from this strain was most favorable when cultured on glucose, polypeptone, yeast extract (PY) medium for 6 days at $27^{\circ}$. The antibiotic was identified as cyclo(L-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl) by comparing ti with the reported MS and NMR spectral data. Cyclo(phe-pro) from the PY cultures of AMLK-335 was most effective (K-98-258). Futhermore, cyclo(phe-pro) had antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Microcuccs luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but it wa ineffective against Candida albicans, Streptomyces murinus, and Aspergillus niger.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.213-216
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• 2008

Continentalic acid (CA, (-)-pimara-8(14), 15-diene-19-oic acid) was isolated from the roots of Aralia cordata (Araliaceae) using bioassay-guided fractionation of a crude chloroform extract. The antibacterial activity of CA against Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus gallinarium was estimated by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs). CA exhibited potent activity against standard vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci (VSE), with MICs and MBCs values between 4 and $8{\mu}g/mL$ and 4 and $16{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. This compound exhibited potent activity against strains of VRE, which are highly resistant to clinically useful antibiotics. These findings suggest that continentalic acid may be useful in controlling enterococcal infection.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.160-164
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• 2011

The purpose of this investigation was to extract the bioactive agents from Alpinia officinarum Hance. The methanol with ethylacetate extracts alone and combined were examined for their activities against VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) and pathogenic yeast in vitro. The incidence of infections caused by VRE and other pathogenic microorganisms and the importance of using novel synergistic drug combinations has become important. Previously, we reported the antimicrobial effects of the butanol extract from Lonicera japonica and have evaluated combinations of solvent extracts, with a focus on the MeOH and EtOAc extracts from A. officinarum. In the present study, enhanced inhibitory effects were achieved by employing a combination of the two solvent extracts. The MeOH and EtOAc combination was especially effective against four VRE strains: E. faecalis (K-10-22), E. faecaium (K-11-212), E. faecalis (K-10-57) and E. faecalis (K-10-361) with MIC values of 12.5, 12.5, 6.25 and 25 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Thus, the combination was more effective than other antibiotics such as kanamycin, gentamicin or tetracycline against bacteria including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Micrococcus luteus. In addition, the combination was effective against yeasts such as Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 1999

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) have recently emerged in Korean hospitals, as well as in those of other countries. VRE have been partially attributed to the overuse and misuse of vancomycin. The mecbanisms of VRE resistance are related to VanA, VanB, and VanC. Both VanA and VanB produce abnormal ligase enzymes to form D-ala-D-lactate termini in E. faecium and E. faecalis, instead of D-ala-D-ala termini. Meanwhile, Van C produces D-ser-D-ala termini in E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus. These abnormal termini have a low affinity to vancomycin. As a result, VRE avoid the activity of vancomycin by these mechanisms. Unfortunately, there is no approved therapy for the treatment of VRE. Thus, available but uncommonly prescribed antibiotics (due to their toxicity or unproven efficacy) may become possible options. They include chloramphenicol, novobiocin, fosfomycin, and bacitracin. The combination therapy of available agents may also be the other options. They include high doses of a penicillin- or ampicillin-aminoglycoside combination, high doses of an ampicillin/sulbactam and aminoglyoosidcs combination, an ampicillin and vancomycin combination, and a ciprofloxacin, aminoglycosides, and rifampin combination. With respect to the near future, many types of investigational agents will most likely expand their treatment options for VRE. Teicoplanin, a glycopeptide, can be used for VanB- and VanC-related VRE. LY333328, a new generation of glycopeptide, is effective in treating VanA as well as VanB and VanC. RP59500 (quinupristin/dalfopristin), a streptogramin, is effective in treating vancomycin-resistant E. faecium. New generation quinolones (especially clinatloxacin) are potential options for the treatment of VRE, even though they cannot work as effectively against VRE as they can against Staphylococci. Both glycylcyclines (a new generation of tetracyclines) and ketolides (a new generation of macrolides) show good activity against Enterococci, regardless of vancomycin susceptibility. Oxazolidinones (i. e. eperezolid and 1inezolid) and everninomicins (i. e. SCH27899) are new groups of antibiotics, which also demonstrate good activity against VRE. It is imperative that clinical pharmacists take the responsibility of investigating new treatment options for VRE in order to combat this growing problem throughout the world.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.634-638
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• 2004

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.240-245
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• 2005

An antimicrobial molecule was purified from centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch, by reverse phase-HPLC. Its molecular weight was determined to be 1208.5493 by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Total amino acid composition analysis revealed that it consists of E, G, P, V, L, F, and W. It exhibited a broad antimicrobial spectrum against not only Gram-negative, but also Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, it was found to have an antimicrobial activity against vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE). It may be a useful molecule for a new antibiotic development, especially against drug-resistant bacteria. We suggest that it may playa role in the defense system of this animal. This is the first report of a peptidic antimicrobial substance from centipede.