• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.309-317
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• 2009

The present study describes an investigation on an epidemic of Tuberculosis (TB) which has been occurred among dairy cattle farms in Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do since 2007. The investigation was performed in three ways as follows: 1. Collecting information about bovine TB outbreaks using investigation reports, an on-the-spot and tracing-back investigations; 2. Analyzing the outbreak pattern; 3. Establishing hypothesis and performing statistical analysis on potential risk factors. In the early 2000s, TB outbreaks were sporadically reported in beef cattle, and only a small number ($1{\sim}2$) of reactors was confirmed in each of outbreak farms. The number of TB outbreaks has been suddenly increased from 2007, mainly in dairy cattle farms. And these outbreaks were temporarily clustered during the period, from March 2007 to April 2009 (relative risk, RR = 13.7, p < 0.001). And two spatial clusters of which radiuses were 0.3 km (RR = 6.9, p < 0.001) and 0.9 km (RR = 3.6, p < 0.01). The analysis to find risk factors was performed on 99 dairy farms (21 outbreaks), which are located in the most seriously affected village during 2007-2009. Middleman (odds ratio, OR = 47.4, p < 0.05) and raw milk collecting system (OR = 6.9, p < 0.05) were recognized as with the highest association. Considering the fact that all the outbreak farms except one had their own manure composting tank, it might be that the manure containing pathogen was leaked from tank and transmitted to other farms by fomites such as middleman or raw milk collecting system.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.75.1-75.7
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• 2022

Background: Since 2013, the number of requests for diagnosis for horses based on neurological symptoms has increased rapidly in South Korea. The affected horses have commonly exhibited symptoms of acute seasonal hindlimb ataxia. A previous study from 2015-2016 identified Setaria digitata as the causative agent. Objectives: This study is an epidemiological investigation to find out risk factors related to the rapid increase in hindlimb ataxia of horses due to aberrant parasites in South Korea. Methods: An epidemiological investigation was conducted on 155 cohabiting horses in 41 horse ranches where the disease occurred. The surrounding environment was investigated at the disease-causing horse ranches (n = 41) and 20, randomly selected, non-infected ranches. Results: Hindlimb ataxia was confirmed in nine cohabiting horses; this was presumed to be caused by ectopic parasitism. Environments that mosquitoes inhabit, such as paddy fields within 2 km and less than 0.5 km from a river, had the greatest association with disease occurrence. Conclusions: Most horse ranches in South Korea are situated in favorable environments for mosquitoes. Moreover, the number of mosquitoes in the country has increased since 2013 due to climate change. Additional research is required; however, these data show that it is necessary to establish guidelines for the use of anthelmintic agents based on local factors in South Korea and disinfection of the environment to prevent disease outbreaks.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.343-348
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• 2009

The final decision of study design in molecular and genetic epidemiology is usually a compromise between the research study aims and a number of logistical and ethical barriers that may limit the feasibility of the study or the interpretation of results. Although biomarker measurements may improve exposure or disease assessments, it is necessary to address the possibility that biomarker measurement inserts additional sources of misclassification and confounding that may lead to inconsistencies across the research literature. Studies targeting multi-causal diseases and investigating gene-environment interactions must not only meet the needs of a traditional epidemiologic study but also the needs of the biomarker investigation. This paper is intended to highlight the major issues that need to be considered when developing an epidemiologic study utilizing biomarkers. These issues covers from molecular and genetic epidemiology (MGE) study designs including cross-sectional, cohort, case-control, clinical trials, nested case-control, and case-only studies to matching the study design to the MGE research goals. This review summarizes logistical barriers and the most common epidemiological study designs most relevant to MGE and describes the strengths and limitations of each approach in the context of common MGE research aims to meet specific MEG objectives.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate air quality in Chungju, Korea, using data obtained with a local air quality monitoring system. We have utilised cohort studies to investigate the relations between environmental pollution and the health of residents near large industrial complexes since 2004. This study analyzes the $O_3,\;NO_2,\;SO_2,\;CO\;and\;PM_{10}$ concentration in Chungju from 2002 to 2006. Air pollutants are closely related to the number of manufacturing facilities and cars, energy utilization and weather conditions. Generally, the diurnal concentration of air pollutants in Chungju reached the highest level in the morning (about$08:00{\sim}$) and early evening (about$19:00{\sim}$). On the other hand, the diurnal concentration of ozone as recorded gives the highest amount in late afternoon (about$16:00{\sim}$) and lowest in early morning (about$08:00{\sim}$). The concentration of air pollutants in Chungju was highest from winter to spring and lowest during the summer season. On the other hand, the monthly variation of ozone concentration was greatest in June and smallest in December. Also the, $PM_{10}$ concentration posted the highest record in April and the lowest during September. In general, this study analyzed air pollution changes in Chungju as well as in large scale industrial complex regions within Korea such as Ulsan, Pohang, Kwangyang, Sihwa Panwol and Gangneung in Korea. We compared the air quality of Chungju with those of these cites and found that air pollutants except for CO in Chungju was generally lower than large industrial complex regions.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.315-323
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• 2009

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus exists in seven serotypes and is known to be a highly contagious disease that is hard to eradicate from the world. The O, A, Asia1 and SAT2 serotypes commonly infected cattle, sheep and goats during 2007~2009 throughout the world. In particular, the outbreak of the Asia1 serotype in China appeared in all areas from 2005 and is still present. Surprisingly, in 2009, Taiwan reported the first outbreak of the type O serotype since 2001. Then type A appeared in China for the first time since the early 1960s. The virus shows a close relationship to the viruses from Southeast Asia suggesting one or more recent introductions into China in the OIE reports. Recently the subtype of A/Iran05 spread to nearby countries exhibiting genomic evolution. The use of molecular epidemiology is an important tool in understanding and consequently controlling the FMD virus. The phylogenetic analysis with VP1 gene was especially useful for molecular epidemiological studies and showed the same pattern which matches with serotype classification. This paper describes basic information about the disease, and the serotype-specific characteristics and evolution to perform molecular epidemiological analysis. Furthermore, we show the importance of the genetic evolution on the FMD serotypes in global surveillance and molecular epidemiology of FMD for outbreak investigation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5713-5718
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• 2013

Background: DNA methyltransferase-3a (DNMT3a) plays significant roles in embryogenesis and the generation of aberrant methylation in carcinogenesis. This study aimed to investigate associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the DNMT3a gene and risk of Helicobacter pylori infection, gastric atrophy and gastric cancer. Methods: The subjects comprised 447 patients with gastric cancer; 111 individuals with gastric atrophy and 961 healthy controls. Two SNPs (rs1550117 and rs13420827) of the DNMT3a gene were genotyped by Taqman assay. DNMT3a expression was analyzed in cancer tissues from 89 patients by tissue microarray technique. Odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among healthy controls, risk of H.pylori infection was significantly higher in subjects with the rs1550117 AA genotype, compared to those with GG/AG genotypes of DNMT3a [OR=2.08, (95%CI: 1.02-4.32)]. However, no significant correlation was found between the two SNPs and risk of developing gastric atrophy or gastric cancer. In addition, no increase in DNMT3a expression was observed in the gastric cancer with H.pylori infection. Conclusions: This study revealed that DNMT3a rs1550117 polymorphism is significantly associated with an increased risk of H. pylori infection, but did not support any evidence for contributions of DNMT3a rs1550117 and rs13420827 to either gastric atrophy or gastric cancer. The biological roles of DNMT3a polymorphisms require further investigation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9417-9421
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• 2014

Background: Esophageal cancer is one of the most frequently occurring malignancies and the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common histological type of esophageal cancer worldwide. Materials and Methods: Our goal in this study was to detect phospholipase A2 Group IIA (PLA2G2A) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) immuno-expression in ESCC in a high-risk population in China. Results: Positive expression of PLA2G2A protein was observed in 57.2% (166/290) of the cases, while COX-2 was found in 257 of 290 samples (88.6%), both PLA2G2A and COX-2 being expressed in 153 cases (52.8%), with a significant agreement (Kappa=0.091, p=0.031).Overexpression of PLA2G2A was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion (p=0.001). Co-expression of PLA2G2A and COX-2 not only significantly correlated with the depth of invasion (p=0.004) but also with TNM stage (p=0.04). Conclusions: Our results showed that in patients with ESCC, PLA2G2A overexpression and PLA2G2A co-expression with COX-2 is significantly correlated with advanced stage. The biological role and pathophysiologic regulation of PLA2G2A and COX-2 overexpression in ESCC deserve further investigation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5183-5188
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• 2012

Colorectal cancer remains one of the most widespread malignancies in the world. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies considering colorectal cancer risk factors among Russian populations, particularly in Siberia. The aim of this investigation was to determine the impact of various lifestyle, dietary, family, and socioeconomical factors on colorectal cancer risk in South-East Siberia. We recruited 185 Russian colorectal cancer cases and 210 gender-, age-, and ethnicity-matched asymptomatic controls with no history of any malignant tumor, using a specially designed questionnaire to obtain relevant information. After the statistical analysis, we defined several significant factors affecting colorectal cancer risk. Among these were smoking (OR=2.13, 95%CI=1.4-3.24, P=0.0004), being overweight (BMI between 25-30, OR=2.45, 95%CI=1.49-4.03, P=0.0004), alcohol drinking (OR=8.73, 95%CI=5.49-13.87, P<0.0001), beer drinking (OR=9.24, 95%CI=5.14-16.61, P<0.0001), consumption of hard liquor (OR=9.37, 95%CI=5.92-14.82, P<0.0001), excessive red meat consumption (P<0.0001), excessive intake of red meat products (P<0.0001), excessive intake of dairy products (P<0.0001), excessive sour cream and cheese consumption (P<0.0001 and 0.0002, respectively), spicy food consumption (OR=2.87, 95%CI=1.9-4.33, P<0.0001), family history of gastrointestinal malignant tumors (OR=3.99, 95%CI=2.09-7.59, P<0.0001), and income exceeding twice the subsistence minimum (OR=5.34, 95%CI=3.35-8.53, P<0.0001). Certain factors, such as high concentration of salt in the food and precancerous colonic lesions, demonstrated borderline significance (OR=3.45, 95%CI=1.68-7.1, P=0.0008, and OR=5.25, 95%CI=1.94-14.22, P=0.001, respectively). Some factors were established as protective, like consumption of rye bread and both rye and wheat bread (OR=0.32, 95%CI=0.21-0.5, P<0,0001, and OR=0.07, 95%CI=0.02-0.21, P<0.0001, respectively), and also low concentration of salt in the food, although this was of borderline significance (OR=0.43, 95%CI=0.26-0.69, P=0.0006). ABO and Rhesus blood antigens were not associated with increased colorectal cancer risk. These results should be definitely applied for elaboration of programs of colorectal cancer prevention in Russia, particularly in Siberia.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.521-525
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• 2018

Rodents are well-known reservoirs and vectors of many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, but little is known about their role in zoonotic disease transmission in Bhutan. In this study, a cross-sectional investigation of zoonotic disease pathogens in rodents was performed in Chukha district, Bhutan, where a high incidence of scrub typhus and cases of acute undifferentiated febrile illness had been reported in people during the preceding 4-6 months. Twelve rodents were trapped alive using wire-mesh traps. Following euthanasia, liver and kidney tissues were removed and tested using PCR for Orientia tsutsugamushi and other bacterial and rickettsial pathogens causing bartonellosis, borreliosis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, leptospirosis, and rickettsiosis. A phylogenetic analysis was performed on all rodent species captured and pathogens detected. Four out of the 12 rodents (33.3%) tested positive by PCR for zoonotic pathogens. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella grahamii, and B. queenslandensis were identified for the first time in Bhutan. Leptospira interrogans was also detected for the first time from rodents in Bhutan. The findings demonstrate the presence of these zoonotic pathogens in rodents in Bhutan, which may pose a risk of disease transmission to humans.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.673-677
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• 2013

Introduction: Capture-recapture methods have been suggested for reducing costs of disease registration as well as reducing bias in incidence estimations. This study aimed to estimate the gastric cancer incidence in the Tehran metropolis population during 2002-2006. Materials and Methods: We investigated new cases of gastric cancer reported by three sources; death certificates, pathology reports, and medical records to Tehran population-based cancer registry during 2002-2006. $G^2$ statistics and the two-source capture-recapture method were used to select the best-fitted log-linear model and to estimate incidence, respectively. EXCEL software version 2007 and SPSS software version 16 were used for this research. Results: The number of reported cases was 4,463, with an average age of 68.5 (${\pm}12.9$) years. We found the model that combined two sources of data including pathology reports and medical records and furthermore complemented by death certificates as the best model. The reported and the estimated incidences were 11.0 and 27.1 per 100,000 respectively. Conclusions: The incidence estimated by two-source capture-recapture method is about three times higher than the incidence reported by the sources under investigation. It is recommended to move towards the implementation of population-based cancer registration using various sources of data collection to achieve more accurate data.