• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.366-370
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• 2015

Although influenza A (H1N1) virus leads to self-limiting illness, co-infection with bacteria may result in cases of severe respiratory failure due to inflammation and necrosis of intra-airway, as pseudomembranous tracheobronchitis. Pseudomembranous tracheobronchitis is usually developed in immunocompromised patients, but it can also occur in immunocompetent patients on a very rare basis. We report a case of pseudomembranous tracheobronchitis complicated by co-infection of inflenaza A and Staphylococcus aureus, causing acute respiratory failure in immunocompetent patients.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 1992

Periapical lesions are developed as a result of inflammatory response to irritants from root canal system. Clinicians remove these irritants from root canal system and seal the root canal space to induce healing of the periapical lesions. Immunopathologic responses may play an important role in development and progression of periapical lesions and periapical lesions contain immunocompetent cells. The purposes of the present study were to analys and to compare the distribution of the immunocompetent cells in the human periapical lesions according to the stage of endodontic treatment using indirect immunoperoxdase technique. Obtained 94 human periapical lesions were devided into four groups: Group 1 : no endodontic treatment(28 samples) Group 2 : root canal enlarged and irrigated(28 samples) Group 3 : root canal filled(29 samples) Group 4: unknown(9 samples) Monoclonal antibodies to examine target cells were UCHL-1 for T lymphocytes(1 : 200, Dakopatt, Denmark), L26 for B lymphocytes(1 : 200, Dakopatt, Denmark), OPD4 for helper T lymphocytes(l : 200, Dakopatt, Denmark) and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin for macrophages(l : 2000, Dakopatt, Denmark). The following results were obtained : 1. All the periapical lesions studied were infiltrated by T lymphocytes, plasma cells, B lymphocytes, and macrophages. T lymphocytes were more infiltrated than B lymphocytes, and B lymphocytes and macrophages were less infiltrated than T lymphocytes and plasma cells(P<0.05 : Oneway ANOVA test). 2. In untreated group and canal irrigated and enlarged group of all the periapical lesions, helper T lymphocytes were predominently infiltrated(P>0.05 : Oneway ANOVA test). 3. In canal filled groups of all lesions except periapical cyst, plasma cells were predominently infiltrated. But, in canal filled group of periapical cyst, helper T lymphocytes were the predominent cells(P>0.05 : Oneway ANOVA test). The above results shows that the immunologic responses play important role in pathogenesis of periapical lesions and the immunologic response involved undergoes certain changes after endodontic therapy.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.110-117
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• 2022

Herpes zoster (HZ) has been reported in immunocompetent children who received the varicella vaccine. In vaccinated children, HZ can be caused by vaccine-strain or by wild-type varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Like wild-type VZV, varicella vaccine virus can establish latency and reactivate as HZ. We report two cases of HZ in otherwise healthy 16- and 14-month-old boys who received varicella vaccine at 12 months of age. They presented with a vesicular rash on their upper extremities three to four months after varicella vaccination. In one case, a swab was obtained by abrading skin vesicles and VZV was detected in skin specimens by polymerase chain reaction. The VZV open-reading frame 62 was sequenced and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis confirmed that the virus from skin specimen was vaccine-strain. This is the first HZ case following varicella vaccination confirmed to be caused by vaccine-strain VZV in the immunocompetent children in Korea. Pediatricians should be aware of the potential for varicella vaccine virus reactivation in vaccinated young children.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.160-167
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• 2021

Pyogenic spondylitis, an extremely rare complication of nontyphoidal Salmonella infection in immunocompetent children, occurs more commonly in patients with hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease or in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we report a case of pyogenic spondylitis in a previously healthy 13-year-old immunocompetent adolescent, who presented with prolonged fever and right upper quadrant pain. Stool culture results comfirmed nontyphoidal Salmonella infection, and the patient was diagnosed with pyogenic spondylitis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella based on additional imaging studies performed for evaluation of the patient's prolonged fever. This case highlights the importance of culture studies for evaluation of patients with fever of unknown origin and also the importance of detailed investigations for early detection of complications of extra-intestinal infections in patients with an unusual clinical course of salmonellosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.5
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• pp.452-456
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• 2012

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection can occur in immunocompromised patients, and rarely in immunocompetent subjects. Due to the extensive distribution of the disease, clinical presentation of disseminated MAC may mimic malignancies, and thorough examinations are required in order to make accurate diagnosis. We report a case of disseminated Mycobacterium intracellulare disease in an immunocompetent patient, which involved the lung, lymph nodes, spleen, and multiple bones. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography imaging showed multiple hypermetabolic lesions, which are suggestive of typical hematogenous metastasis. However, there was no evidence of malignancy in serial biopsies, and M. intracellulare was repeatedly cultured from respiratory specimens and bones. Herein, we should know that disseminated infection can occur in the immunocompetent subjects, and it can mimic malignancies.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.291-294
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• 2005

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.2
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• pp.101-103
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• 2016

Nocardia species are aerobic, gram-positive pathogens found worldwide in soil. Nocardia is considered an opportunistic pathogen, and its infection mostly occurs in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of Nocardia farcinica induced mediastinitis and pneumonia that occurred in a 64-year-old male patient who had no significant medical history except for hypertension. He visited another hospital with a complaint of dyspnea and left chest wall pain. The symptoms arose 7 days ago without any trauma and they worsened. A mediastinal mass was found on computed tomography scan. After being transferred to our hospital for further evaluation, he was diagnosed with mediastinitis and pneumonia. As N. farcinica was found to be the causative organism by 16S rRNA sequencing, proper antibiotic therapy including trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was initiated immediately. After this, the patient improved and he was discharged. If an infection has a disseminating course, nocardiosis cannot be excluded even in immunocompetent patients. Once the diagnosis is established, prompt antibiotic therapy should be performed based on the severity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2018

Cryptosporidium species is an important cause of gastrointestinal infections globally. This study aimed to shed light on its role in diarrheic immunocompetent patients in Beni-Suef, Egypt and to compare three diagnostic methods. Two hundred diarrheic patients, $37{\pm}16.8year$ old, were enrolled. Stool samples were examined by light microscopy, using modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain (MZN) for Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. Coproantigens were detected by sandwich ELISA. DNA molecular diagnosis was done by nested PCR. PCR yielded the highest detection rates (21.0%), compared to ELISA (12.5%) and MZN staining method (9.5%). The higher infection rates were in 20-40 year-old group, followed by 40-60 year-old. Association between epidemiologic factors was statistically not significant; positivity and gender, clinical manifestations, residence, source or water, or contact with animals. Cryptosporidiosis is an important enteric parasitic infection in Beni-Suef and PCR remains the gold standard for diagnosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.276-280
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• 2015

Cryptococcal pneumonia usually occurs in immunocompromised patients with malignancy, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, organ transplantations, immunosuppressive chemotherapies, catheter insertion, or dialysis. It can be diagnosed by gaining tissues in lung parenchyma or detecting antigen in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Here we report an immunocompetent 32-year-old male patient with diabetes mellitus diagnosed with cryptococcal pneumonia after a ultrasound-guided percutaneous supraclavicular lymph node core needle biopsy. We treated him with fluconazole at 400 mg/day for 9 months according to the guideline. This is the first case that cryptococcal pneumonia was diagnosed from a percutaneous lymph node biopsy in South Korea.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.64-68
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• 2010

Brain aspergillosis has been increasing remarkably. They are known to occur commonly in immunocompromised individuals by hematogenous spread from other primary sites or by direct extension from adjacent structures to central nervous system. We report a rare case of a 29-year-old male without any known medical history, who had isolated brain lesion and the pathology from stereotactic biopsy confirmed cerebral aspergillosis.