• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.227-231
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• 1999

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a clinical syndrome with various etiology and pathogenesis. And pneumococcal neuraminidase has been known to play a pathogenetic role in some cases with this syndrome. We experienced two children with hemolytic uremic syndrome complicated by pneumococcal infection. One was 21-month-old girl with pneumococcal pneumonia, and the other was 7-month-old girl with pneumococcal meningitis and sepsis. Both of them showed typical clinical manifestations of hemolytic uremic syndrome with prolonged anuria during the course of pneumococcal infection. The renal functions of both cases did not recovered after resolution of acute hemolytic episode and chronic renal failure developed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.535-537
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• 2021

In the 1918 influenza pandemic, more than 95% of mortalities were ascribed to bacterial pneumonia. After the primary influenza infection, the innate immune system is attenuated, and the susceptibility to bacteria is increased. Subsequent bacterial pneumonia exacerbates morbidity and increases the mortality rate. Similarly, COVID-19 infection attenuates innate immunity and results in pneumonia. In addition, the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may have limited defense against secondary pneumococcal infection after influenza infection. Therefore, until a fully protective vaccine is available, a method of increasing immunity may be helpful. Ginseng has been shown to increase the defense against influenza in clinical trials and animal experiments, as well as the defense against pneumococcal pneumonia in animal experiments. Based on these findings, ginseng is suspected to be helpful for providing immunity against COVID-19.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.58-64
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• 2015

Activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) acts as a negative regulator of cytokine production during Gram-negative bacterial infection. A recent study reported that ATF3 provides protection from Streptococcus pneumoniae infection by activating cytokines. However, the mechanism by which S. pneumoniae induces ATF3 after infection is still unknown. In this study, we show that ATF3 was upregulated via Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways in response to S. pneumoniae infection in vitro. Induction was mediated by TLR4 and TLR2, which are in the TLR family. The expression of ATF3 was induced by pneumolysin (PLY), a potent pneumococcal virulence factor, via the TLR4 pathway. Furthermore, ATF3 induction is mediated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Thus, this study reveals a potential role of PLY in modulating ATF3 expression, which is required for the regulation of immune responses against pneumococcal infection in macrophages.

• 약학회지
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.369-373
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• 2004

We previously reported that Streptococcus pneumoniae capsule attached to the surface protein (JY-Pol) was protective to systemic pneumococcal infection. The JY -Pol antigen induced IgM, IgG, and IgA in mice and provoked cell-mediated immunity. In this current study, we investigated the effect of anti JY-Pol antiserun and monoclonal antibody C2 (Mab C2) specific for the JY-Pol antigen against the pneumococcal disease. Mice that were given the antiserum survived longer than mice that received antiserum pre-absorbed with S.pneumoniae cells or DPBS as a negative control. Heat-treated anti JY-Pol antiserum resulted in survival rates similar to intact fresh JY-Pol antiserum. Mab C2 isolated from JY-Pol-immunized mice also enhanced resistance of naive mice against the pneumococcal diseaser. This protection by Mab C2 appeared to be mediated by opsonization as determined in a RAW 264.7 monocyte/macrophage cell line. Epitope analysis showed that Mab C2 epitope consisted of glucuronic acid and glucose that blocked the interaction of JY-Pol to the C2. Taken together, these data indicate that the antiserum induced by the JY-Pol, a naturally pneumococcal conjugate formula, mediated the protection by passive transfer, which was confirmed by protective effect of Mab C2.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.149-160
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• 2017

Streptococcus pneumoniae, pneumococcus, is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP is an important infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality, and it is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many genetic factors of the host and various environmental factors surrounding it have been studied as important determinants of the pathophysiology and outcomes of pneumococcal infections. Various cytokines, including transforming growth factor $(TGF)-{\beta}1$, are involved in different stages of the progression of pneumococcal infection. $TGF-{\beta}1$ is a cytokine that regulates a wide range of cellular and physiological functions, including immune and inflammatory responses. This cytokine has long been known as an anti-inflammatory cytokine that is critical to preventing the progression of an acute infection to a chronic condition. On the other hand, recent studies have unveiled the diverse roles of $TGF-{\beta}1$ on different stages of pneumococcal infections other than mitigating inflammation. This review summarizes the recent findings of the role of $TGF-{\beta}1$ on the pathophysiology of pneumococcal infections, which is fundamental to developing novel therapeutic strategies for such infections in immune-compromised patients.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.237-242
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• 2002

용혈성 요독 증후군은 용혈성 빈혈, 혈소판 감소증, 급성신부전의 임상양상을 보이는 질환으로서 전형적인 경우 EHEC에 의해 유발되며, 설사(특히 혈변) 등의 전구증상과 연관된다. 비전형적으로 드물게 폐구균 감염으로도 유발되며, 이 경우 매우 불량한 예후를 보이는 것으로 알려져 있고, 아직 국내엔 폐구균 감염과 연관된 HUS에 대해 보고된 바가 없다. 저자들은 폐구균 감염이 진단된 후 급격히 심한 비전형적 용혈성 요독 증후군이 진행되었으나 성공적으로 치료한 1례를 경험하였기에 보고하는 바이다.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.328-339
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• 2018

Background: Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in patients with comorbidities and advanced age. This study evaluated trends in epidemiology of adult pneumococcal disease in Crete, Greece, by identifying serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of consecutive Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from adults during an 8-year time period (2009-2016) and the indirect effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccines 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Materials and Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by E-test and serotyping by Quellung reaction. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was defined as non-susceptibility to penicillin (PNSP) combined with resistance to ${\geq}2$ non-${\beta}$-lactam antimicrobials. Results: A total of 135 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from adults during the study period. Twenty-one serotypes were identified with 17F, 15A, 3, 19A, and 11A, being the most common. The coverage rates of PCV10, and PCV13 were 17.8% and 37.8%, respectively. PCV13 serotypes decreased significantly from 68.4% in 2009 to 8.3% in 2016 (P = 0.002). The most important emerging non-PCV13 serotypes were 17F, 15A, and 11A, with 15A being strongly associated with antimicrobial resistance and MDR. Among all study isolates, penicillin-resistant and MDR strains represented 7.4% and 14.1%, respectively. Predominant PNSP serotypes were 19A (21.7%), 11A (17.4%), and 15A (17.4%). Erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and levofloxacin resistant rates were 30.4%, 15.6%, 16.3%, 16.3%, and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Although pneumococcal disease continues to be a health burden in adults in Crete, our study reveals a herd protection effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccination. Surveillance of changes in serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance among pneumococcal isolates are necessary to guide optimal prevention and treatment strategies.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.118-123
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• 2019

감염 후 사구체신염(postinfectious glomerulonephritis, PIGN)은 주로 Streptococcus pyogenes에 의해 발생하지만, 다른 병원체와 관련된 PIGN도 문헌에서 확인된다. 기침, 발열, 우측 흉통을 주소로 내원한 6세 남아에서 폐구균 및 인플루엔자 A 바이러스의 감염이 확인되었고 항생제와 항바이러스제가 투약되었다. 입원 중 전신 부종, 혈뇨, 단백뇨, 혈압의 상승이 관찰되었고, 따라서 이뇨제가 투약되었다. 환자는 육안적 혈뇨가 관찰되는 상태로 퇴원하였고, 퇴원 후 14주에 현미경적 혈뇨까지 사라졌다. 폐구균 또는 인플루엔자 A 바이러스 감염이 확인된 환아에서 신염의 증상이 보이는 경우 감염 후 사구체신염의 조기발견을 위해 소변검사 및 혈압의 측정이 이루어져야 한다. 본 저자들은 폐구균 및 인플루엔자 A 바이러스에 의한 감염 후 사구체신염 사례를 경험하였기에 이를 보고하는 바이다.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.9-15
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• 2015

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) causes a major upper respiratory tract infection often leading to severe illness and death in the elderly. Thus, it is important to induce safe and effective mucosal immunity against this pathogen in order to prevent pnuemocaccal infection. However, this is a very difficult task to elicit protective mucosal IgA antibody responses in older individuals. A combind nasal adjuvant consisting of a plasmid encoding the Flt3 ligand cDNA (pFL) and CpG oligonucleotide (CpG ODN) successfully enhanced S. pneumoniae-specific mucosal immunity in aged mice. In particular, a pneumococcal surface protein A-based nasal vaccine given with pFL and CpG ODN induced complete protection from S. pneumoniae infection. These results show that nasal delivery of a combined DNA adjuvant offers an attractive potential for protection against the pneumococcus in the elderly.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.287-300
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• 2018

Pneumonia is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in old adults. The incidence and etiologic distribution of community-acquired pneumonia is variable both geographically and temporally, and epidemiology might evolve with the change of population characteristics and vaccine uptake rates. With the increasing prevalence of chronic medical conditions, a wide spectrum of healthcare-associated pneumonia could also affect the epidemiology of community-acquired pneumonia. Here, we provide an overview of the epidemiological changes associated with community-acquired pneumonia over the decades since pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction.