• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1399-1407
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• 2015

Klebsiella pneumoniae is found in the normal flora of the skin, mouth, respiratory tract, urinary tract, and intestines in human. However, the stain is opportunistic pathogen, which is the causative agent of community acquired pneumonia. Corn silk has been known to be effective for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, including K. pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, et al. In this study we focused on the antimicrobial properties of con silk water extract of K. penumoniae. K. pneumoniae isolates K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883 and broad-spectrum β-lactamase (BSBL), exteded-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), carbapenemase-producers. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by the disk diffusion method. Searches for bla genes were performed by PCR amplication and direct sequencing. MacConkey agar plate medium was prepared using the corn silk extracts (50% or 100%) instead of distilled water for antimicrobial activity test. The microbial growth inhibitory potential of K. pneumoniae was determined by using the MacConkey agar plate spreading method, and the plate was incubated 18 hr at 37℃. Genes encoding β-lactamases including SHV-1 (n=8), SHV-2a (n=8), SHV-5 (n=2), SHV-11 (n=2), SHV-12 (n=18), TEM-1 (n=10), CTX-M-3 (n=2), CTX-M-14 (n=2), CTX-M-15 (n=1), GES-5 (n=5), KPC-2 (n=6), KPC-3 (n=4), and NDM-1 (n=2) were detected. The corn silk extract showed significantly antimicrobial activity against K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883, but BSBLs, ESBLs, and carbapenemase producers were not. Therefore, corn silk extract is thought to be able to assist in the prevention and rapid recovery of infectious disease caused by K. pneumoniae.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2009

Tenacibaculum maritimum (formerly Flexibacter maritimus) is the aetiological agent of an ulcerative and necrotic disease commonly called tenacibaculosis in marine fish. Tenacibaculosis is an economically important disease in a great variety species in Jeju Island cultured fish and leading to this pathogen initially affected by skin, mouth, fins, tail causing severe necrotic and ulcerative lesions on the body surface. In the present study, A-7 strain was isolated from Paralichthys olivaceus showing symptoms of tenacibaculosis and identified as T. maritimum by morphological, biochemical and molecular biological analysis. T. maritimum A-7 is experimentally infected through immersion route in Paralichthys olivaceus which the disease outbreaks in land-based fish tanks of Jeju Island. Up to data a number of treatments proposed for the tenacibaculosis outbreaks are based on the immersion administration of drugs in tank. Oxytetracycline is the most widely used disinfectants in fish farms. However, most of fish farms manager and consumers have expressed concern as bioaccumulation in tissue and its environmental. In addition, this antimicrobial compounds is expensive in fish farmers. The overcome of this problem is desired the application of natural plant derived products. To obtain as 70% EtOH extract antimicrobial compounds against tenacibaculosis from 35 species of Jeju Island native plants were screened for antimicrobial activity against T. maritimum. In the present study were identified most of the plant extracts were better antimicrobial activity against T. maritimum.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.6
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• pp.469-473
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• 2010

Nocardia farcinia, an aerobic, gram-positive bacilli actinomycetes of the genus Nocardia, is an uncommon pathogen found in humans. The most common Nocardia infection sites are the lung, central nervous system, and skin. Even though hematogenous dissemination can occur, isolation of the organism from blood cultures is very rare. We report a case of Nocardia infection that was isolated on blood cultures. A 59-year-old male with a medical history that includes a liver transplantation 6-years prior due to hepatocellular carcinoma secondary to chronic hepatitis B, developed pneumonia and was transferred to Severance Hospital. At the time of admission, the patient's initial exam showed hypothermia, tachypnea, and hypotension. His chest radiograph showed severe pneumonia and a large abscess on left upper lobe. Under the presumptive diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia or other opportunistic infection, we started broad spectrum antibiotics. However, he developed Nocardia sepsis, rapidly deteriorated, and subsequently died.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.835-841
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• 2007

The followings are concluded from the treatment of headache in Hyungsang medicine, focussed on 11 kinds of headaches in Donguibogam. Headache is classified into overall headache and migraine according to the affected region. The causes are divided into exogenous affection and internal injury; The former brings on headache due to Wind-Cold and headache due to Damp-Heat. The latter, reversal headache, headache due to adverse rising of phlegm, headache due to regurgitation of Gi, headache due to excessive Heat, headache due to excessive Damp, true headache, and alcoholic headache. Headache due to internal injury generally tends to show deficiency syndrome with external affection. Headache due to exogenous affections is common to those who have big head or white skin and to Bangkwang type, and woman. The primary causes are Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat. When the body is observed in the perspective of eight phases, Damp-Heat is to be produced in the front, and Dry-Damp, in the back. Headache due to Damp-Heat is susceptible to Yangmyeong meridian type whose body develops more in the front and to woman. In the perspective of the upper and the lower, Yangdu(that is, head) is related to Eumdu(that is, glans of penis). Headache is also caused by the problems of Eumdu ,such as deficiency of Essence in man, pathologic change of uterus in women, and San syndrome in lower abdomen. In the case of man, headache is frequently severe and difficult to treat because head is a root for man. Disharmony of Gi and blood between the right and the left brings out migraine and headache due to regurgitation of Gi. Migraine is usually accompanied by symptoms of exogenous affection and often afflicts Gi-type, Shin-type, Soyang meridian type, deer type, and Dam-type. Headache due to regurgitation of Gi is brought by Gi deficiency or blood deficiency so that symptoms of exogenous affection do not show. It is mainly common with old people and those who have sunken eyes induced by deficiency of stomach Gi. In the perspective of the upper, the middle, and the lower, the pathologic change of head, chest and abdomen also bring about headache. The pathologic cause of head is Wind-Heat ,which triggers overall headache, migraine, headache due to Wind-Cold, headache due to excessive Heat, The pathogen of chest is phlegm-Fire and brings out headache due to Damp-Heat and headache due to adverse rising of phlegm. The pathologic factor in abdomen is Cold-Damp and produces headache due to adverse rising of phlegm and headache due to excessive Damp. In case of women, headache is generally caused by phlegm-Fire and retention of undigested food.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.348-355
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• 2011

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that is associated with various types of local and systemic infection. Staphylococcal protin A (SPA), a highly expressed surface component of S. aureus, may have a role in virulence such as activating inflammation and interfering with immune clearance. We examined the effect of recombinant SPA on inflammatory response in human HaCaT keratinocytes. The recombinant SPA protein was prepared using the pET-28a Vector System in Escherichia coli. The expression of pro-inflammatory related adhesion molecules and cytokines in HaCaT cells incubated for 6, 12, and 24 h with SPA (2 ${\mu}g$/ml) was analyzed by comparative RT-PCR or ELISA. The expression of E-selectin, ICAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6 and IL-8 was significantly increased in HaCaT from 6 to 24 h after treatment with SPA. SPA showed the effect on the adhesion-promoting ability of U937 monocytes to HaCaT cells. Our data demonstrate that SPA stimulates inflammatory response of HaCaT cells, implicating an important factor for exacerbation of skin inflammation of immunologic disease.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 2011

Purpose: The rationale for skin surface cultures is that bacterial colonization precedes infection and, as a result, that identification of a potential pathogen is predictive of later systemic infection in preterm infants. We aimed to analyze results of surveillance surface cultures in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants and seek for effective ways of performing surveillance surface cultures. Methods: We analyzed the surveillance surface cultures of 113 ELBW infants over a 4-year period. Surveillance cultures were obtained routinely from five sites: axilla, external ear canal, nasopharynx, throat (or tracheal aspirate if intubated) and anus. Each surface culture obtained during the 13 days, prior to the date of the blood culture, was compared with the blood culture obtained when sepsis was suspected. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of the surveillance cultures were calculated among 1894 blood-surface culture pairs by surface sites, recovered organisms and interval between surveillance samples and blood cultures. Results: The overall sensitivity, specificity and PPV of surface cultures were 45.9, 22.4 and 6.8%, respectively. The PPV was highest for the throat/tracheal cultures (11.0%) and lowest for the anal cultures (2.3%). As the time of culturing progressed toward the day of blood culturing, the sensitivity and specificity of the surface cultures significantly increased. Only axillary and throat/tracheal cultures were useful in predicting the microorganisms causing sepsis. Conclusion: Surface cultures could help to predict sepsis pathogens and infection surveillance in preterm infants could be continued with a reduced number of cultured sites focusing on the axilla and throat/trachea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.719-726
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• 2002

Purpose : Neonates in neonatal intensive care units(NICU) have a high risk of acquiring nosocomial infection because of their impaired host defence mechanism and invasive procedures. Nosocomial infection result in considerable morbidity and mortality among neonates. This study was carried out to survey both the epidemiology of nosocomial infection in our NICU and the annual trends of pathogens. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed culture proven nosocomial infection which occurred in our NICU from January 1995 to December 1999. The data included clinical characteristics, site of infection, pathogens, and mortality. Results : Nosocomial infection rates was 9.0 per 100 NICU admissions during the five-year period. Major sites of infection were bloodstream(32.3%), skin(18.4%), endotracheal tube(17.2%), and catheter(10.6%). The most common pathogen was S. aureus(29.9%). and the others were coagulase- negative staphylococci(CONS)(14.8%), Enterobacter(12.4%), and Candida(9.0%). During the five-year period, nosocomial infection rates increased from 9.5 to 11.6 per 100 admissions with the increase of CONS, Candida, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The infection rate of S. aureus decreased. Multiple episodes of nosocomial infection occurred in 26.1% of all nosocomial infections. Overall bloodstream infection rates were 3.6 per 100 NICU admissions during five years. CONS(29.1%) and S. aureus(27.1%) were the two most common pathogens. Increasing rates of bloodstream infection by CONS, Candida, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter baumannii were observed. Bloodstream infection related mortality was 11.9%. Conclusion : The predominant pathogens of nosocomial infection in NICU were S. aureus and CONS. Bloodstream infection, the most frequent nosocomial infection, should be a major focus of surveillance and prevention efforts in NICU.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 1977

For this study 3 samples of the home-made meju and 3 samples of the improved meju were selected according to their characteristics. A total of 25 strains of true fungi were isolated from the samples of the home-made meju and identified by the Key of Alexopoulos and Raper, using a strain Aspergillus oryzae A-113 as a control. Amylolytic and proteolytic enzyme activities of the isolated strains were investigated ana the results obtained were as follows. 1. The 25 strains from the home-made meju were identified into 2 Aspergillus oryzae, 14 Asp. flavus, 6 Penicillum spp. 1 Candida sp 1 Spicaria sp and 1 Rhizopus sp. 2. The 3 strains from the improved meju were all identified as Aspergillus oryzae. 3. Aspergillus flavus, A-B, from the home-made meju was found to he the strongest strain in ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity and also to be similar to the strains of Aspergillus orzae from improved meju. 4. Aspergillus flavus, A-7, from the home-made meju was found to be the strogest strain in ${\beta}-amylase$ activity and stronger than that from the improved meju. 5. Aspergillus flavus B-3, was found to be the strongest strain in protease activity and stronger than that from the improved meju. 6. Some of the strains from the home-made meju turned out to be harmful strains, such as Penicillium spp. which secrete antibiotics, Asp. flavus which secretes mycotoxin, Candida sp which causes skin diseases, Spicaria sp. which is a insect pathogen. 7. Rhizopus sp was also found but it has not been proved to be harmful.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.263-273
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• 2009

There is an increasing number of reports describing Streptococcus parauberis as an important pathogen of cultured olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus and starry flounder Platichthys stellatus in Korea. We tried to determine the effects of water temperature (14${^{\circ}C}$ and 21${^{\circ}C}$) on the pathogenicity in Streptococcal disease caused by S. parauberis. We have challenged 180 olive flounder by i.p injection to $2.0{\times}10^{7}$ live cells/fish. Mortality was monitored for 21 days post challenge. And histopathological characterizations as infection degree, tissue degeneration and/or bacterial distribution were investigated with H&E stain and in situ hybridization technique. Fifty percent and 16.7% of mortality occurred within 21 days at 21${^{\circ}C}$ and 14${^{\circ}C}$ water temperature, respectively. In most cases, the typical symptoms of olive flounder infected with S. parauberis were darkness of the skin, lethargy, mild abdominal distension cause by ascites, splenomegaly, congested liver and internal organs paleness. The pericardial sac contained large amounts of cloudy fluid. Numerous whitish nodules, which were variable in size and often confluent, were randomly scattered throughout the myocardium. Especially, pericarditis and/or myocarditis was observed in all tested fishes after death. Positive in reaction with S. parauberis were found in all tissues in situ hybridization analysis. The relative numbers of S. parauberis in heart were much more than in liver, spleen, kidney and stomach. We evaluated that S. parauberis strain causes serious damage in the pericardium, shortness of breath and the blood disorder. Therefore, pericarditis and myocarditis caused by S. parauberis were closely related to mortality of olive flounder.