• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.417-430
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• 2019

The policies developed for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in adults may not be the most suitable ones to treat children and adolescents. Methods used to treat children and adolescents in Europe and North America may not be appropriate for treating children and adolescents in Korea due to differences in epidemiological characteristics of H. pylori between regions. Moreover, the agreed standard guidelines for the treatment of H. pylori infection in children and adolescents in Korea have not been established yet. In this study, the optimal treatment strategy for H. pylori infection control in children and adolescents in Korea is discussed based on these guidelines, and recent progress on the use and misuse of antimicrobial agents is elaborated. Non-invasive as well as invasive diagnostic test and treatment strategy for H. pylori infection are not recommendable in children aged less than ten years or children with body weight under 35 kg, except in cases of clinically suspected or endoscopically identified peptic ulcers. The uncertainty, whether enough antimicrobial concentrations to eradicate H. pylori can be maintained when administered according to body weight-based dosing, and the costs and adverse effects outweighing the anticipated benefits of treatment make it difficult to decide to eradicate H. pylori in a positive noninvasive diagnostic test in this age group. However, adolescents over ten years of age or with a bodyweight of more than 35 kg can be managed aggressively as adults, because they can tolerate the adult doses of anti-H. pylori therapy. In adolescents, the prevention of future peptic ulcers and gastric cancers is expected after the eradication of H. pylori. Bismuth-based quadruple therapy (bismuth-proton pump inhibitor-amoxicillin/tetracycline-metronidazole) with maximal tolerable doses and optimal dose intervals of 14 days is recommended, because in Korea, the antibiotic susceptibility test for H. pylori is not performed at the initial diagnostic evaluation. If the first-line treatment fails, concomitant therapy plus bismuth can be attempted for 14 days as an empirical rescue therapy. Finally, the salvage therapy, if needed, must be administered after the H. pylori antibiotic susceptibility test.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.405-408
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• 1997

랫트는 간질에 높은 감수성을 나타내기 때문에 간질의 연구에 실험실 모델로 많이 이용된다. 그러나 간질의 피낭유충을 랫트에 감염시킨 다음 랫트의 분변에서 충란을 검출해보면 충란의 검출률은 100%에 훨씬 못미쳐서 실험의 설계에 어려움을 겪는 경우가 흔하다. 이 연구에서는 우리나라에서 많이 사육되고 있는 4가지 스트레인(Sprague-Dawley, Fisher 344, the spontaneously hypertensive rats 그리고 Wistar-Kyoto)의 암 수 랫트에 간질의 피낭유충을 경구적으로 접종하고 분변검사와 부검을 실시하여 감염여부를 확인하였다. 충체회수율은 랫트의 성과 스트레인 간에 유의성 있는 차이를 보였는데 Sprague-Dawley계의 랫트가 가장 높은 충체회수율을 보였으며 평균 충체회수율은 암컷보다 수컷에서 높았다. 이 연구의 결과는 간질에 관한 연구 특히 간질구충제의 효능을 검정하는 시험에 유용한 지침이 될 것으로 사료된다.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2008

We report here two cases of Rhodococcus (R.) equi-causing pneumonia of Throughbred foals in Gyeonggi-do in 2006. R. equi was isolated from the lung lesions of the dead foals, and from the feces and soils on the farms where the clinical cases of R. equi infection occurred. The isolates were characterized by biochemical properties, polymerase chain reaction for vapA gene and antimicrobial susceptibility. In drug susceptibility test, erythromycin, gentamycin, vancomycin, and rifampin were found to be the most susceptible for all isolates. These results suggest that R. equi pneumonia may be endemic in the horse-breeding farms in inland Korea and the farm environment may be widely contaminated with virulent R. equi.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1716-1722
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• 2018

Immunosuppressive drugs are used to make the body less likely to reject transplanted organs or to treat autoimmune diseases. In this study, five immunosuppressive drugs including two glucocorticoids (dexamethasone and prednisolone), one calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin A), one non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (aspirin), and one antimetabolite (methotrexate) were tested for their effects on viral proliferation using feline foamy virus (FFV). The five drugs had different cytotoxic effects on the Crandell-Ress feline kidney (CRFK) cells, the natural host cell of FFV. Dexamethasone-pretreated CRFK cells were susceptible to FFV infection, but pretreatment with prednisolone, cyclosporin A, aspirin, and methotrexate showed obvious inhibitory effects on FFV proliferation, by reducing viral production to 29.8-83.8% of that of an untreated control. These results were supported by western blot, which detected viral Gag structural protein in the infected cell lysate. As our results showed a correlation between immunosuppressive drugs and susceptibility to viral infections, it is proposed that immune-compromised individuals who are using immune-suppressive drugs may be especially vulnerable to viral infection originated from pets.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2017

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a notorious and ubiquitous virus in the swine industry. The susceptibility of the host to PCV2 infection is considered to be one factor associated with the dynamics of PCV2. The objective of this study was to verify the criteria for host susceptibility to PCV2, using blood parameters of post-weaned pigs naturally infected with the virus. The PCV2 DNA viral load, antibody titer, and leukopenia characteristics were measured in the serum extracted from the pigs at the 10th week. We classified the pigs into high (>5.0), intermediate (3.0 to 5.0), and low (<3.0) groups on the basis of the PCV2 viral load (log copies/ml), or as positive (${\leq}0.50$) and negative (>0.50) groups on the basis of antibody titer (sample-to-negative corrected ratio). Moreover, using these two categorized parameters, we suggested the criteria for classification into the susceptible and resistant groups. Statistical analyses revealed that pigs in the susceptible group had a significantly higher viral load (p<0.001) and negative antibody titer (p<0.001), as well as significantly lower leukocyte counts (p=0.018) and lower amounts of several leukocyte components (p<0.05), than pigs in the resistant group. We concluded that the susceptible group could be considered to have PCV2-induced leukopenia. Therefore, we suggest that the combined classifications of viral loads and anti-PCV2 antibodies can be used to determine PCV2-induced leukopenia in the subclinical PCV2 infection of post-weaned pig populations.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify bacteria from the 4 patients with non-odontogenic infectious lesions (mucormycosis, chronic inflammation from wound infection, and two actinomycosis) and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility against eight antibiotics. Bacterial culture was performed under three culture conditions (anaerobic, $CO_2$, and aerobic incubator). The bacterial strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) sequence comparison analysis method. For investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacteria against eight antibiotics, penicillin G, amoxicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, vancomycin, and Augmentin$^{(R)}$ (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurement was performed using broth microdilution assay. Nosocomial pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, and Neisseria flavescens were isolated from mucormycosis. Veillonella parvula, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were isolated from chronic inflammatory lesion. Actinomyces massiliensis was isolated from actinomycosis in parotid gland. Capnocytophaga ochracea was isolated from actinomycosis in buccal region in anaerobic condition. There was no susceptible antibiotic to all bacteria in mucormycosis. Tetracycline was susceptible to all bacteria in chronic inflammation. C. ochracea was resistant to vancomycin and penicillin G; and other antibiotics showed susceptibility to all bacteria in actinomycosis. The results indicated that the combined treatment of two or more antibiotics is better than single antibiotic treatment in mucormycosis, and penicillin is the first recommended antibiotic to treat actinomycosis.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 1986

A total of 130 of Staphylococcus strains isolated from various clinical specimens of admitted patients of a university hospital with systemic or severe cases of infection. All of these were tested for the antimicrobial susceptibility to 11 drugs of common use. The hospital strains isolated showed higher frequency of resistance against four drugs including gentamicin, penicillin, erythromycin, kanamycin but amikacin, cephalothin, streptomycin were effective. And also 47.7% of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus were isolated from the clinical patients. However, isolated Escherichia coli strains showed higher frequency of resistance, but two drugs, tobramycin and gentamicin were effective to them.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of socioeconomic factors and sexual orientation-related attributes on the rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and infection among men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: A web-based survey, supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, was conducted among paying members of the leading online portal for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) community in Korea. The study participants were MSM living in Korea (n=942). COVID-19 vaccination and infection were considered dependent variables, while sexual orientation-related characteristics and adherence to non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) practices served as primary independent variables. To ensure analytical precision, nested logistic regression analyses were employed. These were further refined by dividing respondents into 4 categories based on sexual orientation and disclosure (or "coming-out") status. Results: Among MSM, no definitive association was found between COVID-19 vaccination status and factors such as socioeconomic or sexual orientation-related attributes (with the latter including human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] status, sexual orientation, and disclosure experience). However, key determinants influencing COVID-19 infection were identified. Notably, people living with HIV (PLWH) exhibited a statistically significant predisposition towards COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, greater adherence to NPI practices among MSM corresponded to a lower likelihood of COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: This study underscores the high susceptibility to COVID-19 among PLWH within the LGBTQ+ community relative to their healthy MSM counterparts. Consequently, it is crucial to advocate for tailored preventive strategies, including robust NPIs, to protect these at-risk groups. Such measures are essential in reducing the disparities that may emerge in a post-COVID-19 environment.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.140-147
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• 2019

Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). This study aimed to determine the temporal trends in antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus in SSTI patients aged <19 years. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in pediatric patients with SSTI caused by community-associated S. aureus. Microbiologic and demographic data were collected, and the trends of antibiotic susceptibility results were evaluated. Results: From January 2010 to December 2018, a total of 807 S. aureus isolates were included. An overall increase in susceptibility of isolates to oxacillin was noted (P<0.001), with 75.0% of isolates being oxacillin-susceptible in 2018. S. aureus remained highly susceptible to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline, with 97.6% and 95.2% isolate susceptibility in 2018, respectively. Isolates from younger children aged 1 to 5 years had a significantly lower rate of susceptibility to oxacillin than older children aged 6 to 18 years (53.4% vs. 75.0%, P<0.001). Conclusions: The proportion of methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates appears to decrease in pediatric patients with community-associated SSTI caused by S. aureus. Clinicians should be aware of regional susceptibility patterns when choosing empirical regimens.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the pathogens of bloodstream infection in children with underlying hemato-oncologic diseases, analyze susceptibility patterns, compare temporal trends with those of previous studies, and assess empirical antimicrobial therapy. Methods: Retrospective review study of children bacteremia in hemato-oncologic diseases was conducted at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from January 2013 to July 2023. Results: Overall, 98 episodes of bacteremia were observed in 74 patients. Among pathogens isolated, 57.1% (n=56) were Gram-positive bacteria, 38.8% (n=38) were Gram-negative bacteria, and 4.1% (n=4) were Candida spp. The most common Gram-positive bacteria were coagulase-negative staphylococci (n=21, 21.4%) and Staphylococcus aureus, (n=14, 14.3%) whereas the most common Gram-negative bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=16, 16.3%) and Escherichia coli (n=10, 10.2%). The susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria to penicillin, oxacillin, and vancomycin was 11.5%, 32.7%, and 94.2%, respectively and the susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, gentamicin, and amikacin was 68.6%, 80%, 97.1%, 82.9%, and 91.4%, respectively. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was detected in 1 strain and among Gram-negative strains, extended spectrum β-lactamase accounted for 28.9% (12/38). When analyzing the antibiotic susceptibility and empirical antibiotics, the mismatch rate was 25.5% (n=25). The mortality rate of children within 30 days of bacteremia was 7.1% (n=7). Conclusions: Empirical antibiotic therapy for bacteremia in children with hemato-oncologic diseases should be based on the local antibiogram in each institution and continuous monitoring is necessary.