• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.318-322
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• 2014

Chlamydophila pneumonia is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia throughout the world. It causes mild pneumonia or bronchitis in adolescents and young adults. Older adults may experience more severe disease and repeated infections. To the best of our knowledge, no study has attempted to investigate the prevalence of C. pneumonia in a closed community in Korea. We compared the infection rate of C. pneumonia among university dormitory residents using the miro-immunofluorescence (MIF) method. Antibody titers of IgG (1:32 or more) indicate past infection of C. pneumonia. A recent infection was defined as serum with a high titer of IgG (1:512 or more) or a positive IgM (1:16 or more). The past infection rate of C. pneumonia among the university dormitory residents was 71.7%. The recent infection rate of C. pneumonia according to IgG and IgM titers was 28.3% and 23.3%, respectively. The past infection positive rate according to the number of residence months was 1 month (50%), 7 months (71.4%), 13 months (66.7%), and 35 months (89.5%). The recent infection positive rate according to IgG antibody titers was 1 month (50%), 7 months (28.6%), 13 months (33.3%), and 35 months (10.5%). The recent infection rate of C. pneumonia according to IgM antibody titers was 1 month (41.7%), 7 months (28.6%), 13 months (26.7%), and 35 months (5.3%). The results suggest that the past infection rate of C. pneumonia is increased by the number of residence months in a closed community and that the recent infection rate of C. pneumonia according to IgG and IgM serological tests is decreased by the number of residence months.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2014

In general, whey obtained from various cheese batches is being reused, so as to improve the texture and to increase the yield and the nutrient value of the various final milk-based products. In fact, re-usage of whey proteins, including whey cream, is a common and routine procedure. Unfortunately, most bacteriophages can survive heat treatments such as pasteurization. Hence, there is a high risk of an increase in the bacteriophage population during the cheese-making process. Whey samples contaminated with bacteriophages can cause serious problems in the cheese industry. In particular, the process of whey separation frequently leads to aerosol-borne bacteriophages and thus to a contaminated environment in the dairy production plant. In addition, whey proteins and whey cream reused in a cheese matrix can be infected by bacteriophages with thermal resistance. Therefore, to completely abolish the various risks of fermentation failure during re-usage of whey, a whey treatment that effectively decreases the bacteriophage population is urgently needed and indispensable. Hence, the purpose of this review is to introduce various newly developed methods and state-of-the-art technologies for removing bacteriophages from contaminated whey and whey products.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.81-92
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• 1972

Studies on Pathogenicity of Nosema bombycis Naegeli are summarized as follows: 1. The mortality of the parents, Jam 103 and Jam 104, is remarkbly higher than that of the hybrid, Jam 103$\times$Jam 104, whereas there is no difference in the mortality between the parents. 3. In the mortality of the pathogen-concentration, it is increased in order of the following concentrations inoculated, 10$^{8}$ , 10$^{7}$ , 10$^{8}$ and 10$^{5}$ /ml. 3. In the mortality of each instar, it is high in order of 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd instar. 4. In the interaction between the mortalities of the varieties and the concentrations, 1) The mortality shows no differences between the parents and the hybrid in the high concentration of 10$^{8}$ /ml. 2) The mortality of the hybrid is lower than that of the parents in the low concentration of 10$^{5}$ /ml, whereas no difference is found between the parents. 3) The interaction appears at the same level in the middle concentration of 10$^{6}$ /ml to the parents and of 10$^{7}$ /ml to the hybrid. 5. It was pointed out that active immunity depends upon the volume of antigen injection, immunizing period, and injection intervals. In this experiment, it is noticed that the optimum volume of injection is above 20ml and D is the best one of the four treatment (A.B.C.D.). 6. The immune sera indicate such a 12,800 high titer in the indirect method can be obtained from the D immunizing method. Silkworm tissues and N. bombycis spores show self-fluorescence, but it is able to distinguish it from the F.I.T.C. by using the U.V. filter. 7. The midgut epithelium is examined to be the first site of the tissues which are penetrated into and multiplied by the inoculation of the pathogen per os.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was performed for analysis of the results of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and antibody test of Mycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae) in children with symptoms of respiratory tract infection. In the cases of both positive antibody test and PCR for M. pneumoniae, the chest X-ray findings were assessed. Methods: The antibody test was done in 1,979 cases who have been admitted to Wonkwang university hospital department of pediatrics with symptoms of respiratory tract infection from January, 2000 to December, 2001. The positive antibody test was defined as titer of 1 : 80 and over 1 : 80. The PCR of M. pneumoniae were done in randomly selected 131 cases of respiratory tract infection. The chest X-ray findings were assessed in the cases of positive antibody test and PCR. Results: The numbers of cases of the positive antibody test for M. pneumoniae were 499 cases(25%). The PCR for M. pneumoniae were performed in 131 cases and the 45 cases(34%) were positive and 86 cases(66%) were negative. The 56 of 86 PCR negative cases were also negative antibody test, but 30 cases were positive antibody test. The 36 cases of 45 PCR positive cases were antibody positive, and 9 cases were antibody negative. The sputum Gram stain and culture for M. pneumoniae were negative in all the 499 cases of mycoplasma antibody positive respiratory infection. In these antibody positive 499 cases, the most common X-ray findings was interstitial pneumonic infiltration in 266 cases(53%), and pleural effusion were detected in 22 cases(4%), but nonspecific chest X-ray finding showed in 129 cases(26%). In PCR positive 45 cases, the most common chest X-ray finding was interstitial pneumonic infiltration in 32 cases(71%). Conclusion: The PCR for M. pneumoniae is more useful method for detection of mycoplasma infection in children with respiratory tract infection. The M. pneumoniae is a important etiologic agent for respiratory infection in children.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.3 s.83
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• pp.386-395
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• 2007

A total of 27 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (18 strains isolated from Korea and 9 strains from Japan) were serotyped and examined for biochemical characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, cytotoxicity assay, thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) production and molecular epidemiology. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and DNA probe hybridization method, the strains were tested for toxR, tdh, trh and ORF 8 genes. The V. parahaemolyticus isolated from patients were belonged to 8 different serotypes : O3:K6, O1:K38, O3:K57, O4:K9, O4:Kl2, O4:K68, O5:Kl5 and O6:K46. Urease-positive strain possessed the trh gene, and conversely, urease-negative strains lacked the gene, indicating that urease production by V. parahemolyticus strains strongly correlates with the possession of the trh gene. Most strains showed multiple resistant to more than three antibiotics and the antibiogram could be classified into 6 group (I to VI). All of the O3:K6 strains isolated in South Korea and Japan producted TDH at high levels. The TDH titers ranged between 256 and 2.048, and the average titer was 1009. To distinguish the new and increasingly common V. parahaemolyticus strains from clinical isolates, ORF 8 is a useful genetic marker. After Southern hybridization, the HindIII restriction fragment patterns of the tdh gene were grouped one type, respectively. One type showed two bands one of which was 4.3kb and the other was 11.5kb in size. Variation between the O3:K6 serotype are minor when compared to the differences seen with the non O3:K6 strains. The migration patterns of Not I -digested of the total DNA of the O3:K6 strains were similar, and only slight variations were observed between the serotypes. By contrast, the O3:K6 strains and non O3:K6 had markedly different profiles. In conclusion, Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profile using appropriate primers was an effective epidemiological marker.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.73-83
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the viral load dynamics in children with underlying malignancies diagnosed with symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This was a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of patients <19 years old with underlying hemato-oncologic malignancies that were diagnosed with their first symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 infection during March 1 to August 30, 2022. Review of electronic medical records and telephone surveys were undertaken to assess the clinical presentations and transmission route of the patients. Thresholds of negligible likelihood of infectious virus was defined as E gene reverse transcription (RT)-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) value ≥25. Results: During the 6-month study period, a total of 43 children with 44 episodes of COVID-19 were included. Of the 44 episodes, the median age of the patients included was 8 years old (interquartile range [IQR], 4.9-10.5), and the most common underlying disease was acute lymphoid leukemia (n=30, 68.2%), followed by patients post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (n=8, 18.2%). Majority of the patients had mild COVID-19 (n=32, 72.7%), and three patients (7.0%) had severe/critical COVID-19. Furthermore, 2.3% (n=1) died of COVID-19 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. The largest percentage of the patients showed E gene RT-PCR Ct value ≥25 between 15-21 days (n=13, 39.4%), followed by 22-28 days (n=10, 30.3%). In 15.2% (n=5), E gene RT-PCR Ct value remained <25 beyond 28 days after initial positive PCR. Refractory malignancy status (β, 67.0; 95% confidence interval, 7.0-17.0; P=0.030) was significantly associated with prolonged duration of E gene RT-PCR <25. A patient with prolonged duration of E gene RT-PCR Ct value <25 was suspected to have infectivity shown by the transmission of the virus to his mother at day 86 after his initial positive test. Conclusions: Children that acquire symptomatic COVID-19 during refractory malignancy state are at a high risk for prolonged shedding warranting PCR-based transmission precautions in this cohort of patients.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.128-135
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• 1998

Purpose : This study was intended to measure seropositivities and the level of mumps- and rubella-specific IgG of MMR vaccinees from 12 to 17 years of age in Korea. Materials and Methods : From May 1996 to July 1996 we obtained sera from students of 1 middle and 2 high schools in Seoul, who were MMR vaccinees from 12 to 17 years of age and had no evidence of immunodeficiency. These 216 study population include 110 males and 106 females. Mumps- and rubella-specific IgG antibody levels were measured by ELISA. Cut-off values for seropositivity were 20 U(Gamma Unit) in mumps and over 0.17 in rubella. Results : 1) As age increased, seropositivities to mumps increased, being 68.4% in 12 year, 79.3% in 13 year, 72.2% in 14 year, 82.0% in 15 year, 87.5% in 16 year, 87.0% in 17 year, which however has no statistical significance. 2) As age increased, the level of mumps-specific IgG antibody(mean+standard deviation, GU) increased, being $52.0{\pm}49.2$ in 12 year, $65.9{\pm}51.4$ in 13 year, $71.1{\pm}66.0$ in 14 year, $67.8{\pm}53.6$ in 15 year, $82.8{\pm}67.8$ in 16 year, $92.0{\pm}68.9$ in 17 year, which however has no statistical significance. 3) As age increased, seropositivities of rubella-specific IgG increased significantly, being 26.3% in 12 year, 20.7% in 13 year, 50.0% in 14 year, 67.2% in 15 year, 66.7% in 16 year, 65.2% in 17 year(P<0.001). 4) As age increased, rubella-specific IgG increased significantly, being $0.13{\pm}0.145$ in 12 year, $0.087{\pm}0.101$ in 13 year, $0.194{\pm}0.168$ in 14 year, $0.260{\pm}0.187$ in 15 year, $0.305{\pm}0.213$ in 16 year, $0.325{\pm}0.221$ in 17 year(P<0.001). There was positive correlation between age and rubella-specific IgG titer(rubella-specific $IgG=0.0517{\times}age-0.5586$, r=0.3752, P<0.001). Conclusion : In adolescent, seropositivities and the level of mumps-specific IgG remained relatively high, but approximately 20% of study population showed seronegativity. Seropositivities and the level of rubella-specific IgG showed the lowest level at 13 years of age and were increased with age after 14 years of age. Further evaluation may be needed to elucidate the cause of these changes of rubella-specific IgG.