• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.173-180
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• 2018

Objectives: Immunization is considered one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions protecting communities from preventable infectious diseases. The Korean government set up a dedicated workforce for national immunization in 2003, and since then has made strides in improving vaccination coverage across the nation. However, some groups remain relatively vulnerable and require intervention, and it is necessary to address unmet needs to prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases. This study was conducted to characterize persistent challenges to vaccination. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative method in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. Three focus group interviews were conducted with 15 professionals in charge of vaccination-related duties. The interviews were conducted according to a semi-structured guideline, and thematic analysis was carried out. Data saturation was confirmed when the researchers agreed that no more new codes could be found. Results: A total of 4 main topics and 11 subtopics were introduced regarding barriers to vaccination. The main topics were vaccine hesitancy, personal circumstances, lack of information, and misclassification. Among them, vaccine hesitancy was confirmed to be the most significant factor impeding vaccination. It was also found that the factors hindering vaccination had changed over time and disproportionately affected certain groups. Conclusions: The study identified ongoing unmet needs and barriers to vaccination despite the accomplishments of the National Immunization Program. The results have implications for establishing tailored interventions that target context- and group-specific barriers to improve timely and complete vaccination coverage.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권7호
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• pp.3011-3015
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• 2014

Background: Level of midwife knowledge is particularly important because of their role in the cervical cancer prevention programme. The aim of this study was to examine differences in the level of knowledge among health care students, midwives and women in the general population of Serbia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional approach was used with health care students of the medical shool, midwives in their practice, and women visiting a chosen general practitioner as respondents. Results: In comparison with the students and midwives, women had lower level of knowledge of causative agents of the cervical cancer, genital warts, HPV types, screening for cervical cancer as well as about the target population for vaccine and its role. Differences in the numbers of right answers of respondents were statistically significant (p<0.001). Four or more correct answers were obtained from 22.7% women, 35.3% from midwives and 83.8% from students. Conclusions: Midwives should improve their own level of knowledge related to preventive practice for cervical cancer, as well as their personal compliance with recommended practices, in order to be qualified and credible promoters of cervical cancer control among women in Serbia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.579-585
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• 2013

Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (Streptococcus zooepidemicus, SEZ) is an important pathogen associated with opportunistic infections of a wide range of species, including pigs and humans. The absence of a suitable vaccine makes it difficult to control SEZ infection. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has been previously identified as an immunogenic protein using immunoproteomic techniques. In the present study, we confirmed that the sequence of GAPDH was highly conserved with other Streptococcus spp. The purified recombinant GAPDH could elicit a significant humoral antibody response in mice and confer significant protection against challenge with a lethal dose of SEZ. GAPDH could adhere to the Hep-2 cells, confirmed by flow cytometry, and inhibit adherence of SEZ to Hep-2 cells in an adherence inhibition assay. In addition, real-time PCR demonstrated that GAPDH was induced in vivo following infection of mice with SEZ. These suggest that GAPDH could play an important role in the pathogenesis of SEZ infection and could be a target for vaccination against SEZ.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.43.1-43.13
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• 2024

Importance: Haemaphysalis longicornis is an obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite that has gained attention due its role of transmitting medically and veterinary significant pathogens and it is the most common tick species in Republic of Korea. The preferred strategy for controlling ticks is a multi-antigenic vaccination. Testing the efficiency of a combination antigen is a promising method for creating a tick vaccine. Objective: The aim of the current research was to analyze the role of subolesin and enolase in feeding and reproduction of H. longicornis by gene silencing. Methods: In this study, we used RNA interference to silence salivary enolase and subolesin in H. longicornis. Unfed female ticks injected with double-stranded RNA targeting subolesin and enolase were attached and fed normally on the rabbit's ear. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the extent of knockdown. Results: Ticks in the subolesin or enolase dsRNA groups showed knockdown rates of 80% and 60% respectively. Ticks in the combination dsRNA (subolesin and enolase) group showed an 80% knockdown. Knockdown of subolesin and enolase resulted in significant depletion in feeding, blood engorgement weight, attachment rate, and egg laying. Silencing of both resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in tick engorgement, egg laying, egg hatching (15%), and reproduction. Conclusions and Relevance: Our results suggest that subolesin and enolase are an exciting target for future tick control strategies.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제62권2호
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• pp.226-237
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• 2024

Ticks, blood-sucking ectoparasites, spread diseases to humans and animals. Haemaphysalis longicornis is a significant vector for tick-borne diseases in medical and veterinary contexts. Identifying protective antigens in H. longicornis for an anti-tick vaccine is a key tick control strategy. Enolase, a multifunctional protein, significantly converts D-2-phosphoglycerate and phosphoenolpyruvate in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in cell cytoplasm. This study cloned a complete open reading frame (ORF) of enolase from the H. longicornis tick and characterized its transcriptional and silencing effect. We amplified the full-length cDNA of the enolase gene using rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The complete cDNA, with an ORF of 1,297 nucleotides, encoded a 432-amino acid polypeptide. Enolase of the Jeju strain H. longicornis exhibited the highest sequence similarity with H. flava (98%), followed by Dermacentor silvarum (82%). The enolase motifs identified included N-terminal and C-terminal regions, magnesium binding sites, and several phosphorylation sites. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis indicated that enolase mRNA transcripts were expressed across all developmental stages of ticks and organs such as salivary gland and midgut. RT-PCR showed higher transcript levels in syn-ganglia, suggesting that synganglion nerves influence enolase's role in tick salivary glands. We injected enolase double-stranded RNA into adult unfed female ticks, after which they were subsequently fed with normal unfed males until they spontaneously dropped off. RNA interference significantly (P<0.05) reduced feeding and reproduction, along with abnormalities in eggs (no embryos) and hatching. These findings suggest enolase is a promising target for future tick control strategies.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.43.1-43.13
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• 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease and had caused havoc throughout the world by creating widespread mortality and morbidity. The unavailability of vaccines and proper antiviral drugs encourages the researchers to identify potential antiviral drugs to be used against the virus. The presence of RNA binding domain in the nucleocapsid (N) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could be a potential drug target, which serves multiple critical functions during the viral life cycle, especially the viral replication. Since vaccine development might take some time, the identification of a drug compound targeting viral replication might offer a solution for treatment. The study analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of N protein sequence divergence with other 49 coronavirus species and also identified the conserved regions according to protein families through conserved domain search. Good structural binding affinities of a few natural and/or synthetic phytocompounds or drugs against N protein were determined using the molecular docking approaches. The analyzed compounds presented the higher numbers of hydrogen bonds of selected chemicals supporting the drug-ability of these compounds. Among them, the established antiviral drug glycyrrhizic acid and the phytochemical theaflavin can be considered as possible drug compounds against target N protein of SARS-CoV-2 as they showed lower binding affinities. The findings of this study might lead to the development of a drug for the SARS-CoV-2 mediated disease and offer solution to treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.8.1-8.17
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• 2021

The global crisis caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to the most significant economic loss and human deaths after World War II. The pathogen causing this disease is a novel virus called the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2). As of December 2020, there have been 80.2 million confirmed patients, and the mortality rate is known as 2.16% globally. A strategy to protect a host from SARS-CoV-2 is by suppressing intracellular viral replication or preventing viral entry. We focused on the spike glycoprotein that is responsible for the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the host cell. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration/EU Medicines Agency authorized a vaccine and antibody to treat COVID-19 patients by emergency use approval in the absence of long-term clinical trials. Both commercial and academic efforts to develop preventive and therapeutic agents continue all over the world. In this review, we present a perspective on current reports about the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 as a therapeutic target.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.107-113
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• 2002

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains of serotype O157:H7 have been shown to colonize the intestinal epithelial cell by the attaching and effacing (AE) mechanism. The AE lesion is mediated by an intimin, of which production and expression are controlled by a 3-Kb eaeA gene located EHEC chromosomal DNA. If the eaeA gene is mutated, EHEC O157:H7 strains lose capacity of adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells. In this study, a 891 bp of the 3'-end region of a gamma intimin was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR product was inserted into pSTBlue-1 cloning vector and transformed into DE3 (BL21) competent cell. After plasmid mini-preparation and restriction enzyme digestion of eaeA/891-pSTBlue-1 vector, target eaeA gene was re-inserted into pET-28a expression vector and was transformed. Then the expression of recombinant eaeA/891 (891 bp) gene was induced by isopropyl-$\beta$-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The expression of the 40-KDa recombinant protein was identified in SDS-PAGE and confirmed by immunoblotting using the His.Tag$^{\circledR}$ and T$_{7}$.Tag$^{\circledR}$ monoclonal antibody. This recombinant protein expressed by eaeA gene could be applied in further studies on the mechanisms of E. coli O157:H7 infection and the development of recombinant vaccine.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.285-293
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• 2004

FMDV는 동물에서 구제역을 일으키는 병원체이며, VP1은 이 바이러스의 주요 capsid단백질이므로 구제역의 진단과 단백질 백신의 개발에 가장 많이 사용되는 재료 중 하나이다. 본 연구는 FMDV taiwan O형과 베트남에서 분리된 FMDV의 VP1 sequence를 기반으로 식물에서 VP1 유전자의 발현을 위하여 633 bp의 VP1유전자로 재편집하였으며, 이를 long-nucleotide를 사용한 multiple fragment extension 방법을 사용하여 인공적인 DNA 단편을 합성하였다. 또한 새로운 식물 형질전환 벡터로 pBI121 과 pCAMBIA1390의 장점을 수용하여, hygromycin 저항성과 CaMV 35S promoter를 포함하는 pCAMBIA II를 제작하였다. 제작된 벡터와 VP1 유전자 및 GFP유전자를 사용하여 담배를 형질 전환시켰고, 각각의 형질전환식물체내에서 전체길이의 target gene(VPl)의 성공적인 삽입을 확인하였다. 각 유전자의 발현은 RT-PCR과 Real-Time PCR의 결과로 측정하였으며, VP1 유전자의 전사가 담배 내에서 이루어졌음과 고효율의 전사체를 만드는 형질전환체 VP1-4를 선별하였다.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.616-622
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• 2010

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) has been recognized as a frequent cause of epidemics of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) associated with severe neurological symptoms. In the spring of 2009, HFMD was epidemic in Korea. Severe cases with complication, including death, have been reported and it has become a public health issue. Most symptomatic EV71 infections commonly result in HFMD or herpangina. These clinical manifestations can be associated with neurologic syndromes frequently. Neurologic syndromes observed in EV71 include meningitis, meningoencephalomyelitis, poliomyelitis-like paralytic disease, Guillain-Barr$\acute{e}$ syndrome, transverse myelitis, cerebellar ataxia, opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, benign intracranial hypertension, and brainstem encephalitis. Examinations for EV 71 were performed from the stools, respiratory secretion or CSF of the children by realtime PCR. Gene analysis showed that most of them were caused by EV71 subgenotype C4a which was prevalent in China, 2008. Public health measures including personal and environmental hygiene, must to target daycare centers, kindergartens, and schools where highly susceptible children congregate. To prevent the spread of infection, preschools where transmission persists for more than 2 incubation periods, have been recommended for closure, and trigger criteria for voluntary closure was instituted. During closure, operators are to thoroughly clean the centers before they are allowed to reopen. In addition, parents are advised to ensure that their children adopt a high standard of personal hygiene and to keep the infected child at home until full recovery. Because the outbreaks occur in a cyclical pattern, surveillance system to predict next outbreaks and adequate public health measures to control need to be planned for future. Control of EV71 epidemics through surveillance and public health intervention needs to be maintained in Korea. Future research should focus on understanding of EV71 virulence, identification of the receptor(s) for EV71, development of antiviral agents and development of vaccine.