• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.136-142
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• 2020

The antimicrobial resistance rate in bacteria has increased over the last several decades. The transfer of antimicrobial resistant determinants on mobile genetic elements could cause the accelerated emergence and spread of multidrug resistant bacteria. This study investigated the aminoglycoside resistance determinants transferred by mobile genetic elements in a total of 33 aminoglycoside non-susceptible E. coli isolated from clinical specimens in Chungcheong province. 16S ribosomal RNA methyl-transferases (RMTases) and aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme (AME) genes were detected via PCR and DNA sequencing. The most common AME genes were aac(3')-II gene (54.5%), followed by aph(3')-Ia (18.2%) and aac(6')-Ib (15.2%). None of the evaluated RMTase genes were detected in the 33 isolates. Seventeen of the 18 isolates harboring aac(3')-II gene were resistant to gentamicin, and 16 of them were resistant to tobramycin. The 5 isolates harboring aac(6')-Ib gene were all resistant to tobramycin. In this study, we confirmed that one of the important mechanisms of aminoglycoside resistance in E. coli isolated from human is the acquisition of AME genes. Continuing investigations of antimicrobial resistant determinants in bacteria isolated from human may be required to prevent dissemination of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.262-266
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• 2011

The aac(6')-Ib gene is the most prevalent gene that encodes aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and confers resistance to tobramycin, kanamycin, and amikacin. The aac(6')-Ib-cr variant gene can induce resistance against aminoglycoside and fluoroquinolone simultaneously. Two main methods, sequence analysis and the restriction enzyme method, can detect the aac(6')-Ib-cr variant in clinical strains. We collected the 85 strains that were believed to be aac(6')-Ib positive from clinical isolates. Among them, 38 strains were the wild-type; the remaining 47 strains were the aac(6')-Ib-cr variant. Of these 47 strains, 19 simultaneously harbored aac(6')-Ib and aac(6')-Ib-cr. Our study aims to report the characteristics of the 19 strains that simultaneously harbored both genes. This study is the first investigation published in Korea of strains that included both aac(6')-Ib and aac(6')-Ib-cr variant.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2016

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is prevalent in hospital environments and is an important opportunistic pathogen of nosocomial infection. It is known that this pathogen cause herd infection in hospitals, and the mortality rate is remarkably higher for patients infected with this pathogen and already have other underlying diseases. Herein, we investigated the antibiotic resistance rate and the type of resistance genes in 85 isolates of multi-drug resistant A. baumannii from the samples commissioned to laboratory medicine in two university hospitals-in hospital A and hospital B-located in Cheonan and Chungcheong provinces, respectively, in Korea. As a result, $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ and $bla_{OXA-51-like}$ were detected in 82 stains (96.5%). These 82 strains of $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ producing A. baumannii were confirmed with the ISAba1 gene found at the top of the $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ genes by PCR, inducing the resistance against carbapenemase. The armA, AME gene that induces the resistance against aminoglycoside was detected in 34 strains out of 38 strains from Hospital A (89.5%), and in 40 strains out of 47 strains from Hospital B (85.1%), while AMEs were found in 33 strains out of 38 strains from Hospital A (70.2%) and in 44 strains out of 47 strains in Hospital B (93.6%). Therefore, it was found that most multi-drug resistant A. baumannii from the Cheonan area expressed both acethyltransferase and adenyltransferase. This study investigated the multi-drug resistant A. baumannii isolated from Cheonan and Chungcheong provinces in Korea, and it is thought that the results of the study can be utilized as the basic information to cure multi-drug resistant A. baumannii infections and to prevent the spread of drug resistance.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.79-82
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• 2012

Acinetobacter infections are of great concern in clinical settings because of multi-drug resistance (MDR) and high mortality of the infected patients. The MDR Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a significant infectious agent in hospitals worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine for molecular characterization of MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates obtained from the Wonju Christian Hospital in Gangwon province of Korea. A total of seventy nonduplicate A. baumannii isolates were collected from the Wonju Christian Hospital in Korea from March to April in 2011. All of the MDR A. baumannii isolates were encoded by $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ gene and all isolates with the $bla_{OXA-23-like}$ gene had the upstream element ISAba1 to promote increased gene expression and subsequent resistance to carbapenem. 16S rRNA methylase gene (armA) was detected in 44 clinical isolates which were resistant to amikacin, and phosphotransferase genes encoding aac(3)-Ia and aac(6')-Ib were the most prevalent. A combination of 16S rRNA methylase and aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme genes (armA, aac(3)-Ia, aac(6')-Ib, and aph(3')-Ia) were found in 31 isolates. The sequencing results for the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA and parC revealed the presence of Ser (TCA) 83 Leu (TTA) and Ser (TCG) 80 Leu (TTG) substitutions in the respective enzymes for all MDR. Molecular typing for MDR A. baumannii could be helpful in confirming the identification of a common source or cross-contamination. This is an important step in enabling epidemiological tracing of these strains.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.223-228
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• 2015

Purpose: The goal of this study was to characterize the patterns of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in samples of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from periodontitis patients. Methods: From July 2015 to August 2015, oral saliva was collected from a total of 112 patients diagnosed with periodontitis, including 80 outpatients in dental hospitals and 32 patients in dental clinics located in Seoul and Cheonan. The samples were subjected to a susceptibility test to evaluate the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, and the pathogenic factors and antimicrobial resistance factors in the DNA of S. aureus were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. Results: A susceptibility test against 15 antimicrobial agents showed that 88% of cultures were resistant to ampicillin, 88% to penicillin, and 2% to oxacillin. Resistance to at least two drugs was observed in 90% of cultures, and the most common pattern of multidrug resistance was to ampicillin and penicillin. Enterotoxins were detected in 65.9% of samples. The cell hemolysin gene hld was detected in 100% of cultures and hla was detected in 97.6% of samples. All strains resistant to penicillin and ampicillin had the blaZ gene. The aph(3')IIIa gene, which encodes an aminoglycoside modifying enzyme, was detected in 46.3% of samples. Conclusions: In the treatment of oral S. aureus infections, it is important to identify the pathogenic genes and the extent of antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, it is necessary to study patterns of antimicrobial resistance and cross-infection in the context of periodontological specialties in which antimicrobials are frequently used, such as maxillofacial surgery, where the frequency of antimicrobial use for minor procedures such as implant placement is increasing.