• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2000

Ninety two strains of Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated from patients with pharyngitis, scarlet fever, skin infection, and invasive streptococcal infections in Seoul, Korea from January to December, 1998. All isolates were epidemiologically characterized by T protein serotype, and serum opacity factor (OF) detection to phenotypes. To analyze the genetic relationship, fifty two isolates including 32 erythromycin-clindamycin (Em-Cm) resistant strains, 20 antimicrobial susceptible strains were attempted to the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). T protein serotype showed 16 kinds in distribution including T12 and T4. Among the total isolates, 40 strains (43.5%) belonged to the T12 serotype and twenty strains (21.7%) to T4 serotype. On the other hand, when infection aspect of S. pyogenes isolates were analysed by T serotype distribution, T12 type was predominant for pharyngitidis which contributed to 21 strains (53%) and for skin infection isolates which contributed to 11 strains (28%), respectively. In case of T4 type, it was the most predominant pharyngitidis isolates which contributed to 8 strains (40%). In T serotype distribution of Em-Cm resistant strains, 27 strains (84%) of the thirty two showed T12 serotype. In minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of Em-Cm resistance isolates, thirty two isolates showed resistant to erythromycin 27 strains (84%), had high MIC of >$128\;{\mu}g/ml$. And also to clindamycin, twenty two strains (69%) had high MIC of >$128\;{\mu}g/ml$. When OF detection of Em-Cm resistance of S. pyogenes isolates were analyzed by T serotype distribution, T12 serotype isolates revealed that all of the isolates except one strain were OF negative. In PFGE profile analysis to Em-Cm resistance isolates, of the twenty seven, Em-Cm resistance of T12 serotype isolates, 26 strains showed identical PFGE profile and all of these isolates revealed that OF negative. Eighty four percent of Em-Cm resistance S. pyogenes isolates had identical phenotype and PFGE profile. These results strongly suggested that the Em-Cm resistant S. pyogenes isolates from Seoul area showed close genetic correlation and PFGE could be available tool for molecular epidemiology.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.338-342
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• 1999

Twenty three strains of Escherichia (E) coli O157 : H7 isolated from Korea, Japan, USA were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of XbaI-digested chromosomal DNA and multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Various PFGE patterns of E. coli O157 : H7 were found on the same farm. Most of the E, coli O157 : H7 strains had shiga-like toxin (slt) II gene only (43.5%) or both slt I and slt II genes(30.4%). eaeA gene was highly conserved in the E. coli O157 : H7. There was no correlation between PFGE and slt gene patterns. The results indicate that various genotypes of E. coli O157 : H7 have spread throughout the country and genomic DNA patterns generated by PFGE are highly specific for different strains and have significant value in epidemiologic investigations of infectious disease outbreaks.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2003

The genetic relatedness of multidrug-resistant pneumococcal isolates of serotypes 19F and 23F was investigated. The DNA fragments digested with Sma I were resolved by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE analysis of 365. pneumoniae isolates showed 13 different patterns. Among 22 isolates of serotype 19F, 9 different PFGE patterns were present and 14 isolates of serotype 23F isolates represented 5 distinct PFGE patterns. Two isolates of serotype 19F and six isolates of serotype 23F shared the same PFGE pattern (Pattern I). Based on the genetic relatedness within the strains (one genetic cluster was defined as having more than 85% homology), we divided the pneumococcal strains into genefic clusters (Ⅰ, II, III, IV, V, and VI). The 22 strains of serotype 19F belonged to five distinct genetic clusters (I, II, III, IV, V and VI) and 14 strains of serotype 23F represented two genetic clusters (I and II ). These results showed that strains of serotype 19F are genetically more diverse than those of serotype 23F, Serotype 19F isolates with PFGE patterns H and I appeared to be less related to those of the remaining PFCE patterns (A to G) (less than 60% genetic relatedness), but those strains were genetically closely related with serotype 23f. These results suggest that the latter isolates originated from horizontal transfer of the capsular type 19F gene locus to 23F pneumococcal genotypes. In conclusion, the multidrug-resistant pneumococcal isolates of serotype 19f and 23F isolated in Korea are the result of the spread of a limited number of resistant clones.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.52-57
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• 2000

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate different methods for Trichomonas vaginalis diagnosis during pregnancy in order to prevent maternal and perinatal complications. A total of 386 vaginal exudates from pregnant women were analyzed. T. vaginalis was investigated by 3 types of microscopic examinations direct wet mount with physiologic saline solution, prolonged May-Grunwald Giemsa (MGG) staining, and wet mount with sodium-acetate-formalin (SAF)/methylene blue method. PCR for 18S rRNA gene as well as culture in liquid medium were performed. The sensitivity and specificity of the microscopic examinations were evaluated considering the culture media positivity or the PCR techniques as gold standard. The frequency of T. vaginalis infection was 6.2% by culture and/or PCR, 5.2% by PCR, 4.7% by culture, 3.1% by SAF/methylene blue method and 2.8% by direct wet smear and prolonged MGG staining. The sensitivities were 83.3%, 75.0%, 50.0%, and 45.8% for PCR, culture, SAF/methylene blue method, and direct wet smear-prolonged MGG staining, respectively. The specificity was 100% for all the assessed methods. Microscopic examinations showed low sensitivity, mainly in asymptomatic pregnant patients. It is necessary to improve the detection of T. vaginalis using combined methods providing higher sensitivity, such as culture and PCR, mainly in asymptomatic pregnant patients, in order to prevent maternal and perinatal complications.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 1971

The bacterial substance inhibited the methylene blue-uptaking activity of red cells. On keeping at room temperature the methylene blue-uptaking activity of red cells sensitized with bacterial substance was more rapidly destroyed than that of normal cells. The methylene blue-uptaking activity of red cells was more inhibited by the supernatant fraction than sediment of bacterial substance.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.745-750
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• 1998

A sensitive and rapid enzyme immunoassay(EIA) to detect Escherichia coli O157 in ground beef was developed by using a sandwich type assay with polyclonal antibodies to E coli O157. E coli O157 in ground beef could be detected within 15hr, including incubation for 12hr in enrichment broth and 3hr in immunoassay. The EIA could detect $1.3{\times}10^5$ cells of E coli O157/g of ground beef without enrichment. The lowest limit of detection was 0.23 E coli O157 per g of meat after enrichment. Confirmation was required in the positive specimens in the EIA by culture method even though the negative specimens were not. These results suggested that the immunoassay could be a very efficient method for the screening E coli O157 in meat.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.173-181
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• 1998

Esherichia coli O157 : H7의 slt I, slt II, uid A 및 eaeA 4종 유전자를 동시에 검출하기 위한 multiplex PCR 기법을 확립하고 쇠고기중 직접 E coli O157 : H7 검출시험을 실시하였다. 4 set의 primers를 이용한 multiplex PCR 기법으로 31종의 장내세균에 대한 특이성을 조사한 결과 E coli O157 : H7 에서 1,087bp (eae A), 584bp (slt II), 348bp (slt I) 또는 252bp (uid A)크기의 DNA를 동시에 특이적으로 검출할 수 있었다. E coli O157 : H7 15주는 모두 uid A 및 eae A 유전자가 동시에 검출되었고, 다른 장내세균에서는 검출되지 않았다. slt I 또는 slt II 유전자를 가지고 있는 E coli 표준균주 24종을 이용하여 multiplex PCR 기법과 Vero cell cytotoxicity assay을 비교검사한 결과 베로톡신 산생능과 PCR법의 결과는 일치하였다. mutiplex PCR 기법의 쇠고기중 검출한계는 modified EC(mEC)에서 증균없이는 E coli O157 : H7균 $10^4cells/g$ 이상에서 검출이 가능하였으나 mEC에 1차 증균후 modified TSB 증균하였을 경우에는 10cells/g이하까지도 검출이 가능하였다. 개발된 multiplex PCR 기법을 쇠고기 40종에 직접 적용한 결과 E coli O157 : H7은 검출되지 않았으나 slt I 및 slt II유전자를 가지고 있는 E coli 4종이 검출되었으며, 이들의 혈청형은 O6, O112, O115 및 O139 였다. 이 연구에서 개발된 multiplex PCR은 쇠고기중 E coli O157 : H7을 신속하고 특이적으로 검출하는데 사용할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2011

Rapid serodiagnostic methods for Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats are urgently needed for effective control of transmission routes toward human infections. In this work, 4 recombinant T. gondii antigens (SAG1, SAG2, GRA3, and GRA6) were produced and tested for the development of rapid diagnostic test (RDT). The proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli, affinity-purified, and applied onto the nitrocellulose membrane of the test strip. The recombinant SAG1 (rSAG1) showed the strongest antigenic activity and highest specificity among them. We also performed clinical evaluation of the rSAG1-loaded RDT in 182 cat sera (55 household and 127 stray cats). The kit showed 0.88 of kappa value comparing with a commercialized ELISA kit, which indicated a significant correlation between rSAG1-loaded RDT and the ELISA kit. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the RDT were 100% (23/23) and 99.4% (158/159), respectively. The rSAG1-loaded RDT is rapid, easy to use, and highly accurate. Thus, it would be a suitable diagnostic tool for rapid detection of antibodies in T. gondii-infected cats under field conditions.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.771-776
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• 1998

Synthetic oligonucleotide primers of 20 and 21 bases, respectively, were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a sequence of the mrp gene, which encodes the muramidase released protein of Streptococcus suis. Amplification was not recorded when 5 other streptococcal species were tested or when 9 different nonstreptococcal species were tested. A DNA fragment of 517bp was amplified from the genomic DNA of S suis. The lower detection limit was 100pg of the genomic DNA. The primers recognized 34 serotypes of S suis reference strains and 9 isolates from pneumonic lung, brain, nasal discharge, tonsil. This results suggest that the amplification of the mrp gene by PCR method is potential for the identification of S suis isolates.