• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2014

Purpose: The mutation of the SLC26A4 gene is the second most common cause of congenital hearing loss after GJB2 mutations. It has been identified as a major cause of autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct and Pendred syndrome. Although most studies of SLC26A4 mutations have dealt with hearing-impaired patients, there are a few reports on the frequency of these mutations in the general population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SLC26A4 mutations that cause inherited deafness in the general Korean population. Materials and Methods: We obtained blood samples from 144 Korean individuals with normal hearing. The samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction to amplify the entire coding region of the SLC26A4 gene, followed by direct DNA sequencing. Results: Sequencing analysis of this gene identified 5 different variants (c.147C>G, c.225G>C, c.1723A>G, c.2168A>G, and c.2283A>G). The pathogenic mutation c.2168A>G (p.H723R) was identified in 1.39% (2/144) of the subjects with normal hearing. Conclusion: These data provide information about carrier frequency for SLC26A4 mutation-associated hearing loss and have important implications for genetic diagnostic testing for inherited deafness in the Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.261-270
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• 2020

This study reviewed the quality addition rate, calculation, and application criteria needed to identify the possibility of additional medical technologists in the field for new certification and professional manpower to provide a superior laboratory. The six institutions that participated in the study were the size of large hospitals with more than 1,000 beds, with an average of five full-time laboratory physicians (also called clinical pathologists) and an average of 53 medical technologists, with 10.6 per laboratory physician. An analysis of the time required for each activity category of medical technologists revealed decreasing behavior during the analysis. In contrast, the ratio of the comprehensive pre-analysis activities was high due to the strengthening of laboratory operations and quality control. During the analysis, the proportion of biochemistry tests was high, and post-analysis of most of the results was performed. Hence, improving the quality of sample testing requires significant time, and appropriate personnel are required. In conclusion, the recruitment of medical technologists is also a key component to improving the sample quality, and corresponding personnel regulations are necessary.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.360-365
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• 2015

Multilocus sequence typing analysis was applied to determine the genotypes of 147 (137 clinical and 10 environmental) Cryptococcus neoformans and three clinical Cryptococcus gattii isolates from 1993 to 2014 in Korea. Among the 137 clinical isolates of C. neoformans, the most prevalent genotype was ST5 (n = 131), followed by ST31 (n = 5) and ST127 (n = 1). Three C. gattii strains were identified as ST57, ST7, and ST113. All environmental isolates were identified as C. neoformans with two genotypes, ST5 (n = 7) and ST31 (n = 3). Our results show that C. neoformans isolates in Korea are genetically homogeneous, and represent a close genetic relationship between clinical and environmental isolates.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2022

The education and training system, the ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations), and the legal systems of Japan and the United States consider all ophthalmic optometry laboratory personnel as ophthalmologists. They encompass optometrists, orthoptists, optometric technicians, and ophthalmic medical technicians. Data retrieved from the KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service) revealed that the number of opticians associated with the department of ophthalmology in 2022 could be appraised by classifying their medical institutions; contrarily, the number of clinical laboratory technologists could not be assessed. However, the current research investigated a general tertiary hospital and determined that clinical laboratory technologists outnumber opticians. Classification in Korea is based on ophthalmic optometry laboratory personnel, ISCO, ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education), the medical service act, the act on medical service technologists, and the higher education act. These results cannot be compared to the optometrists evaluated in the United States. Ophthalmology is a suitable profession for optometric technologists and technicians who perform under the instructions of ophthalmologists and optometrists. The field of eye healthcare would be benefitted by assigning the management based on their qualification according to the requirement of the job title, such as 'Clinical Optometry Technologist' to be given to clinical laboratory technologists and opticians who work in the ophthalmic optometry laboratories after obtaining a private qualification endowed by the Korean Ophthalmological Society and the Korean Optometry Society.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to find terms that can give identity to the major and occupation of clinical laboratory technologist (also known as medical technologist). The term clinical pathology includes all branches of pathology, namely anatomical pathology, chemical pathology, hematology, microbiology, and all respective subspecialties. Unfortunately, several countries exclude anatomical pathology from the term clinical pathology, a problem that gets compounded when the title is translated into languages other than English. Clinical pathology (US, UK) is a medical specialty. Similar terms are laboratory medicine (Germany, Poland), medical/clinical biology (France, Netherlands) or clinical analysis (Spain). Depending on the person questioned, medical technology is defined slightly differently by individuals, companies, and institutions. The definition also depends on the language in which the question is asked. Medical technology can be translated to define clinical laboratory technology, allied health sciences, medical equipment, biomedical engineering, and health technology. The terms 'clinical pathology technology and pathological technology' are not used in allied health sciences. The names of 'medical technology·medical technologist' can be replaced by 'biomedical laboratory science·biomedical laboratory technologist' or 'clinical laboratory analysis·clinical laboratory analyst'. In this study, it is proposed to change the name of academic and occupation to 'medical biology·medical biology technologist' that combines the term biomedical.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.230-237
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• 2020

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is known as a bacterium that can cause skin infections, respiratory system infections, and sinusitis; however, it can exist as a normal flora rather than a pathogen. Recently, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections have emerged in the community as a new variant of community-associated (CA)-MRSA. In the present study, S. aureus and MRSA were isolated and cultured by collecting samples from facilities and environments where students and educational personnel have multiple contacts on university campuses; specifically, the nostrils and hands of college students were tested from July to September of 2019. The molecular properties of the isolated MRSA were analyzed, and the one MRSA strain was isolated from the university campuses. One MRSA that was isolated and cultured on campus was the mec complex group A and staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec type II, which is a characteristic of healthcare-associated (HA)-MRSA, and SCCmec type V, which is a characteristic of CA-MRSA. This result was similar to other studies wherein the SCCmec type II was detected in SCCmec typing analysis in CA-MRSA. To confirm whether there is a new variant of CA-MRSA in the Republic of Korea, additional follow-up studies on the analysis of virulence factors of MRSA are needed by additionally separating CA-MRSA from the body parts of university students and educational personnel.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2020

There is a noticeable gap in the personnel structures of clinical laboratories between North Korea and South Korea. In North Korea, 'Laboratory Doctor' is similar to the workforce of 'Medical Technologist (commonly known as Clinical Laboratory Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist)' in South Korea. Considering preceding research based on the verbal evidence of North Korean healthcare personnel defectors, it is estimated that the status of laboratory doctor in North Korea generally corresponds to physician and feldsher (such as physician assistant in Western countries). Physicians and feldshers are trained and fostered for five and a half years in medical universities and for three years in medical vocational schools (so-called junior college of medicine). Unlike South Korea, the North Korea's healthcare personnel system does not subdivide the tasks, education, qualifications and law regarding the specialties of health experts. It is thought that the Korean Association of Medical Technologists needs to collaboratively search and present the milestones for establishment of a professional system on clinical laboratory personnel in North Korea through cooperative research on policies with the related organizations for better preparation of the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.244-248
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• 2020

Skin and soft tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can occur especially in community populations such as military training camps. We investigated antimicrobial resistance patterns and molecular epidemiological characteristics of MRSA isolated from nasal swabs in healthy army trainees. From January 2018 to March 2018, one MRSA strain was isolated from nasal swab and hand of healthy army trainees. mecA gene detection, SCCmec and mec complex typing were performed to analyze the antimicrobial resistance patterns and molecular epidemiological characteristics of MRSA isolates. As a result, SCCmec and mec complex type of MRSA isolate from military trainees was not-typeable (n=1). In conclusion, not-typeable subtype of MRSA isolate from military trainees need to be confirmed by continuous follow-up study to determine whether there is a different genotype or a new subtype of genotype present in the Republic of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.75-79
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• 2008

86 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii and 116 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical specimens were collected from a hospital in Daegu city area. We investigated the Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolated from sputum, urine, wound, blood, nasal swab, body fluid. The antimicrobial resistance of A. baumannii were shown 96% for piperacillin, carbenicillin 82%. cefotaxime 78%, ciprofloxacin 77%, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprime 76%, ceftazidime 75%, tobramycin 72%. For P. aeruginosa, the resistance of cefotaxime and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprime were 100%, carbenicillin 49%, piperacillin 47%, ticarcillin 45%, ticarcillin/ clavulanic acid 40%.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2017

Nocardia species (spp.) are opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised hosts. The genus Nocardia contains more than 70 species. Nocardia takedensis has been recently reported as a new species of the genus Nocardia. In this study, we describes the first clinical isolate of N. takedensis from the skin lesion in Busan, Korea. For the identification of clinical isolate to the species level as N. takedensis, classical methods (colony morphology, biochemical characteristics, and antimicrobial susceptibility), molecular method (16S rRNA gene sequencing), and MS (mass spectrometry) analysis were conducted. Clinical isolates grew slowly on the culture media (5% sheep blood agar and chocolate agar) under 5% $CO_2$ condition. Especially, carotene pigmentation was detected well on the media. Using mass spectrometry, Nocardia isolate was not identified to the species level. However, molecular method based on 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed the isolate as N. takedensis correctly. N. takedensis isolate was partial positive for acid-fast bacilli on the Ziehl-Neelsen method. And it was observed to be resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin. Our results provide useful information to develop optimal identification protocol of N. takedensis in clinical diagnostic laboratories.