• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.282-288
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• 2002

Since culture of Helicobacter pylori is relatively insensitive and cumbersome, molecular detection and typing of H. pylori isolates are gaining importance for strain differentiation. In the present study genomic DNA of 42 gastric biopsies and H. pylori isolates from corresponding patients were analyzed and compared by PCR-based RFLP assay. The 1,132-bp product representing an internal portion of ureC gene of H. pylori was amplified by PCR and digested with restriction enzymes HindⅢ, AiuⅠ and PvuⅠ. The HindⅢ, AluⅠ and PvuⅠ digestion produced 4, 7, and 2 distinguishable RFLP patterns respectively from 42-H. pylori isolates. By combining all three restriction enzyme digestions, 15 RFLP patterns were observed. However, when PCR products from 42 gastric biopsy specimens were digested by restriction enzymes HindⅢ, AluⅠ and PvuⅠ, we observed 5, 8 and 2 RFLP patterns, respectively. Patterns from 34 of 42 gastric biopsy specimens matched those of corresponding H. pylori isolates from respective patients. Patterns from the remaining eight biopsy specimens differed and appeared to represent infection with two H. pylori strains. The patterns of one strain from each of these biopsies was identical to that of the isolate from corresponding patients and the second pattern presumably represented the co-infecting strain. From the study, it appears that PCR-based RFLP analysis is a useful primary tool to detect and is distinguish H. pylori strains from gastric biopsy specimens and is superior to culture techniques in the diagnosis of infection with multiple strains of H. pylori.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.179-187
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• 2011

This review describes the characteristics of various unculturable soil bacteria, successfully-cultivating examples of those bacteria, and the diverse factors to be considered for successful cultivation. Most importantly, the selection of proper media is very important because unculturable bacteria demand different types of nutrients at various concentrations of substrates, nitrogens and phosphorus. To develop a new medium to successfully culture unculturable bacteria from soil, molecular ecological studies should be combined together. The inoculum size on a plate is also important: less than 50 bacterial cells are recommended to be plated on a single culture plate. The environmental factors such as pH and salt concentration of the medium need to be adjusted as similar as possible to mimic the original soil environments, and the trial of the various temperatures and extended period of cultivation are better. Since one cannot simply tell about which one was unculturable among a great number of colonies grown on a newly developed medium, some suitable detection methods and fast identification methods are required. Many soil bacteria live with cooperation one another in their communities, so that enrichment such as coculture of using other bacterial metabolites and subsequent pure cultures can also guarantee successful cultivation of the previously uncultured bacteria in soil. Here, this review will discuss for the future perspectives to culture the unculturable soil bacteria.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 1997

Extracellular phospholipase $A_2$ activity has been detected in urine of patients with acute pyelonephritis (APN). This enzyme required micromolar $Ca^{2+}$ ion for its maximum activity and showed a broad range of pH (4.5~10) optimum. Urine enzyme hydrolyzed phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) more effectively than phosphatidylcholine (PC). $PLA_2$ activity in the urine of patients with APN was about 5-fold higher than that of healthy individuals. When urine was subjected to heparinSepharose column chromatography, phospholipase $A_2$ activity was detected in both heparin-non-binding and binding fractions. Both phospholipase $A_2$ activities were sensitive less than a micromolar calcium concentration and did not react with anti-human 14-kDa group II phospholipase $A_2$ monoclonal antibody, HP-l. These findings suggest that two kinds of novel extracellular phospholipase $A_2$. which may not belong to the 14-kDa group II phospholipase $A_2$ family, exist in the urine of patients with APN.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2000

Objective : Essential tremor(ET) is the most common movement disorder, however, there has been little agreement in the neurologic literature regarding diagnostic criteria for ET. Familial ET is an autosomal dominant disorder presenting as an isolated postural tremor. The main feature of ET is postural tremor of the arms with later involvement of the head, voice, or legs. In previous studies, it was reported that ET susceptibility was inherited in an autosomal dominant inheritance. As previous results, it would suggest that ET might be associated with defect of mitochondrial or nuclear DNA. Recent studies are focusing on molecular genetic detection of movement disorders, such as essential tremor and restless legs syndrome. Moreover, authors have analysed mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) from the blood cell of positive control(PC) and ET patients via long and accurate polymerase chain reaction(LA PCR). Materials & Methods : Blood samples were collected from PC and 9 ET patients. Total DNA was extracted twice with phenol followed by chloroform : isoamylalcohol. For the analysis of mtDNA, LA PCR was performed by mitochondrial specific primers. Results : With this technique, deletions of large quantities were detected within several regions of mtDNA in ET patients except for D-loop and CO I regions. Conclusion : The authors believe that ET is a genentic disorder with deficiency of mitochondrial DNA multicomplexes and mitochondiral dysfunction could be one of major causative factors of ET. Mitochondrial dysfunction may play an important role in the pathogenesis and possibility of disease progression among familial group with ET patients.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2018

To survey the prevalence of Sarcocystis infections, 210 heart samples were collected from Korean native cattle (Bos taurus coreanae) at an abattoir in Daejeon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea. Sarcocysts were detected form 31 specimens (14.8%) and identified as Sarcocystis cruzi via transmission electron microscopy. The wall of S. cruzi has flattened protrusions that did not contain fibrils or microfilaments. The protrusions arose irregularly from the base, contained a fine granular substance, lacked internal microfilaments, and measured approximately $0.21-1.25{\mu}m$ in length and $0.05-0.07{\mu}m$ in width. Sequence analysis revealed 99.5% homology to S. cruzi. This is the first report on the prevalence of S. cruzi in native cattle from the Republic of Korea.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2017

Purpose: To investigate the frequency, presentation, management, and outcome of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in pediatric patients who underwent renal transplantation. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 70 patients under the age of 18, who underwent renal transplantation between January 1990 and November 2014. A diagnosis of CMV infection was based on serology, molecular assays, antigenemia assays, and culture. CMV infection was defined as detection of virus and CMV disease was diagnosed when clinical signs and symptoms were present. Results: The number of patients with CMV infection was 18 (25.7% of renal transplant recipients). Twelve were male (66.7%), and the $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation (SD) age at infection was $13.3{\pm}3.9$ years. Median time of infection after renal transplantation was 4 months (range 1.0-31.0 months). Pretransplantation CMV status in the infected group was as follows: donor (D)+/recipient (R)+, 11 (61.1%); D+/R-, 7 (38.9%); D-/R+, 0; and D-/R- 0. Nine patients had CMV disease with fever, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or organ involvement such as enteritis, hepatitis, and pneumonitis. The age of disease occurrence was $13.1{\pm}3.9$ years and the median time to disease onset after renal transplantation was 8 months (range 1.0-31.0). Immunosuppressive agents were reduced or discontinued in 14 patients (77.8%), antiviral agents were used in 11 patients (61.1%), and all patients with CMV infection were controlled. Conclusions: A quarter of the patients had CMV infection about 4 months after renal transplantation. CMV infection was successfully treated with reduction of immunosuppressants or with antiviral agents.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2009

A total of 23 isolates of Botrytis cinerea causing the grey mold were collected from infected ginseng in several fields of Korea. The sensitivity to carbendazim and the mixture of carbendazim plus diethofencarb was determined through a mycelial inhibition test on PDA amended with or without fungicides. B. cinerea isolates were classified as 3 phenotypes, which were the first phenotype resistant to both of carbendazim and the mixture ($Car^RMix^R$), the second one resistant to carbendazim and sensitive to the mixture ($Car^RMix^S$), and the last one sensitive to both of them ($Car^RMix^S$). Carbendazim resistance correlated with a single mutation $\beta$-tubulin gene of B. cinerea amplified with primer pair tubkjhL and tubkjhR causing a change of glutamate to alanine at amino acid position 198. Furthermore, the substitution of valine for glutamate led the resistance to carbendazim and the mixture at the same position of amino acid. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis using the restriction endonuclease, Tsp451 and BstUI allowed differentiation of the PCR fragment of $\beta$-tubulin gene of $Car^SMix^S$ isolates from that of $Car^RMix^R$ and $Car^RMix^S$ isolates. This method will aid in a fast detection of resistance of carbendazim and the mixture of carbendazim plus diethofencarb in B. cinerea in ginseng field.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.119-137
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• 2011

A bio-inspired two-mode structural health monitoring (SHM) system based on the Na$\ddot{i}$ve Bayes (NB) classification method is discussed in this paper. To implement the molecular biology based Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) array concept in structural health monitoring, which has been demonstrated to be superior in disease detection, two types of array expression data have been proposed for the development of the SHM algorithm. For the micro-vibration mode, a two-tier auto-regression with exogenous (AR-ARX) process is used to extract the expression array from the recorded structural time history while an ARX process is applied for the analysis of the earthquake mode. The health condition of the structure is then determined using the NB classification method. In addition, the union concept in probability is used to improve the accuracy of the system. To verify the performance and reliability of the SHM algorithm, a downscaled eight-storey steel building located at the shaking table of the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) was used as the benchmark structure. The structural response from different damage levels and locations was collected and incorporated in the database to aid the structural health monitoring process. Preliminary verification has demonstrated that the structure health condition can be precisely detected by the proposed algorithm. To implement the developed SHM system in a practical application, a SHM prototype consisting of the input sensing module, the transmission module, and the SHM platform was developed. The vibration data were first measured by the deployed sensor, and subsequently the SHM mode corresponding to the desired excitation is chosen automatically to quickly evaluate the health condition of the structure. Test results from the ambient vibration and shaking table test showed that the condition and location of the benchmark structure damage can be successfully detected by the proposed SHM prototype system, and the information is instantaneously transmitted to a remote server to facilitate real-time monitoring. Implementing the bio-inspired two-mode SHM practically has been successfully demonstrated.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.385-393
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• 2000

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC/MS) procedure for the determination of amineptine (dihydro-10, 11-dibenzo[a, d] cycloheptenyl-5-amino-7-heptanoic acid) and its main metabolites in human urine was described. Amineptine has been known to be extensively metabolized by the ${\beta}$-oxidation of the heptanoic side chain with formation of pentanoic side chain metabolite ($C_5$-metabolite), and lactamizarion by internal dehydration of (${\beta}$-oxidized metabolite (${\delta}$-lactam). The detection of these compounds was based on acid hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction and trimethylsilylated derivatization of the carboxylic acid group. For the determination of amineptine and its metabolites in biological fluids, selected ions at the m/ 192, molecular ion and one of the characteristic ions were monitored by GC/MS. On the excretion study of amineptine in human urine, 70-90% of amineptine, ${\delta}$-lactam, and $C_5$-metabolite were found to be excreted within 4 hours and their excretion completed within 20 hours.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.491-495
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• 2016

Background: Small B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) is difficult to be distinguished from non-neoplastic reactive processes using conventional haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining due to different interpretations among pathologists with diagnosis based on morphologic features. Ancillary examinations such as immunohistochemical (IHC) staining are essential. However, negative or doubtful results are still sometimes obtained due to unsatisfactory tissue processing or IHC technique. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a molecular diagnostic technique is very sensitive and specific. Clonality detection of heavy chain immunoglobulin (IgH) gene rearrangement has been widely used to establish diagnosis of B-cell NHL. Aims: To elaborate interobserver variation in small B-cell NHL diagnosis based on morphologic features only and to confirm sensitivity and specificity of the PCR technique as an ancillary method. Materials and Methods: A toptal of 28 samples of small B cell NHL and suspicious lymphoma were interpreted by 3 pathologists in Sardjito General Hospital based on their morphology only. The reliability of assessment and the coefficient of interobserver agreement were calculated by Fleiss kappa statistics. Interpretation results were confirmed with IHC staining (CD20, CD3, Bcl2). PCR was performed to analyze the clonality of IgH gene rearrangement. Results: Interobserver agreement in morphologic evalution of small B cell NHL and chronic lymphadenitis revealed kappa coefficient 0.69 included in the substantial agreement category. The cases were divided into 3 groups based on morphology and IHC results; lymphoma, reactive process and undetermined group. PCR analysis showed 90% sensitivity and 60% specificity. Conclusions: The present study revealed a substantial agreement among pathologists in small B-cell NHL diagnosis. For difficult cases, PCR is useful as complementary method to morphologic and IHC examinations to establish definitive diagnosis.