• Applied Microscopy
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 1982

P. carinii is a protozoan which induces an often fatal pneumonitis in a variety of compromised patients. The ultrastructure of P. carinii was studied in a male infant with pneumocystitis pneumonia associated with hypogammaglobulinemia. Four principal structural varieties-small trophozoites, large trophozoites, mature cyst and empty cyst were identified. The ultrastructure of these organisms was similar to the cases previously reported. Relevance of the morphologic findings to the functional aspect were discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1997

Pneumocystis carinli is an established cause of pulmonary infections in immuno-compromised hosts. Several cytoiogical stains, such as Papanicolaou, Gomori methenamine sliver(GMS) and Diff-Quik have been used for detection of the organism, but occasionally can be laborious and, due to a degree of nonspecificity, may be misleading. We evaluated the diagnostic utility of immunocytochenmical stains that recognize P. carinii in bornchoalveolar lavage from experimentally Induced P. carinii pneumonia rats(n=15). In audition to routine stains for diagnosis by morphologic recognition of P. carinii on Papanicolaou, GMS and Diff-Quik stains, bronchoalveolar lavage samples were reacted with immunocytochemical stains using monoclonal antibodies(MAB) 092 and 902. In bronchoalveolar lavage P. carinii organisms were detected In 9 of 10 cases(90%) using each MAB 092 and 902, whereas GMS and Diff-Quik stains demonstrated P. carinii in 13(86%) and 11(73%) of 15 cases respectively. In lung tissue specimens(n=15) P. carinii organisms were well identified on GMS stain and immunohistochemical stains using MAB 092 and 902 in ail cases. We believe that the immunocytochemical staining using MAB 092 and/or 902 is a very useful and diagnostic tool In addition to GMS and Diff-Qulk stain to detect P. carinii organisms in bronchoalveolar lavage.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 1992

This study was performed to observe the therapeutic effects of interferon-gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) and gamma-globulin (${\gamma}-globulin$) in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of immune suppressed mice. After 9 weeks, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxaBole(TMP-SMZ; 10~50 mg/mouse/day), mouse $IFN-{\gamma}(5{\times}10^4$ units/mouse/day) and mouse ${\gamma}-globulin$(20 mg/mouse/day) were administered to the mice for 3 weeks by the experimental group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by body weights, histopatholo단ic and electron microscopic findings of the lungs, and number of p. carinii cysts by Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Body weights of the mice were significantly increased in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}{\;}or{\;}{\gamma}-globulin$, and in the group of TMP- SMZ treatment(p<0.05), however, little effect was found in the group of T-globulin alone. Histopathologic 6ndings of p. carinii pneumonia were much improved in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}$. Treatment with either TMP-SMZ or $IFN-{\gamma}$ significantly reduced the number of cysts in the p. carinii pneumonia, but {\gamma}-globulin alone was ineffective. In electron microscopic findings of p. carinii pneumonia, the number of trophozoites and cysts were reduced by treatment with either TMP-SMZ or $IFN-{\gamma}$, and most of the cysts were empty or containing one or two intracystic bodies. The present results suggested, that combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}$ had synergistic effects in treatment of P carinii pneumonia in experi- mental mice.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.149-156
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• 1999

Pneumocystis carinii is pulmonary pathogen of immunocompromised humans or other mammals. Its infection results from activation of organism involves in latent infection or form new infection through the air. Almost all children are known to be infected within 2 to 4 years of birth, though prenatal transplacental transmission has not yet been demonstrated. In this study we observed experimental P.carinii infection in neonatal rats, thus investigating the possibility of transplacental vertical transmission by Diff-Quik staining of the lung impression smears and in-sity hybridization for lung sections. The postive rate of P.carinii infection in immunosuppressed maternal rats was 100%, but that in normal maternal rats was 0%. Cystic forms of P.carinii were observed in three of six 1-week old neonatal rats born of heavily infected mothers, but none of them was positive by in-situ hybridization. Five weeks after birth, cystic forms were detected in four neonatal rats. In the lobes of the lungs, no predilection site of P.carinii was recognized. Counts of cystic forms on smears and the reactivity of in-situ hbridization in the lungs of neonatal rats 0 were signficantly lower than in maternal rats. The present findings suggest that P.carinii is rarely transmitted through the placenta and proliferates less successfully in the lungs of neonatal rats than in mothers.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.1 s.133
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• pp.1-5
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• 2005

The prevalence of parasitic infections was investigated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients (n = 105) who visited Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, during the period from 1995 to 2003. Fecal samples were collected from 67 patients for intestinal parasite examinations, and sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 60 patients for examination of Pneumocystis carinii. Both samples were obtained from 22 patients. Thirty-three ($31.4\%$) of the 105 were found to have parasitic infections; Cryptosporidium parvum ($10.5\%$; 7/67), Isospora belli ($7.5\%$; 5/67), Clonorchis sinensis ($3.0\%$; 2/67), Giardia lamblia ($1.5\%$; 1/67), Gymnophalloides seoi ($1.5\%$; 1/67), and Pneumocystis carinii ($28.3\%$; 17/60). The hospital records of the 11 intestinal parasite-infected patients showed that all suffered from diarrhea. This study shows that parasitic infections are important clinical complications in HIV-infected patients in the Republic of Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 1999

The present study observed the variation of antigenicity of Pneumocystis carinii and serum IgG antibody reastion to the antigens from different localtities in Korea. Antigens of rat P,carinii and sera of inhabitants were collected at Chunchon, Chungju, Kwangju and Seoul during 1995-1996. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and immunoblot were used for immune reaction. Absorbance of 1,294 human sera ranged between 0.01and 0.93. Sera from Chunchon showed higher absorbances than those from other areas. Immunoblotting revealed IgG antibody reactions to 116,100, and 45-55 kDa antigenic bands of rat P.carinii, but the frequencies of positive reaction to individual bands were variable by localities. Total 62.6% reacted to 100kDa band and 32.0% to 45-55 kDa bands. For the reaction to 116kda, the reaction rate was 60.0% of the sera showed the reaction to 116kda band while 37.7% reacted to 100kda, the reaction rate was 60.0% to 82.6% by localities. It is found that the reaction rates of the human sera to rat P.carinii antigen are variable according to the localities. Also, the high molecular antigen of 116kDa of rat P.carinii is the most frequent antigenic band reaction to human sera.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2001

Pneumocystis carinii causes serious pulmonary infection in immuno-suppressed patients. This study was undertaken to observe the cytoskeletal proteins of P. carinii by immune-electron microscopy. P. carinii infection was experimentally induced by immunosuppression of Sprague-Dawley rats for seven weeks, and their lungs were used for the observations of this study. The gold particles localized actin, tropomyosin, and tubulin. The actin was irregularly scattered in the cytoplasm of the trophic forms but was much more concentrated in the inner space of the cell wall of the cystic forms called the inner electron-lucent layer No significant amount of tropomyosin was observed in either trophic forms or cystic forms. The tubulin was distributed along the peripheral cytoplasm and filopodia of both the trophic and cystic forms rather than in the inner side of the cytoplasm. Particularly, in the cystic forms, the amount of tubulin was increased and located mainly in the inner electron-lucent layer of the cell wall where the actin was concentrated as well. The results of this study showed that the cell wall of P carinii cystic forms is a structure whose inner side is rich in actin and tubulin. The location of the actin and tubulin in P. carinii suggests that the main role of these proteins is an involvement in the protection of cystic forms from the outside environment by maintaining rigidity of the cystic forms.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.465-469
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• 1998

Acute respiratory failure with diffuse pulmonary infiltration was occurred in a patient with malignant lymphoma 1month after the $8^{th}$ CHOP chemotherapy. The ground glass and consolidation appearances on chest C-T in this immunodeficient patient could be presented in many clinical situations such as pneumonia by opportunistic infections (fungal, parasites, viral, and usual bacterial pathogens), anti-tumor drug's pulmonary toxicity and tumor invasion. And the other diseases of acute interstitial pneumonitis, alveolar proteinosis, BOOP, puhnonary edema and alveolar hemorrhage, which could present the same radiological findings, should included in differential diagnosis. This patient was diagnosed as the opportunistic pneumonia by Pneumocystis carinii and probably Cytomegalovirus through bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2000

Pneumocystis carinii is a major opportunistic pathogen which has been found in the lungs of a wide variety of mammalian host species, and the fact suggests the possibility of intraspecific variation. Until now, P. carinii from different mammalian species are differentiated as subspecies, and the rats are known to be infected by two subspecies. The present study investigated genetic heterogeneity of P. carinii isolates from two strains of rats in Korea and China by molecular karyotyping, RFLP and sequencing analysis. Karyotypes of P. carinii were grouped into three, two from two strains of rats In Korea and one from rats in China. However RFLP of PCR product of ribosomal and MSG gene of the P. carinii isolates showed same pattern. The sequence homology rates of ${\alpha}-tubulin$ DNA of the P. carinii isolates were 96% in Seoul Wistar rats, 93% in Seoul Sprague-Dawley rats, and 85% in Chinese Sprague-Dawley rats. The present finding confirmed that P. carinii from rats in Korea are grouped into two karyotype strains which are different from that of P. carinii from rats in China. The Chinese isolate shows a little different sequences of ${\alpha}-tubulin$ DNA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.327-338
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• 2022

This study determined the recent status and trend of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) in the non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (non-HIV-PcP) and HIV (HIV-PcP) infected populations using data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). SaTScan and Join-point were used for statistical analyses. Non-HIV-PcP cases showed an upward trend during the study period from 2010 to 2021, with the largest number in 2021 (551 cases). The upward trend was similar until 2020 after adjusting for the population. Seoul had the highest number of cases (1,597) in the non-HIV-PcP group, which was the same after adjusting for the population (162 cases/1,000,000). It was followed by Jeju-do (89 cases/1,000,000). The most likely cluster (MLC) for the non-HIV-PCP group was Seoul (Relative Risk (RR)=4.59, Log Likelihood Ratio (LLR)=825.531), followed by Jeju-do (RR=1.59, LLR=5.431). An upward trend was observed among the non-HIV-PcP group in the Jeju-do/Jeollanam-do/Jeollabuk-do/Gyeongsangnam-do/Busan/Daejeon/Daegu/Ulsan joint cluster (29.02%, LLR=11.638, P<0.001) located in the southern part of Korea. Both women and men in the non-HIV groups showed an overall upward trend of PcP during the study period. Men in the 60-69 age group had the highest annual percentage change (APC 41.8) during 2014-2019. In contrast, the HIV groups showed a falling trend of PcP recently. Men in the 60-69 age group had the most decrease (APC -17.6) during 2018-2021. This study provides an analytic basis for health measures and a nationwide epidemiological surveillance system for the management of PcP.