• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1992

The diagnosis of tuberculosis is usually established using staining and culturing techniques. Fluorescent stains have improved the sensitivity of direct microscopy. Improved culture media coupled with radiometric means of detecting early mycobacterial growth have shortened the time needed for cultural diagnosis. Rapid immunodiagnostic techniques based on the detection of mycobacterial antigen or of antibodies to theses antigens have not, however, come into widespread clinical use. The DNA or RNA hybridization tests with labeled specific probes which have been described so far are not sensitive enough to be used for clinical speicimens without prior culturing. The advent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has opened new possibilities for diagnosis of microbial infections. This technique has already been applied to a number of microorganisms. In the field of mycobacteria the PCR has been used to identify and to detect DNAs extracted from various mycobacteria. However, despite the extraordinary enthusiasm surrounding this technique and the considerable investiment, PCR has not emerged from the developmental "trenches" in the passed several years. It may be a considerable lenth of time before clinical microbiology laboratories become PCR playgrounds because many details remain to be worked out.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.79 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2016

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in South Korea. The Joint Committee for the Development of Korean Guidelines for Tuberculosis published the Korean Guidelines for Tuberculosis in 2011 to provide evidence-based practical recommendations to health care workers caring for patients with TB in South Korea. After reviewing recent national and international scientific data on TB, the committee updated the Korean guidelines for TB in 2014. This article presents some practical issues related to the 2014 updated guidelines: namely use of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-polymerase chain reaction assay and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay in the diagnosis of TB, as well as medical treatment for patients with multidrug-resistant TB.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the infection situation of several diseases (post-weaning atrophic pigs) such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in swine breeding complex in Jeonbuk-Iksan. From February to October in 2006, a total of 28 swine samples (6-10 week old) were collected from 6 farms and examined by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and clinical signs. In the rate of single infection, pneumonia was top (32.1%), followed by salmonellosis (14.2%)and Glasser's disease (10.7%) and double infection pneumonia/Glasser's disease (17.8%) was detected. PCR was detected of PCV 2 from 28 (100.0%) and PPV 6 (21.4%), PRRS PORF6 10 (35.7%) and POR7 11 (39.2%), but HC and AD was not detected. The results suggest that PCV 2 is complex infection PRRS, PPV and bacterial disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.450-454
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• 2015

Although tuberculosis is highly prevalent worldwide, congenital tuberculosis is one of the least common manifestations of the disease. The diagnosis is usually difficult because of the non-specific clinical presentation and the lack of awareness of maternal disease prior to pregnancy and delivery. We present the case of a preterm neonate with congenital tuberculosis, born to a previously healthy mother who had developed severe disseminated tuberculosis during her pregnancy. Once the diagnosis was confirmed in the mother, the congenital infection was confirmed by isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in gastric aspirates, and positive polymerase chain reaction in a cerebrospinal fluid examination. Treatment for tuberculosis with a four-drug regimen resulted in an adequate clinical response in both the mother and infant.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2015

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) constitutes about 20% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB) in Korea. Diagnosing EPTB remains challenging because clinical samples obtained from relatively inaccessible sites may be paucibacillary, thus decreasing the sensitivity of diagnostic tests. Whenever practical, every effort should be made to obtain appropriate specimens for both mycobacteriologic and histopathologic examinations. The measurement of biochemical markers in TB-affected serosal fluids (adenosine deaminase or gamma interferon) and molecular biology techniques such as polymerase chain reaction may be useful adjuncts in the diagnosis of EPTB. Although the disease usually responds to standard anti-TB drug therapy, the ideal regimen and duration of treatment have not yet been established. A paradoxical response frequently occurs during anti-TB therapy. It should be distinguished from other causes of clinical deterioration. Surgery is required mainly to obtain valid diagnostic specimens and to manage complications. Because smear microscopy or culture is not available to monitor patients with EPTB, clinical monitoring is the usual way to assess the response to treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.80.1-80.6
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• 2022

A 10-year-old male neutered Labrador Retriever presented with a history of acute-onset tachypnoea, lethargy and anorexia. The dog was pyrexic, tachypnoeic and dyspnoeic on examination. A rapid antigen test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was performed on an oropharyngeal swab and yielded a positive result. SARS-CoV-2 infection was subsequently confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Both of the dog's owners had positive rapid antigen test and RT-PCR analysis results for SARS-CoV-2. Additional diagnostics included computed tomography. Resolution of the dog's clinical signs was achieved with symptomatic treatment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.302-308
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• 2024

In cases where pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is not microbiologically diagnosed via sputum specimens, bronchoscopy has been the conventional method to enhance diagnostic rates. Although the additional benefit of bronchoscopy in diagnosing PTB is well-known, its overall effectiveness remains suboptimal. This review introduces several strategies for improving PTB diagnosis via bronchoscopy. First, it discusses how bronchoalveolar lavage or an increased number of bronchial washings can increase specimen abundance. Second, it explores how thin or ultrathin bronchoscopes can achieve specimen acquisition closer to tuberculosis (TB) lesions. Third, it highlights the importance of conducting more sensitive TB-polymerase chain reaction tests on bronchoscopic specimens, including the Xpert MTB/RIF assay and the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay. Finally, it surveys the implementation of endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for tuberculomas, collection of post-bronchoscopy sputum, and reduced use of lidocaine for local anesthesia. A strategic combination of these approaches may enhance the diagnostic rates in PTB patients undergoing bronchoscopy.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2009

Porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV) is antigenically related to transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). Differential serological diagnosis between PRCV and TGEV infection is not possible with the classical sero-neutralization test. Infection with PRCV or TGEV induces antibodies which neutralize both viruses to the same titer. However, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can differentiate between PRCV and TGEV infection. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of PRCV infection of swine in Gyeongnam province. A total of 391 serum samples from 37 herds in Gyeongnam were examined for antibody to PRCV using blocking ELISA. All serum samples were collected from 130- to 150-day-old pigs between August and December 2006. By ELISA, 182 out of 391 sera tested (46.5%) and 29 out of 37 sample herds (78.4%) were positive against PRCV. Our data suggested that seropositive herds for PRCV are distributed diffusely throughout Gyeongnam. The PCR methods were established to diagnose PRCV spike protein (S) gene. PCR were conducted to identify the PRCV genome against 150 pigs in PRCV antibody positive herds.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.5
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• pp.215-221
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• 2013

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are considered opportunistic pathogens, and several species of NTM are associated with human diseases that typically involve the pulmonary, skin/soft tissue, or lymphatic systems; such infection may also cause disseminated diseases. Recent studies have reported increasing rates of NTM-induced disease worldwide. Methods: Respiratory samples are being analyzed for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture and NTM identification at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, Korea, from September 2005 to September 2011. Identification is performed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis targeting a novel region of the rpoB gene. Results: A total of 25,133 specimens were received for AFB culture, of which 1,014 (4.0%) were NTM-positive. A total of 267 samples from 186 patients were tested for NTM identifications, and 232 samples from 157 patients were positive for NTM species. Among the patients who tested positive for NTM, 65.6% were men and the average age was 63.3 years. Mycobacterium avium complex, the most commonly detected NTM pathogen, was found in 65.9% of the 232 samples. The annual average percentage of NTM isolates from AFB culture-positive specimens was 31.3%: the highest rate was seen in 2011 (44.3%), followed by 2009 (37.4%) and 2010 (37.2%). An upward trend in NTM incidence was found during the study period. Conclusion: The prevalence of pulmonary NTM isolates continues to increase in Cheonan, suggesting that pulmonary NTM disease is becoming increasingly common.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2010

Fifty young calves, about five to six months old purchased from nation-wide were investigated with the prevelance of neutralizing antibody (Ab) of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV), parainfluenza 3 virus ($PI_{3}V$), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). The positive detection ratio of neutralizing Ab against IBRV was only 3% and two of positive samples showed low antibody titer (below 2). Ab against BRSV showed 48% of positive ratio and among 24 positive samples, antibody titer of 23 samples were below 3. But in the case of BVDV, 68% of samples were positive and 23 samples appeared to possess high antibody titer, above 4 and the antibody titer of five samples were above 8. The highest positive result came from $PI_{3}V$. The positive ratio in the samples investigated in this study was 72%, but the antibody titer of positive samples were generally below 3 (77.8% in positive samples).