• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.6
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• pp.490-497
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• 2011

Background: It is difficult but important to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections, especially for respiratory infections. Hence, there is an ongoing need for sensitive and specific markers of bacterial infections. We investigated novel biomarkers for discriminating community acquired bacterial pneumonia from 2009 H1N1 influenza A infections. Methods: This was a prospective, observational study of patients with community acquired bacterial pneumonia, 2009 H1N1 Influenza A infection, and healthy controls. Serum samples were obtained on the initial visit to the hospital and stored at $-80^{\circ}C$. We evaluated CRP (C-reactive protein), PCT (procalcitonin), LBP (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein) and copeptin. These analytes were all evaluated retrospectively except CRP. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed on the resulting data. Results: Enrolled patients included 27 with community acquired bacterial pneumonia, 20 with 2009 H1N1 Influenza A infection, and 26 who were healthy controls. In an ROC analysis for discriminating community acquired bacterial pneumonia from 2009 H1N1 influenza A infection, areas under the curve (AUCs) were 0.799 for CRP (95% Confidence interval [CI], 0.664~0.934), 0.753 for PCT (95% CI, 0.613~0.892) and 0.684 for LBP (95% CI, 0.531~0.837). Copeptin was not different among the three groups. Conclusion: These findings suggest that serum CRP, PCT and LBP can assist physicians in discriminating community acquired bacterial pneumonia from 2009 H1N1 influenza A infection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.10
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• pp.1031-1037
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• 2008

Macrolide antimicrobial agents including erythromycin, roxithromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin are commonly used in the treatment of respiratory tract infections in children. Newer macrolides that have structural modifications of older drug erythromycin show improved change in the spectrum of activity, dosing, and administration. However, recent studies reported that increasing use of macrolide antibiotics is the main force driving the development of macrolide resistance in streptococci. In particular, azithromycin use is more likely to select for macrolide resistance with Streptococcus pneumoniae than is clarithromycin use, a possible reflection of its much longer half life. Recently, erythromycin resistance rates of S. pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes are rapidly increasing in Korea. Two main mechanisms of acquired macrolide resistance have been described, altered binding site on the bacterial ribosome encoded by the ermB gene and active macrolide efflux pump encoded by the mef gene. Relationship between the susceptibility of S. pneumoniae and the response to macrolides has been shown in studies of acute otitis media, but less clear in cases of pneumonia. This article reviews the spectrum of activity, pharmacokinetic properties, mechanisms of action and resistance, and clinical implication of resistance on the treatment of respiratory tract infections in children.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.416-418
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• 2015

Mycobacterium shinjukuense is a novel species of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) that was first reported in Japan in 2011. It is a slow-growing NTM pathogen that can cause chronic pulmonary infections. There are only a few reported cases of M. shinjukuense infections, all of which are from Japan. We reported a case of chronic lung disease caused by M. shinjukuense. The organism was identified by 16S rRNA, rpoB, and hsp65 gene sequencing. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first confirmed case of lung disease caused by M. shinjukuense outside of Japan.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.425-431
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• 2021

The use of big data may facilitate the recognition and interpretation of causal relationships between disease occurrence and climatic variables. Considering the immense contribution of rhinoviruses in causing respiratory infections, in this study, we examined the effects of various climatic variables on the seasonal epidemiology of rhinovirus infections in the temperate climate of Cheonan, Korea. Trends in rhinovirus detection were analyzed based on 9,010 tests performed between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, at Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea. Seasonal patterns of rhinovirus detection frequency were compared with the local climatic variables for the same period. Rhinovirus infection was the highest in children under 10 years of age, and climatic variables influenced the infection rate. Temperature, wind chill temperature, humidity, and particulate matter significantly affected rhinovirus detection. Temperature and wind chill temperature were higher on days on which rhinovirus infection was detected than on which it was not. Conversely, particulate matter was lower on days on which rhinovirus was detected. Atmospheric pressure and particulate matter showed a negative relationship with rhinovirus detection, whereas temperature, wind chill temperature, and humidity showed a positive relationship. Rhinovirus infection was significantly related to climatic factors such as temperature, wind chill temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and particulate matter. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to find a relationship between daily temperatures/wind chill temperatures and rhinovirus infection over an extended period.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1109-1114
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• 2021

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a type of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that causes various respiratory tract infections including asthma. Chlamydia species infect humans and cause respiratory infection by rupturing the lining of the respiratory which includes the throat, lungs and windpipe. Meanwhile, the function of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in Ch. pneumoniae respiratory infection and its association with the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in adulthood and causing allergic airway disease (AAD) are not understood properly. We therefore investigated the role of IL-4 in respiratory infection and allergy caused by early life Chlamydia infection. In this study, Ch. pneumonia strain was propagated and cultured in HEp-2 cells according to standard protocol and infant C57BL/6 mice around 3-4 weeks old were infected to study the role of IL-4 in respiratory infection and allergy caused by early life Chlamydia infection. We observed that IL-4 is linked with Chlamydia respiratory infection and its absence lowers respiratory infection. IL-4R α2 is also responsible for controlling the IL-4 signaling pathway and averts the progression of infection and inflammation. Furthermore, the IL-4 signaling pathway also influences infection-induced AHR and aids in increasing AAD severity. STAT6 also promotes respiratory infection caused by Ch. pneumoniae and further enhanced its downstream process. Our study concluded that IL-4 is a potential target for preventing infection-induced AHR and severe asthma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.4
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• pp.282-285
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• 2011

Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is the most common primary immune deficiency, which is manifested as chronic recurrent respiratory infections and hypoglobulinemia. CVID usually presents in the second or third decade of life. A 33-year-old woman was admitted with recurrent pneumococcal pneumonia with bacteremia and had very low levels of serum immunoglobulin G, M and A. This case emphasized a high index of suspiciousness for diagnosis of CVID in a mid-adulthood patient presenting with recurrent pneumonia with hypoglobulinemia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.4
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• pp.325-335
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• 2017

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with abnormal inflammatory response and airflow limitation. Acute exacerbation involves increased inflammatory burden leading to worsening respiratory symptoms, including dyspnea and sputum production. Some COPD patients have frequent exacerbations (two or more exacerbations per year). A substantial proportion of COPD patients may remain stable without exacerbation. Bacterial and viral infections are the most common causative factors that breach airway stability and lead to exacerbation. The increasing prevalence of exacerbation is associated with deteriorating lung function, hospitalization, and risk of death. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of airway inflammation in COPD and discuss how bacterial or viral infection, temperature, air pollution, eosinophilic inflammation, and concomitant chronic diseases increase airway inflammation and the risk of exacerbation.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.119-124
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• 2020

A cluster of severe pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan City, Hubei province in China emerged in December 2019. A novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was isolated from lower respiratory tract sample as the causative agent. The current outbreak of infections with SARS-CoV-2 is termed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19 rapidly spread into at least 114 countries and killed more than 4,000 people by March 11 2020. WHO officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. There have been 2 novel coronavirus outbreaks in the past 2 decades. The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003 caused by SARS-CoV had a case fatality rate of around 10% (8,098 confirmed cases and 774 deaths), while Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) caused by MERS-CoV killed 861 people out of a total 2,502 confirmed cases between 2012 and 2019. The purpose of this review is to summarize known-to-date information about SARS-CoV-2, transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and clinical features.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.197-200
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• 2011

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infection in children. Most of the pediatric population have RSV infection before the age of 2, and recurrent infections are common even within one season. Chronic lung disease, prematurity, along with congenital heart disease (CHD) are major risk factors in severe lower respiratory infection. In hemo-dynamically significant CHD patients with RSV infection, hospitalization is usually needed and the possibility of treatment in intensive care unit and the use of mechanical ventilator support are known to increase. Therefore the prevention of RSV infection in CHD patients is mandatory. The current standard for RSV prevention is immunoprophylaxis by palivizumab. Immunoprophylaxis is recommended monthly in hemodynamically significant CHD patients, up to 5 months. Motabizumab, a second generation drug and newly developing RSV vaccines are also expected to play a key role in RSV prevention in the future. The prophylaxis of RSV infection in CHD patients is cost-effective in both the medical aspect of the patients as well as the socio-economic aspect. Therefore an effort to promote prevention should be made by not only the family of the patients but also by the government.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.715-727
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• 2020

It is well known that atmospheric environments, including both meteorology and air quality, significantly affect public health, such as chronic lung disease and cancer, and respiratory infections. In this study, we have analyzed correlations between the number of daily respiratory outpatients and the atmospheric environments data for about ten years for the city of Busan, South Korea. The respiratory problem patients data have been categorized into two health-vulnerable groups by age over 65(DayPA_O65) and under 20(DayPA_U20), each of which shows relatively higher correlations with air quality and meteorology, respectively. However, time series analysis with factor separation results in that DayPA_O65 and DayPA_U20 show a higher relation with variance components and daily irregular factors of atmospheric concentrations, respectively.