• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.467-477
• /
• 2021

Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known pathogen that can cause diseases in humans. It can cause both mild superficial skin infections and serious deep tissue infections, including pneumonia, osteomyelitis, and infective endocarditis. To establish host infection, S. aureus manages a complex regulatory network to control virulence factor production in both temporal and host locations. Among these virulence factors, staphyloxanthin, a carotenoid pigment, has been shown to play a leading role in S. aureus pathogenesis. In addition, staphyloxanthin provides integrity to the bacterial cell membrane and limits host oxidative defense mechanisms. The overwhelming rise of Staphylococcus resistance to routinely used antibiotics has necessitated the development of novel anti-virulence agents to overcome this resistance. This review presents an overview of the chief virulence determinants in S. aureus. More attention will be paid to staphyloxanthin, which could be a possible target for anti-virulence agents.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.133-144
• /
• 2011

Background: Tigecycline (TIG), a new broad-spectrum glycylcycline with anti-multidrug-resistant-(MDR)-pathogen activity, was launched in March 2009 in South Korea, but there are insufficient clinical studies on its use in the country. As such, this study was performed to analyze cases of severe MDR-pathogen-caused infections treated with TIG. Methods: Patients treated with TIG within the period from May 2009 to June 2010 were enrolled in this study. Their clinical and microbiologic data were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Twenty-one patients were treated with TIG for complicated skin and soft-tissue infections (cSSTIs) (42.9%), complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) (38.1%), or pneumonia (19.1%) caused by MDR pathogens like carbapenem-resistant $Acinetobacter$ $baumannii$ (76.2%), methicillin-resistant $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$ (61.9%), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing $Escherichia$ $coli$ and $Klebsiella$ $pneumoniae$ (38.1%), and penicillin-resistant $Enterococcus$ species (33.3%). Thirteen patients (61.9%) had successful clinical outcomes while five (23.8%) died within 30 days. The rate of clinical success was highest in cSSTI (77.8%), followed by cIAI (50%) and pneumonia (50%), and the mortality rate was highest in pneumonia (50%), followed by cIAI (25%) and cSSTI (11.1%), Conclusion: Tigecycline therapy can be an option for the treatment of severe MDR-pathogen-caused infections in South Korea, Due to its high risk of failure and mortality, however, prudence is required in its clinical use for the treatment of severe infections like nosocomial pneumonia.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.107-112
• /
• 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is now a major community-acquired pathogen worldwide, notably associated with skin and soft tissue infections. Staphylococci are present in the form of colonizers or environmental contaminants at home and increase the risk of recurrent infection. We are describing recurrent familial furunculosis caused by Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive methicillin susceptible S. aureus ST1 in Korea. An infant, his father and mother had furunculosis due to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) infection with identical susceptibility patterns. ST1 accounted for all 3 isolates and they were confirmed of having agr group I. Both sec and seh were detected in all isolates using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, and all isolates contained Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes. Risk factors for the household spread of S. aureus include skin conditions and close physical contact among household members. The relationship between S. aureus colonization of household contacts and the occurrence of S. aureus infection should be studied into more detail.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.80 no.1
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2017

It is well established that health care workers (HCWs) have a considerably higher risk of occupationally acquired tuberculosis (TB). To reduce the transmission of TB to HCWs and patients, TB infection control programs should be implemented in health care settings. The first and most important level of all protection and control programs is administrative control. Its goals are to prevent HCWs, other staff, and patients from being exposed to TB, and to reduce the transmission of infection by ensuring rapid diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals. Administrative control measures recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization include prompt identification of people with TB symptoms, isolation of infectious patients, control of the spread of the pathogen, and minimization of time spent in health care facilities. Another key component of measures undertaken is the baseline and serial screening for latent TB infection in HCWs who are at risk of exposure to TB. Although the interferon-gamma release assay has some advantages over the tuberculin skin test, the former has serious limitations, mostly due to its high conversion rate.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 2013

After studying the cause and mechanism of the itching with the perspective of chronic medical books including Neijing, and the annotators, the conclusions are as follows. 1. The itching, which has correlation with the heart, is the deficiency symptom(虛症). It is generated when the lung-metal(肺金) is infected by the fire pathogen(火邪) and developed to depression(鬱), because of the heart fire flaming upward of circuit year(歲火太過). The treatment is to make metal depression scatter(金鬱泄之). 2. The itching occurs between the dermis(膚) and the epidermis(皮). 3. The itching generates when the excess of yang exuberance(熱盛極) precede the transmission of the wind-heats(風熱), the wind-cold(風寒), and the wind-dampness(風濕). It causes the blood deficiency(血虛) and the blood stasis(血瘀) because of the skin dryness. 4. The itching usually generates during summer, causes the body fever(身熱) and the dermis pain(膚痛). When it becomes worse, it causes generalized itching and vesicles at the whole body(浸淫). 5. The itching is related to the spirit(魄), which works in unconsciousness and the movement of defense qi(衛氣) in night.

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

• CELLMED
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.24.1-24.6
• /
• 2020

Kushta Jast (KJ) is a unique herbo-mineral preparation of the Unani System of Medicine (USM) which is prepared by taklis (calcination) and prescribed by the practitioners of USM for the treatment of various ailments, including the respiratory ailments. It is used as muqawwi (tonic) to boost the immunity (Muqawwi-i-badan), and can increase the phagocyte activity of the immune cells, thereby, promoting the growth and spread of lymphocytes and increasing circulating antibodies to neutralize a harmful pathogen and reduce humma or body fever (Dafi'-i-humma). Incidentally, the principal mineral component of KJ, zinc, has been widely acknowledged for its beneficial influence on the immune function, and decrease the risk of developing serious respiratory illnesses. In this manuscript, we provide a glimpse of the literature on KJ and postulate its potential beneficial effects in respiratory infections, including COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.101-120
• /
• 2003

This study is performed to investigate the cause, symptom and acupuncture on Dudurugi through the literature of oriental medicine. The findings of this study are as follows: 1. Dudurugi is caused by exogenous pathogenic factors(wind, heat, cold, damp), sthenic inter damage factors(heat accumulated in the intestine and stomach, blood-heat, blood-stasia) and asthenia inter damage factors(asthenia of the spleen and stomach, blood-asthenia, asthenia of energy-blood, yin-asthenia and blood-dryness, yan-asthenia and energy-asthenia). 2. The symptom of Dudurugi is appeared in the skin and its surface is processed apparently or itch. 3. The treatment of Dudurugi was used by expelling the wind with removing pathogen. 4. In the treatment of Dudurugi, The su-yangmyong taejang-kyong of 12 merdians was mainly used and, the kokchi(LI11) of acupoints was most used in the acupuncture and moxibustion. 5. In the treatment of Dudurugi, acupoints of tok-maek and chok-t'aeyangkyong were mainly used in the case of showing symptoms caused by exogenous pathogenic factors and, acupoints of chok-t'aemkyong were mainly used in the case of showing symptoms caused by damp-heat accumulated in the intestine and stomach. When there were any other symptoms accompanied, other acupoints were more used.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.21-27
• /
• 2008

Mass mortality occurred in mud loaches, Misgurnus mizolepis, cultured in ponds located in Kunsan. External signs of affected fish showed hemorrhage of skin and fins, Internally, pale liver with congestion, enlarged kidney, and spleen and enteritis exhibited. Causative bacteria isolated from liver, spleen, and kidney of the disease fish. In biochemical tests, the isolates were similar with those of the reference strains, A. sobria. The aerolysine gene from the present isolate was amplified PCR with the primer SOBF and SOBB for A. sobria. The isolate was identified as A. sobria on the basis of those tests. In virulence test, the present isolate resulted in the development of clinical signs identical to those in naturally infected fish. The present results conclude that the present isolate is A. sobria and can be a pathogen which causes motile aeromonad septicemia to mud loach.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.73-81
• /
• 2002

In the literal study of anti-tumor effects of Jakeumjung. the results were as follows. 1. Jakeumjung is a traditional oriental medical prescription which is composed of Cremastare appeniculatae tuber, Euphorbiae pekinensis radix, Toosendan fructus, Chinensis galla, Moschus, Realgar and Cinnabaris. 2. Jakeumjung is applied to patients by administering or external application. When it is administered for patients, pertinent dose is 0.6~1.5g twice or three times per one day. When it is applied by external application, we melt it by water or vinegar and apply it to patients. 3. Effects of Jakeumjung are expelling toxin and pestilence, counteracting pathogen and relieving stagnation, detumescence and stopping pain. So it is used for detoxification from ancient. In recent, it is often used for cancer such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, epigastric cancer, acute leukemia, lymphoma, thymus cancer and skin cancer. 4. From the various experiments, Jakeumjung has been proved to have antifungal and antitumor effects. It inhibits and kills L7212, L1210 cells of leukemia. Especially, it acts in S stage of cell period. 5. Jakeumjung includes mineral medicines such as Realgar, Cinnabaris. So if we execute progressive study for anticancer effects and safety, the boundary of oriental medicine of using mineral medicines for cancer therapy will magnify in the future.