• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2020

Objectives: Previous study has shown that the positive rate of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI) among former workers in dusty environments was higher than that among high-risk groups of tuberculosis(TB). The objective of the present study was to identify the development of active TB among former workers in dusty environments diagnosed with LTBI. Methods: Between January 2015 and May 2017, 796 former workers in dusty environments who had been subjects of epidemiology research for work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) had received the QuantiFERON-TB® Gold In-Tube(QFT-GIT) from the Institute of Occupation and Environment(IOE) under the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service(KCOMWEL). Among them, 437 participants who received a health examination for work-related pneumoconiosis between January 2015 and December 2018 were selected as study subjects. Active TB was defined as a positive result for active PTB and non-tuberculosis mycobacteria infection in the result of the Pneumoconiosis Examination Council's assessment by KCOMWEL. Results: A total of 437 subjects were followed up for 2.1 years. Four of them(4/437, 0.9%) developed active TB during the follow-up period. The attack rate of active TB among subjects who were diagnosed LTBI positive and those who were diagnosed LTBI negative were 0.9%(3/320) and 0.9%(1/115), respectively. Conclusions: Most previous studies reported that the attack rate of the development of active TB in subjects who had been diagnosed LTBI positive was higher than that among subjects who had been diagnosed LTBI negative. To the contrary, the present study found that the rate of developing active TB among former workers in dusty environments diagnosed as LTBI positive was not higher than that in those who were diagnosed LTBI negative.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 2005

Background : Some malignancies including lymphoma, head and neck cancer, and lung cancer are believed to be associated with the reactivation of tuberculosis (TB) because cyclic anti-cancer chemotherapy can induce the leukopenia or immunological deterioration. This report describes the clinical characteristics and treatment response of TB that developed during cyclic anti-cancer chemotherapy in patients with a solid tumor. Materials and Methods : From January 1 2000 to July 31 2004, patients with TB diagnosed microbiologically, pathologically, or clinically during anti-cancer chemotherapy in a tertiary hospital were enrolled, and their medical records were reviewed. Patients with the known risk factors for the reactivation of TB were excluded. Results : Twenty-two patients were enrolled and their mean age was 56.5 years (range 21-78). The male to female ratio was 3.4:1 and pulmonary TB was the main variant (20 patients, 90.9%). Gastric cancer (10 patients, 45.4%) and lymphoma (4 patients, 18.2%) were the leading underlying malignancies. The other malignancies included lung cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, cervix cancer, and ovary cancer. Fifteen patients (68.2%) had a healed scar on a simple chest radiograph suggesting a previous TB infection. Among these patients, new TB lesions involved the same lobe or the ipsilateral pleura in 13 patients (87.6%). An isoniazid and rifampicin based regimen were started in all the subjects except for one patient with a hepatic dysfunction. The mean duration of medication was $9.9{\pm}2.4$ months and no adverse events resulting in a regimen change were observed. With the exception of 5 patients who died of the progression of the underlying malignancy, 70.6% (12/17) completed the anti-TB treatment. Conclusion : The clinical characteristics and response to anti-TB treatment for TB that developed during anticancer chemotherapy for a solid tumor were not different from those of patients who developed TB in the general population.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 2018

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors are used as a treatment in various immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Tuberculosis (TB) risk is reported in several meta-analyses in patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitors. The purpose of this study is to collect, review, and evaluate the TB risk in TNF-alpha inhibitors according to IMIDs indications and between soluble-receptor TNF-alpha inhibitor and monoclonal-antibody TNF-alpha inhibitors. Methods: A systematic literature search on systematic reviews and meta-analyses was performed in PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and EMBASE. We identified meta-analyses that evaluated TB infection risk of TNF-alpha inhibitors in IMIDs patients. Results: Thirteen meta-analyses including 41 study results were included in this umbrella review. IMIDs patients treated with TNF-alpha inhibitors had an increased risk of TB than control group (placebo with or without standard therapy patients) (relative risk ratio (RR) 2.057, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.697 to 2.495). Among them, RA patients with TNF-alpha inhibitors had a higher risk of TB than control group (RR 1.847, 95% CI 1.385 to 2.464), and non-RA patients with TNF-alpha inhibitors had an increased risk of TB (RR 2.236, 95% CI 1.284 to 3.894). In subgroup analysis on TB risk between soluble-receptor TNF-alpha inhibitor and monoclonal-antibody TNF-alpha inhibitors in RA patients, the analysis indicated that monoclonal-antibody TNF-alpha inhibitors had higher risk of TB than soluble-receptor TNF-alpha inhibitor (RR 2.880, 95% CI 1.730 to 4.792). Conclusion: This umbrella review confirms that the risk of TB is significantly increased in TNF-alpha inhibitor treated patients compared to control group.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.270-275
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• 2007

The QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay and tuberculin skin test (TST) have been useful test for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI). However, there are few reports on the efficacy of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay and TST in evaluating the response after the treatment of LTBI. This study examined the changes in the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay before and after a treatment for latent tuberculosis in health care workers (HCWs) at a local tertiary hospital. Methods: A cohort of volunteers working as nurses and doctors who underwent a TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay was established. The volunteers positive for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay had been treated with 3 months of isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RFP). After completing treatment, the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay were repeated. Results: Of the 48 participants (14 doctors, 34 nurses, M: F=11:37, mean $age=29.9{\pm}5.5$ years, mean employment $period=74.9{\pm}64.3$ months), 19 (39.6%) tested positive to the TST (mean induration=$19.1{\pm}9.7mm$) and 8 (16.7%) were QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay. Among them, one had active pulmonary tuberculosis. Seven volunteers were consistently positive to both the TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay after being medicated with INH and RFP for 3 months. Conclusion: TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay are unsuitable for evaluating the treatment response of LTBI because they were consistently positive both before and after the anti-tuberculosis medication.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2009

Purpose : The rate of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in children is an indicator of the effectiveness of TB control programs in the community. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of DR-TB in children and evaluate TB management. Methods : Between January 1999 and July 2007, drug susceptibility tests for anti-TB drugs were employed for patients aged less than 19 years with culture-positive TB. Results : A total of 607 cases (16.6%) were resistant to at least one anti-TB drug as follows: isoniazid (INH; 13.8%), rifampin (8.9%), pyrazinamide (4.2%), streptomycin (3.7%), ethambutol (EMB; 5.9%), and para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS; 1.9%). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB was found in 276 cases (7.6%); extensive drug resistant (XDR) TB, in 5 cases (0.2%). The rate of resistance to at least one anti-TB drug in children aged >15 years (16.1%) was significantly lower than that in children aged <15 years (20.5%) (P=0.016). The rate of resistance to at least one anti-TB drug and multidrug-resistance in this survey decreased significantly (P<0.001) as compared to the previous survey (1987-1995). The rate of resistance to INH, EMB, and PAS also significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion : The rate of DR-TB in children in Korea has decreased over time; however, it remains higher than that in other countries. MDR-TB and XDR-TB are the emerging problems in Korean children. Therefore, the selection of effective drugs through drug susceptibility tests and evaluating risk factors of resistant TB is essential to successful therapy and a decreased incidence of DR-TB.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2001

Laser welded tailored blanks(TB) are increasingly used in automotive parts. Among these, TB side panel has forming difficulties in stretch flanging areas such as front and center pillar lower region. To avoid splits in the stretch flanging areas, Proper design of blank shape and drawbeads are essential In this study, the forming simulaton is carried out to investigate the influences of blank shape and drawbeads on stretch flange formability of different thickness TB. And an optimization procedure including the effects of both the blank design and drawbeads is presented. The optimization procedure proposed in this study is expected to be effectively used in blank and die design of TB side panel.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 1994

Magneto-optical disks with dielectric layers for optical tunning are useful for maximizing the SNR. We have developed a computer program based on characteristic matrix to investigate the best combination of the film thicknesses. We have optimized the thicknesses of the multilayers which were composed of TbFeCo, dielectric, and AI layers at the wavelengh of 830nm. The criterion for the optimization of the film thickness was to maximize the figure of merit with maintaining the low ellipticity and rmre than 10% reflectivity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.201-209
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• 2020

In Korea, bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a representative zoonotic disease that causes considerable economic loss. In determining the positive bTB, the ELISA method for examining the amount of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is included in Korea's diagnostic standard method. Recently, commercially available BIONOTE TB-Feron ELISA Plus (TB-Feron Plus) that detects IFN-γ has been introduced. However, since the scientific basis for the performance is limited, we evaluated performance by comparing it with the results of another IFN-γ ELISA assay kit (BOVIGAM®) certified by Office International des Epizooties. In our research, 42 positive blood samples preliminarily tested with a tuberculin skin test and/or BOVIGAM® and 54 negative blood samples collected from three bTB free farms were subjected to IFN-γ assay using the TB-Feron Plus and the BOVIGAM®, respectively. The result shows that the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 81.0% (34/42), 100% (54/54), 91.7% (88/96) in TB-Feron Plus kit and 78.6% (33/42), 100% (54/54), 90.6% (87/96) in BOVIGAM® kit, respectively. Moreover, the overall accordance percentage of the two kits was 99.0% (95/96) and there was almost perfect agreement between two assays (Kappa=0.977, P<0.0001). Furthermore, additional studies confirmed that elevated lymphocyte numbers in blood did not interfere with the results of the TB-Feron Plus kit. And, delayed time from sampling to culture decreased the optical density (OD) value. Therefore, we concluded that the TB-Feron Plus kit was not inferior to BOVIGAM® in performance. High lymphocyte numbers in blood did not impact on TB-Feron Plus results, while delayed time before culture interfered with OD value.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.352-358
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• 1995

Measurements of the Faraday rotation and magnetization of terbium-doped Hoya FR5 glass and cerium-doped Hoya FR4 glass have been made as a function of temperature T in the range 4.2 K -10 K and of magnetic field H of up to 80 kG at the $Ar^+$ laser wavelength of 514.5nm. The saturations of magnetization and Faraday rotation above H/T> $5kG.K^{-1}$ can be analyzed by the quantum theory of paramagnetism. Calculated parameters show that the large Verdet constant of $Ce^{3+}$ glass is due to the effective $4f\rightarrow5d$ electric dipole transition effect and that of $Tb^{3+}$ glass is due to the magnetization effect.effect.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1022-1029
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• 2018

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious health issue around the word. Adenovirus (Ad)-based vaccine and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine have emerged as two of the most promising immunization candidates over the past few years. However, the performance of the homologous and heterologous prime-boost immunization regimens of these two viral vector-based vaccines remains unclear. In the present study, we constructed recombinant Ad and MVA expressing an Ag85B-TB10.4 fusion protein (AdH4 and MVAH4) and evaluated the impact of their different immunization regimens on the humoral and cellular immune responses. We found that the viral vector-based vaccines could generate significantly higher levels of antigen-specific antibodies, $IFN-{\gamma}$-producing splenocytes, $CD69^+CD8^+$ T cells, and $IFN-{\gamma}$ secretion when compared with bacillus Calmette-$Gu{\acute{e}}rin$ (BCG) in a mouse model. AdH4-containing immunization regimens (AdH4-AdH4, AdH4-MVAH4, and MVAH4-AdH4) induced significantly stronger antibody responses, much more $IFN-{\gamma}$-producing splenocytes and $CD69^+CD8^+$ T cells, and higher levels of $IFN-{\gamma}$ secretion when compared with the MVAH4-MVAH4 immunization regimen. The number of $IFN-{\gamma}$-producing splenocytes sensitive to $CD8^+$ T-cell restricted peptides of Ag85B (9-1p and 9-2p) and Th1-related cytokines ($IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$) in the AdH4-MVAH4 heterologous prime-boost regimen immunization group was significantly higher than that in the other viral vector-based vaccine- and BCG-immunized groups, respectively. These results indicate that an immunization regimen involving AdH4 may have a higher capacity to induce humoral and cellular immune responses against TB in mice than that by regimens containing BCG or MVAH4 alone, and the AdH4-MVAH4 prime-boost regimen may generate an ideal protective effect.