• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.4
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• pp.150-156
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• 2013

Background: Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy is often required for rapid and confirmative diagnosis in patients with suspected pleural tuberculosis (PL-TB). However, this method is more invasive and costly than its alternatives. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical utility of the chest computed tomography (CT)-based bronchial aspirate (BA) TB-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in such patients. Methods: Bronchoscopic evaluation was performed in 54 patients with presumptive PL-TB through diagnostic thoracentesis but without a positive result of sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear, pleural fluid AFB smear, or pleural fluid TB-PCR test. Diagnostic yields of BA were evaluated according to the characteristics of parenchymal lesions on chest CT. Results: Chest radiograph and CT revealed parenchymal lesions in 25 (46%) and 40 (74%) of 54 patients, respectively. In cases with an absence of parenchymal lesions on chest CT, the bronchoscopic approach had no diagnostic benefit. BA TB-PCR test was positive in 21 out of 22 (95%) patients with early-positive results. Among BA results from 20 (37%) patients with patchy consolidative CT findings, eight (40%) were AFB smear-positive, 18 (90%) were TB-PCR-positive, and 19 (95%) were culture-positive. Conclusion: The BA TB-PCR test seems to be a satisfactory diagnostic modality in patients with suspected PL-TB and patchy consolidative CT findings. For rapid and confirmative diagnosis in these patients, the bronchoscopic approach with TB-PCR may be preferable to the thoracoscopy.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2004

The objective of present study was to ascertain parentage of Thoroughbred(TB) horses in Korea. A total of 2,029 TB horse samples including 993 foal samples for parentage testing were genotyped for nine international minimum standard markers(AHT4, 5, ASB2, HMS3, 6, 7, HTG4, 10, and VHL20). This method consisted of multiplexing PCR procedure, and showed reasonable amplification of all PCR products. Genotyping was performed with an ABI 310 genetic analyzer. The number of alleles per locus varied from 5 to 11 with a mean value of 7.33 in TB. Expected heterozygosity was ranged from 0.544 to 0.837(mean 0.709) and the total exclusion probability of 9 microsatellites loci was 0.9978. Of the 9 markers, ASB2, HMS7 and HTG10 loci have relatively high PIC value(>0.7). All of the 993 foals were qualified by compatibility according to Mendelian fashion in the present DNA typing for parentage testing. These results suggest that the present DNA typing has high potential for parentage verification of TB horses.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.41-46
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• 2021

In order to investigate the degree of sewage sludge solubilizaion using ultrasonic(US) combined with calcium peroxide(CaO₂), VSS reduction rate, solubilization rate, SCOD/VSS ratio, SCOD increasing rate, LB-EPS(Loosely-Bound EPS) and TB-EPS(Tightly-bound EPS) were measured. US was compared as a control. Solubilization rate increased by 23.4% under US and increased by 50.7% under US/CaO₂(0.05 g CaO₂/g VSS). and also, at the same conditions, VSS reduction rate increased by 7.1% and 17.7%, respectively. SCOD increasing rate from 10 to 90 minutes was 0.0151 min^-1 under US/CaO₂(0.02 g CaO₂/g VSS). TB-EPS decreased by 36.4% under US and decreased by 59.0% under US/CaO₂(0.05 g CaO₂/g VSS). TB-EPS decreased during first 10 minutes and then decreased slowly until 90 minutes. There was no significant difference in TB-EPS decrease according to the dosage of calcium peroxide.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2017

Tuberculosis (TB), mainly disseminated by infection of the respiratory tract, remains an unsolved community health problem by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). However, because of the different susceptibility to MTB, people infected with MTB do not all develop TB. These differences of disease arise from individual genetic susceptibility as well as the property of the microorganisms itself. CD226, one of the genetic factors that influences TB, interact with its ligand PVR and ITGB2. It is induced various cellular responses that contribute multiple innate and adaptive responses. In a previous study, CD226 enhanced immune efficacy induced by Ag85A DNA vaccination that is secreted protein by MTB. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between six genetic polymorphisms of CD226 gene and TB status with Korean population. Our results show that two SNPs of CD226 were identified to associate with tuberculosis. The highest significant SNP was rs17081766 (OR=0.70, CI: 0.54~0.90, $P=5.4{\times}10^{-3}$). According to this study, polymorphisms of CD226 gene affect the outbreak of TB in MTB-infected patients. It is suggested that polymorphism of other genes also associated with immune responses results in susceptibility to TB. The results from this study suggest that not only the characteristics of the microorganism itself but also the genetic background of the individual may affect progression of TB in MTB-infected patients.

• 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.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1353-1356
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• 2011

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 1994

The x values of nonstoichiometric chemical formula, $Tb_4O_{7-{\delta}}\;or\;TbO_{1.5+x}$, have been determined in temperature range from 600$^{\circ}$C to 1000$^{\circ}$C under oxygen partial pressure of 2 ${\times}$ 10$^{-1}$ to 1 ${\times}$ 10$^{-5}$ atm by using quartz microbalance. The x values varied from 0.0478 to 0.1964 in the above conditions. The enthalpy of formation for x' in TbO$_{1.5+(0.25-xo-x')}$, ${\delta}H_f$, was 4.93-3.40 kcal mol$^{-1}$ and the oxygen partial pressure dependence was -1/8.80∼-1/11.8 under these conditions. The electrical conductivity of the $TbO_{1.5+x}$ was measured under the same conditions and the values varied from about 10$^{-3}$ to 10$^{-6}\;{\Omega}^{-1}cm^{-1}$ within semiconductor range. The activation energies for the conduction increase with oxygen partial pressure from 0.83 to 0.89 eV under the above conditions. The l/n values obtained from the oxygen pressure dependence of the conductivity are 1/4.4-1/5.2. The conduction mechanism, defect structure, and other physical properties of the oxides are dicussed with the x values, the electrical conductivity values, and the thermodynamic data.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.6
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• pp.261-268
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• 2014

Patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are increasingly being treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents and are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Therefore, diagnosis and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI) is recommended in these patients due to the initiation of anti-TNF therapy. Traditionally, LTBI has been diagnosed on the basis of clinical factors and a tuberculin skin test. Recently, interferon-gamma releasing assays (IGRAs) that can detect TB infection have become available. Considering the high-risk of developing TB in patients on anti-TNF therapy, the use of both a tuberculin skin test and an IGRA should be considered to detect and treat LTBI in patients with IMIDs. The traditional LTBI treatment regimen consisted of isoniazid monotherapy for 9 months. However, shorter regimens such as 4 months of rifampicin or 3 months of isoniazid/rifampicin are increasingly being used to improve treatment completion rates. In this review, the screening methods for diagnosing latent and active TB before anti-TNF therapy in patients with IMIDs will be briefly described, as well as the current LTBI treatment regimens, the recommendations for managing TB that develops during anti-TNF therapy, the necessity of regular monitoring to detect new TB infection, and the re-initiation of anti-TNF therapy in patients who develop TB.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2009

Background: The interferon-gamma assay is reported to have high sensitivity and specificity for making the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection. The clinical usefulness of this essay for detecting active tuberculosis has not fully defined. We evaluated the diagnostic value of the commercial interferon-gamma assay kit (QuantiFERONTB GOLD) for patients with suspected tuberculosis. Methods: From January to August 2007, we recruited 52 patients with suspected tuberculosis infection. We performed chest X-ray, sputum smear, culture, PCR and the QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test. Pleural fluid analysis and pleural biopsy were also done for the patients with pleural effusion. Results: Of the 52 patients we studied, 30 patients had a positive QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test result. 35 patients were finally diagnosed with active tuberculosis: twenty-five with a positive QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test and 10 with a negative QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test. The sensitivity of the QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test was 71.4% and the specificity was 64.7%. The positive predictive value was 0.83 and the negative predictive value was 0.50. There was no significant difference of any of the clinical and laboratory characteristics between the two groups of patients except the C-reactive protein (CRP) level. The CRP level was 29.2${\pm}$27.3 mg/dL in the pulmonary tuberculosis patients with a positive QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test and 72.9${\pm}$67.9 mg/dL in the patients with a negative QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test (p<0.05). Conclusion: The sensitivity and specificity of the QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test were inadequate for making the diagnosis of active tuberculosis. We suggest that the QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test should not be used by itself to exclude the diagnosis of active tuberculosis. The relationship of the QuantiFERON-TB GOLD test and the CRP level in patients with TB would be further investigated.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2018

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that can affect many organs of the body but usually affects the lungs. The prevalence of TB in Korea is considerably higher than that in other countries with similar economic levels, and is much higher in elderly people. Pharmacotherapy is important in the treatment of TB and requires relatively high compliance for a prolonged duration. Methods: We analyzed sample data of elderly patients obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. We used logistic regression analysis and frequency analysis to identify factors that could affect prevalence of TB in elderly patients, compliance with prescribed medication regimes in these patients, and use of medical institutions. Korean Standard Classification of Diseases, version 7 (KCD-7) was used to diagnose pulmonary TB, and medications were analyzed using Korean standardized drug classification codes. Results: 1,276,331 patients were analyzed in the sample of the elderly population, and 16,658 TB patients were included in the study. The mean age of the TB patients was 76.19 years (SD 6.899). A total of 699 patients were prescribed isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, or pyrazinamide at least once. Of these, 352 (50.4%) were prescribed all four medications and 101 (14.4%) were prescribed only isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol. The mean duration of prescription was 28.75 days (SD 36.13). Conclusion: In the elderly population, old age and poor socioeconomic conditions correlated with TB prevalence. Most patients did not meet the criteria for effective pharmacotherapy of TB.