• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.191-204
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• 1986

Leptospira isolated from the patients with so called epidemic pulmonary hemorrhagic fever were comparatively studied with standard strains obtained from ATCC. The specific aim of this study was to clarify the morphologic heterogeneity of the isolates, i. e., coexistence of spiral forms in both handness, right and left, rod and spherical forms in their population by comparing them with those of the ATCC strains. No differences between our strains and ATCC strains were noticed in their growth characteristics, responses to the culture media, temperature, antibiotics and antifungal agents. Furthermore, the morphologic heterogeneity had been repeatedly observed even in cultures of standard ATCC strains, which had been noticed in the cultures of bacteria isolated in this laboratory. The serologic analysis of our isolates demonstrated that the bacteria reacted with L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. australis regardless their differences in time of isolation(1984, 1985). Thus, it was concluded that the spiral bacteria isolated in this laboratory are Leptospira of a new serovar which still remained to be determined. And the previous reports on the morphology of the Leptospira, which described that the Leprospira population has only spiral forms with right. handed coils might be reconsidered.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 2007

Objective : To identify key cytologic features for diagnosis of adenocarcinoma and morphologic differentiation from reactive/reparative respiratory epithelium. Study Design : The cytomorphologic features of 145 pulmonary cytology specimens (sputum and bronchial washing), which included 117 histologically proven adenocarcinomas and 28 non-neoplastic lesions, cytologically diagnosed as atypia and suspicious for malignancy (adenocarcinoma) were reviewed retrospectively. We analyzed 11 morphologic criteria in pulmonary cytologic specimens. Results: Over 110 of 117 cases of adenocarcinomas revealed nuclear membrane irregularities, non-cohesive cells, single atypical cells, moderate to markedly enlarged nuclei and an increased nuclear/cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio. Chromatin clearing, chromatin heterogeneity and hyperchromasia were seen in 102, 99 and 97 cases, respectively. All 28 cases involving non-neoplastic lesions revealed hyperplastic reactive pneumocytes, hyperplastic reactive bronchial epithelium, or degenerating macrophages. The non-neoplastic lesions revealed a small number of atypical cell clusters and paucity or absence of atypical single cells. Conclusion : The most important morphologic features for diagnosis of adenocarcinoma are nuclear membrane irregularities, non-cohesive cells, single atypical cell, moderate to markedly enlarged nuclei and increased N/C ratio. Chromatin clearing, chromatin heterogeneity and hyperchromasia were also helpful features, while pleomorphism and prominent nucleoli were less valuable.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.209-218
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• 1987

Leptospira interrogans, the causative organism of leptospirosis, is characterized by a fine helical morphology, and the helix is almost always right-handed. However, one of the striking features of recent isolates of L. interrogans in Korea was the heterogeneity in their morphology. Even under optimal culture conditions($30^{\circ}C$, EMJH medium), rods, spiral forms with right or left-handed helices, and even spherical forms of L. interrogans were present. Although the literature notes the presence of left-handed helices, long rods, and spherical forms in cultures of L. interrogans isolates, little is known about the cause of this morphologic heterogeneity. In an attempt to answer this question, this study was initiated to examine the effects of culture conditions, especially temperature and medium, on the morphology of L. interrogans. Four temperatures($5^{\circ}C$, $15^{\circ}C$, $30^{\circ}C$, and $37^{\circ}C$) and two types of media(Fletcher and EMJH) were used; one strain from Korean isolates and L. interrogans serovar canicola obtained from the Pasteur Institute(Paris, France) were employed throughout the study. The findings are as follows: 1. The L. interrogans isolated in Korea(UM-19) had a larger cell diameter($0.25{\sim}0.30\;{\mu}m$: $0.10{\sim}0.15\;{\mu}m$), and helix diameter($0.10{\sim}0.60\;{\mu}m$: $0.10{\sim}0.15\;{\mu}m$) than that obtained from the Pasteur Institute, but they varied in their distances between the helices($0.31{\sim}1.00\;{\mu}m$: $0.50{\sim}0.70\;{\mu}m$). 2, When UM-19 was grown at $37^{\circ}C$ after months or longer preincubation at $5^{\circ}C$ or $15^{\circ}C$, the majority of the organisms were spiral forms; however, they became rods when subcultured at $30^{\circ}C$ or $37^{\circ}C$. No significant morphological differences were found between Fletcher and EMJH media. 3. When L. interrogans serovar canicola was subcultured more than ten times at $37^{\circ}C$, some of the organism lost their motility as well as the hooks at either one or both ends, but only in Fletcher medium. The number of variants increased with the frequency of subculturing. These findings suggested that L. interrogans strain (UM-19) is different, in their morphology, from that of the Pasteur Institute, and its various morphologies may represent stages of the life cycle and vary with incubation temperature.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.478-486
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• 2000

Background : In acute lung injury, alveolar macrophages play a pivotal role in the inflammatory process during the initiation phase and in the reconstruction and fibrosis process during the later phase. Recently, it has been proven that alveolar macrophages are constituted by morphologically, biochemically and immunologically heterogenous cell subpopulations. The possibility of alterations to these characteristics of the alveolar macrophage population during lung disease has been raised. To investigate such a possibility a hyperoxic rat lung model was made to check the distributional and morphological changes of rat alveolar macrophage subpopulation in acute hyperoxic lung injury. Method : Alveolar macrophage were lavaged from normal and hyperoxic lung injury rats and separated by discontinuous gradients of percoll. After cell counts of each density fraction were accessed, the morphomeric analysis of alveolar macrophages was performed on cytocentrifuged preparations by transmission electron micrograph. Result : 1. The total alveolar macrophage cell count significantly increased up to 24 hours after hyperoxic challenge (normal control group $171.6{\pm}24.1{\times}10^5$, 12 hour group $194.8{\pm}17.9{\times}10^5$, 24 hour group $207.6{\pm}27.1{\times}10^5$, p<0.05). oHoHH However the 48 hour group ($200.0{\pm}77.8{\times}10^5$) did not show a significant difference. 2. Alveolar septal thickness significantly increased up to 24 hours after hyperoxic challenge(normal control group $0.7{\pm}0.2{\mu}m$, 12 hour group $1.5{\pm}0.4{\mu}m$, 24 hour group $2.3{\pm}0.4{\mu}m$, p<0.05). However the 48 hour group did not show further change ($2.5{\pm}0.4{\mu}m$). Number of interstitial macrophage markedly increased at 24 hour group. 3. Hypodense fraction(fraction 1 and fraction 2) of alveolar macrophage showed a significant increase following hyperoxic challenge ($\beta=0.379$.$\beta=0.694$. p<0.05) ; however, fraction 3 was rather decreased following the hyperoxic challenge($\beta=0.815$. p<0.05), and fraction 4 showed an irregular pattern. 4. Electron microscopic observation of alveolar macrophage from each fraction revealed considerable morphologic heterogeneity. Cells of the most dense subfraction(fraction 4) were small, round, and typically highly ruffled with small membrane pseudopods. Cells of the least dense fraction (fraction 1) were large and showed irregular eccentric nucleus and high number of heterogenous inclusions. Conclusion : In conclusion, these results suggest that specific hypodense alveolar macrophage subpopulation may play a an important role in an acute hyperoxic lung injury model But further study, including biochemical and immunological function of these subpopulations, is needed.