• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2009

Objectives : The incidence of zoonoses in Korea has increased recently. However, the study of high risk groups for zoonoses has not been conducted to date in Korea. Thus, we did this study to obtain data on brucellosis among slaughterhouse workers in Korea. Methods : We evaluated the structure of slaughterhouses and the process of slaughtering by reviewing the relevant literature and doing field studies. We visited 73 slaughterhouses and 62 residual products handle houses across the country. In addition, we conducted a questionnaire survey of the work activities, and obtained blood samples in order to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of brucellosis. The titers of brucellosis antibodies were measured using the standard tube agglutination test SAT). We diagnosed subjects as seropositive for Brucellosis if the titers were more than 1:160. The data collected was evaluated using SPSS ver. 17.0. Results : We included 1,503 subjects and obtained 1,482 blood samples among them: 849 workers involved in slaughtering, 351 handlers of residual products, 190 inspectors and their assistants, and 92 grading testers and their assistants. The seroprevalence of brucellosis among the slaughterhouse workers was 0.8% (95% CI=0.4-1.5). Broken down, the seroprevalence of brucellosis among the workers involved in slaughtering was 0.7% (95% CI=0.3-1.6), the handlers of residual products was 1.7% (95% CI=0.7-3.9) respectively. Risk factors for contracting brucellosis among slaughterhouse workers were being splashed with cattle blood around the mouth, cattle secretions around the body and not putting on protective apron while at work. Conclusions : An educational program is needed for high risk groups on zoonoses about the prevention of infection. Thus, effective working guidelines for workers who participate in the slaughter of animals must be developed in order to protect them from zoonoses.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.344-347
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• 2011

Intrachondral articulations are the synovial joints that occur within costal cartilage in artiodactyls. The anatomical structure of Korean water deer differs from that of other deer. However, there have been no reports on the occurrence and shape of intrachondral articulations in the deer. To provide information on these articulations, we examined the occurrence and shape of intrachondral articulations in the Korean water deer by gross findings, radiography, computed tomography (CT), and histological observation. These joints often occur in the second to the tenth ribs. Morphologically, they are spheroidal joints, especially from the third to the eighth ribs, and their configuration is discernable in gross findings, radiography, CT, and histological sections. These basic results would be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the lateral thoracic wall of the Korean water deer.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.526-529
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• 2011

The brachiocephalic trunk (Bct) branches from the aortic arch (Aa) and consists, in ruminants, of the common trunk of the left subclavian artery (LSb), the bicarotid artery (Bc) or left and right common carotid artery (LCc and RCc), and the right subclavian artery (RSb). This pattern differs from the primitive mammalian Aa pattern due to the fact that the analogs of the LCc and LSb migrate cranially and merge with the common trunk of the RCc and RSb in the embryonic stage. A Bct having a septal remnant that consisted of the tunica media was observed in a female Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus), which was deemed to have resulted from an incomplete merging of the vessel walls between a carnivoran-type Bct and an incomplete LSb. This is the first report of an abnormal Bct in a Korean water deer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1159-1166
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• 2013

Orientia tsutsugamushi, a gram-negative bacterium, causes severe acute febrile illness in humans. Despite this danger, the route of infection, infectivity, and protective mechanisms of the host's immune response to O. tsutsugamushi are unclear. Dendritic cells (DCs) are one of the most important cell types in bridging the innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, we observed that O. tsutsugamushi infects and replicates in monocyte-derived DCs (MODCs). During infection and replication, the expressions of the cytokines IL-12 and TNF-${\alpha}$, as well as the co-stimulatory molecules CD80, CD83, CD86, and CD40, were increased in MODCs. When O. tsutsugamushi-treated MODCs were co-cultured with autologous $CD4^+$ T cells, they enhanced production of IFN-${\gamma}$, a major Th1 cytokine. Collectively, our results show that O. tsutsugamushi can replicate in MODCs and can simultaneously induce MODC maturation and increase proinflammatory cytokine levels in MODCs that subsequently activate $CD4^+$ T cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1749-1759
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• 2018

Recombinant (rec) prion protein (PrP) is an extremely useful resource for studying protein misfolding and subsequent protein aggregation events. Here, we report mass production of high-purity rec-polypeptide encoding the C-terminal globular domain of PrP; (90-230) for human and (89-231) for murine PrP. These proteins were expressed as His-tagged fusion proteins in E. coli cultured by a high cell-density aerobic fermentation method. RecPrPs recovered from inclusion bodies were slowly refolded under reducing conditions. Purification was performed by a sequence of metal-affinity, cation-exchange, and reverse-phase chromatography. The current procedure yielded several dozens of milligrams of recPrP per liter with >95% purity. The purified recPrPs predominantly adopted an ${\alpha}$-helix-rich conformation and were functionally sufficient as substrates to measure the seeding activity of human and animal prions. Establishment of a procedure for high-level production of high-purity recPrP supports the advancement of in vitro investigations of PrP including diagnosis for prion diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.158-159
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• 2015

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1180-1183
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• 2020

The prevalence and characterization of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants in ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from a Korean commercial layer farm were studied. A total of 45 ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates were recovered and all isolates were multidrug-resistant. Eight isolates have the PMQR genes aac(6')-Ib-cr, qnrS1, and qnrB4, and seven isolates exhibited double amino acid exchange at both gyrA and parC, and have high fluoroquinolone minimum inhibitory concentrations. Five transconjugants demonstrated transferability of PMQR and β-lactamase genes and similar antimicrobial resistance. Because PMQR genes in isolates from commercial layer chickens could enter the food supply and directly affect humans, control of ciprofloxacin resistance is needed.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.88-88
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.217-218
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• 2015

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.277-280
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• 1979