The gene encoding the 66 kilodalton (kDa) protein of Borrelia hermsii HS1 was cloned and sequenced. Chromosomal DNA was prepared from purified B. hermsii and used in construction of genomic library. The library was screened for positive clones by 314 bp DIG-labeled probe synthesized on the basis of the part of the sequence of B. hermsii. Positive clone was subcloned into p2ErO vector and was designated as pBH11. pBH11 were subcloned into pBluscript vector and were designated as pBH11-1 (500 bp), pBH11-2 (800 bp), pBH11-3 (600 bp) and pBH11-4 (800 bp). The plasmids were sequenced and determined the nucleotide sequence of p66. The open reading frame of the p66 consisted of 1803 base pairs coding for 600 amino acid protein. The basic information on the p66 gene of B. hermsii HS1 obtained from this study will be useful for further analysis and experiment of pathogenesis of the borrelia.
Base Pairing ; Base Sequence ; Borrelia* ; Clinical Coding ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA ; Genomic Library ; Open Reading Frames ; Plasmids

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans* ; Immunoassay*

Mycobacterium fortuitum causes a wide spectrum of cutaneous and extracutaneous diseases. Trauma may precede the primary cutaneous disease. Granulomatous nodules, ulcers, scrofuloderma, abscess, and sporotrichoid lesions have been described. Extracutaneous manifestations include postoperative vasculitis, endocarditis, pericarditis, mediastinitis, osteomyelitis, and disseminated disease. However, there have been few reports of scrofuloderma caused by M. fortuitum in the literature. We report a case of scrofuloderma due to M. fortuitum, which developed on the right inguinal area in a 8-year old boy. He had received a tearing injury to his gluteal region in a swimming pool. M. fortuitum was isolated by culture of skin specimen on Lowenstein- Jensen medium and subsequently identified by selected biochemical tests and comparative sequence analysis of rpoB gene (306 bp). Eight-week treatment with tetracycline after incision and drainage along with infrared irradiation resulted in complete resolution of the lesion.
Abscess ; Buttocks ; Child ; Drainage ; Endocarditis ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinitis ; Mycobacterium fortuitum* ; Mycobacterium* ; Osteomyelitis ; Pericarditis ; Sequence Analysis ; Skin ; Swimming Pools ; Tetracycline ; Tuberculosis, Cutaneous* ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific monoclonal antibody, SCMVM 34, recognizes early antigen confined to the nucleus of HCMV-infected cells. This study was performed to identify the antigen reactive to SCMVM 34 with purification and amino acid sequencing. The nuclear and cytoskeletal fraction of HCMV-infected cells was subjected to 0.4 M NaCl extraction, DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography, DNA-cellulose chromatography and SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight of the reactive proteins was 52 kD, 40 kD and 34 kD. The modified or blocked amino termini of 52 kD and 40 kD showed resistance to Edman degradation. The internal peptide fragments were isolated by tryptic digeytion and reverse-phase HPLC. The internal amino acid sequence analysis of the peptides from HPLC profile revealed that the antigens recognized by SCMVM 34 was ppUIA4.
Chromatography ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans* ; Molecular Weight ; Peptide Fragments ; Peptides ; Sequence Analysis, Protein

Even though malignant potential of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia(VaIN) may be low, the prevalence is increasing and the mean age at diagnosis is decreasing. Various treatment options have been used for the eradication of ValN, but most effective standard protocol is not present because it is a rare disease. Laser vaporization was used to treat 7 patients with VaIN diagnosed at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Hospital between 1992 to 1996. The patients were from 40 to 70 years of age with a mean 57 of years. All patients had a history of radical or simple hysterectomy, and final pathologic diagnosis were as follows : cervical cancer(n=5), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(n=l), leiomyoma(n=l). Vaginal intrae-pithelial neoplasia(VaIN) was identified between 4 months and 8 years after first operation. All lesions were unifocal disease and found at the upper one third of the vagina. Treatment was performed with a CO2 laser unit and colposcope. Four(57%) out of seven patients had general anesthesia for the purpose of treatment. Patients were followed up for an average of 16.8 months with regular cytologic evaluation, colposcopy and biopsy. Failure of therapy was defined as evidence of intraepithelial neoplasia in any one of these three parameters. Only one patients showed persistent disease and the others remain free of disease. The success rate of therapy was 85.7%(6/7). (continue)
Anesthesia, General ; Biopsy ; Colposcopes ; Colposcopy ; Diagnosis ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Gas* ; Obstetrics ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Seoul ; Vagina ; Volatilization*

In this study, new real-time PCR method based on the groEL gene was developed and investigated. Four spotted fever group (SFG) strains, four typhus group (TG) strains, and four scrub typhus group (STG) strains were easily differentiated as a distinct entity. This PCR assay was applied to detect Rickettsia DNA from 100 ticks. Twelve Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks were found positive and identified as spotted fever group Rickettsia. This real-time PCR method could simultaneously perform the rapid identification of rickettsiae and the differential diagnosis of SFG, TG, and STG in a single reaction.
Diagnosis, Differential ; DNA ; Fever ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rickettsia ; Scrub Typhus ; Ticks ; Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne

Eleven Borrelia afzelii strains, isolated from Ixodes nipponensis and Apodemus agrarius in Korea, were characterized by groEL gene analysis. Results from previous studies suggested that the groEL gene, which encodes the 60-kDa heat shock protein GroEL, was useful for the differentiation of B. burgdorferi sensu lato. The B. afzelii isolates could be divided into two groups by the phylogenetic tree constructed by UPGMA method and Tsp509 I PCR-RFLP analysis. The result suggested that the groEL gene is useful for identification and characterization of B. burgdorferi sensu lato though a short DNA fragment (310 bp) of the gene was sequenced and compared each other, and that Korean B. afzelii strains are heterogeneous genotypically.
Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi Group* ; Borrelia* ; DNA ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Ixodes ; Korea* ; Murinae ; Population Characteristics

Eleven Borrelia afzelii strains, isolated from Ixodes nipponensis and Apodemus agrarius in Korea, were characterized by groEL gene analysis. Results from previous studies suggested that the groEL gene, which encodes the 60-kDa heat shock protein GroEL, was useful for the differentiation of B. burgdorferi sensu lato. The B. afzelii isolates could be divided into two groups by the phylogenetic tree constructed by UPGMA method and Tsp509 I PCR-RFLP analysis. The result suggested that the groEL gene is useful for identification and characterization of B. burgdorferi sensu lato though a short DNA fragment (310 bp) of the gene was sequenced and compared each other, and that Korean B. afzelii strains are heterogeneous genotypically.
Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi Group* ; Borrelia* ; DNA ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Ixodes ; Korea* ; Murinae ; Population Characteristics

To detect Rickettsia, we have developed a nested PCR method amplifying the groEL gene. Rickettsia strains were successfully amplified by this PCR method but the microorganisms causing other febrile diseases, such as Orientia tsutsugamushi, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia sennetsu, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Borrelia hermsii, and Leptospira interrogans were not amplified. This PCR assay was applied to detect Rickettsia DNA from 100 ticks. Sixteen Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks were positive by this PCR assay. These results suggest that the new nested PCR method might be sensitive and useful for discrimination between Rickettsia and other febrile disease-causing microorganisms.
Borrelia ; Borrelia burgdorferi Group ; Coxiella burnetii ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; DNA ; Leptospira interrogans ; Neorickettsia sennetsu ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Rickettsia* ; Ticks

PURPOSE: The differential diagnosis for a pulmonary nodule is intriguing in cancer patients. Metastasis might be a preferential diagnosis, and yet possibilities of other medical conditions still exist. Pulmonary tuberculosis should be enlisted in the differential diagnosis for a pulmonary nodule in cancer patients in Korea. This study was aimed at analyzing the incidence and clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis that were misdiagnosed as pulmonary metastasis during radiologic follow-up in pediatric cancer patients. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 422 cancer patients less than 18 years old in the Korea Cancer Center Hospital from January 2001 to June 2007. We collected episodes of lung metastasis of primary tumor and tuberculosis during treatment or follow-up, and analyzed medical records. RESULTS: There were 5 cases of tuberculosis confirmed after surgery which were initially regarded as cancer. Two patients had respiratory symptoms such as cough and sputum but the other 3 patients did not. One patient had a family history of tuberculosis. Acid-fast M. tuberculosis was found in one case upon tissue specimen analysis. Two cases were Mantoux positive and the sputum examination was negative in all cases. The polymerase chain reaction for tuberculosis on a pathologic specimen was used to differentiate M. tuberculosis from non-tuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM). It was positive in one case. Lung lesions in one case showed a concurrence of tuberculosis along with lung metastasis. One of these patients died after cancer recurrence. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to consider the possibility of tuberculosis when a lung mass is newly detected during treatment or follow-up in patients with childhood cancer.
Cough ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung ; Medical Records ; Mycobacterium ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary