Calbindin is a calcium binding protein that controls intracellular calcium levels and has a neuroprotective function against apoptotic stimuli. We investigated the expression of calbindin in ischemic brain injury. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in male rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and cerebral cortices were collected 24 h after MCAO. Cerebral ischemia significantly increased infarct volume. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that MCAO injury induced a decrease of calbindin expression. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining showed that the number of calbindin-positive cells decreased in ischemic regions of MCAO-operated animals. In cultured hippocampal-derived cell lines, glutamate exposure increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations and decreased calbindin expression. Taken together, both in vivo and in vitro results demonstrated decreases of calbindin after neuronal cell injury. These results suggest that decreases of calbindin in ischemic brain injury contribute to neuronal cell death.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Calcium ; Calcium-Binding Protein, Vitamin D-Dependent ; Carrier Proteins ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Cerebral Cortex ; Glutamic Acid ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Male ; Neurons ; Rats

The identification and characterization of pathogenic and zoonotic tick-borne diseases like granulocytic anaplasmosis are essential for developing effective control programs. The differential diagnosis of pathogenic Anaplasma phagocytophilum and non-pathogenic A. phagocytophilum-like Anaplasma spp. is important for implementing effective treatment from control programs. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in horses in Korea by nucleotide sequencing and restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism assay. Of the 627 horses included in the study, only 1 (0.2%) was infected with A. phagocytophilum. Co-infection with A. phagocytophilumlike Anaplasma spp. was not detected in the study. The 16S rRNA sequence of A. phagocytophilum was similar (99.5–100%) to A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA isolated from horses in other countries. PCR adapted to amplify A. phagocytophilum groEL and msp2 genes failed to generate amplicons, suggesting genetic diversity in these genes. This study is the first molecular detection of A. phagocytophilum in horses in Korea. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis and animal infection of A. phagocytophilum have been reported in Korea recently. Because of vector tick distribution, global warming, and the increase of the horse industry, horses should be considered as a potential reservoir for A. phagocytophilum, and cross infectivity should be evaluated even though a low prevalence of infection was detected in this study. Furthermore, continuous surveillance and effective control measures for A. phagocytophilum should be established to prevent disease distribution and possible transmission to humans.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Anaplasma ; Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Genetic Variation ; Global Warming ; Granulocytes ; Horses ; Humans ; Korea ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Prevalence ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; Ticks

We assessed the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) in cattle on Ulleung Island, Korea in a population-based follow up study for 4 years and determined the spatial distribution and risk factors associated with C. burnetii. The seroprevalence of C. burnetii was determined to be 1.4–2.0% during 2011–2014. Overall, nine cattle from three farms that tested seropositive showed C. burnetii antibody seroconversions between 2011 and 2014. The number of seropositive cattle was low, suggesting that movement of and contact between animals was possible risk factors for the transmission of C. burnetii.
Agriculture ; Animals ; Cattle ; Coxiella burnetii ; Coxiella ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Follow-Up Studies ; Korea ; Q Fever ; Risk Factors ; Seroconversion ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

We assessed the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) in cattle on Ulleung Island, Korea in a population-based follow up study for 4 years and determined the spatial distribution and risk factors associated with C. burnetii. The seroprevalence of C. burnetii was determined to be 1.4–2.0% during 2011–2014. Overall, nine cattle from three farms that tested seropositive showed C. burnetii antibody seroconversions between 2011 and 2014. The number of seropositive cattle was low, suggesting that movement of and contact between animals was possible risk factors for the transmission of C. burnetii.

Equine influenza (EI) is the main cause of respiratory illness in equines across the globe and is caused by equine influenza A virus (EIV-A), which has impacted the equine industry internationally because of the marginal mortality and high morbidity. In the present study, the immune responses after equine influenza vaccination were evaluated in 4,144 horses in Korea using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. The equine influenza virus (EIV), A/equine/South Africa/4/03 (H3N8), was used as the antigen in the HI assay. The mean seropositive rates were 89.2% (97.4% in 2016, 77.6% in 2017, and 92.4% in 2018). This paper highlights the advances in understanding the effects of vaccines and control strategies for mitigating the emerging menace by EIV.
Antibody Formation ; Hemagglutination ; Horses ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Mortality ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is recognized as one of the most important infectious diseases causing serious economic loss in the swine industry worldwide. Due to its increasing genetic diversity, a rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical for PRRS control. The immunochromatographic strip test (ICST) is a rapid and convenient type of immunoassay. In this study, an on-site immunochromatographic assay-based diagnostic method was developed for detection of PRRS virus (PRRSV)-specific antibodies. The method utilized colloidal gold nanoparticle-labeled dual-type nucleocapsid proteins encoded by open reading frame 7. We evaluated 991 field samples from pig farms and 66 serum samples from experimentally PRRSV-inoculated pigs. Based on true PRRSV-specific antibody-positive or
Agriculture ; Antibodies ; Colloids ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Genetic Variation ; Gold Colloid ; Immunoassay ; Immunochromatography ; Immunoglobulin M ; Methods ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; Open Reading Frames ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Swine

Porcine parvovirus 7 (PPV7) was first detected in Korean pig farms in 2017. The detection rate of PPV7 DNA was 24.0% (30/125) in aborted pig fetuses and 74.9% (262/350) in finishing pigs, suggesting that PPV7 has circulated among Korean domestic pig farms. Phylogenetic analysis based on capsid protein amino acid sequences demonstrated that the nine isolated Korean strains (PPV-KA1-3 and PPV-KF1-6) were closely related to the previously reported USA and Chinese PPV7 strains. In addition, the Korean strains exhibit genetic diversity with both insertion and deletion mutations. This study contributes to the understanding of the molecular epidemiology of PPV7 in Korea.
Aborted Fetus ; Agriculture ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Capsid Proteins ; DNA ; Fetus ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Korea ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Parvovirus, Porcine ; Sequence Deletion ; Sus scrofa ; Swine