The crystalline surface layer protein (SLP) and a 28-32 kDa antigen of Rickettsia typhi were known as strong immunogens. We previously reported a cloning and sequence analysis of the SLP gene of R. typhi (slpT) and showed that the open reading frame of this gene encodes both the SLP and a 32-kDa protein. Our study also showed that a 48-kDa protein reacted strongly with polyclonal antiserum of a patient with murine typhus. In this study, we produced three recombinant proteins (SLP, 32-kDa, and 48-kDa protein) in E. coli as fusion proteins with maltose binding proteins. The reactivity of these proteins with patients' sera was investigated.
Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Crystallins ; Humans ; Maltose-Binding Proteins ; Open Reading Frames ; Recombinant Proteins ; Rickettsia typhi* ; Rickettsia* ; Sequence Analysis ; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne

PURPOSE: To report a case of a Comamonas acidovarans corneal ulcer treated with antibiotics in Korea. Comamonas acidovarans corneal ulcer has not been previously reported to our knowledge. METHODS: A 70-year-old woman visited our clinic complaining of left ocular pain and decreased visual acuity for six days. We performed a smear and culture on the corneal lesion and treated it with topical and systemic antibiotics. RESULTS: Comamonas acidovorans was cultured from ulcer lesion. Corneal ulcer improved with the administration of ciprofloxacin and tobramycin.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Comamonas* ; Corneal Ulcer* ; Delftia acidovorans* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Tobramycin ; Ulcer ; Visual Acuity

We compared the result of 6 patients[group A]treated with high dose steroid only with the result of 14 patients[group B]treated with optic canal decompression after at least 24 hours of high dose steroid therapy without improvement. 4 of 6 patients[66%]in group A and 7 of 14 patients[50%]in group B improved in visual acuity.But 1 of 6 patients[17%] in group A and 6 of 14 patients[43%]in group B had marked improvement in visual function[above 0.02].Of 5 patients with optic canal fracture in orbit CT in group B, all had improved visual function and 4 had marked improvement in visual function. If CT demonstrates bony fragments impinging on intracanalicular optic nerve, or if vision deteriorates or fails to improve during the first 24 hours of high dose steroid and initial visual acuity is no light perception, optic canal decompression is considered effective and valid treatment modality in TON.
Decompression* ; Humans ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Nerve Injuries* ; Orbit ; Visual Acuity

The organization of the ribosomal genes is unique in Borrelia burgdorferi in that the rrl (23S) and rrf (SS) genes are duplicated in tandem. Twelve Korean Borrelia isolates were classified by the method of rRNA gene restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and Southern hybridization. One of the isolates, KW-3, as well as the representative of ribotype group IV Ip89 appeared to have evolved within B. garinii. The size of the restriction bands of the 11 isolates showed different patterns from the USA and European isolates. The result by RFLP of rrf-rrl intergenic spacer region amplified by PCR showed a good correlation with that of Southern hybridization of rRNA gene. Therefore, the eleven Korean isolates could be classified as members of a new Borrelia group.
Borrelia burgdorferi Group* ; Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Classification* ; Genes, rRNA ; Korea* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length* ; Ribotyping

The adult worm and plerocercoid larva(sparganum) of Diphyllobothrium mansoni and Moniezia expansa employed in this experiment. The adult worms were divided into three portions, i.e. immature, mature and gravid proglottids, and each proglottids were incubated in 50 cc or 250 cc volume of special incubation flasks with incubation medium consisting of 10 cc of 25 cc of Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The incubation medium was added C(14)-acetate and non-radioactive carrier Na-acetate so as to contain acetate concentration of 50 mg per cent. The worms were allowed to incubate for 5 hours in the Dubnoff metabolic shaking incubator at 38 C. After incubation period, the lactate and pyruvate appearance rate, total CO(2) production tate, the turnover rates were employed as pervious report(Seo et al., 1965). The quantitative analysis of C(14)-acetate utilized by the adult worm and plerocercoid larva of D. mansoni and M. expansa were compared and discussed in this report. According to these data of the experiment, it is impressed that the fatty acid such as acetate may play a role of major part of their metabolism in the adult worm and plerocercoid larva of D. mansoni , whereas minor part of acetate participated in the metabolism by M. expansa.
parasitology ; helminth ; cestoda ; Diphyllobothrium mansoni ; Moniezia expansa ; sparganum ; acetate ; metabolism ; biochemistry ; acetate ; CO(2) ; Krebs Ringer phosphate buffer

A total of 4 aquatic plants, Eleocharis kuroguwai Ohwi, Hydrocharis dubia Backer, Salvinia natans All., and Zizania latifolia Turcz., were sampled from representative two wetlands of South Korea. A total of 38 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from aquatic plants native to the Daepyeong wetland, and 27 strains were isolated from the Jilnal wetland. The internal transcribed spacer regions of fungal isolates were sequenced and a phylogenetic analysis was performed. In addition, endophytic fungal diversity from each wetland and host plant species was deduced. A total of 25 fungal genera were purely isolated, and 16 fungal genera were isolated from each of the two wetlands. Commonly isolated genera from both wetlands were Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Clonostachys, Fusarium, Leptosphaeria, Penicillium, and Talaromyces. This study revealed that fungal diversity varied with environmental conditions and by host plant in representative two wetlands.
Aspergillus ; Cladosporium ; Eleocharis ; Fresh Water ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Korea* ; Penicillium ; Plants ; Talaromyces ; Wetlands*

Using ocularluminal methylmethacrylate corrosion casting, we obsesved three-dimentional anterior uveal microcirculation of the rabbit eyes with scanning electron microscope. The two terminal branches of each long posterior ciliary artery turn opposite direction within the iris to run concentric to the pupil; the superior and inferior branches forming the major iridic circle (MIC). Radial branches run both proximally and distally from the MIC, the former distributing to the ciliary process, choroid and ciliary body and the latter distributing to the iris. Venous drainage of the anterior uvea is taken care of by the large iridociliary veins and by marginal capillaries of the process. Each of these drains to the large vessel layer of the choroid and subsquently to the vortex vein.
Capillaries ; Choroid ; Ciliary Arteries ; Ciliary Body ; Corrosion Casting ; Drainage ; Iris ; Methylmethacrylate ; Microcirculation ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning* ; Pupil ; Uvea ; Veins

Using ocularluminal methylmethacrylate corrosion casting, we obsesved three-dimentional anterior uveal microcirculation of the rabbit eyes with scanning electron microscope. The two terminal branches of each long posterior ciliary artery turn opposite direction within the iris to run concentric to the pupil; the superior and inferior branches forming the major iridic circle (MIC). Radial branches run both proximally and distally from the MIC, the former distributing to the ciliary process, choroid and ciliary body and the latter distributing to the iris. Venous drainage of the anterior uvea is taken care of by the large iridociliary veins and by marginal capillaries of the process. Each of these drains to the large vessel layer of the choroid and subsquently to the vortex vein.
Capillaries ; Choroid ; Ciliary Arteries ; Ciliary Body ; Corrosion Casting ; Drainage ; Iris ; Methylmethacrylate ; Microcirculation ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning* ; Pupil ; Uvea ; Veins

Using immunohistochemical technique, we observed time-sequentially to T and B lymphocyte in the ciliary body of the endotoxin induced uveitis in rat. The primary antibodies for immunohistochemical stain of the lymphocyte were IgM heavy chain, IgG heavy chain, T suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8) and T helper/macrophage (CD4) was performed in the frozen section. The intensity of immunohistochemical reaction for surface IgM positive cells increased from 12hours and reached most strong intensities at 24hours after endotoxin injection and then decreased rapidly, but the intensity for surface IgG positive cells increased from 48hours and sustained 96hours. There were no significant changes of intensity of immunohistochemical reaction for T cells except slightly increased T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8).
Animals ; Antibodies ; Ciliary Body ; Frozen Sections ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Lymphocytes ; Rats* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Uveitis*

Using Mercox CL-2B, intravascular casting was performed follwoing intracameral injection with 2.0microgram/microliter of Endothelin-1(ET-1) in the rabbit eye. One hour after intracameral injection with ET-1 caused severe focal andsegmental constriction of major arterial circle(MAC). Obstruction of the small branch of MAC caused localized filling defect and decreased number of capillaries in the vascular cast. The diameters of vascular cast were reduced at about 22.2% in proximal MAC, 22.4% in distal MAC and 21.8% in first branch of MAC. This results were suggested that ET-1 may play a role in the regulation of blood flow in the anterior segment vasculature of the rabbit.
Capillaries ; Constriction ; Endothelin-1* ; Microvessels*