No abstract available.
Bacteria, Anaerobic*

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent infection transforms B lymphocytes into proliferating lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). EBV latent infection membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is required for EBV-mediated B lymphocyte transformation, and LMP1-induced NF-kappaB activation is essential for LCL survival. Previously, it was reported that the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) are elevated in EBV-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells, the potential role of ASK1 in LMP1-induced NF-kappaB activation was thus investigated in this study. In EBV-positive BL cells, ASK1 was highly expressed and activated. In addition, TRAF6-ASK1 interaction was significantly increased in EBV-positive BL cells. Interestingly, the expression of LMP1 alone facilitated ASK1 activation. The expression of a dominant negative ASK1 mutant (ASK1KM) strongly blocked LMP1-induced NF-kappaB activation. Furthermore, LMP1-induced NF-kappaB activation was significantly reduced in ASK1 knock out (ASK1-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Taken together, these results demonstrate that ASK1 is activated by LMP1 and is critical for LMP1-induced NF-kappaB activation.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes ; Burkitt Lymphoma ; Cell Line ; Fibroblasts ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Lymphocyte Activation ; MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 ; Membrane Proteins ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; Reactive Oxygen Species

No abstract available.
Bilophila*

No abstract available.
Bilophila*

No abstract available.
Bacteria, Anaerobic*

No abstract available.
Bacteria, Anaerobic*

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing K. pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC) were first reported in the USA in 2001, and since then, this infection has been reported in Europe, Israel, South America, and China. In Korea, the first KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 11 strain was detected in 2010. We report the case of a patient with a urinary tract infection caused by KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae. This is the second report of a KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae infection in Korea, but the multilocus sequence type was ST258. The KPC-2-producing isolate was resistant to all tested beta-lactams (including imipenem and meropenem), amikacin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but was susceptible to gentamicin, colistin, polymyxin B, and tigecycline. The KPC-2-producing isolate was negative to phenotypic extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC detection tests and positive to modified Hodge test and carbapenemase inhibition test with aminophenylboronic acid.
Aged ; Bacterial Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Carbapenems/pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Urinary Tract Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; beta-Lactamases/antagonists & inhibitors/biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism

PURPOSE: Virulent gene expression in Staphylococcus aureus is controlled by regulators such as the accessory gene regulator (agr). Strains can be divided into four major agr groups (agr I-IV) on the basis of agrD and agrC polymorphisms. The purpose of this study was to define the proportion of agr I, II, and III polymorphisms and to compare the clinical characteristics between group I and non-group I polymorphisms of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains in a Korean tertiary care teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 158 clinical isolates were evaluated by RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 50.2 +/- 21.9 years old. There were 74 (49.3%), 66 (44.0%), 10 (6.7%), 7 (4.4%), and 1 (0.6%) strains in agr group I, II, III, I + II, and I + III polymorphisms, respectively. Only ear infections were a statistically significant clinical parameter according to univariate (p=0.001) and multivariate analysis (OR, 4.721 (1.273-17.508), p=0.020). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that agr group I is the most prevalent in Korea, and ear infections are correlated with the group I polymorphism, which is a different clinical trend from western countries. It can also be inferred that community-acquired MRSA correlates with agr group I.

BACKGROUND: Of the plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamases (ABLs), CMY-2 is the most prevalent and is distributed in many countries. However, little is known about the emergence and characteristics of CMY-2 among Escherichia coli isolates in Korea. The aims of this study were to detect the emergence of the CMY-2 beta-lactamase in clinical isolates of E. coli from various regions in Korea. METHODS: Eighteen cefoxitin non-susceptible isolates of 1, 130 consecutive, nonrepeat isolates of E. coli at five university hospitals were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by the broth microdilution method. The cefoxitin non-susceptible isolates were further investigated by AmpC disk tests, double disk synergy (DDS) tests, isoelectric focusing, CMY-2-specific PCR, DNA sequencing, and plasmid analysis. RESULTS: Seven (0.6%) isolates of plasmid-mediated ABL-producing E. coli were found at three of the five hospitals; all seven isolates produced CMY-2 beta-lactamase and one of the isolates was also tested positive by the DDS test. All isolates demonstrated different plasmid patterns by plasmid analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that CMY-2-producing E. coli has emerged and is prevalent in the medical institution in Korea. Therefore, constant surveillance is needed to prevent its further spread.
beta-Lactamases ; Cefoxitin ; Escherichia coli* ; Hospitals, University ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Korea ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Microbiologic data in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps, which is the foundation of proper antibiotic treatment, is insufficient due to problems with sampling and culture technique. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the causative agents in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps based on culture results in adults and children and the relationship between the results of the middle meatus and maxillary sinus. Materials and Method: Samples were obtained with middle meatus swabs and endoscopically guided maxillary sinus aspirations and then transferred to a microbiology laboratory using different media for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. RESULTS: Eighty one samples were studied. Sixty six from the middle meatus and sixty four from the maxillary sinus bacterial isolates were recovered. The most frequently isolated aerobic organisms were the Staphylococcus, Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus while those of the anaerobic organisms in adults were the Prevotella and Peptostreptococcus. No anaerobic microorganisms were isolated in the children. Concordance rates of aerobic bacteria were 75.4% among adults and 90.0% among children. That of anaerobic bacteria was 83.6% among adults and 100% among children between the middle meatal swab and the maxillary sinus aspiration. CONCLUSION: Authors recommend amoxacillin/clavulanate, cephalosporins and macrolide as the first-line medical treatment. In cases where there are no improvement of symptoms, cultures should be taken from the middle meatus, followed by appropriate selection of second-line antibiotics according to the sensitivity test results.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspirations (Psychology) ; Bacteria ; Bacteria, Aerobic ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Cephalosporins ; Child ; Culture Techniques ; Haemophilus ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Maxillary Sinus ; Nasal Polyps* ; Peptostreptococcus ; Prevotella ; Sinusitis* ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus