No abstract available.
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*

BACKGROUND: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most sensitive method for the detection of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA from serum. The PCR by conventional heat block thermocycler using small plastic tube is time and reagent consuming procedure, but rapid cycle PCR (RPCR) by hot air thermocycler using glass capillary tube is very rapid and economic. Therefore, RPCR have been recognized as a very convenient method for routine diagnostic test in clinical laboratories, but there are few reports about its usage for the detection of HCV RNA. METHODS: We selected two sets of primer pair from 5'noncoding region of HCV RNA genome, and optimized RPCR condition using hot air rapid thermocycler with master mix in capillary tubes. And RT-RPCR for detection of HCV RNA were performed on the serum of 58 patients, which were tested anti -HCV antibody by EIA. RESULTS: The optimized RPCR conditions were: denaturation; 94 degrees C for "0" sec, annealing; 55 degrees C (first) and 50 degrees C (nested) for "0" sec, elongation; 72 degrees C for "0" sec, and amplification cycles were 30 cycles. The consuming times per cycle were 30 sec (first) and 40 sec (nested), respecti vely, so the total involving times for nested RPCR were 35 min. Of the 42 EIA positive samples, 26 (62%) were RT-RPCR positive. CONCLUSIONS: RT-RPCR using hot air thermocycler with glass capillary tubes for detection of HCV RNA in serum is very rapid and economic than conventional PCR using heat block thermocycler. Therefore HCV RNA detection by RT-RPCR appears to be very useful for routine clinical laboratory diagnostic method.
Capillaries* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Genome ; Glass ; Hepacivirus ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Plastics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; RNA*

This study was performed to measure early changes in the serotype distribution of pneumococci isolated from children with invasive disease during the 3-year period following the introduction of 10- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in Korea. From January 2011 to December 2013 at 25 hospitals located throughout Korea, pneumococci were isolated among children who had invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Serotypes were determined using the Quellung reaction, and the change in serotype distribution was analyzed. Seventy-five cases of IPD were included. Eighty percent of patients were aged 3-59 months, and 32% had a comorbidity that increased the risk of pneumococcal infection. The most common serotypes were 19A (32.0%), 10A (8.0%), and 15C (6.7%). The PCV7 serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, 23F, and 6A) accounted for 14.7% of the total isolates and the PCV13 minus PCV7 types (1, 3, 5, 7F and 19A) accounted for 32.0% of the total isolates. Serotype 19A was the only serotype in the PCV13 minus PCV7 group. The proportion of serotype 19A showed decreasing tendency from 37.5% in 2011 to 22.2% in 2013 (P = 0.309), while the proportion of non-PCV13 types showed increasing tendency from 45.8% in 2011 to 72.2% in 2013 (P = 0.108). Shortly after the introduction of extended-valent PCVs in Korea, serotype 19A continued to be the most common serotype causing IPD in children. Subsequently, the proportion of 19A decreased, and non-vaccine serotypes emerged as an important cause of IPD. The impact of extended-valent vaccines must be continuously monitored.
Adolescent ; Bacteremia/complications/diagnosis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pneumococcal Infections/microbiology/*prevention & control ; Pneumococcal Vaccines/*immunology ; Republic of Korea ; Serotyping ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/*classification/isolation & purification ; Vaccines, Conjugate/*immunology

BACKGROUND: Invasive bacterial infections in apparently immunocompetent children were retrospectively analyzed to figure causative bacterial organisms in Korea. METHODS: A total of 947 cases from 25 university hospitals were identified from 2006 to 2010 as a continuance of a previous 10-year period study from 1996 to 2005. RESULTS: Escherichia coli (41.3%), Streptococcus agalactiae (27.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (27.1%) were the most common pathogens in infants < 3 months of age. S. agalactiae was the most prevalent cause of meningitis and pneumonia and E. coli was the major cause of bacteremia without localizing signs in this group. In children 3 to 59 months of age, Streptococcus pneumoniae (54.2%), S. aureus (20.5%), and Salmonella spp. (14.4%) were the most common pathogens. S. pneumoniae was the leading cause of pneumonia (86.0%), meningitis (65.0%), and bacteremia without localizing signs (49.0%) in this group. In children ≥ 5 years of age, S. aureus (62.8%) was the predominant pathogen, followed by Salmonella species (12.4%) and S. pneumoniae (11.5%). Salmonella species (43.0%) was the most common cause of bacteremia without localizing signs in this group. The relative proportion of S. aureus increased significantly over the 15-year period (1996–2010) in children ≥ 3 months of age (P < 0.001), while that of Haemophilus influenzae decreased significantly in both < 3 months of age group (P = 0.036) and ≥ 3 months of age groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: S. agalactiae, E. coli, S. pneumoniae, and S. aureus are common etiologic agents of invasive bacterial infections in Korean children.
Bacteremia ; Bacterial Infections ; Child ; Epidemiology ; Escherichia coli ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Salmonella ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae

The authors regret that one co-author (Kyung-Hyo Kim) was missing in the article.