BACKGROUND: The incidence of penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae(PRSP) accounts for almost 70% of all pneumococcal pneumonia cases in Korea. It is still unclear as to whether the efficacy of penicillin or equally active beta-lactam agents is compromised in PRSP pneumonia. This study investigated the prevalence of PRSP in community-acquired pneumonia and its clinical course. METHODS: A total of 42 patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia were evaluated from July 1999 to May 2001. The cultured strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were divided into susceptible, intermediately resistant, and resistant strains by an E-test, and the effect of the clinical course was investigated. RESULTS: From a total of 42 patients, 22 (52.4%) patients had an intermediate resistance (MIC 0.1-1 microgram/ml) and six (14.3%) showed a high resistance (MIC> or =2.0 microgram/ml) with current penicillin susceptibility categories. However, according to the classification of the DRSPTWG (Drug Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Therapeutic Working Group), there were 11 cases (26.2%) of intermediate resistance and no case of high resistance. Under empirical antimicrobial treatment, there was no difference in the clinical outcome between the penicillin susceptible and resistant group. CONCLUSION: The clinical outcome of PRSP pneumonia with empirical therapy was acceptable. These results suggest that the current MIC breakpoint for penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae has been set at a very low level and penicillin resistance according to the NCCLS classification does not significantly influence the outcome of the empirical treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia.
Classification ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Penicillin Resistance ; Penicillins ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal* ; Prevalence* ; Prognosis ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus pneumoniae

Molecular Sequence Data ; Ribotyping ; Streptococcus suis ; classification ; genetics

Bacterial Typing Techniques ; Genes, Bacterial ; genetics ; Streptococcus pyogenes ; classification ; genetics

To determine the carrier rate of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS), throat cultures were taken from healthy elementary school children in four separate areas of Korea from 1992 to 1995, including Inje, Nonsan, Seoul and Chinju. The strains of Streptococcus pyogenes had been serotyped with anti-T, -OF and -M sera. The isolation rates of BHS and S. pyogenes ranged from 14.1-32.4% and 10.9-18.5% respectively. More than half of the carriers showed heavy growth of BHS. M78 (48.6%) and M28 (22.2%) were most common in Inje, M12 (23.6%) and M5 (20.3%) in Nonsan, M12 (48.8%) and M5 (14.6%) in Seoul, and M12 (26.3%) and M22 (14.5%) in Chinju, respectively. About 15% of school children were positive for S. pyogenes in throat cultures, and the distribution of serotypes varied according to geographical regions.
Carrier State ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Pharynx/microbiology* ; Schools ; Serotyping* ; Streptococcus pyogenes/isolation & purification* ; Streptococcus pyogenes/classification*

OBJECTIVETo observe the dynamic changes of oral microflora early colonized in infants.

METHODSThe oral swab samples for the study were taken in 1 day, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 months after birth from 12 healthy neonates. By choosing suitable diluted concentration, the samples were incubated aerobically, facultative anaerobically and anaerobically. The strains were identified by observing colony characteristics, Gram staining and biochemical tests.

RESULTSS. salivarius was the most frequent microflora, followed by S. mitis, S. sanguis, S. gordonii and S. mutans occurred in oral cavity after tooth eruption. Veillonella spp. can be detected in oral cavity of 1-month-old babies, A. odontolyticus was isolated from 8.3% infants of more than 3 months old. L. acidophilus maintained the lower prevalence in oral cavity of babies. Leptotrichia buccalis and Capnocytophaga spp. occurred in oral cavity of some dentate infants.

CONCLUSIONS. solivarius and S. mitis are predominant species in oral cavity of the infants, Veillonella spp. is the first and the most anaerobic species appeared in oral cavity of healthy babies. A. odontolyticus is the first actinomyces detected in oral cavity. With the increasing months, kind and amount of microflora increase dramatically.

Actinomyces ; isolation & purification ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Mouth ; microbiology ; Mouth Mucosa ; microbiology ; Saliva ; microbiology ; Streptococcus ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus mitis ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus mutans ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus sanguis ; isolation & purification ; Veillonella ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo develop a pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method for molecular typing of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus (S. thermophilus) and to apply it in identification and characterization of both bacteria isolated from yoghurt collected from Beijing supermarket.

METHODSThe five most useful restriction enzymes including Apa I, Not I, Sfi I, Xba I and Sma I were chosen to cut DNA of 52 strains of Lactobacillus, S. thermophilus as well as associated standard bacteria strains. The endonucleases and electrophoresis conditions for PFGE analysis were optimized and applied in molecular typing of Lactobacillus and S.thermophilus isolates. Cluster analysis based on the PFGE data was conducted. The identification results of PFGE were compared with those obtained in biochemical and 16s ribosomal RNA PCR identification tests.

RESULTSNot I was suitable for L. bulgaricus, L. fermentum and L. delbrueckii digestion. While Apa I was an appropriate endonuclease for S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus and L. casei digestion. The results of molecular typing indicated that 24 strains of L.bulgaricus and 15 strains of S. thermophilus were grouped into 8 types by PFGE method, respectively. While 7 strains of L.acidophilus were grouped into 3 types and 2 strains of L. delbrueckii were grouped into 2 different PFGE types.

CONCLUSIONThe results of PFGE analysis are in compliance with those of 16s rRNA PCR and biochemical identification. The PFGE method developed in this study is suitable for molecular characterization of both Lactobacillus and S. thermophilus.

Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; methods ; Lactobacillus ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus thermophilus ; classification ; isolation & purification

Group B streptococci (GBS) neonatal infection, a prevalent disease in western countries, is considered rare in Korea. GBS neonatal infection is known to be often due to serotype III organisms, but the serotypes in Korea have not been reported. In this study, GBS were frequently isolated from specimens of genitalia, urine and various pus. Among the 186 isolates 14 (7.5%) were from neonates, two with concomitant bacteremia and meningitis and one with pneumonia. Frequently isolated GBS serotypes were Ib (9.2%), Ib/c (26.6%) and III/R (23.9%). Change of frequently isolated serotypes during the study was noted, but JM9 which became increasingly isolated in Japan was not found. It is concluded that less prevalence of severe neonatal GBS infection in Korea is not due to the absence of serotype III, but possibly due to low genital carriage rate of GBS by pregnant women.
Comparative Study ; Female ; Human ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Male ; *Serotyping ; Streptococcus agalactiae/*classification/*isolation & purification

China ; Genes, Bacterial ; Sequence Analysis ; Streptococcus suis ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Virulence Factors ; genetics

Serotypings have been used as markers for epidemiological surveys of Streptococcus pyogenes infections. Seventy-seven strains of S. pyogenes isolated from the throats of elementary school children in Kangwon Province in Korea in March and April 1992 were serotyped with M and/or opacity factor (OF) antisera. Sixty-eight strains of S. pyogenes from healthy school children in Chungnam Province in March 1993 were also serotyped and the distribution of serotype was compared with the isolates from those living in Kangwon Province. The distributions of M types were quite different between the two areas. M-78 (46.8%) and M-28 (22.1%) were most frequently encountered in Kangwon Province, while M-5 (20.6%), M-12 (16.2%), M-3 (13.2%), M-1 (11.8%) and M-62 (11.8%) were frequently isolated in Chungnam Province. Eighty-seven percent of strains in Kangwon produced OF while 33.2% of those in Chungnam produced OF (p< 0.0001). The difference in the distribution of serotypes and of OF production in the isolates from the children in the two provinces may be responsible for differences in the epidemiology of group A streptococcal infections and their sequelae.
Child ; Comparative Study ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Residence Characteristics ; Rural Population ; Serotyping ; Streptococcal Infections/epidemiology/*microbiology ; Streptococcus pyogenes/*classification/pathogenicity ; Virulence

Seventy-seven Streptococcus pyogenes strains isolated of children of three elementary schools located in Kangwon-do in spring, 1992 were serotyped with M, opacity factor (OF) and T typing antisera. In the M/OF typing results, M-78 (46.8%) and M-28 (22.1%) were most frequently encountered, while M-4 (6.5%), M-12 (5.2%), M-3 (1.3%), M-5 (1.3%) and M-6 (1.3%) were rarely observed. Twelve strains (15.6%) were not typable with M or OF typing system. In the T typing results, T-11 (35.1%) and T-28 (27.3%) were most common. We were able to identify 77.9% of S. pyogenes strains by T typing, 94.8% with T typing and OF typing. With the addition of M typing, 97.4% were typable. Through the serotypings, we could know the basic distribution of serotypes of S. pyogenes of healthy children which could be comparable to those of rheumatic fever, poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis and other severe streptococcal disease.
Adolescent ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pharynx/microbiology ; Rheumatic Fever/microbiology ; Serotyping ; Streptococcus pyogenes/*classification/isolation & purification